Inside My Mind
by sistersgrimmlover
Summary: It started with a wand. A wand with a brother. And this brother wand, a girl shall wield. And with this girl came War. And with War, came her lover, Plague. Plague lead to his brother Death. And it all ended in Victory.
1. Prologue

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, RW/?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story.

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Prologue**

"_One day at a time-this is enough._

_Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone;_

_And do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come._

_Live in the present, and make it so beautiful_

_It will be worth remembering"_

_Anonymous_

**The Potter House, Godric's Hollow, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of October 1981**

**11:57 PM**

Grindelwald walked slowly towards the room where the one who could kill him and his Heir was. He flicked his wand and the door slammed open and a woman with fiery red hair and glowing green eyes stared in horror. But her face was defiant and she clutched the baby in her arms closer to her body.

"Leave us alone!" Lily Potter demanded. She placed the baby in the crib and she turned around with her wand out. Grindelwald watched in mild surprise.

"Give me the child and I may spare you" Grindelwald prompted. Lily shook her head and bit her lip.

"Please…not Bella. Not Bella!" begged Lily. Grindelwald raised one eyebrow. So, the child was a girl. That had not been told to him. No matter…

"Stand aside you silly girl!" he commanded. Lily shook her head and her lip trembled. She slid her wand back into her pocket. She knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"No…kill _me _instead. Not Bella!" Lily said, becoming hysterical. Grindelwald raised his wand to face her.

"She's a danger to all that I've worked for" Grindelwald said, carefully not saying that he had an Heir. His Heir could come out after all threats were eliminated. Like this child.

"She's a baby…she's my baby. Please have mercy!" Lily sobbed. Grindelwald gave a laugh. It was short and dry before he shook his head.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Grindelwald commanded. The inevitable green light sped to the Potter woman. She fell to the ground, dead. Grindelwald walked over her and went to the child. The baby was smiling, toothlessly.

She was a pretty thing. She had loose black hair that fell to her shoulders gracefully. And her eyes…they were too aware for a child her age. And they were the same apple green eyes as her mother.

"Goodbye child" Grindelwald said, in an ancient voice. The baby stood at his words and gripped the railing of the crib and lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes. The baby closed her eyes and smiled.

Grindelwald watched in sick fascination. The child knew she was to die. Somehow…

"_Avada Kedavra._"

And suddenly Grindelwald broke. And he was nothing more but…dust in the wind.

And a lightening bolt scar shone on the head of the girl standing there

* * *

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of November, 1981**

**3:21 AM**

Poppy Pomfrey cradled the child in her arms. The child was crying for her mother and she couldn't give her to her. Bella Potter snuggled closer to Poppy as she cried and cried and cried.  
"Don't cry, child" urged Poppy but it seemed to make the Potter child cry even more. Bella sat up and wailed.

"Pafoot!" she wailed. Poppy frowned, not understanding. Suddenly, the Hospital Wing doors slammed open and a man stood there, his long black shoulder length hair at his shoulder. His grey eyes held so much pain but they slightly lit up when they settled on the girl in his arms. Another man stood with him but stood to the side.

"Bella!" Sirius Black said, breathing in relief. She hadn't been gotten. He had shown up at the Potter House to see his two best friends on the ground. Dead. And Bella missing.

He ran up to Poppy and grabbed the little girl out of her arms and hugged her tightly. Bella wrapped her arms around her godfather's neck and cried.

"It's okay, Bella. I'm here. I'm here. I promise I won't leave you ever again" Sirius said, to the baby. The man standing at the door looked only slightly amused. He walked forward from the shadows and Poppy jumped and clutched her chest.

"Oh! Tom…you scared me there. You should stop doing that" Poppy said, reproachfully. Tom Riddle Jr. smiled slightly. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms.

"I apologize Poppy. Mr. Black, you may take your ward with you to my office" Tom said. Sirius nodded and held Bella close before following Tom to the Deputy Headmaster's office. Bella watched with wide and aware eyes. The man in front of her Padfoot was leading them through twists and turns. They finally went to a portrait with a man with silver hair and the same charcoal eyes as Tom's.

"**Open**" hissed Tom. Sirius shivered at the sound of it but Bella looked, for a lack of a better word, determined. The portrait slid over to reveal an archway.

"**Open**" hissed Bella. Sirius jumped at the noise Bella made and Tom turned on his heel and looked at the little girl. She gave him what could only be described as a smirk. Tom couldn't help but give a slight smile.

The girl was talented. He could see why she would rival his power. Sirius looked down at his goddaughter.

"Did you do that, Bella? Or can Riddle throw his voice?" Sirius asked. Bella gurgled happily but didn't respond. She sat, not repeating what she said. The portrait, however, sneered.

"So a little girl was gifted with my speech" the portrait sniffed. Tom cast the portrait a look.

"Salazar…the girl destroyed Grindelwald. She _must_ be powerful. The little Girl-Who-Lived" Tom said. Salazar Slytherin raised an eyebrow but said nothing more and Sirius walked hesitantly after Tom and they walked down a well-lit hallway.

"Why aren't we going to Dumbledore?" asked Sirius. Tom frowned at the name but said nothing against his boss and the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"He is doing damage control. People have heard of the Girl-Who-Lived. Grindelwald is finally gone. He's been around for an awfully long time. People are ecstatic" Tom said, as if that was explanation enough. Sirius nodded in understanding. They made a sharp left and entered Tom's office.

It was simple, yet elegant. The desk was of ebony and the walls seemed to be made from obsidian. The seats were gold in color and looked comfortable. Tom sat down behind his desk and gestured for Sirius to sit down, across from him.

"Riddle, what exactly did you need from me? You show up at my house and tell me that my best friends are dead. What is it that you need?" Sirius asked, bluntly, shifting Bella to his lap. Bella watched with wide bright eyes as Tom began to finger his wand.

"Bella Potter needs a place to live. It is either you or her _Muggle_ relatives. If you wish to adopt her you must go to Gringotts and blood adopt her. Dumbledore wishes to put her with her relatives. You must do this before he gets back" Tom said, bluntly. Sirius looked in surprise and his nose flared.

"What do you mean? I'm a perfectly good guardian!" Sirius protested. Tom sighed and shook his head.

"Yes, yes. I'm letting you know to help me and you're debating against me as if I wanted to put her with her relatives. In all honestly I could care less" Tom said, dismissively. Sirius nodded and stood up with Bella and shook his head.

"I have to go. Thank you, Riddle" Sirius said. Bella waved as they left, her eyes still focused on the wand in Tom's hand. Tom followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. The little girl was focused on his wand.

"**Interesting**."

"Indeed…" said the portrait of Salazar in his office.


	2. Chapter I

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, GW/DM/FW, RW/?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story.

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter I**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**9:00 AM**

Bella Potter shot up from her bed, green eyes wide. Her hair was a tangle, per usual, but she didn't care enough to try and brush it. She stumbled over her long flannel pajama pants. She looked in the mirror excitedly and smiled at her reflection. She wasn't tall and she wasn't short, she had red lips, pale skin that bordered on sickly pale, and wild black hair. The only thing that was above average, at least to her, were her eyes. They glowed green and she gave a wicked smirk, exposing white teeth.

She ran out of the room and ran down the stairs, towards the smell of eggs and bacon. As she stumbled into the kitchen, she almost tripped over the old house elf of the Blacks.

"Sorry, Kreacher!" Bella called over her shoulder as he glared at her. Kreacher's hostile look softened at her sincere if quick apology.

"It is fine, Mistress," he sighed, continuing to clean imaginary dust. More likely, he didn't want to be in the same room as Sirius.

"Uh…Kreacher, it's my birthday. Can you make me a treacle tart before I go to Diagon Alley?" asked Bella excitedly. Kreacher nodded, his large ears drooping with olde age.

"Of course, Mistress."

Bella grinned and took off towards the kitchen before walking and grinning. Sirius sat at the table with a large platter of bacon, eggs, and sausages.

"Well, if it isn't the birthday girl. How old are you again? Seven?" Sirius teased, a bright mischievous spark in his eyes. Bella rolled her eyes and launched herself at the man.

"Uncle Sirius! I'm eleven!" laughed Bella, hugging her beloved godfather. Sirius hugged her back, squeezing her just as tightly.

"That's right! You're a big girl. You're going to get your wand and go to Hogwarts. Now let's eat. I'm starving and we're meeting someone at the Leaky Cauldron," Sirius said. Bella nodded and began shoveling food into her mouth as quickly as possible. Sirius stared in shock.

"Bella…you're going to choke! Calm down," Sirius insisted, his worry permeating his words. Bella sighed and swallowed what was in her mouth, sharply.

"Ssssorry," Bella hissed. Sirius frowned, slightly at the sibilant sound but said nothing of it. He began to eat some of the eggs as well though he kept a close eye on his adopted daughter.

"So where do you want to go first, Doe?" Sirius asked, using the nickname that he had assigned to her since the day of her birth. Bella didn't even need to think about it.

"I want to get my wand," she said, firmly. Sirius nodded and grinned.

"Of course. How else are you going to get into trouble?" smirked Sirius. Bella laughed and shook her head.

"Uncle Sirius…I don't think it's good that I should know that I'm going to pull pranks before I even get there. But I guess I _could_ pull one in the name of the Marauders. I'm not saying I will but I _might_. I'm _finally_ eleven! I can do so many things with a wand," Bella said, lovingly, her eyes glazed over as she thought about the magic pulsing through her, ready to be released. Sirius rolled her eyes at her dramatic act.

They continued to chat about Diagon Alley and Hogwarts while they ate breakfast and Bella stood.

"I have to go shower. I can already tell you did," Bella said. Sirius nodded in agreement before looking at the dishes.

"I'll wash them. You go upstairs and take a shower."

Bella agreed and ran upstairs before walking in her own personal bathroom. As she stepped into the steaming shower, she relaxed. The hot water hit her hair, making it fall straight to her waist and sticking flat on her hair. She showered for a half hour before stepping out and dressing.

She slid on black skinny-legged slacks, becoming akin to a second skin and a white blouse. She pulled on her high-top trainers before pulling on her bottle green cloak. She pulled her long black hair into a half ponytail before walking out of her room, ready to leave. She froze in the doorway and pulled a tangled lock and wondered if she should brush it.

She tilted her head, contemplating before snorting and shaking her head. The girl proceeded down the stairs and she stumbled half down the stairs before righting herself and rolling her eyes at herself.

"Uncle Sirius! Come on!" she shouted when she walked into the Drawing Room but didn't see him there. As she called said uncle walked in with his black cloak. Sirius smirked and held out the cauldron of Floo Powder. Bella took a pinch of the sparkling Floo powder and stepped inside the fireplace.

"Leaky Cauldron!" Bella commanded, as she threw down the powder.

* * *

**Leaky Cauldron, London, England**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**10:04 AM**

Green flames erupted around her as she spun before falling out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron and onto the floor. All eyes were on her and suddenly there was a scream.

"IT'S BELLA POTTER! IT'S THE GIRL-WHO-LIVED!"

"Fuck…" Bella sighed, as people rushed towards her. She heard her uncle come through from behind her but he was just as shocked as her. A tall figure stepped in front of Bella. He was much taller than her, around six feet.

"Such vulgar language for a little girl, Miss Potter," the voice said, condescendingly. Bella stared at the figure in wonder and a slight spark of anger. Her wonder and consequent bemusement won and she looked up at him, questioningly.

"I know you…" she trailed off. He looked back at her with charcoal and garnet flecked eyes.

"Indeed. You all. Go away. Give the child space. She is _not_ a circus act for you to gawk at. She is a human person. Treat her as such," the man snarled at everyone with such derision and disgust that even Bella flinched at his harsh words. People skulked away, obviously not happy at the man but they didn't dare challenge him. The man turned around and smirked down at Bella.

Bella couldn't help but stare and smirk back. The man was tall with silky dark hair that reached his shoulder blades. His hair was so black it had blue highlights and was pulled back in a ponytail. He was pale with an aristocratic nose and he was incredibly handsome.

"**I am Professor Tom Riddle, the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher**_,_" the man hissed to her. Bella nodded and he offered a hand. She took it and shook it firmly.

"**Pleasure…I am Bella Potter,**" Bella hissed back. She couldn't help but notice there was an undertone of hisses and Sirius looked worried again. She frowned at him before ignoring it. Sirius was always worried. And this time, he didn't even have a _reason _to be worried.

"Hmm…I believe we should go into the Alley now," Riddle said, firmly. Sirius nodded in agreement and Bella dropped her professor's hand as if it burned. Sirius grabbed Bella by the shoulders. Bella looked at her Uncle Sirius. He looked slightly paler than his normal tan. And his grey eyes showed that he was slightly worried.

But what about?

"Riddle, how have you been these past 10 years?" asked Sirius, tentatively as he steered her to the backroom behind the Leaky Cauldron. The bartender nodded at them but his eyes remained on Bella.

"Teaching. Paperwork. Sending letters to children about Hogwarts. The like," Riddle said, in clipped sentences. He seemed rather annoyed at the question or perhaps it was the answer that he gave and Bella cleared her throat. They both looked at her, the charcoal eyes, expectant, and the grey eyes depicted slight confusion.

"Do you not like teaching? Professor?" asked Bella, curiously. Riddle gave her a look from underneath long lashes that she couldn't quite decipher. Riddle shrugged and took out his yew wand. As soon as Bella the long pale rod of wood came into her sight, she shuddered, feeling the core of the wand calling to her. She raised her hand, as if to take it before moving to brush a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"I like teaching," Riddle said, without further explanation and he turned to look at her fully. The crimson in his eyes flashed and Bella stood entranced. He proceeded to turn away and open the way to Diagon Alley. Sirius and Bella exchanged looks before Sirius shrugged. Riddle walked, quickly through Diagon Alley, not stopping.

"We must go to Gringotts, first. I am to withdraw something rather important and I believe Miss Potter should have a blood lineage test," Riddle said. Bella opened her mouth to protest.

"But I want my wand!"

"You have no right to say where we're going first. I'm her guardian! We don't even have to follow you!"

Riddle turned to glare at the both of them. Sirius backed down as his eyes flashed crimson again. Bella's instincts told her to back down but her heart said different. She glared back with just as much heat.

"I'm not fucking afraid of you!" Bella snapped. Riddle grimaced at the girl's impertinence and he sighed. It came out as a hiss.

"Language and I never said you were. However, you should be, Miss Potter. You don't want to make me hate you before you've even come to Hogwarts. That'd be very bad. And I'm afraid you _do_ have to go with me as much as I loathe to say. Dumbledore's orders," Riddle said, his voice colored with annoyance and it sounded as if he were speaking down to her. Bella lifted her head and stared at him, sullenly. Finally, Sirius huffed before going after him and tugging Bella along after him.

* * *

**Diagon Alley, London, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**10:11 AM**

Bella ignored the looks and whispers everyone cast her as she walked past. She glared, resentfully at Riddle. She couldn't figure this out. She knew she had met him when she was little. She had been very aware when she was a child and she understood how to do things quicker than most because she could remember people doing them from long ago.

But what was it about this teacher?

He was weird and she got a vibe from him that he didn't understand. They made their way to Gringotts and as soon as they stepped on the marble staircase someone grabbed her hand and shook sharply. Bella froze and flinched, violently.

"Miss Potter, welcome!" cried out a little wizard. He looked scruffy and dirty with yellowing teeth and unkempt grey hair. She stared in shock as he prepared to kiss her hand as the proper wizarding gentleman. Sirius prepared to say something when Bella was jerked back by her wrist and pulled behind a tall figure.

"Oh Bella…why didn't you move? You shouldn't let strangers touch you. Some are out to get you," sighed Sirius. Bella barely heard him. Her eyes were on Tom Riddle who was whispering something harshly to the wizard. The wizard paled, considerably and glanced at Bella.

"Don't even look at her," Riddle hissed, threateningly. The wizard stumbled away and gave a stumbling and low bow to Bella.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Miss Potter," he said, quietly. Riddle smirked and looked back at the shocked Bella and rolled his eyes.

"**Not afraid of me, one of the greatest wizards on the face of the planet but absolutely terrified of a street rat. How…pitiful, Miss Potter. Absolutely so**," Riddle said, flatly though there was the slightest undertone of mocking. Bella glared and lifted her head up to meet his charcoal gaze full on.

"**I'm not going to respond to that. Perhaps I will once I learn if you can get detentions before you enter Hogwarts,**" Bella snapped before walking inside. Riddle watched as she suddenly adopted the air of a respectful yet decidedly haughty pureblood Heiress.

"Welcome to Gringotts, Miss Potter. I am Gornhorg," the goblin teller in front of her said. She nodded and curtsied. Sirius watched with an air of pride.

"She knows how to act around goblins?" Riddle asked, with mild surprise. Sirius seemed to take offense at the question and he scowled at Riddle.

"I've taught her how to be the perfect Heiress. I don't think I'll ever have a real child of my own. She is my Heiress. I taught her the pureblood ways because unfortunately, that's the only way that a half-blood is going to survive in the upper crust of wizarding society. She normally acts a lot different in public than how she's acting with you. I'm not surprise though. You antagonize her," Sirius said, pointing out the obvious and his tone sounded accusing and annoyed. Riddle gave a slight smile that surprised both Bella and Sirius.

"Perhaps…"

"Merry meet, Gornhorg," Bella said, continuing her introductions with the waiting goblin. Gornhorg was openly surprised before he blinked and bowed his head.

"Merry meet, Miss Potter. Now how may I help you?" Gornhorg asked, less cold now. Bella cast a gaze at Riddle who walked over, gracefully. The goblin's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Lord Slytherin. My Lord, what may I do for you?" asked Gornhorg, bowing even lower for Riddle. Bella stared at Riddle with wide and shocked green eyes and Riddle placed a heavy hand on Bella's shoulder.

"Miss Potter would like a blood test. The most expensive that lists each house, please. Be sure to hand the list, directly to me before she even sees it," Riddle instructed, briskly and he cast an undecipherable look down at Bella once more. Gornhorg nodded.

"Griphook, Head of the Blood Lineage department will conduct the test for you. This test is rather expensive…" Gornhorg trailed off. Riddle sighed, annoyed and he silenced Gornhorg with a look.

"Charge it to the Black vault," Sirius spoke up. Gornhorg nodded once. He turned around and cleared his throat. He stood up and opened the door beside the teller booth. People watched in curiosity. Bella did her best to ignore the looks she was getting from other customers of the bank.

"This way," Gornhorg said, leading them to a backroom where a stone bowl and ceremonial knife sat on a plain wooden table. A goblin sat behind the bowl, waiting. The young eleven-year-old didn't even consider the fact that the goblin had somehow known that she would be coming back here. Bella only had eyes for the tool sitting upon the table. She swallowed at how sharp the knife looked.

"Professor…is this _really_ necessary?" asked Bella, uncertainly. Riddle turned around, sharply and placed one long and pale finger under her chin and lifted her head, inspecting her face.

"I believe it is…" he trailed off, before spinning, his black robes swishing with him. He sat down and gestured both the Black and Potter forward. The goblin behind the table bowed to Riddle.

"Lord Slytherin. Lord Black. And this is Miss Potter?" the goblin asked. Sirius gave a smile and nodded.

"Hello, Griphook. Merry meet," Sirius said, his tone full of respect and fondness for the small creature.

"Merry meet. Now, Miss Potter, sit down and cut your dominant arm's wrist. Deposit blood into the bowl and I will handle the rest," Griphook said. Bella nodded and looked at Sirius.

"Do I really have to do this?" she asked in distaste and slight fear. Riddle rolled his eyes and grabbed her right arm and mercilessly slashed down, cutting into the soft skin.

"Ah! Shit! He said cut! Not try to freaking chop off my hand," Bella snarled. Riddle gave a dark snicker and a mocking smirk.

"You're being overdramatic, Miss Potter. Drop your blood in," Riddle said. Bella glowered at him before moving her hand over the bowl and dripping her blood into it. Griphook placed a piece of parchment and drowned it in the parchment before taking it out. Griphook frowned and waved Riddle over.

Riddle paled noticeably and glanced at Bella who looked curious. She stared, unflinching at the intensity in his gaze. Sirius frowned and waved his wand over Bella's arm, clumsily healing it.

"Well…uh…shit. Give me that," Riddle snarled, his tone showing the frustration he was feeling despite his emotionless face, snatching the parchment and shaking his head.

"Lord Slytherin…it isn't as bad as you think it…" Griphook said, uneasily. Riddle snorted and inspected the parchment again.

"Remove them. All f That…can be left there. That one House. But everything else that isn't directly hers…remove it," Riddle instructed. Griphook snapped his finger and Riddle nodded, satisfied.

"If I make ask, Lord Slytherin, how did this happen?" asked Griphook. Riddle shook his head.

"I don't know. Bella, you may look" Riddle said, handing the parchment to her. Bella looked at him suspiciously.

"What did you remove?" she demanded. Riddle gave a strained smirk.

"Nothing…" he trailed off. Bella looked down and gaped in shock at the parchment.

**Heir to the House of Potter**

**Heir to the House of Gryffindor**

**Blood Heir to the House of Black**

**Heir to the House of Merlin**

**Magical Heir to the House of Slytherin (After Heir Apparent)**

**Blood Status: Half-blood**

**Soul Bond Status: Bonded**

**Soul Bond: Unconfirmed (Unconsummated)**

"She's _soul bonded_?" Sirius hissed, his tone holding worry and disbelief. Griphook nodded and cleared his throat. Bella frowned at the idea. She knew what it meant but she didn't understand how it had happened.

"These connections typically develop at birth or early in childhood with those that she has come in contact with. It could be anyone," Riddle said, smoothly. Sirius mutter the words under his breath before giving a great sigh, knowing there was nothing he could do.

* * *

**Ollivander's, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**11:30 AM**

Bella rubbed her temples as she ignored her Uncle's rants. He had been complaining since they had left Gringotts. He'd admitted that he couldn't do anything about it but he _could _complain about it. After Riddle picked up whatever the hell he had wanted from Gringotts, he had wanted to go to Flourish & Blotts. At that point, Bella hadn't cared. When they had been at the bookstore, she had abandoned her Uncle Sirius to speak with Riddle about Hogwarts.

He hadn't been a great help in informing her about anything except a very general explanation of the curriculum but it had been nice to hear about something that wasn't about memories of her parents and Sirius and their friends.

But, now they were at the one place she'd wanted to come to since earlier this morning. As she stepped inside the small and cramped little shop, she looked around at the tall cases of boxes. She could feel the magic swirling in the shop.

"I was wondering when I would see you Miss Potter."

Bella jumped and looked up to see a white haired wizard looking down at her from a ladder. He jumped down, nimbly and made his way over. He noticed both Riddle and Sirius.

"Ah…Mr. Riddle. I remember giving your wand to you. A long time ago…" Ollivander said. Bella looked at him in shock.

"How _old_ are you? You must be ancient…" Bella said, a teasing smirk adorning her face. Riddle glared down at her and looked away.

"Older than you. You shut up," he snapped. Bella laughed, behind her hand.

"Yes, yes. Yew, 13 ½ inches, and phoenix feather if I'm correct. And Mr. Black, ebony, dragon heartstring, 12 ½ inch," Ollivander said. They both nodded. Ollivander stood and looked around the shop before pulling down a box and opening it.

"Ash, 10 inch, unicorn hair," Ollivander dictated. Bella took it and gave a swift slash. The glass mirrors in the shop shattered. Ollivander took the wand, quickly.

"Oops…" she giggled.

"No, no. Definitely not."

And with that Ollivander went through almost every wand for an hour. Riddle sighed, leaning against the wall, reading the book he had got from Flourish & Blotts. He looked up when he felt Ollivander's eyes on him. Suddenly, Ollivander's lips spread into a knowing smile. Riddle raised an eyebrow at the old man.

"I see…Bella. I believe I have the perfect wand for you. Holly, 10 inches, phoenix feather," Ollivander said, giving said wand to her. Bella looked at it warily.

"Mr. Ollivander, you said that about the last few…" she trailed off. The wand pulsed in her hands, violently. Riddle shook and pulled out his own. It was pulsing, just as violently. Golden threads erupted from both wands and emerald and silver erupted from Riddle's wand. A barrage of colors erupted from Bella's. The most dominant colors were charcoal and crimson.

"Ollivander…what's happening?" asked Sirius in alarm. Ollivander smiled, quietly to himself.

"The wands are rejoicing" was his simple answer. Riddle looked down at the connected wands and tried to jerk his own wand away. The connection stayed and with his struggle became even stronger. Bella stared in wonder and the numerous colors turned to brightly colored flames.

Red and yellows were of course present. But then, there were blues and greens and shades of purple and then there were metallic colors. Gold and silver swirled around the two and lit Bella's eye. The palpable magic lifted her hair and swirled locks of ebony around her.

And then suddenly, it ended and the connection broke. Bella looked down at her wand, mournful that the beautiful magic had suddenly disappeared. Riddle stared down at his own wand with various emotions. Bella couldn't tell exactly what emotions as they were flitting across his face so quickly.

"That…most definitely is your wand. Curious. Very curious" Ollivander said. Bella turned around to face the wandmaker.

"What's curious?" she asked. Riddle stowed his wand away.

"Your wand's core is a phoenix feather. That phoenix gave another feather. Just one other. It's curious that you should have that wand when Mr. Riddle's wand contains the other. The wands are rejoicing because they are together once again. It will do you well not to turn your wands on each other unless you wish for them to rejoice again…or destroy. Should anything threaten the other wand, the wand which isn't being threatened will attack on it's own" Ollivander explained. Sirius nodded in understanding.

"This is an interesting development," Sirius said. Riddle's face showed that he was absolutely annoyed and he crossed his arms.

"No it isn't," he snapped before glaring at Ollivander. Ollivander smiled, benignly. Riddle hissed under his breath.

"That will be nine galleons," Ollivander said. Sirius opened his mouth before Riddle sighed.

"Charge it to the Slytherin account. She's the second Heir anyway," Riddle said, before storming away. Bella sighed and smiled at Ollivander.

"Thank you, sir!" she said. Sirius nodded before the pair walked out of the shop.

"Goodbye Lord and Lady Slytherin."

* * *

**Madam Malkin's, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**11:45 AM**

"I'm _so_ hungry…" whined Bella as she stood in Madam Malkin's. Riddle glared at her and sighed.

"Miss Potter, if you could refrain from whining, that would be excellent," Riddle said, sarcastically. Bella hissed at him before Madam Malkin approached. She pulled her over.

"Miss Potter! Come this way!" insisted Madam Malkin, pulling her to a backroom where she was instructed to remove her cloak. She looked to the side to see a girl with big bushy brown hair and big front teeth.

"Hello, are you going to Hogwarts?" the girl asked. Bella turned to look at her in surprise and nodded. The girl looked friendly and Bella extended her hand over to her.

"I'm Bella. Bella Potter," Bella said. The girl's mouth fell open and she extended her hand, excitedly.

"I'm Hermione! Hermione Granger! I've read all about you. You're the Girl-Who-Lived. You destroyed Grindelwald when you were just a baby!" Hermione said, excitedly. Bella smiled, amusedly.

"Nice to meet you. I've read all about me as well. They aren't very accurate. I don't have any special powers," Bella reassured the girl. Hermione blushed.

"So…if you're Bella Potter, that means you're a pureblood. Why are you talking to me? I've read that purebloods don't in particularly like me," Hermione said matter-of-factly. Bella laughed fully and Hermione ducked her head before giving a small smile.

"I'm not a pureblood. You're a Muggleborn, right? My mum was a Muggleborn. You're only a pureblood if your grandparents were purebloods," Bella explained. Hermione nodded in understanding and Madam Malkin began measuring the two girls. Bella and Hermione were soon finished and exited together with a barrage of robes and skirts and shirts. Sirius and Riddle looked up as she exited and Bella's wand began to vibrate again.

"Could you control your magic please?" Riddle snapped as she exited. Bella grabbed her wand, tightly and glared at him.

"With all due respect, Professor, could you shut up?" Bella snarled. Riddle smirked at her, almost approvingly and Hermione looked between the two.

"Professor…Bella…" Hermione said, questioningly. She beckoned her parents forward who were accompanied by a tall man with mounds of hair, on top of his head and on his face.

"'ello ther', Tom," said Hagrid with a slightly sour look on his face. Riddle nodded towards Hagrid.

"Hello Bella," Hagrid said with a wink. Bella smiled, uncertainly at the tall and strange man.

"Hello, Miss Granger. I am Professor Tom Riddle," Riddle said. Hermione was starry-eyed even after they left.

* * *

**Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 31st of July 1991**

**12:15 AM**

"Hmm…a banana spilt would be awesome!" Bella decided. Mr. Fortescue smiled at her and nodded as he accepted her ice cream order. Bella swung her legs, under the table and refrained from kicking Riddle who was reading his enormous book again.

"An ice cream float…those are delicious. Especially, here. Ooh caramel flavored with butterbeer," Sirius requested. Mr. Fortescue laughed.

"Sirius Black. You used to come at all possible times. I think I should know your order after 20 some years," Mr. Fortescue insisted. Sirius joined in and Mr. Fortescue turned to Riddle.

"And you Mr. Riddle?" he asked. Riddle didn't even look up from his book as he responded.

"Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate. Topped with bananas, cherries, any nuts you have, and hot fudge. Add whipped cream and then drizzle it was caramel sauce and finish it with chocolate sprinkles," Riddle said, without skipping a beat or looking up from his book. Mr. Fortescue nodded.

"Ooh…so the usual," Mr. Fortescue said. Riddle looked up, finally and gave a slow smirk before nodding at the wonder on Sirius and Bella's faces. Bella leaned back and closed her eyes and settled in what was a somewhat comfortable silence. She drifted to sleep, leaning against the wall.

_She was floating over the battlefield. A woman stood next to a tall man with burning blood eyes. His face was shadowed over. The woman had long thick black hair, flying around her crazily. She cackled as she shot another Killing Curse to her left._

_The dark angel of a woman laughed as she looked at the slain bodies. The man next to her wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer and tilted her head up with a familiar long finger…_

Sirius poked her in the side and she woke up with a vengeance. She glared at him with slitted green eyes and she growled at him.

"**What the hell do you want?**" she hissed, angrily. Sirius jumped and reared back. The grey-eyed man cleared his throat. Riddle watched the interaction in amusement.

"She said 'What the hell do you want?'" Riddle clarified. Bella turned on her soon to be teacher and glared.

"And why the hell doesn't he know what I said?" demanded Bella. Mr. Fortescue came with the ice cream, briefly postponing the conversation and Riddle began eating as he continued to read his large tome.

"You were speaking in Parseltongue. I speak it since I'm the Heir Apparent. You're the second Heir…Heiress of Salazar Slytherin. I don't know how but you are," Riddle clarified before wincing, slightly. Bella's eyes widened in shock and she disregarded the slight tick that Riddle had just displayed.

"That's why I remember you! You…you were the man who got me from the house when I was little. You came with that big hairy man. Hagrid, I believe. I said my first Parseltongue word after you said it," Bella said. Riddle raised an eyebrow and smirked and shoveled more ice cream into his mouth.

"Glad to know that I am such a good role model to children, Miss Potter," Riddle said. Bella gave an amused look.

"I'm sorry that you go that misconception, Professor."

:::

**Original A/N: **How'd you like that chapter?

**New A/N: **So…if you're re-reading the story, you'll now know why I haven't updated in a week and a half. I've been busy going back and revising this story. It's actually very depressing to re-read this because I was such a terrible writer before. But, that's why I write Fanfiction. I'm trying to improve before I submit my novel.

Next Chapter: Hogwarts Express, Malfoys, Hogwarts, the Sorting and an encounter with Weasleys


	3. Chapter II

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, GW/DM/FW, RW/HG

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story.

**AU!**

**Note: **The edited and revised chapter!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter II**

**Platform 9 ¾ , Kings Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1st of September 1991**

**10:45 AM**

"Uncle Sirius! I'm going to be late!" shouted Bella as they walked quickly to the Platform 9 ¾. In her hand was a cage with pure white snow owl she had named Hedwig. Sirius was pulling her trunk rather slowly. They approached the platform and stopped right in front of it, letting a family of redhead through. There was a pair of twins, a tall boy with curly red hair and gleaming badge with a 'P' on it. And then there was boy who looked her age with red hair. And finally, there was another set of twins, one girl and one boy who looked slightly sad.

Bella instantly knew they were the Weasleys.

"Go on, go on. Fred, you next" the short redhead said, looking at one of the older twins and gestured forward.

"He's not Fred! I am!" said one of them. The other laughed and shook their head.

"Honestly, woman! You call yourself our mother…" sighed the other. Bella watched, interested.

"Sorry, George," the mother said. The one who was the one who had berated the mother laughed.

"I'm only kidding, Mum. I am Fred," he said, running through the barrier. He disappeared from view. Sirius approached and tapped the mother on the shoulder. She turned around and gave a wide smile.

"Sirius! And…_oh_. This is your goddaughter, Bella Potter!" Mrs. Weasley said. Bella nodded and gave a small smile, rubbing her scar, self-consciously. The remaining kids except for the pompous looking one openly ogled at her. The little boy that looked a year younger than her blushed when she looked at him and she frowned.

"Hi…" Bella trailed off. Mrs. Weasley patted her shoulder, maternally and Bella's smile widened.

"You look so nervous, dear. I'm sure that you'll do fine. Ron is starting this year as well. Go on through," Mrs. Weasley said. Bella nodded and she felt her wand pulse and grabbed it and she jerked.

"What's wrong? Is he near?" asked Sirius, his face souring at the thought of the owner of the yew wand that matched her own wand. The Weasleys watched in interest and she shook her head.

"Uh…no. My wand just senses that the other wand is getting nearer. It isn't fully under my control yet so it still is a little…anxious," Bella said. The Weasleys looked away before they went through the barrier one by one. Bella gestured towards the barrier, indicating for Sirius to go first, with her wand. Sirius quirked a grin and she looked at him curiously.

"Oh don't be so…Riddle-ish," Sirius said. Bella glared at him and couldn't seem to understand why she glared when he used what would surely be her favorite yet least favorite professor as an insult.

"Shut up. Can we go now?" demanded Bella. Sirius nodded and they walked up to the platform before going in effortlessly. Everyone watched as she walked in, her eyes flashing. She caught sight of a family of blonds and Sirius' lip curled.

"Ugh…the Malfoys. My cousin, Narcissa, is decent but her husband and son are idiots. Watch out for him," Sirius warned. Bella nodded in understanding though her agreement to the idea was only questionable for now.

"I will. Uncle Sirius, I'm going to miss you," Bella said, quietly. Sirius' face became slightly forlorn as the two looked at the scarlet train. He patted her on the top of her head and Bella looked at him as Sirius suddenly looked hesitant.

"I'll miss you too. If you decide to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas I'll even come by to see you. I promise. Bella…" trailed of Sirius. Bella looked at him in confusion and she grabbed her uncle's hand.

"What's wrong?" asked Bella. Sirius shook his head and gave a sad little laugh, completely different from his loud and rambunctious laugh. Bella looked at him in worry.

"You look so much like James. But you have Lily's eyes. And her nose. That nose is definitely not James'. Too delicate. It's too bad you have James' sight…thank God for contacts," Sirius murmured. Bella smiled and wrapped Sirius in a hug and he hugged her back tightly. The train gave a warning whistle and Bella looked up.

"I have to go, Uncle Sirius. Don't worry about me. I have a feeling Professor Riddle will be looking after me," Bella smirked. Sirius hugged the Potter girl tightly and kissed her on the top of her head.

"I'm gonna miss you, Doe," Sirius said, quietly. Bella pulled away and gave a genuine smile and she put a hand up in farewell.

"And I'll miss you, Padfoot. Bye…" Bella said. Sirius kissed the top of her head before letting her go. Bella walked away, backwards and blew another kiss at Sirius. She hopped on the train and walked down the small corridors, passing filled compartments that were occupied by students. After some time, she found an empty compartment and entered. She sat down and curled into the seat and fingered her wand.

She thought about the dream she had had on her birthday. The dream may not have been prophetic but it foreshadowed something for sure and she knew the people in the dream. But she couldn't for the life of her remember their names. And she knew it was important. She could barely remember the dream itself. She remembered the insane cackling and the green curses flying over people's heads. Even hitting some…

She shuddered as she thought of it. She shook her head and cleared her throat when she heard the compartment door opening. She looked up from the floor and saw Fred, George, and Ron Weasley standing in the doorway.

"Can we sit here?" asked Fred, or who she thought was Fred anyway.

"Our friend isn't around," the other twin said. That was George, if she remembered correctly.

"And since he's not around—"

"We made it our mission to find—"

"Ickle Ron some friends" finished Fred. Bella couldn't help but laugh and she waved them in. Ron watched her with a dumbstruck expression and she frowned. The train took off and he stumbled towards her, almost falling on her. Suddenly, her wand reacted and it pulsed, making her slash her hand down. He flew away from her and into the seat away from her. Bella looked at him in horror but not from the fact that she had harmed him.

She hated to be touched by people she didn't know very well.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry. My wand…it's really excited to meet its brother. I'm sorry! My wand…it did it on it's own accord," Bella stammered. The three Weasleys didn't seem to be listening to her. They were staring at her wonder.

"Bloody hell! That was amazing. You're Bella Potter, of course! You defeated Grindelwald. You're amazing!" Ron said, excitedly. Bella blushed and looked down before stowing her wand in her pocket. Fred and George seemed to be mulling over her words.

"Yeah…I supposed I did," Bella said, uncertainly. She bit her lip, unsure of how to react. She didn't even know how to do this. Sirius hadn't exactly let her into the Wizarding World all too much and when they did go shopping for supplies they usually Flooed to France to avoid this.

"Can we see your scar?" Fred asked. Bella nodded, good-naturedly. She lifted her bangs and exposed her scar and the three ogled at it. She couldn't help but feel slightly self-conscious and she flattened her bangs over her forehead again.

"Do you remember anything from that night?" Ron asked. Bella paused and closed her eyes. Of course, she didn't remember anything. She was just a baby.

No…she had remembered one person. One man.

"I do. Professor Riddle. I remember Professor Riddle," Bella said, firmly. Fred and George paused and Ron looked confused. She glanced between the two twins in confusion. She cleared her throat, in the awkward silence.

"You know Professor Riddle? He _hates_ all Gryffindors but he doesn't show it. We all know he hates the Gryffindors. But he's never unfair in class with points and stuff. He only gives detentions when you deserve it. But he makes remarks about us all the time. And you look like a Gryffindor," George said, his brows furrowed.

Bella's lips spread into an indecipherable smile and she shook her head. She may _look _like a Gryffindor but according to Gringotts, she was anything but.

"You know something we don't obviously," Fred decided after she didn't say anything for a few moments. She shrugged with an innocent look on her face. They continued to look at her suspiciously but she did not falter once. She'd enjoy taunting these two. Suddenly, the twins stood up and grabbed their trunks.

"I think we're going to look for our friend now. See you later, Bella," George said. Bella waved.

"Bye George. Bye Fred," she called after them as they left. Fred turned around with a wickedly innocent smile on his face.

"Oh and take care of Ronnie-kins for us. And Ron…you have dirt on your nose," Fred said before walking away. Bella laughed out loud as Ron turned red around the neck and his ears flamed.

"Ignore those prats. They're just being mean," Bella assured Ron and Ron nodded in understanding. He suddenly looked curious again and he leaned forward.

"What do you mean Professor Riddle? How do you remember him? Who is he?" asked Ron. Suddenly, the compartment door slid open before Bella could address the three questions. Bella's smile brightened when she caught sight of who it was that had interrupted them.

"Have any of you seen a toad…Bella!" Hermione Granger cried out. Bella grinned and stood, walking over purposefully. She hugged Hermione tightly before backing away.

"Hello, Hermione. This is Ron Weasley. I was about to tell him about Professor Riddle," Bella said. Hermione's eyes brightened at the opportunity to learn about her soon to be teacher.

"Let's hear it then," Hermione said, swiftly. Bella nodded and leaned forward, dramatically. Her long black hair spilled down her back, elegantly. She looked everything like a dark Fallen angel in that moment. Hermione and Ron stared shell-shocked before she straightened and the darkness faded.

"So…the night my parents died. I remember nothing. Except for Professor Riddle. Riddle is the Deputy Headmaster and the Headmaster in Dumbledore's absence. He's also the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When I met him, I was only one year old. That night I tried to take his wand I think. His wand is my wand's brother wand," explained Bella. Hermione's eyes widened.

"That's the second time you talked about a brother wand. What is it?" Ron asked, curiosity coloring his voice. Bella opened her mouth to explain when Hermione sat up, her face turning stern as if she was about to lecture.

"Well brother wands are very rare. Most magical animals only give one core. But a selective few give two of their attributes. For example, some unicorns may give two hairs instead of one. If they are both set into a wand that have compatible woods they become brother wands. What is your wand core?" asked Hermione said, in a matter-of-fact voice that could easily be mistaken for a know-it-all voice. Ron seemed to take it as the latter and he grimaced.

"Phoenix feather. Holly. 10 inches. His is yew, phoenix feather, 13 ½ inches. Apparently, if we use our wands on each other our wands get a mind of their own and either rejoice or destroy. When they rejoice it's pretty cool," Bella said, commenting on the barrage of colors and fire she had seen when their wands had connected.

"That's interesting. Bella do you know how to do any spells yet? I've read our entire Transfiguration textbook and I know all the theories," Hermione said. Ron's eyes narrowed and Bella's eyes widened. He was being ignored and apparently he absolutely despised it.

"I know a spell. Fred and George taught it to me," Ron said, sounding as if he was imitating Hermione's slightly haughty voice. The bushy haired girl's eyes narrowed and she glared at him in annoyance. She could hear the mocking in his voice.

"Well, let's see it then."

Ron glared at her for accepting the challenge he had made and Bella watched in obvious amusement. Ron lifted his wand and withdrew a rat. Bella raised an eyebrow at it and Ron pointed his wand at it.

"This is Scabbers. He was Percy's old rat that my parents bought for him when he was younger. Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!" Ron shouted. Bella swallowed her snicker and Hermione looked disappointed and a little annoyed at his efforts. Hermione stood and turned and walked towards the door.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well it's not very good, is it? I've tried out a few simple spells just for practice and they've all worked for me. Nobody has magic in my family at all and it was such a surprise when I got my letter. But after I got around to believing it, I was very pleased. And then Hagrid came and escorted my parents and I to Diagon Alley. I got all my textbooks from Flourish & Blotts and they were so interesting. I've learned them all by heart. Anyway, I've got to help Neville find his toad. You better change into your robes. We'll be getting there soon, I suspect. Goodbye for now, Bella," Hermione said before leaving. Ron glared after her. Bella sat in surprise.

She hadn't know anyone could talk that much and so fast in one breath. But she already knew one thing. Hermione was most definitely going to be the brightest witch in their year. Ron seemed to agree. He responded most angrily.

"Blood know-it-all. I hope I'm not in the same house as she is."

"What house _do _you hope to go to?" asked Bella. Ron tilted his head.

"Gryffindor. Mum and Dad were in that house and so are the rest of my brothers. I don't know what they'll say if I _don't_ go. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad but…Slytherin…" trailed off Ron.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" asked Bella, curiously. She wanted to hear about it from Ron's point of view. She already knew about the houses from Sirius but she wanted to hear from Ron.

"Well everyone knows that Slytherins are the most evil wizards of all. Merlin forbid I go there…" Ron said.

Secretly, Bella hoped she didn't get in either.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1st of September 1991**

**7:45 PM**

Bella stood, excited as the train stopped and she smoothed her skirt. She wore a grey skirt and a white short-sleeved shirt with a white sweater vest. Knee high grey socks covered her legs and black lace up boots covered her legs up to her shin. Finally she wore a long black fitting robe with white buckles. Her tie was white as well; ready to change as soon as she was Sorted. Ron wore grey pants, a short-sleeved white shirt, a sweater vest, open robes and black loafers.

"It's time to go. We leave our trunks on," Ron said. Bella nodded and the two exited the train. They looked around at the busy platform. The older students were making their way to the side where there were horseless carriages.

"First' yers! Firs' years ove' her'!" shouted a voice. Bella looked up at the familiar voice and saw Hagrid, Hermione's escort in Diagon Alley, towering over all of the other students and even the seventh years. Bella and Ron wandered over and Hagrid smile at Bella with his black beetle eyes and Bella couldn't help but smile back.

"Hello Hagrid," she said, quietly. Hagrid smiled at her.

"How you ther', Bella?" asked Hagrid. Bella nodded and tilted her head and sighed, quietly.

"I'm a little worried is all," Bella answered. Hagrid grinned before turning to all the first years.

"Fir to a boa'!" commanded Hagrid. Bella slid into a boat with Ron and two Indian girls sat with them. They smiled at them but said nothing. They were too nervous. The boats took off and Bella looked up to see the most beautiful piece of architecture she had ever seen in her life.

It was a castle with glowing windows and towers. The largest tower seemed to have the largest window and Bella felt the pulsing magic. It radiated from the core of the school and she closed her eyes, blissful in the feel of the magic. A familiar magic called out to her but she couldn't place it.

They landed soon and Hagrid escorted the children into the Entrance Hall. And standing there was the handsome Tom Riddle. The first year girls giggled and blushed as they looked at them. His eyes were searching over them and they landed on Bella Potter. Their gazes locked and smirks spread on both of their faces. Ron stared and leaned over to speak when Riddle glared at him to keep his mouth shut.

"I am Professor Riddle. You will be Sorted to one of the four houses. There are four houses, as I've just stated. Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff. Gryffindor. And Slytherin," Riddle started, giving Bella a sly look who raised an eyebrow at the challenge. He was banking on her being accepted into Slytherin. Ha…she'd show him.

"I will be back for you once we are ready for you. Keep silent. When I come back I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak. Thank you," Riddle concluded before slipping through the double doors. Almost immediately everyone began to speak. Bella was tapped on the shoulder and she turned around.

A boy with pale blonde hair and silver eyes stood in front of her, flanked with two thick boys that were her age. And Bella could identify the arrogant looking boy in front of her.

"Draco Malfoy," Bella said. Draco nodded and swept into a low bow. Bella looked at him in surprise and Ron sneered at the boy.

"Lady Slytherin. Pleasure…" Draco said. Bella's eyes widened and suddenly her wand was in hand and she held it out at Draco's throat. She looked around, making sure no one heard the title except for Ron. Ron was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Speak of that title to no one, Malfoy. I don't want it publically known. How do you know anyway? Who're your friends?" hissed Bella. Draco raised a delicate and pale eyebrow.

"My father of course. And this is Crabbe and Goyle," Draco said, gesturing to each of them. Bella nodded to each and cleared her throat.

"I see. I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't refer to me as that. There is already a Lord Slytherin. I do not actually have the title. I'm not even really related. I'm only magically the next to assume the title," Bella said, firmly.

Bella didn't want to be connected to Slytherin in any way or form. From what Sirius had told her, being a Slytherin was bad. All of them were gits. And of course, Sirius had used Riddle as a prime example and Bella would've been stupid not to agree. Riddle was…different.

"Fine, Potter. You should know that as a young lady of your caliber, the Heiress to the House of Black and Slytherin that there are better families to associate with. Like my own" Draco said. Bella sniffed and crossed her arms.

"You shut your mouth Malfoy," Ron snapped before Bella could respond. Draco turned on him with narrowed eyes.

"Red hair, freckles, and hand me down robes. You must be a Weasley. See, what I'm saying Potter…you're to inherit the two Darkest families just like me. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. I could help you there," Draco said, extending his hand. Bella moved his hand with her wand and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so. Thanks for the invitation but I can pick my own friends. And Ron's one of them. I already have a good idea of who the 'wrong sort' are," Bella said, coolly, her eyes betraying her emotions. She was absolutely furious at the arrogance and prejudice of the boy in front of her.

Draco's eyes narrowed and he seized her wrist. She looked at him in surprise. She didn't think he'd resort to physical means.

"Unless you're polite, Potter, I'm sure you'll go the same way as your parents, no matter what your title is," Draco snapped, his mask of kindness slipping off. Bella tried to jerk away from him when a hand rested on her shoulder and Draco let go of her as if shocked.

"Tut, tut, Miss Potter. Getting in trouble with students before even Sorted…must be a new record," a patronizing voice said. Ron looked at the man behind Bella in shock and Bella turned to see Riddle. He was looking at Draco with crimson eyes. He was fingering his wand in very much the same way as Bella was currently.

"I didn't need any sort of help from you, _Professor_," Bella spat. Riddle raised an aristocratic eyebrow in response to her comment. Bella scowled at him and his lips curved into a smirk. He turned from her and stepped up the stairs again.

"We're ready for you, now. Single file line. Now," Tom said, in a commanding voice. They got into line and walked into the Great Hall. Bella watched in wonder. There were large green tapestries hanging from the ceiling with silver snakes on them. There were four long tables with students sitting at each one. The first was a barrage of gold and red. The second, blue and bronze. The third was yellow and black. And the last was a host of green and silver.

Golden plates and goblets were in front of each student and pearl white ghosts hovered over the students, having quiet conversations that she could barely hear in the large room.

Her green eyes wandered to look up and she stared in wonder at the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was black with shimmering white stars decorating.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History'," Bella heard Hermione whisper to another first year. Her gaze wandered again and she looked around at the staring faces. She looked down to avoid their ogling.

Bella looked at the front and gazed at the platform where another long table was. Right in the middle of was a large throne. An old wizard sat there, watching her. He had long silver hair and a matching beard. His purple robes matched his old wizarding hat. A nose that looked like it had once been broken adorned his face and sparkling blue eyes were partially hidden by half moon glasses. But Bella could see deep in those eyes was a grief that seemed to be consuming him.

Bella felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Ron. He was looked at her, pointedly.

"What did he mean by 'Lady Slytherin'?" Ron asked. Bella quietly groaned and shook her head before looking at the small stool up front with a ragged hat sitting on it. There was a split around the brim and she frowned at it. Something was up with it. She could feel magic radiating from it.

"Nothing, Ron. He was trying to bait me," Bella said, quietly. Ron looked like he was going to object when the rip around the brim of the Hat opened wide like a mouth and it began to sing.

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_Oh you may not think me pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_"

Bella's lips spread into a smile and the entire hall broke into applause when the Hat finished its song. Ron looked a little disgruntled to say the least.

"So we just go to try on a hat!" Ron whispered. Bella looked at him, quizzically.

"Well, I can't say that I knew but what did you think we would be doing?" she asked, genuinely curious. Ron's ears burned red slightly.

"Fred was going on about wrestling a troll. I'll kill him…" Ron trailed off. Bella smirked in amusement and Ron scowled at the ground. Riddle stepped forward with a roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the Sorting Hat and sit on the stool" Riddle stated, firmly and clearly. Everyone looked around at each other, nervousness high in the air.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward and placed the Sorting Hat on her head. A moment later—

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuffs gave a roar of approval when the girl wandered over the table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw. The table was ecstatic about receiving another Ravenclaw into their brood. However, their reaction paled to when "Brown, Lavender" was received by Gryffindor. They roared liked lions. Except for the Weasley twins. They were cat-calling.

Bella phased out as she stared into space. She was worried. No beyond worried about where she would go. She was worried that she'd go Slytherin. And suddenly…

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione all but ran to the stool and jammed the Hat onto her head. Her expression was eager.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted. Ron groaned and Bella smiled, encouragingly at her friend. Bella watched as Neville Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor. Morag MacDougal was sorted into another house and she watched as Tom's lips curled into a sneer.

"Malfoy, Draco."

Draco swaggered forward with a confident smirk on his face. He stepped forward confidently and just as he placed the Hat on his…

"SLYTHERIN!"

Draco stood up, looking pleased and he walked to the table where his friends Crabbe and Goyle. Bella faded out again and she frowned as she contemplated, which house she wanted to go to.

Now she knew that she didn't want to go to Slytherin. She didn't think herself smart enough to go to Ravenclaw as she wasn't really concerned with books except for a select few. She picked up languages quite quickly, her French an example of that but if _Hermione _didn't get into Ravenclaw, who could? She _knew _she wasn't hard-working or loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff. And she knew Sirius would die of laughter if she was a Hufflepuff so that wasn't an option.

Riddle's eyes settled on her and a small smile spread across his face. She blinked at how out of place it looked.

"Potter, Bella" he said. Everyone searched for her in the crowd of first years. Bella stepped forward uncertainly.

"Potter, did he say?"

"The Bella Potter?"

"The-Girl-Who-Lived?"

Bella flushed and she dropped the hat over her head, the last image she had was of the large hall full of children staring at her.

"Difficult…very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent…so much talent. And so much _power_. And a nice thirst to prove yourself. To Tom Riddle I see. Not just to him. To the world…now that's interesting. So…where will I put you?" asked a voice. Bella clutched the stool underneath her.

_Not Slytherin! Don't put me in Slytherin_, she thought frantically.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be greater than I already know you'll become, you. It's all here in your head and Slytherin will help your way to greatness, no doubt about that—no? Well if you're sure, better be…" the voice trailed off.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Bella took of the hat in relief and there was a roar of approval. She glanced at Riddle and could see a knowing smirk on his face. She didn't know why she was relieved that he wasn't angry that she wasn't in Slytherin, but she was. It wasn't like she was supposed to care. He was only a professor that she had just met, not even two months ago. She brushed off the thoughts and shook herself. Fred and George were standing and clapping happily.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" they cheered, excitedly.

Bella walked shakily but happily towards the Gryffindor table. She sat across from the ghost who had ruffles around his neck. Hermione sat next to him and she smiled at Bella, her smile warm.

"I'm happy you're in Gryffindor, Bella," Hermione whispered as the cheers quieted down. Bella grinned back and gave a giddy nod.

"I am too," Bella whispered. She looked up at the High Table, inspecting it. The chair to the right of Dumbledore wasn't plain like the others. It was silver and she suspected it was Tom's. Next to Tom's chair sat a woman with black hair pulled into a strict bun. There was not a hair out of place. She wore black robes that matched her hair and everything about her looked crisp and stern.

Bella turned to look at the Sorting as Tom looked down and trailed down to what would be the next person.

"Weasley, Ron."

Bella watched as the redheaded walked, slowly up to the stool. He was pale green now, looking like he was going to be sick at any moment. With shaking hands he placed the hat on his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron took off the hat with a thick sigh of relief. Bella grinned and clapped happily. She looked at Hermione who had a slight frown on her face. Ron walked over, quickly towards them. The boy with the badge on his chest that had to be Ron's brother patted him on the shoulder.

"Well done, Ron. Excellent," he said, pompously. Ron shot his brother a withering look and snorted at his self-righteous tone.

"Thanks Percy…" he trailed off.

They watched as "Zabini, Blaise" was made to go into Slytherin. Bella's eyes followed the handsome Italian boy back to the Slytherin table with a slight frown. Riddle rolled up the parchment and picked up the Sorting Hat before making his way down the aisle. He stopped right behind Bella.

"Well done, little closet Slytherin," Riddle whispered to Bella before he continued as if nothing had been said. Bella froze up and looked at Riddle with wide eyes. How had known?

How the _hell_ had he known?

"You know Professor Riddle?" asked Percy. Bella gulped and looked at the plate and goblet in front of her with an intense stare.

"Something like that…"

She looked up to see Dumbledore standing up, spreading his arms wide. He was beaming at them, his blue eyes sparkling madly. He looked psychotic but it was a good psychotic, she supposed.

"Welcome. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Dumbledore shouted. Bella's eyes widened and she lifted an eyebrow.

She watched as Tom came through a side door and walked across the platform to sit down next to Dumbledore. He smirked at her, knowingly and she glared at him.

"Is he mad?" snapped Bella, speaking of Riddle. She could already see the curious eyes of certain nosy students, Malfoy included. Percy didn't seem to get what or perhaps who she was talking about and nodded towards Dumbledore.

"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mat, yes. Potatoes, Bella?" asked Percy. Bella stopped and looked at him with a peculiar expression that Hermione caught on to.

"What is it, Bella?" she asked. Bella shook her head and gave a slight smile. She could feel the magic pulsing through the stone that seemed to be trying to get to a particular person sitting at the High Table.

"The castle…it's beautiful," Bella said, changing what she was going to say when she began getting curious looks. She heaped roast beef and roasted potatoes onto her plate before beginning to eat. The witch looked up with to see the ghost sitting across from her staring sadly.

"That does look good. I haven't eaten in four hundred years," he said to her. Bella frowned and tilted her head.

"Who are you? My Uncle Sirius didn't tell me about you," Bella said. At her words the ghost in question looked absolutely affronted and he straightened up, pompously and cleared his throat.

"I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. I am the resident ghost of Gryffindor," he said, proudly.

"Oh I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick. Don't ask how he's nearly headless. My brothers said it was gross," Ron said. Nearly Headless Nick gave him a scowl before floating away to speak to others. Bella tuned in to Percy and Hermione's conversation.

"I do hope we start right away. There's so much to learn and I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration. I _am_ a Muggleborn so I'd love to see how it works. In the Muggle world these things are supposed to be impossible. You know, turning something into something else," Hermione lectured. Percy nodded, interested in what she was saying.

Bella didn't know how that was possible. The girl was too excited for classes in her opinion. The one class Bella looked forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts. And she also dreaded as Riddle taught it with his high-and-mighty attitude and narcissistic smirk.

"You'll be starting small and simple, just matches into needle, and stuff like that," Percy said.

The food disappeared and was replaced by sweets. Bella turned to stare at the High Table. She looked next to Tom where a teacher with a hooked nose was speaking to the DADA teacher. He had greasy hair and sallow skin. He looked from Tom and he turned to glare at Bella. She flinched back and Tom seemed to notice. An amused smile was on his face and she snarled under her breath.

He's a teacher. A teacher, she thought, reminding herself of his position. She couldn't go around trying to murder her teacher. But if she saw him while she wasn't in school she'd murder him.

"Who's that talking to Professor Riddle?" asked Bella. Percy looked up and he straightened.

"That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions. No wonder Riddle looks amused. Snape is after his job and always expresses his dislike for him. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts. Snape, I mean. But Riddle is a far more competent teacher. He's very intelligent, if a little sarcastic at times," Percy explained. Bella let out a sharp cackle and shivered when it reminded her of her dream.

"I don't need to be told. I've suffered his annoying comments before," Bella snapped. She turned away as the desserts disappeared and Dumbledore stood once more and he cleared his throat.

Silence fell over the entire Hall.

"Ahem. Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore turned his bright eyes onto the Weasley twins who exchanged smirks with each other and ducked their heads, as if bowing.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch," Dumbledore continued. Tom leaned back with a roll of his eyes at the mention of Quidditch.

Well, I'll be joining the Quidditch team, decided Bella. Even despite the fact that she knew she wasn't necessarily allowed to be on the team.

And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death," Dumbledore concluded. Bella's eyes widened and Riddle's own eyes sparkled with mirth.

"He's not serious? Is he?" Bella murmured to Percy.

"He must be. It's strange that he doesn't tell us why. He usually does when he forbids us from going places. I mean the Forbidden Forest is full of dangerous creatures. Everyone knows that so that's why we aren't allowed. I would've thought he'd have told us prefects," Percy said, frowning and disgruntled that he didn't know what was going on. Bella hid her amused look.

"And now before bed, let us sing the school song! Pick your favorite tune," Dumbledore said. Bella looked with a smile as both Riddle and Snape scowled at the exact same time.

Dumbledore flicked his wand and a long golden ribbon flew out, swirling into what appeared to be words.

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something, please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot,_" the school sang together in different tunes. Riddle wasn't singing at all. He sat there with a sneer obviously on his face. Bella hazarded a guess that Riddle wasn't very happy with Dumbledore's eccentric ways.

Everyone finished at different times. However, the Weasley twins were last and were singing to a funeral march. Dumbledore continued to conduct them and when they were finally finished, he clapped loudest.

"And now bedtime! Off you trot!" Dumbledore commanded.

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the crowds and as they made their way up the stairs. Bella's eyes drooped but she did have enough energy to shoot glares when people pointed at her or stared. They went up the marble staircase and approached the seventh floor. As they went down the corridor Bella could make out a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked. Percy stood up taller, his head thrown back.

"Caput Draconis," he answered. The portrait swung open to reveal hole in the wall. The group walked inside and Percy pointed towards where the girl's dormitory was and the boy's. Bella and Ron stood outside while Hermione waited for Bella on the steps to the girl's dormitory

"Great food, isn't it?" asked Ron. Bella nodded in agreement.

"I'll speak to you later. See you tomorrow," Bella said. Ron nodded and they went up to the respective dormitories.

"Bella, I don't know why you insist on being friends with such a prat," Hermione said, annoyed when they got to their dormitories. Parvarti Patil and Lavender Brown had already claimed beds so Bella and Hermione settled on their own.

"He's just a prat to _you_, Hermione. I'm tired…I'll see you tomorrow," Bella said, as she changed into her pajamas. As soon as she fell asleep, her dreams restarted.

_She was on the same battlefield but now no one was on the ground. It seemed like the battle hadn't started yet. The woman who had been cackling madly stood there with her hood up, black hair streaming down from it. The man stood next to her and on the other side of her was an old man with pale eyes. Two wands were in the woman's hands._

_People in black robes and white masks stood behind them like a massive army._

"_Don't do this…" a voice whispered from the other side. The other side wore assorted robes. The whisper had come from a boy who looked a year younger._

"_I can do whatever I want," the woman snapped._

"_I loved you. I really did" the boy with red hair said. His chocolate brown eyes burned with sorrow. The man glared at the boy._

"_She didn't love you. You're a fool," the man said._

"_I'm not a fool! I loved her and I know she cared for me!" the boy cried out in defiance. The man sneered in disgust and turned away._

_And suddenly, the man spun and let out a green curse._

"_Avada Kedavra!" he shouted. And the boy fell dead._

_And chaos reigned._

Bella woke up, gasping and shaking, and sweat pouring down her face. She trembled before falling back asleep.

:::

**New A/N: **I am slowly but surely re-doing this shitty chapters. God...I was such a terrible writer before. Even now, I'm not saying I'm amazing but jeez...


	4. Chapter III

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, GW/DM/FW, HG/?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story.

**Note:** I decided that Hermione and Ron won't be paired, for now. I'm still kind of iffy. I'm still thinking about who to pair Hermione with because I've decided that she'll be Dark. Ron will not be. Maybe, a little forbidden romance for a while but it won't last, so yeah…

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter III**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

"There, look…do you see her?"

"Where?"

"Next to the tall redhead."

"Did you see her face? She's so pretty."

"Who cares! Did you see her _scar_?"

The whispers made Bella's eyes twitch as she walked out of the portrait hole. She hated being talked about it and it made it even worse as she could _hear _them. Ron was standing next to her and Hermione was trailing, not far behind.

"Hermione, hurry up," Bella said, not wanting to lose her. Hermione rushed to her side and Ron's expression fell. Hermione offered a slightly strange smile that looked almost vicious. They went down to eat and soon everything was a blur to Bella.

Bella liked Hogwarts. But some of the staff left something to be desired.

Argus Filch.

Bella noticed that Sirius had failed to mention Argus Filch. Filch was the caretaker of Hogwarts and he was the meanest soul Bella had ever met. It didn't help that Bella, Ron, and Hermione had gotten on the wrong side of him on the very first day when trying to force their way through a certain locked door.

The door in question, no need to say, turned out to be the out-of-bounds entrance to the third floor corridor where they were forbidden to go to. And when they had insisted that they had gotten lost he hadn't believed them. They were saved by the most unlikely person.

Tom Riddle. When he had found them, Filch was threatening with them being locked in the dungeons and ranting about the time when corporal punishment was allowed. Bella had been pressed against the wall, trying to edge away from the crazy man when Riddle had come out of nowhere.

"Now what's going on here, Miss Potter? Getting in trouble already?" Riddle had asked, smoothly. Filch had answered instead of her.

"The little brat was trying to get into the third floor when the Headmaster specifically stated it was off limits," Filch had explained. Riddle had barely spared him glance, obviously awaiting Bella's answer.

"It was mistake. I got lost, Professor. And he wouldn't listen" Bella said, throwing Filch at scathing look. She looked down as she heard a meow and flinched when she met the lamp like eyes of Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris.

"I see. I won't take points this time. Now run along, little serpent," he hissed, switching to Parseltongue in the middle of his speech. Hermione stared at Riddle, intrigued. Ron shuddered at the sound of it. Filch flinched but Bella nodded, her jaw set tightly.

"Yes, sir."

She walked away with those two words, not looking forward to another encounter with Filch.

After that encounter, she had found her classes relatively easy. As the days passed, Bella quickly learned that there was a lot to learn about magic besides waving your wand. It was hard to understand the theory but the actual practical part seemed to come natural to her.

On Wednesday nights at midnight she had to go up to the tallest tower and study the night sky in Astronomy. Bella liked this class in particular. Gazing through her silver telescope at the sky was relaxing. The only part she didn't particular appreciate was learning the name of distant planets and stars. There was just so many.

Ron didn't seem to like that class as much as she did. He didn't enjoy classes in general, which irked Hermione to no end and equally amused Bella.

But Ron and Bella both agreed that History of Magic was easily the most boring class. Hermione liked it and she to be the only student who could withstand the boring lectures delivered by Professor Binns.

Professor Binns was the only ghost who taught a class and he had been extremely old when he had died. He had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and he had left his body there the next morning. All Binns did was drone on and on about different events that Bella could care less about. Hermione was the only one who actively took notes and Bella found reading Hermione's notes a thousand times more interesting than listening to Binns.

Three times a week they went to the green houses where they were taught Herbology by Professor Sprout, a dumpy and short witch with grey corkscrew curls that made her look like a kind old grandmother. They found out about different plants and fungi and what they were used for.

Charms was interesting and Professor Flitwick amused Bella to know end. He had to stand on a stack of books to see past his desk and when he had read over Bella's name at roll call he had let out an excited squeak and pointed at her. She had slid down in her seat slightly to avoid the ogling she received.

Professor McGonagall, the stern looking witch Bella had seen the first day, was completely different. She wasn't a teacher to cross. As soon as the students had settled down they had received a lecture.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn here at Hogwarts. Anyone caught messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned. Do not let me catch you not heeding this warning," she had said as they sat ram-rod straight, too afraid to slouch or relax.

Then she had demonstrated some Transfiguration when she changed her desk into a pig and back. Everyone was impressed and eager to try it when McGonagall had ended their fantasy by stating that they were a long way from doing that and they would be starting simple. After taking almost 8 inches worth of notes on their parchment McGonagall set them task of turning a match into a needle just as Percy had predicted.

At the end of class no one except for Hermione had made any difference with her match.

The class everyone had looked forward to was just as Bella had expected.

Absolutely amazing.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 5th of September 1991**

**1:00 PM**

Bella's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was made of all the first year and Gryffindors and Slytherins. Apparently, Draco had heard rumors about how well Riddle treated the Slytherins. He was smirking as he walked into the room and passed Bella who was sitting between Ron and Hermione. He opened his mouth to say something when Bella glared at him.

"Save it, Malfoy," she snapped as he passed. Malfoy smirked at her before walking away, feeling accomplished that he had gotten a rise out of her. There a hissing sound and shrill screams sounded from the first years as they saw the source of it. Bella felt something long and heavy sliding underneath her. The snake wrapped around her chair and leaned its head on her shoulder.

"Hello, little hatchling. I've heard you're a speaker from Tom," the snake hissed. Bella sat ramrod straight and she was surprised to see Riddle sitting on his desk with a smirk on his face. Hermione raised a shaky hand.

"Uh…sir, is this your snake?" Hermione whispered. Riddle nodded, not saying a single word but simply staring with that same twisted smirk upon his face. Bella shuddered as she heard another hiss from the snake.

She glanced to her left to see Ron staring at the snake, his skin pale. His freckles were dark on his pale, pale skin. Bella looked at the mirror in the corner and could see that she wasn't just her usual pale. She was sickly looking and her eyes wide in fright. Even in the mirror, the snake's eyes were bright and they were solely concentrated on Bella.

Draco was cringing away from the snake, repeatedly. His friend, the Zabini fellow who sat next to him, was staring with narrowed eyes.

"Hatchling, I'm speaking to you. Speak back. Speak back. Speak back," the snake baited. Riddle's smirk was widening, as Bella seemed to be breaking. He knew what the snake was whispering to her.

"Tell her to stop. Please…tell her to stop," Bella said, her voice hoarse. Riddle stood up and rapped his wand down on her desk and she jumped. This caused the snake to hiss at her.

"In the real world, Miss Potter, if she was an enemy would you beg me to stop or would you do something? Remember, Miss Potter…she's poisonous. You have thirty seconds before she bites you. What do you do?" Riddle asked, harshly. Bella shuddered and leaned in to the snake.

"My name is Bella. Please leave me alone," she whispered. The snake dropped from her chair and slithered towards Riddle before going up his side and wrapping itself around him.

"It seems that I have my work cut out for me this year…" Riddle said, talking to himself her stroked the snake on the top of her head.

"Nagini…go keep Bella company. Do not distract her while I teach," Riddle hissed to her.

The first years shuddered at the sound of it and Bella couldn't help it as well. She shrunk back as Nagini slithered back over to her with what could be called a grin if snakes _could_ grin. Riddle rolled his eyes and almost sighed.

"Now, students, in the outside world, there are much worst things then a python. There are people out there who will want to kill you, for whatever reason. Some may want to kill you for the simple reason of you being a Muggleborn," Riddle began, his gaze falling on Hermione. Hermione made a cat-like hiss that made everyone looked at her in surprise. She flushed and looked down. Riddle didn't even mention her outburst and he began to slowly pace.

"They may want to kill you because you've done some idiotic thing to provoke them. But the reason doesn't matter because the wizarding world is a dangerous place for everyone. For purebloods, for half-bloods, and for Muggleborns. Out there it's the survival of the fittest. And my task…is to make you the fittest. Is this understood?" asked Riddle. Everyone was too shocked to say anything. Bella stared with wide eyes. He knew he was stuff, that was true but what he said terrified her. He was being serious.

"I'm sorry. Do I not speak English? When ask a question that is to be jointly answered you respond with the appropriate answer of 'Yes, Professor Riddle' or 'No, Professor Riddle'," Riddle said, coldly. Everyone shuddered at his tone and cleared their throats.

"Yes, Professor Riddle," they said, quietly but in unison. Riddle nodded and Nagini went across Bella's shoulders and rested her large head on top of Bella's hand. Nagini hissed at her.

"Tom strokes my head when I do this. Can you do that too?" Nagini asked. Bella shakily began to stroke Nagini's head and Ron looked at her in horror.

"Bella…" Ron started. A hand landed on his desk.

"Do you have something to say, Mr. Weasley? And Miss Potter…are you starting conversations?" Riddle asked. Bella's eyes narrowed. He knew fully well that she hadn't said a word.

"No, _sir_. I was only stroking Nagini's head. She wanted me to," Bella said, bravely. She suddenly realized her mistake and Riddle seemed to as well.

"How did you _know_ she wanted you to, Miss Potter?" Riddle asked, slowly. Bella looked down and she dropped her hand from Nagini's head. Nagini nudged her hand again and Riddle raised an eyebrow.

"I…she nudged my hand."

Riddle frowned at the blatant lie and Bella was surprised that he didn't comment. Riddle only sighed heavily, sounding disappointed in her. Bella scowled, not knowing why he was disappointed in her. And also not knowing why she fucking cared.

"Fine. Textbooks out. We're going to learn about magical aura today. It will help you in the long run. Wands out," Riddle commanded, spinning around, his dark crimson robes spinning with him. Bella took out her wand and placed it in front of her. Hermione raised her hand shakily. Riddle nodded at her.

"Sir, when we went to most of our other classes, we went over class expectations…" Hermione trailed off when Riddle raised an elegant eyebrow at her.

"I'm well aware of what happened in your other classes, Miss Granger. But here, we're going learn about auras. Tell me, Miss Granger, what an aura is and why it is useful when going against an opponent who doesn't show how strong they truly are?" Riddle prompted, quickly. Hermione jumped but then straightened as she was suddenly immersed in her element.

"An aura is the intensity of someone's power. It can be revealed with a simple spell and the more intense the light is, the more powerful someone is. This can help you judge whether you can easily defeat your enemy or if you should retreat and regroup," Hermione recited from the textbook. Riddle's lips curled into a smile. He could recognize an eidetic memory as he had one as well. It was nice to see that not _all _of his students would be morons even if she was a…Mudblood. He nodded once and picked up his wand.

"The spell _is_ simple. I will demonstrate. Miss Potter, come here," Riddle said. Bella scowled, knowing he was picking on her.

"With all due respect, I really don't want to…sir," Bella added as an afterthought. Riddle looked at her in surprise and his lips twisted up into a very slow smirk. Bella looked at him surprise. She had expected him to be angry or at least, annoyed.

"Well, Miss Potter has finally grown a backbone. But at entirely the wrong time. It wasn't a request. Come here," Riddle said, softly and Bella grit her teeth. She made a grinding sound with them. She stood, slamming her hands on the desk. She pulled her wand from sleeve and stalked towards him, Nagini trailing away from her. Riddle withdrew his yew wand and both of their wands gave a jerk before setting once more.

"_Auratrus Revelio_," Riddle said, quietly. Bella shuddered as suddenly a crimson light exploded around her. It was wrapped around a burning white light. Black light swirled around her and she shuddered as the light caressed her skin. She couldn't help but notice that the light had a life of it's own. The light disappeared and was suddenly gone. Bella stumbled back and landed on her bottom. Giggles erupted from the Slytherins and she shook her head, dizzily.

"Go back to your seat, Miss Potter," Riddle said, his eyes still wide. But the surprise was masked from his eyes now. Bella glared at him as she walked fairly quickly back to her chair and she looked down with her clenched hand for the rest of the class.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 7th of September 1991**

**8:45 AM**

As Bella finished up breakfast she looked over at Ron who was inspecting his schedule.

"What have we got first today?" asked Bella as she finished eating her sugar coated porridge. Ron glanced down and gave a loud groan.

"Double Potions with Slytherins. Snape's their Head of House. They say he favors them. We'll see if that's true. Fred and George were wrong. Riddle doesn't favor them more. He seems to favor—" Ron started. Hermione looked over at Bella, meaningfully.

"He seems to favor you. Well not exactly _favor_. You looked terrified. He's picking on you," Hermione said, her tone half jealous and half worried. Bella looked up at her and shrugged.

"I don't think he likes me much…in fact I think he hates me," Bella said, truthfully. Hermione shrugged but gave her a skeptical gaze.

"Still, Bella…I'm _worried _for you. A teacher shouldn't be picking on you. It's mean and uncalled for," Hermione said and Bella noticed the hard glint in her eyes. Bella gave her a placating smile and she shook her head.

"It's fine, Hermione," Bella assured her and Hermione returned the smile before noticing that Ron was glaring at her. Her smile slipped away and she turned to fix Ron with a cold stare.

"What?" Hermione snapped. Ron looked away.

"No one asked you anything, you blood know-it-all," Ron snapped. Bella sighed and held up her hand to stop what she knew would quickly turn into another argument. They looked at her with wide eyes.

"You are both my friends so could you stop fighting?" Bella asked, tiredly. She glanced down at her porridge and scraped the remains of it and finished it off. She thrust her hand into bacon and stuffed it straight in her mouth, eating from the platter in front of you. Hedwig suddenly swooped down with a letter in her beak. Bella smiled, exhaustedly as she ripped open the letter.

_Dear Doe,_

_How's your life at Hogwarts? Did you pull any pranks lately? I'm telling you, Doe, you have to find the Marauder's Map to be able to execute a prank properly but you keep ignoring me. Anyway, have you gathered your own generation of Marauders? They would be excellent backup, I think._

_And how are your classes? Have you had Potions yet? I heard that git, Snivellus…I mean Severus Snape teaches that class. He may give you hard time. He despised James and he hated me just the same. And what about Riddle?_

_Is he a good teacher? I know he likes to get a rise of you. No offense, Doe, but you tend to rise to the challenge. Heh…did you get a detention yet? I bet you got a detention. I hope it wasn't with McGonagall. Under __no__ circumstances are you to piss her off. You do and I'll ground you for life. She's a brilliant witch but she's dead scary._

_Write back when you can._

_Love,_

_Sirius_

Bella laughed, quietly at the letter and suddenly she stopped as she felt a stab of pain. Hermione looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze. The bushy haired witch knew something was wrong with her.

"Are you okay, Bella? You seem tired. I know you woke up in the middle of the night. I heard you," Hermione said, quietly. Ron suddenly looked alarmed and he leaned in, curious.

"What's wrong Bella?" Ron asked. Bella looked away. She leaned in.

"My scar…it's never hurt before. But I had this dream…I'll tell you guys about it later. We should go down to Potions. It's down in the dungeons," Bella said. Ron nodded but he still looked wide-eyed. The trio made their way downstairs and they settled down.

Severus Snape came in from the side door of the classroom, his black robes billowing behind him, making him reminiscent to a bat. This thought made Bella snicker under her breath. He started with taking roll call.

And he had paused at Bella's name.

"Bella Potter. Our little celebrity…" he said, softly, mockingly. Bella gritted her teeth but said nothing.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle snickered behind their hands. He looked up at Bella with black eyes. They weren't a sparkling black like Hagrid's. They weren't the same charcoal that Riddle possessed that made Bella feel safe for some strange reason. They were black. Pitch black. Soulless and empty.

And this made Bella shiver.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper. But he had the commanding prescence of someone who knew what they were doing and it'd be dangerous to cross them.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach," he finished.

Bella stared at him in shock. He knew what he was teaching. But that didn't excuse his wretched attitude towards her and the other students. His animosity was almost palpable and she wondered why he was teaching if he hated children so much.

Hermione was edging forward on her seat with her hand twitching as if she were waiting to show that she wasn't what Snape had so kindly labeled his less than competent students.

A dunderhead.

"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked, sharply. Bella bit her lip. Hermione's hand shot up at Bella's first sign of hesitation. Bella gave her friend an amused look.

Snape simply ignored the Muggleborn's hand.

"Er…I don't know sir. But I think it makes a sleeping potion of some sort," Bella said, awkwardly. That didn't seem to appease Snape. He sneered at her.

"Tut, tut. Fame clearly isn't everything."

"Let's try this again with a simpler question for your simple mind. Where would you find a bezoar?" Snape asked.

Hermione raised her hand as high as she could without standing up. Bella saw Draco shaking with laughter. She couldn't help but growl and she cleared her throat. This she knew. Sirius had accidentally poisoned himself plenty of times with the old poisoned wine bottles in the cellar that the Blacks had used to poison enemies they had invited over.

"In a goat," Bella answered without hesitation. Snape's sneer grew fiercer.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape snapped. Bella bit the inside of her cheek and Hermione suddenly stood, her arm stretched as much as she could.

"Er…I don't know. I do know that wolfsbane is an ingredient in a potion that neutralizes the wolf senses when a werewolf transforms," Bella said. Snape's sneer grew and Hermione started hopping up and down.

"Sit. Down! Potter, did you not think to open a textbook to come?" demanded Snape. Bella's patience snapped and she growled, angrily. Snape gave a winning smirk and Bella couldn't help but snap out at him.

"Sir, I did open a textbook before I came. And I did read through all of them. But, forgive me sir, I don't have a perfect memory. I wasn't looking to memorize the entire book and I bet half the students here didn't. I don't think you have any right to single me out, waiting for an answer that I shouldn't know. Aren't I here to be _taught_? If you want an answer ask Hermione. She seems to know the answer," Bella snapped, angrily. Snape's black eyes narrowed.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor I think, Potter. I don't appreciate your tone. For your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A beozar is a stone taken from the _stomach_ of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant and is also known as aconite," Snape stated, matter-of-factly. Bella glowered at him and he looked at them with a fierce glare.

"Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?" he snapped. Quickly, everyone rushed to take out parchment and quills. Of course, Hermione already had hers out.

For the Slytherins, class proceeded on a great note. For the Gryffindors, the first Potions class seemed to get worst. Unfortunately, Neville had somehow melted Seamus' cauldron into a twisted blob.

Five more points from Gryffindor.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8th of September 1991**

**12:03 AM**

Bella shuddered in her sleep as the horrible dream came to her. But it was different this time. They were at a different battlefield. This battlefield wasn't as dead and twisted as the one before. This one was lush but one side had the aura of darkness and the other, the aura of light.

The other battlefield had been different. Both sides had been twisted beyond belief and had a little of Dark and Light on each side. It had simply been magic. But now, Bella knew which side was which.

_Bella stood to the side as she watched the Dark side. The dark haired man and the old man led them but sitting behind them were four people on horseback. Two were obviously women and two were obviously men._

_The woman from before was sitting on the back of a black unicorn. The unicorn had a glazed look in its eyes, as if it were blind. Despite its coloring, Bella just knew that once upon a time, this unicorn had been pure. Bella shuddered at the thought that someone out there could corrupt the most pure creature on the face of the planet. The woman held her wands in both hands, ready to attack at any minute._

_The second woman had stick straight brown hair with kohl-rimmed eyes. She had a sword in hand and rode atop a Granian, a winged horse that was said to be the fastest in the world. But this Granian wasn't the typical gray. It was a blazing red, it's eyes a deep black._

_The next person sitting on a horse was a man with tanned skin and dark hair. His eyes resembled galleons and he was scanning the crowd, looking into every person's eyes. He was on an Abraxan, another flying horse. It was palomino and snorted, as if ready to charge at the other group of witches and wizards._

_The last was a man with blonde hair. He rode atop a thestral that somehow was visible to all. His silvery grey eyes flashed and his mouth was twisted into a wicked smirk. His face was frightening and almost deformed in a way._

_But, there was one thing clear about these obscure figures._

_They were ready for a fight._

"_You don't have to do this, Gellert," an old man called on the other side. Bella easily recognized him as Albus Dumbledore. She frowned, wondering what this actually was and why he was calling the old man Gellert._

"_It isn't he who is doing anything! It is us!" shrieked the woman with the sword. Bella's voice shivered at the edge of madness to the voice. It was the sound of a person who had spent a couple years surrounded by dementors and in Azkaban._

"_My dear girl, you have grown dark and twisted. Let the light guide you," Dumbledore called out earnestly._

"_What did you expect after years in that place you call a prison? I did nothing wrong! You threw me in there! And left me to ROT!" the woman screamed in rage and madness. Even as the man on the Abraxan cast her a sympathetic look nothing happened. The woman's gaunt face stared out with rage._

"_You killed people! How is that not wrong?" shouted a black man on the Light side. He had an earring in his ear but he looked very unfamiliar to Bella._

"_I was a child! He broke the Law. Why would you throw a child into __Azkaban__? But, it matters now. I learned about pleasure and pain in that hellhole. Can I play with him? Please!" begged the woman, childishly. The old man she had called Gellert turned to look at her and gave her an appeasing smile._

"_Mórrígan, you may have him once we're done here. I promise," Gellert said. The woman squealed and looked over at the man who had cast her a sympathetic look and grinned._

"_Apollo! I got a new toy! We can play with him when we get him! Do you want to?" Mórrígan. Apollo smiled. It wasn't a good smile and the black man shuddered._

"_Of course…" he trailed off._

Bella woke up screaming, her scar inflamed in pain.

:::

**New A/N: **Still busily editing this story.


	5. Chapter IV

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, DM/CW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story.

**Note:** I decided that Hermione and Ron won't be paired, for now. I'm still kind of iffy. I'm still thinking about who to pair Hermione with because I've decided that she'll be Dark. Ron will not be. Maybe, a little forbidden romance for a while but it won't last, so yeah…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter IV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of September 1991**

**3:30 PM**

Bella watched as Neville fell from the broom with a sickening and rather loud crack and Madam Hooch rushed over. Bella winced at the pained whimper that escaped from the Longbottom. Hermione looked terrified now and didn't even seem to _ever _want to touch a broomstick. Madame Hooch inspected the Longbottom scion and Bella head him whimper as Madame Hooch poked his wrist.

"Ooh…broken wrist. Up you get boy. I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing," Hooch muttered. She turned to the rest of the group were watching curiously, the Muggleborns looking scared, the Slytherin purebloods looking haughty, and the Gryffindor half-bloods and purebloods looking worried.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on dear. Let's get you fixed up," Hooch finished, leading Neville away from the group of eager but now downtrodden first years. Bella frowned at the sight of Neville's tear streaked face in slight worry. They were not friends but he was a housemate.

As soon as Neville was out of sight, Draco began to laugh.

"Did you see him? The great fat lump!" he cackled.

Parvati Patil glared at him in anger and Bella felt a flash of sharp annoyance at the blond boy's cruelty.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" she snapped. Pansy Parkinson smirked.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought you'd stick up for fat crybabies, Parvati," Pansy Parkinson teased.

Parvati blushed and the Indian girl looked down, easily embarrassed at the idea of someone thinking she was attracted to a 'fat crybaby'. Bella rolled her eyes in disgust.

Draco was the first to catch sight of the glass ball glittering the in the sunlight where Neville had fallen. He raised it to his eyes and smirked, wickedly as he came to understand what it really was.

"It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him!" Draco said, tossing it up and down, catching it easily. Bella's eyes narrowed on it.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Bella hissed, finally fed up with him and sounding very much like an angry serpent. Draco looked at her, faintly surprised before he gave a sly smirk. Bella gritted her teeth at the presumptuous look and Draco looked even more amused.

"No. I think I'll leave it up in a tree somewhere," Draco said, almost sounding thoughtful about. Bella took a step toward him, her wand out, ready to do whatever it took to take the Remembrall back. Bella hissed in anger again.

"Give it here!" Bella shouted, as Malfoy leapt onto his broomstick. Bella's eyes widened as he took off from the ground and looked down at her with a haughty sneer. She felt her blood begin to boil.

"Catch me if you can!" Malfoy challenged. Bella leapt onto her own broom, never one to back down from a challenge. Hermione grabbed her arm and looked at her with a worried look. But, something in her eyes freaked Bella out, strangely enough.

Beneath the worry in those chocolate eyes, something deeper and darker lurked, biding its time and awaiting the perfect moment to unleash what was exactly hidden inside this very smart girl.

It reminded her of someone…

"No! Bella…Madam Hooch told us not to move. You'll get us all into trouble…" Hermione said, pleadingly. Bella jerked away from her and Ron pulled Hermione back. The girl shrugged Ron off with sharp look before turning back to Bella, her expression morphing once more to earnest. Bella gave Hermione a reassuring look.

"I got this, Mione," Bella promised. She kicked off, the blood pounding her ears as she swooped in on Malfoy, pushing the Cleansweep to its limits. She swooped down on him, gracefully before landing in front of him. Ron gave an admiring whoop as she managed to do this without even a slightest hint of worry. Malfoy looked absolutely stunned.

"Give it here…or I'll knock you off your broom!" Bella shouted in the wind.

"Let's see you try, _girl_," he said, taunting her. Bella shot forward, crashing into him. He shook on his broom and on instinct Bella caught his arm and the broom. He looked at her in surprise before sneering and jerking way.

"Come and get it, Potter," he shouted as he threw the Remembrall in the air as high as could. Bella stared in horror as Malfoy streaked back down and Bella streaked upwards but was unable to catch it in the air. She went vertical, her legs wrapped around her broom tight to avoid falling over before stretching her hand out towards the ground. She snatched it from the air before arching towards the ground, skidding to a stop as she dug her heels into the ground. She raised the Remembrall over her head, grinning.

"BELLA POTTER!"

The two screams were in unison and Bella cringed, nearly dropping the Remembrall. They were both rather familiar to her. She watched as McGonagall and Riddle stormed across the field.

Bella's heart sank. Riddle looked pissed off. McGonagall's expression was little less unfathomable. Bella crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that McGonagall got to her first. That wasn't the case. Riddle's long fingers dug into her shoulder and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She was sure that was going to bruise.

"What do you think you were doing? You could've gotten bloody killed if you fell of that broom! Are you suicidal?" snapped Riddle, annoyance and anger coloring his voice. McGonagall nodded in agreement.

"I completely agree, Tom. Potter! Never in my time at Hogwarts…" McGonagall trailed off and schooled her face.

"You could've broken your neck," Riddle muttered, angrily. McGonagall nodded again and Bella looked down, trembling. Two of the most terrifying teachers in the whole school were ganging up on her.

She was surprised that she hadn't passed out yet.

"But, Professor, it wasn't her fault!" Parvati protested. Riddle didn't allow McGonagall to answer. He grabbed Bella's arm and she cringed.

"Miss Patil, you will do well to stay quiet. Bella Potter…**you're going to be the death of me. I know it**," Riddle hissed at her, going into Parseltongue. McGonagall watched in surprise as Bella seemed to understand. The eleven-year-old looked down, upset that Riddle was pretending to care.

"I'm sorry, sir."

Nonetheless, she apologized.

"But, Professor Riddle!" Hermione started, appalled that he refused to hear Bella's side of the story. In all honest, Hermione couldn't quite believe she was sticking up for a girl who she knew had been wrong but she couldn't not do so…Bella was her friend.

Bella was something more.

"Malfoy…" Ron started. Riddle's lip curled and he glowered at Ron.

"Minerva…please take care of this before I loose my composure," Riddle said, quietly. He let go of Bella's arm before turning swiftly, grabbing Draco by the arm and dragging him along. Minerva nodded and she gestured for Bella follow when Riddle stopped.

"Miss Potter! Detention, tomorrow night, 8 PM, my office. If you don't show up, I will send Nagini after you. Is this understood?" he asked, without turning around. Bella cleared her throat.

"Yes…"

"Answer me, correctly."

"Yes, sir."

"That's not correctly, Miss Potter. Come here and answer me correctly," Riddle said, finally turning around. Bella grit her teeth and walked up to him, her emerald eyes icy and Draco watched in curiosity as a wintry smile spread on Riddle's face at Bella's defiance.

"**Yes, sir**," she hissed as quietly as possible. Draco's eyes widened and he was about to shout when Bella fingered her wand as she withdrew it as unnoticeably as possibly without alarming her Head of House.

"A word and I'll hex you into oblivion," she snapped, defensively before spinning on her heel and walking away, her head held high. McGonagall gestured towards Bella and Bella sighed, ready for more punishment.

"Come, Potter," was her only response. Bella followed in confusion and she exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione. Hermione only frowned at her slightly. Not in annoyance or frustration but as if she were in deep thought.

Bella followed until they were in front of Flitwick's class. McGonagall stepped in and looked at Flitwick expectantly.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, but could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

This made Bella frantic. Who the bloody hell was Wood? What would McGonagall make him do to her? Bella tensed at the idea of being punished physically. She hated when people touched her and she was…odd when someone raised an hand to her with the intent of hurting her.

Wood came out and Bella watched as his eyebrows rose. He looked absolutely confused and McGonagall offered no immediate explanation.

"Follow me."

The two students followed her into an empty classroom where she sat in the chair behind the desk. Bella approached the desk cautiously and McGonagall looked at Wood.

"Miss Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I've found you a seeker," McGonagall stated, matter-of-factly. Bella froze in shock and watched as Wood looked delighted and skeptical.

"Are you serious, Professor? She looks a little…delicate," Wood stated. Bella glared at him for his assumption. She knew she looked Fae like in her appearance. Fae always looked little and lithe. But she wasn't delicate.

"Look here, Wood, I'm not delicate. If I can deal with Professor Riddle's enormous psycho snake wrapped around me I can deal with being a seeker on a stupid Quidditch team," snapped Bella, hating that he had called her something as offensive as…_delicate_. McGonagall gave a thin smile and cast a glance towards Bella. The girl had just proven her point with her feisty attitude. Wood looked at the girl in surprise.

"As I was saying, the girl is a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Have you ridden a broomstick before…I'm sorry, I forgot I'm talking to Sirius Black's adopted daughter," McGonagall said, crisply as Bella started nodding.

"Professor, I've known how to ride a real broom since I was four. I got my first baby broomstick for my first birthday," Bella summarized. Wood's eyebrows went higher and higher.

"How high was she, Professor?" Wood asked, excitedly. McGonagall's thin smile seemed to get a little wider.

"At least 150 feet in the air. Quite impressive. She caught it while flying vertically. She looked like a true professional," McGonagall commented. Bella couldn't help but feel like she was being caught into all of this too fast. So she asked a question that would most likely halt everything.

"What about Professor Riddle? He was very angry with me."

"Tom will get over it. I shall talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can bend the first-year rule. We need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match against Slytherin. I could look Severus Snape nor Tom Riddle in the face for weeks…" McGonagall said, looking like she was reliving terrible events. Bella snorted, quietly. Wood looked her over again.

"She's the right build, now that I think about. She's light, thin, and from what you told me, speedy. A decent broom will make us unbeatable with her on the team," Wood said, slowly.

"Exactly, my thoughts, Wood."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of September 1991**

**6:30 PM**

"You're joking!" Hermione and Ron said, in unison. Bella shook her head with a self-satisfied smile. She had just told the two about her being on the Quidditch team. Hermione looked shocked and Ron looked like he was in awe and jealous.

"I'm not. But it's supposed to be a secret. Don't tell _anyone,_" Bella said. They nodded and Hermione's gaze rolled to the High Table. She shuddered and Bella turned to see what she was looking at. Riddle was glowering at her with charcoal eyes. They were turning black when suddenly they connected with her gaze. His eyes flashed a fearsome crimson and Bella flinched, violently. She flinched so violently that she crashed into Ron's side.

"Did you see that?" Bella whispered, fear permeating her voice. Her skin had lightened from alabaster to paper white and Ron was pale as well, his freckles standing out on his cheeks. Hermione had a peculiar expression.

"It depends on what you saw. Did you see Professor Riddle's eyes go red?" asked Ron. Hermione nodded as her eyes darkened and her hair bushed up a little more as a slight and sly smile crossed her face. Bella shivered at the look.

"Hermione…are you okay? You look…strange," Bella asked, uncertainly. Hermione shook her head and she resumed her worried and kind look. Bella continued to stare in confusion though she felt slightly relieved that Hermione looked back to normal.

"Yeah…what do you mean I looked strange?" asked Hermione as they ate dinner. Bella took a bite out of her steak and kidney pie before answering.

"You looked a little…unhinged."

Hermione giggled and shook her head at the description, as if she were in on some inside joke that no one could know about. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking. I was strange about Professor Riddle's eyes. What's even stranger was his reaction when you came down after getting the Remembrall," Hermione said. Ron looked at her, grudgingly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, slowly. Hermione looked at both of their clueless expressions in surprise.

"You mean you didn't see it?" she demanded. Ron rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I wasn't really paying attention to his eyes, Herm…Granger. Did you see how Bella landed? It was amazing!" Ron said, excitedly. Hermione rolled her eyes at his inability to even say her name properly.

"And I was terrified. He was so…pissed off at me that I didn't really pay attention to his face."

"_You_ were terrified? _He _was terrified!" sighed Hermione, in frustration. This only induced more confusion on account of the redhead and brunette, sitting next to each other.

Hermione groaned.

"He was scared that Bella was falling. He was afraid that she would _die_. He was so pale and his knuckles were so tightly clenched that the knuckles were bone white. Why do you think he was so angry? He was angry that you put yourself in danger for something as stupid as a Remembrall," Hermione explained. Bella and Ron burst into laughter.

"Right, Hermione. Tom Riddle, afraid for me? We despise each other, Mione. I've disliked him from day one. He mocked me when I first met him in the Leaky Cauldron. First impressions, count," Bella explained. Ron nodded in agreement and finished off his large platter of food.

"And he's a right prat, too. In class he always picks on her and expects her know everything. And that creepy snake of his, is really weird. And for a DADA teacher he seems to know awfully a lot about the Dark Arts," Ron said, shuddering as he remember what had happened just earlier today. Nagini had passed over his desk to drape itself around Bella's shoulders once again.

"That's the point, Ron! He's the DADA teacher. He should know about both sides and—" Hermione said, stopping abruptly when Bella cut her off.

"Nagini's not _that_ weird, Ron," Bella defended. She didn't like the snake's master but she liked the snake. Nagini was kind and sometimes when she didn't know something she would tell her the answer. It was rather nice. But Riddle didn't seem to appreciate it. He got even fouler every time Nagini did that.

"What do you mean? It drapes itself across you every time we go into that place," Ron said, incredulous as to why Bella wasn't agreeing with him.

"I like Nagini. Don't ask me why but I do. And that's the end of the story. But her master, is another story," Bella said, with narrowed eyes. Hermione sighed, giving up on her friend and sorta friend.

"Okay, you don't have to like him! But you have to admit that he's a good teacher," Hermione said, pointedly. Both Bella and Ron nodded, grudgingly. Despite Riddle's faults, he was quite good at teaching and was rather patient in an…impatient manner.

The trio exited the Hall together.

"He's a fantastic teacher. But…his wand does bad things to my magic. And that is one uncomfortable experience," Bella admitted, lowering her voice. Hermione frowned and looked as if she were about say something. She was interrupted by a snide voice.

"Hey, Potter, why aren't you being carted off to join your disgrace of a godfather?" asked Draco Malfoy. Bella turned around and glared with great ferocity. Malfoy only looked surprised for a moment.

"You look a lot less girly now that you're on the ground. What made you get such a confidence boost? Did Mummy tell you how pretty you look?" grounded out Bella through clenched teeth.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own, Potter. Tonight, if you want. A wizard's duel. What did you're outcast uncle not explain that to you?" Malfoy spat in anger. Ron stepped forward.

"Of course she has! I'm her second—" Ron started. Bella had held up her finger, signaling silence and her green eyes glinted. She stepped up to Malfoy and poked him the chest with her wand.

"You're going to want to shut up about my Uncle, Malfoy. Because I can make your life a total hell. And you're not going to want to. Riddle and Snape aren't here to protect you now or sssstop you from doing something sssstupid. I refusssse to duel you becaussse that would be a wassssste of my time. And remember, Malfoy, not a word or I'll sssic Nagini on you. You know, Riddle'sss ssssnake, whose taken such a damn liking to me. Yeah, her. Now beat it," Bella hissed, dangerously. She looked on the verge of going into Parseltongue. Malfoy nodded, half terrified and Hermione grinned as he ran off.

"Good for you, Bella. Come on, let's go to the library," Hermione said. Suddenly, a long finger landed on Bella's shoulder and she stiffened.

"Threatening students, Bella?" a voice whispered. Bella jerked away and spun around. Riddle stood there with his arms crossed, his eyes crimson. Bella squeaked before taking off down the hallway. Hermione was right next to her and Ron was only a little behind.

She looked behind to see Riddle walking briskly behind her. Hermione darted behind a statue and two followed her, coming out from the passageway and they ran down the corridor and made two sharp rights. They finally saw an unfamiliar yet familar door. Bella shoved at the door.

"It's locked! Merlin, I'm going to be expelled. And then Riddle's going to murder me for causing so much trouble! Dammit!" Bella groaned. No one questioned her on why he would care. Hermione sighed.

"For Merlin's sake, move over!" she commanded. They leaned to the side and heard footsteps. Hermione pointed at the door with her wand.

"_Alohomora!_"

The door clicked unlocked and they slammed the door behind them. They leaned against the door, listening for footsteps but they faded away. Dribble landed on Ron's shoulder.

"Er…Ron?" Hermione whispered, pointing to his shoulder. He looked down, slowly as growls grew louder. The trio turned, slowly and in fright. Bella paled even more, making her green eyes wide in her face.

She realized where they were. They weren't in a long room as she had first thought. They were in a long corridor. The forbidden third floor corridor to be exact. And now she knew why it was forbidden.

A Cerberus. An enormous black dog with three heads stood there, growling yet it's big six eyes were looking at her in shock. The saliva was dripping from it's yellow fangs and Ron moved to avoid more saliva and they backed away. It started barking, madly and the three let out screams.

Hermione groped for the doorknob and the three fell out, backwards. They worked together to slam the door shut as the middle head lunged at them. They shoved it closed and heard it click before they took off running up the moving stares.

"No running on the staircases!" they heard the prefect shout. But they didn't stop. Once they reached the seventh floor, the Fat Lady looked at them in shock.

"Why are you out of breath?" she asked. Bella shook her head and lifted a finger to single for a minute.

"Never mind all of that. Pig snout! Pig snout!" Bella begged, frantically, her eyes wide in shock. The Fat Lady looked insulted though her portrait swung open to reveal the common room.

They ran in and ran up into Ron's dorm room. They looked around to find no one there, as everyone was milling around downstairs waiting for dinner. They fell into a circle on Ron's bed, breathing hard from the fierce and quick run.

"What do they think they're doing? Keeping something like that in the school?" demanded Ron, when they had finally caught their breath. Bella shrugged.

"I don't know but I _know_ Riddle cornered us into going in there. He wanted us to see what was in there. And all we found was a murderous dog," Bella snapped, fury clear on her face and in her tone.

Riddle hadn't even cared if they'd got torn apart.

He had purposely led them to the vicious dog that had come close to tearing them apart into kibble. Bella looked at Hermione who sported that strange, sly and calculating smile once again.

"I think that he was using a tactic like Morse code but different. He can't outright tell us so he shows us. He wanted us to see that and what was under it," Hermione realized. Ron stared at her in shock.

"What are you talking about Hermione? Why would he want us to see that?" demanded Ron. Hermione sighed in annoyance and shook her head in frustration and the calculating look was gone.

"You don't use your eyes do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing floor?"

"Uh, the floor? Sorry but I was little more worried about it's enormous three heads. AKA one for each of us," hissed Bella, her temper flaring. Hermione sighed and shook her head. Bella's face also looked drawn and tired.

"No, first. He wanted Bella to see it. We just happened to be there and he didn't care. And, second, it was standing on a trapdoor. It was guarding something, obviously," Hermione explained, patient yet excited about the prospect of new knowledge. Bella nodded before freezing. She remembered something about that day that Riddle and Sirius had taken her to Diagon Alley.

"_We must go to Gringotts, first. I am to withdraw something rather important_,_" he had said._

He had to withdraw something important…

"Riddle! That day when we went to Diagon Alley he made us go to Gringotts first because had to withdraw something important. That was it! When we had come out he had stuffed a grubby package in his pocket. I didn't think it was that important so I forgot all about it!" Bella gasped. The trio exchanged looks.

"So, if it's guarded by that _thing_ then it's either important or dangerous," Hermione said. Bella smirked and tilted her head before answering.

"Or both."

:::

**New A/N: **Another revised chapter...


	6. Chapter V

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing**: TMR/FemHP, LL/DM, CW/DM, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but the Elvish language is not mine.

Note: So, if you don't actually read my introduction, you will not know that I have finally paired Hermione with someone. But if you do, awesome. She gets Blaise because I think Blaise doesn't get enough love. Well, not in the series. Plenty of people love him here.

Anyway, I'm trying to get the first year completed in four to five more chapters. The story (and the pre-romance) begins the summer after Bella's third year. Note: the third year _will_ not be as it previously was to that will be taking time to go through. The second year will be hard enough to rework!

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter V**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 13th of September 1991**

**8:15 PM**

"Such an unlucky day!" Bella sighed in good mirth as she sat down. Ron looked slightly confused before he turned back to the food that had instantly appeared in front of his face. Hermione watched her friend in amusement as Ron stuffed his face.

"I didn't take you to believe in superstitions, Bella. Especially a Muggle superstition," Hermione laughed. Bella snorted and crossed her arms in annoyance and shrugged, slowly.

"Well, it is. Uncle Sirius told me all about them. The one I found most ridiculous is the black cat ones. Black cats make excellent familiars," Bella commented. Ron looked up suddenly and glanced at the clock. A hiss rang out, silencing the Great Hall.

"**Speaker-child…speaker-child…where are you?**" a hiss rang out, close to the ground. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked up, quickly.

"Your detention…you forgot," Hermione whispered. Bella shot up just as the massive snake wrapped around her leg. It made her legs heavy as the snake climbed up her. Screams erupted from all around and Dumbledore stood up.

"Miss Potter, what is happening?" Dumbledore asked, though his voice showed no alarm. He looked calm. And sad, noted Bella. He always looked sad, as if he were mourning but Bella made no comment about it. No one else seemed to notice.

Half the time he wasn't there in the Great Hall and no one knew why. Even the professors didn't seem to know as they always glanced, worriedly, towards his chair in his absence. Bella cleared her throat as she cleared her head and stroked Nagini's head, slowly.

"She's fetching me for my detention. I forgot and her master sent her after me," Bella said, carefully. Nagini settled herself fully on her shoulders wrapped her excess body around Bella's waist. It didn't hinder Bella's walk and she walked, carefully though her knees shook under Nagini's heavy weight.

"**Speaker-child, you must go down to the dungeons and find the picture of the greatest of the Hogwarts Four. Your magical ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. You must ask it to open. Go down that hallway and make a left and Tom will be there,**" Nagini instructed, calmly and she didn't seem to notice the immense distress she had just caused.

Bella nodded once in understanding and began to make her way down into the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle. She walked down the cold stone corridors, twisting and turning until she came to a picture that was unfamiliar yet familiar to her.

The man in the picture had silver hair and had the same charcoal eyes as Riddle. But his eyes weren't flecked with the familiar crimson, though this wasn't strange. Bella had never met anyone quite like Tom Riddle and she doubted that there'd be many with the same crimson-flecked eyes. The man in the portrait sneered down at her, haughty.

"What are you doing down here, little girl?" he sneered, arrogance imprinted in every painted line of his face. He noticed Nagini wrapped around her and his eyes widened. His sneer didn't let up, however. He seemed to be a master at giving one. He looked like a down right bastard pureblood, Bella noted.

"**Open**," hissed Bella. The man looked at her in surprise, finally losing his Merlin awful sneer and looked at her with open curiosity. His hunger for knowledge wasn't so much hunger in her eyes. He had an ambition to know all things, she could see.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Bella's eyes narrowed at him.

"Who are you?" she mocked, sarcastically. He glowered at her and she glared back at him, putting her hands over Nagini as she couldn't reach her waist and hips underneath the great snake. The man looked into her eyes before he relaxed and nodded, figuring out who she was. Bella frowned at that.

"You…I remember you. Ten years ago you came here with a man by the name of Black. The Girl-Who-Lived, Marvolo calls you," the man said, quietly. Bella's eyes widened and she frowned, slightly.

"Who's Marvolo?" she asked, confused. The man in the portrait said nothing but it did swing open. Nagini leaned in and flicked her tongue against Bella's cheek. Bella jumped but didn't object. It's not like the snake had hurt her.

"**Go down the hallway and to the left, speaker-child,**" Nagini commanded. Bella did as she asked before entering a gold and black room. And sitting on the ebony desk was Riddle. He was sitting Indian style with his eyes closed and he was breathing deeply. Bella shuddered as she felt a rush come through her with every breath.

"Come in, Miss Potter. And do stop staring. It's rude," Riddle said, standing up as he came out of his meditation. Bella's jaw set and she walked in. He pointed towards the chair in front of his desk as he slid off of it and into the seat behind it before taking up a book. Bella couldn't catch the title. He began to read and for ten minutes they sat in silence. Nagini seemed to know what he was doing and she gave her snake-like laughter.

Finally, Bella couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Why am I sitting here? I'm bored! Aren't I supposed to get lines or something? Or some kind of obscene muggle task that house elves should do?" demanded Bella. Riddle looked up at her with his dark eyes and she squeaked before being silenced at the look and the aristocratically raised eyebrow.

"Miss Potter, you're the last one to be asking questions. I will not have you write lines," he said, as he walked to one of his towering bookcases. He pulled down a leather book and placed the monstrously sized book in front of Bella. She looked at it as if it were a foreign object from space.

"What do you want me to do with this?" demanded Bella. Riddle crossed his arms and sat back down his chair. He beckoned with one finger at her and Nagini slithered off Bella's shoulders and onto Riddle's.

"You're a smart girl, Miss Potter. This is the ancient Elvish language called Druhir. I expect you to read it until your detention is over. You will take notes. It is a dictionary of every single Elvish word. You will learn the language by the time you are out of school," Riddle said, as if it were plain. Bella looked at him in shock and pushed the book away.

"I'm not doing that! And why would I learn the language? Most of the Elves are dead, their descendants' blood is dormant, and the rest of the Elves that aren't dead are on the Elven Council and they're as Dark as Grindelwald!" Bella said, looking at the book with disdain. Riddle raised an eyebrow and looked horribly annoyed and as if he were trying his hardest not to lose his temper.

"You'll gain knowledge that you're classmates will never know. What if the skill becomes useful in the future? With this language you could become great. You'll be recognized for accomplishing such a hard language in only seven years. Wouldn't you like that?"

The words made Bella's complaining stop and she looked at him with a curious expression. Riddle kept his smirk under control and looked at her with a blank look. She looked down at the book, her hand brushing over the cover before she took a hold of the book before opening it, beginning to read.

Riddle continued to read his book on the Dark Arts, though it was enchanted to look like a book on the Neutral Arts. He would never read a book on the Light Arts. That was not an option for the Dark Lord, as he knew himself to be now that Grindelwald was gone.

And as the Dark Lord he would bide his time, silently.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 13th of September 1991**

**9:50 PM**

Riddle set down the tome he had been reading for some time now before casting a tempus charm. He sighed. Bella would most definitely be out after hours if he didn't send upstairs now. But she was completely and totally immersed in the book he had given her and she watched her closely as her thin finger traced under each word she looked at. She had the quill and parchment he had given her, scratching down something every once in a while.

He had felt the urge to make her learn the language. It was important and he didn't know how yet.

He didn't like not knowing things.

In actuality, it infuriated him. It infuriated him to know that the little girl in front of him had defeated _his_ teacher. His mentor. The great Grindelwald. He leaned back and inspected the girl and she didn't even feel his eyes on her.

How pathetically inadequate! She was nothing special. Nothing at all. Her face was horribly pale and plain, her black hair untamable and she was easily manipulated, it seemed.

Did she not know that he would one day avenge his teacher? And no one would stop him. Dumbledore couldn't stand in his way. Not with all that grief bottled up inside the old fool. He was still mourning his long lost lover. And the damned Order of the Phoenix couldn't stand without its equally pathetic leader. And so no one stood in his way.

"Miss Potter, one word please and then you may leave," Riddle said, abruptly. Bella looked up and grabbed parchment with her scrawled cursive on it. She placed it down, intent not to even look at it as she scrunched up her nose, trying to think of a word. As she brushed her hair out of her eyes, her fingers froze on her forehead and she pointed at that stupid scar, the only remnant of her encounter with the Killing Curse.

"_Kveykva_," she said, touching it. Riddle looked at the scar and nodded. The shape of a lightening bolt, indeed. At his confirming nod, Bella's eyes lit up and she folded the parchment neatly before tucking it in her robes.

"You may go, Miss Potter," Riddle said, taking the large dictionary from where she had been sitting. He watched as she looked at it, longingly as he placed it back on the shelf. She sighed and turned around, walking out of the door.

"Miss Potter."

The green-eyed turned around eagerly, her eyes suddenly unnaturally bright with ambition. Her eyes were no longer emerald in color but the sickly green light of the curse that had ended her parents' lives. The spark was suddenly gone and Riddle couldn't say he wasn't disappointed.

He had wanted to inspect what had caused the sudden change in her. He decided to Legilimency on her more often. It was something that needed to be done if she was going through such sudden mood swings that caused her to look touched in the head.

"Yes, Professor?" asked Bella. Riddle's eyes widened, infinitesimally. It was the most polite she had ever been with him. He had gotten used to her sass.

"Detention. Tomorrow. You showed up late. Bring more parchment, ink, and a quill," Riddle said. Bella nodded, ecstatically.

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir," she said, before scurrying off. Riddle watched after her as her potent magic left with her. He sighed as it left before glaring at the wall.

"Poor magical control, too," he decided before going back to grading the homework he had given out.

He'd be sure to give her an E for all the work she had gotten done in the span of less than two hours.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 20th of October 1991**

**8:15 AM**

The day after Hermione's 12th birthday brought a gift and three letters. But not for the birthday girl. They were for her best friend, Bella. As Bella at her daily porridge, a hoard of owls came to drop a long and thin package right in front of Bella. Bella stared in shock as another owl dropped a letter on top of it. A smaller owl came and dropped another letter on top of the parcel and the other letter.

"What is all this?" Bella asked in wonder at the many letters she got.

"Look at all the letters and packages! What does this one say?" Hermione asked. She plucked up the first letter and ripped it open. Bella didn't mind as Hermione red it and then handed it over to her. She was glad Hermione had opened the letter first. She had almost ripped it open first in excitement. The letter read:

_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE!_

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field as seven o' clock for your first training session._

_Professor McGonagall_

Ron read it after she had and he looked at her in shock before shaking his head.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand! I've never even _touched_ one," Ron moaned, enviously.

The next letter was a letter from Hagrid inviting Bella and her friends to tea.

Suddenly, there was a bird-like cackling sound as a massive black eagle flew towards Bella with a parcel. It dropped in front of her and looked like it was aiming for her head. She stuck out her arm, remembering all the times Ted Tonks had lectured her on animals. It landed and its talons pierced her robes and scratched at her skin but didn't puncture it.

The bird seemed disappointed that it hadn't.

Bella looked at the bird and admired its glossy black feathers. It made the cackling sound again before jutting its head at her, expecting something. Hermione stared at the beautiful bird in wonder before speaking in quieter Hall. The Hall wasn't silent but it was much quieter.

"It wants food," Hermione said. Bella stiffened as she felt familiar magic brush against her own, telling her to let the bird go and she offered a smile to her friends to reassure them that she knew what she was doing.

"Your master will feed you. Go on," Bella commanded. The bird spread its wings, the feathers brushing in Bella's messy ponytail. Even while Hermione looked closely, she couldn't see where the Girl-Who-Lived's hair ended and the feather began.

As soon as the bird took off, the Hall resumed its normal volume. Bella's eyes never left the swooping animal and how it landed on Tom Riddle's arm. He nodded towards her and his eyes searched for the parcel that had been delivered. Hermione looked at him curiously.

"Why—" she started. Ron let out a rude belch and he snickered at it. Hermione glared at him, annoyed that she had been interrupted.

"Why would he deliver you something?" Hermione asked. Bella didn't answer right away as she opened up the parcel, slowly. A note fluttered out first.

_Potter,_

_You're wasting parchment. You're a moron for not thinking to buy a book. Copy the information into the notebook and bring it tomorrow to detention._

_Don't give me your sass about what you did to deserve a detention. But knowing you…five points from Gryffindor._

_You have detention for your idiocy. You know where to go. 8:00 sharp or I'll send Nagini after you. Not a word about what it's for or 40 points._

_Professor Riddle_

Bella burst into giggles while she scowled as she read over the note and shook her head. She unwrapped the parcel all the way and ran a finger over the black cover. At the bottom were her initials in silver and the empty book was most definitely old-fashioned. The pages were cut jaggedly.

"Why did he send you a notebook?" demanded Hermione. Bella shared the note before fingering the book, lovingly. Before groaning in annoyance. She glared, viciously at Riddle before he smirked and raised five fingers. Five more rubies disappeared from the hourglass with red rubies.

"I…I have to rewrite everything…" Bella groaned. Hermione looked at her, angrily but didn't ask again what it was for. The trio stood up to go open the broomstick in privacy. Their path to the stairwell was blocked by two morons and a prat. The Malfoy heir seized the broomstick from Bella's hand and felt it.

"That's a broomstick! You'll be in for it this time, Potter. First years aren't allowed," Malfoy said, almost in sing song. Bella glared at him but said nothing as the blonde boy tossed it back to him.

"That's not _any _broomstick, Malfoy! It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you had at home? A Comet Two Sixty? They're no where near the Nimbus' league," Ron said, smirking. Malfoy sneered and glared.

"Stop! You'll get us in trouble…" Hermione whispered as Ron and Bella got angrier. They completely ignored the girl as Malfoy responded.

"What would know about broomsticks, Weasley? I doubt you could afford the handle of a Cleansweep One. Don't speak to me, blood traitor," Malfoy sniffed. Bella stepped forward, her fist clenched.

"What's that supposed to mean? Ron's a pureblood. I'm a half-blood. You want say something to me?" Bella demanded. Malfoy's silvery eyes looked around for anyone but saw no one of importance.

"I've many things to say to you, Potter. You live with that disowned Uncle of yours who obviously didn't teach you anything about being a proper pureblood witch. But you are _her_," Malfoy said. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean _her_?" she asked. Malfoy rolled his eyes at her before crossing his arms.

"So you didn't tell your friends? Pitiful. You're magic practically screams Dark. And you're unnatural talent? Didn't tell them that either? You seriously don't know?" Malfoy demanded. Bella glanced at friends, nervously.

"What is he talking about, Bella? Dark?" Ron asked, nervously. Hermione touched her shoulder and frowned.

"Unnatural talent?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. Malfoy, shut up!" Bella snapped. Malfoy smirked at her, knowing he had her in a bad position.

"What? You don't want the school to know that Bella Potter is Lady S—" he was cut off as Bella kicked him in the shin. He let out a shout in pain before she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. He leaned forward and almost crumpled. Crabbe grabbed him and Bella panicked.

"Come on, come o—shit…" Bella whispered as a familiar hand laid itself on her shoulder. Riddle tilted his head and smirked.

"Muggle fighting, Miss Potter?" Riddle asked. Hermione stared in shock as Bella crossed her arms and shrugged his arm off.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. Detention. When?" Bella asked. Riddle looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think of a date that she _didn't_ already have detention with him. She was rather open with her cheek in class so she was used to the constant detentions and it wasn't as if she didn't do anything productive.

"November 1st. Mr. Malfoy will be joining you," Riddle clarified. Malfoy and Bella looked at him in shock and frowned.

"But…**but he's annoying!**" whined Bella. Ron and Hermione gasped as she hissed out the last part and Bella flinched as she realized she had slipped. Riddle looked accomplished.

"Nonetheless, he wasn't in liberty to try to blackmail and reveal people's privacy. Mr. Malfoy, November 1st. Bring something to read. Miss Potter will be too occupied to deal with your antics," Riddle said before walking away.

"**Salazar was right…you are a jackass, Marvolo,**" Bella snapped to herself. Riddle turned around and sneered at her, in annoyance.

"Do speak a little lower, Miss Potter. Two more detentions. One for calling me a jackass. And another for calling me, Marvolo" Riddle said. The girl had the nerve to be annoyed at _him_.

He was planning to give her a _merciful_ death.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Bella said in disbelief. Riddle walked away, not even speaking to her and went down to the dungeons. Bella glared at him and Riddle smirked. He looked back and his eyes widened as he caught sight of the Killing Curse green eyes. Dark magic stirred in her and it was powerful. She sneered back at him and Riddle felt angry at the show of disrespect.

He had changed his mind. He was going to torture in the most painful way before killing her because of her blatant disrespect.

Because Lord Voldemort didn't do merciful.

"Are you going to tell us why you called a professor a 'jackass'?" demanded Hermione in anger. Bella paled at her furious tone and Ron rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to tell us why you're a bloody Parseltongue?" demanded Ron. Bella paled.

"Later."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 20th of October 1991**

**6:30 PM**

The trio sat in the comfort of the quiet library in front of a fireplace as they looked at Bella expectantly.

"Look, I'm a Parselmouth," Bella sighed in defeat. Ron snorted and glared at her.

"Obviously. All Dark wizards are Parselmouth," Ron snapped. Bella looked at him in alarm and glared at him.

"I swear I'm not a Dark wizard! Professor Riddle is the Heir of Slytherin. I'm somehow the magical Heiress or something. I gained some of the bloodline traits, thus Parseltongue. I'm the Girl-Who-Lived and in Gryffindor. How could I be Dark?" Bella said, unwittingly manipulating the boy sitting in front of her. Hermione watched with narrowed and knowing eyes.

"Manipulative girl…" the bushy haired witch murmured to herself before blinking in confusion. She shook her head to clear her mind and finally when she had, she began admonishing said girl for not telling the truth.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 20th of October 1991**

**7:00 PM**

Bella walked outside, alone. She looked around at the enormous stadium. She had never been in the open Quidditch pitch and she couldn't stop herself from gaping. Her mouth fell open and she snapped it close, suddenly.

She could imagine a snide remark from Riddle and him snapping at her, 'Close your mouth. And stop looking like a moron while you're at it…if you _can_'. This left a scowl on her face that cleared up as soon as she glanced down at her broom. She looked around and didn't see Wood anywhere.

Clearly, he was late and Bella couldn't stand lateness, a trait she had always had. Her Uncle Sirius was far too late all the time. She swung her leg up onto the broom before shooting off. She almost fell at the intense speed. This was much faster than the school brooms that she had used during her lessons. She swooped in around the hoops and laughed loudly in excitement.

The wind blew her hair wildly and she spun in circles when she finally saw Wood stumbling out of the castle with a large chest and looking up at her as she flew. She flew behind the stands before diving, completely vertically, her legs wrapped around the slim broomstick before pulling back sharply. She landed in front of him with a grin on her face.

"Nice…let's see what you can do…" he commented before releasing the snitch.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of October 1991**

**8:25 AM**

Bella, Ron, and Hermione had come downstairs to the smell of pumpkin bread that morning. Bella breathed in deeply the scent drifting from the Great Hall. At the door she almost slammed into Quirrell, the Muggle Studies Teacher, and Riddle. As she glanced at Quirrell, his eyes narrowed at her as if he were studying her. Bella turned towards Riddle before clearing her throat.

"Good morning, Miss Potter," Riddle said, looking at her amusedly. She nodded and bowed her head. She waved Ron and Hermione forward as they looked at her in interest.

"G-g-good m-m-morning, M-miss P-p-potter," Quirrell stuttered. Bella refused to frown at the stutter. There was something off about it but she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"Good morning, Professor Quirrell," Bella said. Riddle crossed his arms as if expecting something from her.

"Quirrell, go on. Miss Potter has something to say to me. Today is Samhain, Miss Potter. What do you say?" Riddle asked. Bella bit her lip and tilted her as she thought about what he wanted from her. It wasn't obvious before she nodded.

"Err…**Good morning, sir?**" Bella half-asked. Riddle's eyes narrowed and he lifted an eyebrow at the girl and shook his head in annoyance. Bella glared at him but didn't say anything about the open disdain he was looking at her with.

"On the first note, wrong language. Second, you sound like an utter moron. When you're saying something, make sure it is not posed as a question. If it sounds like one it makes it seem like you're asking me. You're not. You're giving a statement. Make it sound like one," Riddle snapped. Bella nodded and tried to remember exactly what he was trying to make her say. The words drifted back to her easily.

"_Kvertha, _Riddle_ eltha_. _Esterní vil thronessa Dagshelger_. Is that correct, sir?" Bella asked. Riddle tilted his head and considered what she had said.

Greetings, Riddle of the highest praise. Good fortune upon this Hallowed Day.

"It is adequate. I will give you this day free but tomorrow you will learn all the material planned for today. Remind, Mr. Malfoy, of your joint detention," Riddle said, sharply. Bella nodded and walked to breakfast, leaving her somewhat favorite professor behind.

"What was that about?" Ron asked as Bella had her daily porridge. She poured herself pumpkin juice and took a gulp from wiping at her mouth with her napkin, almost viciously.

"Oh nothing. Just wishing, Professor Riddle a Happy Halloween."

The day went out excellently for Bella. In Charms, Flitwick had announced, rather excitedly, that he believed that they were ready to make things fly. Bella had been dying to try ever since she had saw him make Neville Longbottom's toad fly across the room and she was rather eager to try it. Flitwick put the group in pairs and Bella sighed at her unfortunate luck. She was stuck with Lavender Brown, a boy-crazy girl for her age. And Ron, to his misfortune, was paired with Hermione. They took turns giving each other nasty glares before Hermione looked at him with a haughty Slytherin sneer and turned away to pay attention to Flitwick.

"Now, remember the wrist movement we've been practicing! Swish and flick," Flitwick squeaked. Bella was surprised to find it slightly difficult. Doing the movement and saying the spell seemed wrong to her. She was trying to force her magic through when Lavender began gabbing.

"You know who I think is the most attractive teacher? Do you?" she asked. Bella sent her a look, as if already knowing what she was going to say.

"No, I don't, Lavender. _Wingardium Leviosa_," Bella said in a bored tone, swishing her wand lazily. She was obviously not in the mood for this and Lavender acted as if she had said the most interesting thing on the world. Bella sighed in annoyance as Lavender leaned in, over their feather.

"Professor Riddle. He is so _hot_," Lavender squealed. Bella's magic spiked before calming down and once again, cowering against the spell.

"Is that so? Well you don't have detention with him everyday. _Wingardium Leviosa_," Bella said, monotonously. Lavender began speaking again about how jealous she was of Bella for that and Bella turned to look at Hermione and Ron.

Ron was having trouble and Hermione was noticing.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," Ron said, waving his wand like a windmill. Hermione grabbed his arm and thrust it down with force. He flinched at the strength she had used and looked at her in shock. She obviously look angered.

"Stop. Stop. Stop! You're saying it _all_ wrong. And you could've taken my eye out. If you're competent enough, say it right. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long before you go around waving your arm like a deranged person from St. Mungo's," Hermione hissed in anger. Ron looked at her in shock before glaring at her.

"Then you do it if you're so clever," Ron spat at her. She gave him another haughty look that looked like it belonged on the face of a pureblood.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," she said calmly as she flicked her wand in the precise movement. The feather went up though it seemed unwillingly. Bella watched in interest as the feather floated four feet above their heads.

"Well done, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor!" Flitwick said, excitedly. Bella turned back to see Lavender still talking and her mood darkened for the rest of class as she was stuck with listening to Lavender _and_ she wasn't able to make the damned feather float.

As they left the classroom, Ron's mood was as foul as ever. Hermione had stayed back in the classroom to ask Flitwick something. She had urged the two ahead to their next class, as she didn't want to make them late.

"Merlin! It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a right nightmare, honestly," Ron complained rather loudly. Bella stopped where she stood and stared at him in shock but was pushed past by someone. Bella watched in horror as Hermione passed. She was surprised to see, not tears of sadness, but tears of pure rage in her eyes and she could've sworn her eyes had flashed black before returning to it's chocolate brown.

"How could you Ron?" she demanded. Ron looked thoroughly uncomfortable now, having seen Hermione. He had wrongly assumed that she had been crying because of his insults.

"I was just saying the truth. I didn't think she was there!" Ron protested. Bella had stormed away and refused to talk to him for the rest of the day. She had heard from Parvati that she had seen Hermione crying in the bathroom but she never specified where and it was hard for Bella to find the girl in between classes.

The Potter girl was worried that the normally studious girl didn't come for any class that afternoon and she wasn't seen during dinner either. Ron had decided to sit by her and try to talk to her as if nothing happened but Bella only responded with short-clipped answers.

She had been helping herself to a baked potato when Quirrell had burst through the halls and he looked absolutely terrified.

"Troll! In the dungeon…thought you wanted to know," he shrieked as he fell in front of Dumbledore and Riddle. Riddle's face paled but his eyes portrayed amusement as Quirrell sank to the floor in a dead faint.

And then the screaming started.

:::

**Original A/N: **I've noticed that so many people read the story (I look at traffic) but no one is REVIEWING. I actually like reviews. And not the crap telling me to 'update soon' because I won't be updating right after I receive the damn review. It's going to take me a while to actually write up the next chapter.

So could I get a _few_ reviews that actually tell me what you like about the story? I'd really like to know. Only one or two people tell me what they actually like about the chapter and I really appreciate them. I wish I could appreciate other people (hint, hint).

**NEW A/N: **Another edited chapter though not so well done. Ah, well. Don't really care very much. People have been judging me about this story and they seem to forget that this is FANFICTION. Some people take it way seriously...not to be judgmental or anything. If you want to spend your social life writing Fanfiction, that's fine by me. I already spend a third of mine writing it. The other two-thirds consist of REAL LIFE...sorry about the ranting. Whatever.


	7. Chapter VI

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but the Elvish language is not mine.

Most of the Quidditch scene is J.K. Rowling's because I can't write a decent Quidditch scene for my life.

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter VI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of October 1991**

**8:10 PM**

The screaming erupted and Dumbledore stood up just as Riddle had. Dumbledore murmured something to Riddle and he nodded before jumping over the table, gracefully and sprinting down the aisle and out of the Great Hall. Bella thought she saw a smirk on his face as he passed her but it was gone in the next second. Dumbledore touched the tip of his wand to his throat before murmuring an incantation.

"SILENCE!" he rumbled. The screams quieted almost instantly, ending with an audible squeak as they jumped at his roar.

"Prefects, lead your Houses back to dormitories immediately!" Dumbledore commanded. Percy stood up almost immediately and he was in element. Percy gathered everyone together.

"Follow me! Stick close, first years! No need to fear a troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me. Excuse me, first years coming through!" Percy said, herding the younger students first. Ron slipped in beside Bella.

"How could a troll get in? Isn't Hogwarts supposed to be one of the safest places in all of the Wizarding World?" snapped Bella in annoyance. She couldn't help feel a whole nagging feeling about the situation. There was something or someone she was forgetting about.

"Don't ask me. Trolls are really stupid. Maybe the ghost-thing, Peeves let it in," Ron said with a carefree shrug. Bella rolled her eyes at his stupidity. But she realized it wasn't exactly stupidity. It was merely his ignorance. He didn't know that Hogwarts wouldn't let Peeves let a troll in if it was a mere joke. Hogwarts was alive and she did things for a purpose. She was doing something…

"Peeves is a poltergeist, Ron and…Hermione," Bella whispered, her eyes suddenly wide with terror. Ron froze and looked at her in shock before shrugging.

"What about her?"

"She doesn't know about the troll, moron!" Bella snapped. She flinched when she realized that she sounded like Riddle but brushed it off. It must've been all the detentions that she attended with him there.

"Oh, uh, well…all right, fine! But Percy'd better not see us," Ron snapped before they crept forward. Bella felt a flash of fury as her friend thought that his brother finding out that they were gone was worse than Hermione ending up dead. Bella couldn't imagine _what _she'd do if she were without her…

Bella tapped Parvati on the shoulder. The Indian girl spun around, her eyes round in fright. Bella could almost taste her fear in the air and she frowned at that thought.

"Er, Parvati, which bathroom did you see Hermione in earlier?" Bella asked, rather awkwardly. Parvati didn't even seem to consider why she was asking and spouted out the answer in a timid voice. Bella rolled her eyes at the girl's naivety before Ron and her took off down the hallways. Suddenly, Ron jerked her back as the prepared to turn down another corridor.

"Stop, Percy!" Ron hissed, quietly. But they didn't see Percy. They saw Snape and Riddle. They seemed to be arguing near the third floor corridor. Riddle caught sight of her and he grabbed Snape's left arm and squeezed on his forearm. Snape cried out in pain and Riddle jerked his head at the other corridor, the way to the Gryffindor Tower, and Bella snorted and went the other way, nearer to the dungeons. Bella pulled Ron along as Riddle watched, his eyes horrified.

"What was that about? Why was a professor trying to make us go back to Gryffindor Tower?" demanded Ron. Bella looked at him and rolled her eyes at his ignorance once again.

"Really, Ron? He's a teacher. And the Deputy Headmaster. I doubt he wants a dead student," Bella explained. Suddenly, they could the scent of a foul stench coming from the corridor they had just gone down. They heard the heavy footfalls of something extremely heavy and dense.

And then they saw it. It was twelve feet tall with sickening grey skin. A coconut-sized head that made the body seem disgustingly disproportionate topped the great lumpy boulder of a body. The short legs that held up the body were as thick as tree trunks. It dragged a massive wooden club with it. It walked into a room and Ron pointed at the door.

"The key is in the lock! We can lock it in!" Ron said, excitedly. Bella shook her head slowly as she realized what room the disgusting creature had wandered into and she made a choked sound.

"That's the girls' bathroom…HERMIONE!" Bella shrieked as a scream sounded.

The scream was blood curdling and sent another flash of terror through Bella. The green-eyed girl ran as fast as she could and kicked the door open with such power that it thundered open.

The floor was wet and she skidded across the floor, her flyaway hair touching the water as she bent backwards to avoid a wayward swing of a wooden club. Hermione was standing near the sinks, her wand pointed at the troll.

"Confuse it, Ron!" Bella shouted. Hermione and Bella stood together and raised their wand as Ron seized a tap and threw it against the wall. The troll's beady little eyes searched for the source of the sound but instead found Ron.

"Go, Hermione. I'll take care of this," Bella said. Hermione snorted at her and looked at her as if she was crazy.

"I'm not leaving, Bella. I may be Muggleborn but I'm neither stupid nor helpless. I'm not sad or scared. I'm angry. So let me take out my anger in a controlled way, dammit!" Hermione shrieked. Bella's eye twitched but she nodded and crossed her arms as the troll stalked up to Ron, dragging its massive and horny feet.

"Any help over here?" Ron demanded, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"But I thought I was a nightmare? Why should I help you?" Hermione sneered. Ron shook his head and looked at Bella in horror. Bella seemed to be in a different world completely. She was going through her past knowledge, trying to figure out if Sirius had ever told her how to stop a troll.

"I'm sorry! Granger…no, Hermione, I'm sorry! I was being a bloody git like Malfoy. I'm sorry!" confessed Ron. Hermione smirked at him and pointed her wand at the troll.

"Apology accepted. _Confringo!_" Hermione said. The troll was hit by the powerful spell as it was fueled by burning magic. The troll stumbled back but got back up almost immediately before roaring anger and throwing his club everywhere. It crashed into the porcelain sinks, creating debris.

It swung its club directly at Bella. She dodged, skidding across the water, splashing water all over herself. Hermione was cornered and she slid in between the troll's legs, gracefully. She watching it and it roared at her. Hermione gave a fearsome snarl and her eyes darkened in rage.

Her whites were not visible anymore and Bella could see that she looked like someone she had once seen…

Maybe in a dream…

"Hmm…what's that spell I read about? It's Dark but seeing the circumstances…" Hermione murmured. Ron didn't seem to hear her, as he didn't stare at her as if he had never seen her before and hadn't tried to chew her out right then and there. Suddenly, the troll grabbed Bella and swung her like a rag doll. Bella shrieked and pointed at Ron as Hermione stood, trying to figure out what to do.

"Do the damn spell! Make the 'gar' nice and long!" Bella screamed. Ron pointed his wand. "_Wingard—_" he started.

"_SECTUMSEMPRA!_" an angry voice roared. Angry slashes ripped across the troll's body, creating deep, deep, _deep_ gashes that bled black. The troll fell limp and Bella fell when two strong arms caught her. She looked up to see a pair of blood red eyes looking down at her furiously.

"Er…fuck…" Bella whispered. Riddle looked down at her his expression livid. His jaw was clenched tightly. His nose flared and his eyes were wide with rage and anger. He sneered at her.

"**You…you…**WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" Ridle raged. Bella looked past him to see McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, and Quirrell staring in shock. Riddle never swore.

Ever.

He placed Bella down, harshly, all but dropping her. She took a step back and Riddle mirrored the step by stepping forward and grabbing her by her arm, his wand clutched in his wand. Bella raised her wand at him and looked at him with wide eyes. He was beyond angry and she was terrified that he would hurt her right then and there. She flinched, trying to squirm out of his hard grip.

She was being touched…and it hurt…

"Leave me alone. I don't care if I'm expelled. **I'll kill you, right here and now. I know the spell,**" Bella whispered, harshly as she put on an air of bravado. Riddle snorted and glared at her.

"You can't do a thing, little girl. _I'm_ the most powerful wizard in the world," Riddle hissed, in anger. Bella glared at him and shook her head and thrust a finger at Dumbledore who looked at her in shock.

"No. He is!" Bella said, in anger. Riddle hissed and then everything in the room went cold. He let out a high-pitched and cold laugh that sounded nothing like him and Bella repressed a shudder. The sound sounding so _wrong_.

"**Dumbledore is a filthy Muggle lover and is weak! He's weak! Just. Like. You! _I_ am the greatest wizard in the world and no little girl will tell me otherwise,**" Riddle hissed at her, throwing her backwards so that she stumbled. Bella took another step back and Dumbledore started forward.

"My boy, that is enough. You're scaring her," Dumbledore said, firmly. He placed a wizened hand on Riddle's shoulder and Riddle jerked away with force and glared at the old man.

"Dumbledore, she deliberately disobeyed me and apprehended the troll. I told her to go to Gryffindor Tower and she went to find the girl anyway," Riddle hissed through clenched teeth as he tried to calm himself. Dumbledore nodded, benignly and understanding of Riddle's fury.

"I understand, Tom. _But_ she is still just a child" Dumbledore said, quietly. Riddle's lips curled and his fists were clenched.

"She's the Heiress of Slytherin. _I _punish her anyway, I see fit. I am her magical guardian," Riddle snapped. Dumbledore was at a lost as Riddle raised his wand at Bella. Bella looked panicked before a spell floated into her mind.

"_Expelliarmus_," she snapped.

"_Stupefy!_" Riddle responded. Suddenly, the golden light erupted from the end of Bella's wand and connected with Riddle's. Dumbledore's eyes widened. Ron, Hermione, and Snape watched as magic swirled from each person in wonder.

"Albus…is that…" McGonagall said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Prior Incantatem."

This time instead of several colors coming out, white and crimson magic erupted from Bella. Black and emerald exploded from Riddle and warred against each other. Bella looked at Riddle.

"**For a teacher, you're sure mad that I almost got killed,**" Bella hissed. Riddle glared at her as she jeered at him. She was baiting him and he knew it. She didn't expect him to rise to it but he did.

"**You must learn your place, child. If you would have died it would've ruined all my plans, nitwit.**"

"**What plans?**" Bella asked, curiously as their magic continued to roar around them and Riddle tried to jerk his wand away.

"**I'm exceedingly angry at you and you think it's safe to ask that. Do you have no preservations skills? Apologize for being a moron. I thought I had taught you how _not_ to do that. Obviously, you don't want to learn Druhir,**" Riddle growled at her. Bella stopped and spun in a circle, her robes swirling with her. The connection snapped as she and Tom pulled away. Bella fell to her knees, her magic drained.

"**I'm sorry. Please don't take that away from me. I'm sorry,**" Bella murmured before passing out from magical drainage.

As her eyes slid closed she heard a voice above her.

"**I suppose I could forgive you this once.**"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1st of November 1991**

**7:45 AM**

Bella shot up, gasping as her magical core awoke. She blinked away the blurriness in her eyes to see Tom Riddle sitting next to her. His legs were crossed and he was meditating.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Bella, harshly. Riddle opened one eye to look at her and tilted his head.

"50 points were taken from Gryffindor. You were each given 15 points for keeping the troll occupied and not dying. You have detention for the next two weeks. The first week and a half with me. The second half of the second week will be with the oaf…I mean, Hagrid," Tom said, quietly. Bella rolled her eyes and shrugged before shifting, her back to him.

"As if I didn't know that already. I probably have had more detentions then my Uncle and my Dad put together," Bella said, quietly. She curled in on herself and Riddle couldn't help but notice how her dark hair spread across the pillow. Her hair looked dirty, according to him. He held back his sneer of disgust.

"Most likely, that is the case."

"I remember Ollivander saying you were old. Did you teach my parents?" asked Bella, curiously. Riddle seemed to be surprised by the question and he looked very far away all of a sudden.

"No…I was traveling. I was learning from my teacher. And I'm not old, brat," Riddle said, annoyed that she had called him old. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes but didn't push it. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want? You already took away the language. Want to rub it in?" Bella asked in suspicion. There was a soft chuckling that seemed somewhat forced and Bella glanced over at him over her shoulder. He was watching her with dark eyes. They were no longer that furious crimson and Bella took that for a good sign.

"I am not a child, Bella. I did not come here to as you eloquently put it, 'rub it in'. I came here for an entirely different reason," Riddle said, quietly. Bella shifted again until she was facing him and tilted her head.

"What for, then?" asked Bella. Riddle sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know. But, I apologize for losing my temper with you," Riddle said, earnestly. Bella nodded.

"I should've listened. I could've gotten killed. I'm sure McGonagall…I mean _Professor_ McGonagall will be here to chew me out soon," Bella said, quietly. As if on cue the door to the Hospital Wing opened to reveal Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, waiting for an audience with the Girl-Who-Lived.

"Tom? I thought you were still angry with Albus," McGonagall said, sounding slightly surprised by the fact that Riddle was sitting beside Bella. Riddle stood up and shook his head, suddenly looking very tired.

"No longer. You do not need to worry. I will be off. Remember, Miss Potter, remind Mr. Malfoy of your joint punishment," Riddle said. He stood fluidly. Bella watched as he walked away, his midnight blue robes billowing after him.

"Professor, I'm sorry. I really am," Bella said, falling back against her pillow. McGonagall nodded and shook her head.

"It is fine, Miss Potter. Miss Granger told me what happened," McGonagall said. Bella looked at her in surprise and tilted her head.

"She did?" the green eyed girl asked. She couldn't imagine Hermione of all people admitting to a teacher that Ron had made her angry. That she had skipped all of her classes.

"Yes. The girl was foolish, going after the troll herself. Only because she read about them…hmm. I came to tell you that she was immensely worried about you and if you are up to it, to meet her in your dormitory to freshen up and ready for your classes," McGonagall said. Bella nodded and stood. She noticed that her sopping wet robes were gone and she was left in her white shirt that was dry, thank goodness, and her skirt. She slipped on her shoes and picked up her tie before following McGonagall to the seventh floor in silence.

"You're okay!" Hermione gasped when she saw Bella walk into the dormitory. Hermione threw her arms around the girl and Bella hugged her back tightly. Hermione pulled away and glared at Bella, reproachfully.

"You had better be glad that I lied for you! Lying to a teacher…my parents would be so ashamed," Hermione moaned in anguish. Bella could only laugh and suffer another one of Hermione's glares.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1st of November 1991**

**8:17 PM**

Bella was running down the halls and to the dungeon from Hagrid's hut…er cabin. She couldn't find Malfoy anywhere so she had assumed that Riddle had gone and fetched him when he remembered that the easiest way to actually get to his office was by speaking in Parseltongue. As she slammed into his office, the pale-headed boy and the dark haired man looked up. Draco was writing lines and smirking at her for being late.

"You're late, Miss Potter," Riddle said, amusedly.

"Err…sorry, Professor. I was looking for Malfoy and he wasn't around and I had…you know…**Quidditch practice**," Bella said, awkwardly. Riddle sighed and nodded gesturing to the room and the book that was waiting for her. Riddle wasn't sitting behind his desk as usual. He was sitting in the armchair that Bella usually studied at. Bella sat cross-legged by the side of the chair and thanked Merlin that she was wearing trousers.

"Potter, why are you sitting on the floor like a servant?" Malfoy spat. Bella sneered at him and rolled her eyes.

"Would you shut up? I have something that's actually important to do," Bella hissed as she brought out her leather bound book, quill, and inkwell. She set it to the side before crossing to the bookcase and tiptoeing. She sighed when she realized she couldn't reach it before it floated down to her. She looked over to see Riddle, still reading the stack of parchment in his lap, pointing his wand at the bookcase, lazily.

"Thanks," she murmured. He nodded in response and she sat down next to his chair and began to read. She could feel Malfoy's curious eyes on her and she almost smirked as she copied down and translated the various sentences the book gave her.

She sat there for almost an hour when a piece of parchment hit her in the face. She looked up in alarm and saw Malfoy looking at her, his silvery eyes glancing between her and the parchment. She rolled her eyes and pointed at her wand.

"_Incendio,_" she whispered. The parchment erupted into flames and turned to ash. She stood up slowly and walked over to Malfoy. He looked up at her and she frowned. Without another word, she dumped the small pile of ask on to Malfoy's parchment. He glowered at her as he realized that he would have to rewrite all the lines Riddle had set him. She smirked at him moved back to her previous task.

Soon the time had flown by and Riddle looked up. He looked over at Malfoy and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Malfoy, what have you learned?" Riddle asked. Malfoy looked at him, very confused and Bella didn't want him to come back. According to Riddle, if you didn't get the lesson the first time, that meant that a second detention was in order.

"Read what your lines say," Bella mouthed. Malfoy cleared his throat and looked down at his lines.

"I will not instigate problems with Gryffindors. I will mind my own business," Malfoy said. Bella snorted and Malfoy gave her a nasty look. Riddle's hand found itself on top of Bella's head before giving her a hard smack on the back of said head. Malfoy smirked as her head jolted forward.

"Miss Potter, you will mind your own business as well. Tell me what you learned," Riddle commanded. Bella crossed her arms.

"Malfoy _weohnata fir_," Bella hissed in annoyance. Riddle smirked and Malfoy's eyes widened as he recognized exactly _what_ language she was speaking in.

"That wasn't nice. You shouldn't say 'Malfoy will die'. Mr. Malfoy, you should know that no one knows that Bella is learned Druhir. No one _will_ learn this fact. Is that understood?" asked Riddle, coolly. He gave Malfoy a hard look. The Malfoy scion nodded and gulped.

"Yes, sir…" he said, quietly. Bella stood up as she finished packing and dropped the large book on Riddle's lap before saluting to him.

"See you tomorrow night!" she said, before walking away, her bag casually slung over her shoulder. She stopped by Nagini who was lounging on the desk before plopping a carefree kiss on the snake's head before walking out. Malfoy stared after her in shock before Riddle gestured to the door. Malfoy walked out as quickly as he could without running. He caught up with Bella just as she reached the portrait.

"What was that? You're learning Druhir? Why?" Malfoy demanded. Bella crossed her arms and her eyes narrowed.

"None of your business, Malfoy. I have places to be and things to do so can we hurry this up? You're kind of, what is it? Oh yeah, wasting my time," Bella said, bored. Malfoy glared at her at her blatant disrespect.

"I want answers. Now," Malfoy said, quietly. Bella snorted. She stopped walking and looked over at him. He seemed surprised that she had stopped.

"Maybe it's time you earned them instead of demanding them. You should know by now that I don't like to follow the rules and I don't like the thought of authority and order. Goodbye, Malfoy," Bella said before walking out of the hallway without another word.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 9th of November 1991**

**10:50 PM**

Bella slid her Quidditch wear on in the tent, hiding from the people that had somehow found out that she was seeker for the Gryffindor team. She was sick and tired of hearing them congratulate her or tell her that they hoped she didn't fall off her broom and were betting on her.

She remembered what she had found out yesterday after Snape had taken her book away.

She could remember Snape's bloody and mangled leg where a distinct bite mark was. Filch had been helping him wrap his leg up and Bella couldn't help but wonder why he had not just gone to Madame Pomfrey. She always offered to help.

"Blasted thing. How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Snape had muttered. That was all Bella had had to hear before running off to relay what she had heard to Hermione and Ron.

Her conversation with him wasn't enlightening…

"_Did you get your book back?" Ron had asked, when she had found them. She'd shook her head before relaying exactly what she'd heard._

"_You see? That was what he was trying to get past on Halloween. And Professor Riddle stopped him from stealing whatever it's guarding. And I bet he let the troll in too!"_

"_No…no…it doesn't make sense. It just doesn't. There is someone else," Hermione had said, quietly. Ron had taken what she had said the wrong way entirely and glared at her._

"_Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints? I'm with Bella. I wouldn't put it past Snape to try something like that. Serves him right to be bitten" Ron had snapped and that was the end of it. Hermione had refused to go from her theory that she seemed so set in._

Bella sighed as she slipped on her final layer of clothing. She wore red and gold robes with a red and gold shrug over it. Black dragon hide pants covered her legs and dark crimson boots of dragon hide covered her feet. She grabbed her broom after pulling her hair up in a ponytail and walked outside into the main tent. The team was there and she was easily the smallest of the bunch.

"Okay, men," Wood said.

"And women," Angelina Johnson coughed.

"And women. This is it," Wood agreed.

"The big one," Fred added to boost the low excitement level.

"The one we've all been waiting for," George said, helping his twin out. Bella gave them a quizzical look. They sounded as if they were reciting something now.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart. We were on the team last year," Fred explained. George smiled as Wood looked annoyed.

"Shut up. This is the best team Gryffindor has had in years. We're going to win this. I know it," Wood said.

They walked outside and the cheers got louder as the Gryffindors stepped out. Most of the three houses that they _weren't_ going against cheered for them. The Slytherins threw scathing boos and hisses.

"Now I want a nice fair game," Madam Hooch said. She was refereeing the game and she seemed to be speaking, specifically, to Marcus Flint. He was the Slytherin Captain, and a sixth year. His pimply face held a feral grin that promised death. Bella's hand tightened over her broomstick.

"Mount your brooms!" commanded Madam Hooch. Bella swung her leg over hers and she crossed her legs over the broom, plastering it to her body, vertically so she was still standing. She knew people were looking at her strangely but she didn't care. All she cared about seeing was that glint of gold. Madam Hooch blew her whistle.

Bella shot up as fast as she could and leaned forward before sharply diving until she was horizontal. There were gasps and she smirked. The broom was great. It was fast and speedy and she felt she could do _anything_ on the broom. It made her feel exceedingly confident.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Fred and George's friend, Lee Jordan was doing commentary for the match and was being closely inspected by McGonagall. She was on him like white on rice. Bella snorted at the analogy and shook her head. McGonagall seemed just as anxious about this match as Oliver had been.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle -that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger-sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back inpossession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes—she's really flying—dodges a speeding Bludger—the goal posts are ahead—come on Angelina. Keeper Bletchley dives—misses—GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Loud cheers from the red and gold stands erupted with howls and moans of anger from the Slytherins.

Ron and Hermione sat next to Hagrid, searching through the air for Bella who wasn't around at this point it seemed.

"Bin watchin' from me hut. But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?" Hagrid asked as he looked up in the air by the means of a pair of gigantic binoculars.

"Nope. Bella hasn't really been ar…" Ron trailed off as he saw Bella swoop down from the top and intercepted Adrian Pucey who stopped abruptly. It gave Katie Bella the chance to steal the Quaffle and Bella shot the Slytherin Chaser a smirk. Bella ascended again, vertically.

The game continued and suddenly Adrian Pucey had dropped the Quaffle as he was momentarily distracted by a rush of gold. Bella saw it and leaned forward. The Slytherin Seeker, Terrence Higgs had seen it as well.

Bella darted forward when suddenly Marcus Flint spun in front of her and grabbed the end of her broomstick. She stopped abruptly and shrieked when she slid forward, almost falling off the broom. She spun and glared at Flint, fear hidden behind her fury. Flint's eyes widened.

"Foul!" the Gryffindors screamed.

Madam Hooch yelled at Flint in anger as Bella grasped her broom again. She gave Gryffindor a free shot but even as Bella looked, the Golden Snitch disappeared. She sighed in annoyance.

"So after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor. I _mean_ after that open and revolting foul—"

"Jordan, I'm warning you…" McGonagall threatened.

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Bella laughed at the commentary and narrowly missed a Bludger. Suddenly, her broom gave a startling lurch. She held on for dear life as her broom started bucking, wildly underneath her. The broomstick was trying to unseat her and make her a giant red splat on the ground. She held on for dear life as the broom started whipping itself in circles. She screamed but no one seemed to hear her. She was too high above from the rest of the game for anyone to notice.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet -passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose- only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no…" Lee said, still commentating. Bella screamed as her broom gave a frightening lurch and she grabbed on even tighter.

"Dunno what Bella thinks she's doing. If I didn't know better…" Hagrid started. Hermione clutched her heart as a pang ran through her. It was fear. Blinding fear that she hadn't been feeling. She looked up at Bella.

"She's lost control of her broom!" Hermione shrieked. Bella was suddenly swung forward and an ear-shattering scream was heard. Bella was holding onto her broom with one hand, the broom still trying to shake her off.

"Did Flint do something to her broom?" Ron asked, shakily.

"Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic. No kid could do that," Hagrid said. Hermione grabbed the binoculars and looked at the teacher's stand. Professor Riddle looked absolutely terrified. He didn't even look like he could move. His left hand was clutching his wand. His right hand had long pale fingers knotted into his robes. He was stick straight and his eyes were crimson again. She looked up and gasped.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, gray-faced. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was scared for Bella and the Quidditch game. Hermione was actually, for some strange reason, experiencing Bella's fear and terror.

"I knew it! Look at Snape!" Hermione said, pointing. Ron snatched the binoculars and looked through. Snape was looking at Bella with fixed eyes and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

"He's jinxing the broom," Hermione explained.

"What should we do?" Ron asked, quietly. Hermione smirked and withdrew her wand and crossed her arms.

"Leave it to me," was her only response before she jumped over the seat, gracefully and ran. Ron watched her fluid movement in surprise before turning back to keep an eye on Bella who was slipping. Fred and George were trying to pull her onto one of the brooms but every time the broom went only higher.

As everyone watched Bella, Marcus Flint scored five more times with the Quaffle without anyone noticing.

"**Marvolo! HELP ME!**" Bella shrieked in Parseltongue. Riddle clutched his robes even tighter. His skin was pale white by now.

"MARVOLO! **HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP ME!** _HELP ME!_" Bella screamed as another finger slipped from the broom. She only held on with four fingers now and her grip continued to slip.

"Marvolo? Who's Marvolo? What's a Marvolo?"

The whispers went through the stands. Tom closed his eyes. He couldn't bare not looking at her anymore and he didn't understand why. He knew Snape was already trying to do the countercurse so he said nothing.

Hermione snuck around beneath the stand right where Snape's robes billowed. She pressed her wand to a stray piece of cloth and smirked.

"_Incendio_," she whispered. The edge of his robes burst into flames and thirty seconds later there was a yelp. She watched as Bella still struggled to slip back on her broom. Even without it jerking she was slipping. Suddenly, Bella felt the help of familiar magic.

"**Bella…get back on…get back on,**" a voice whispered in ear. She looked around but found no one. She shook her head when suddenly her eyes bled crimson and she swung her leg over almost mechanically. Fred and George's eyes widened as they saw her blood eyes. She sped off, determined before stopping in front of the teacher's stand. She looked at Tom and for once their eyes matched in color. The teachers stared wide-eyed as she looked at Riddle, intensely.

"Thank you, Marvolo…" she whispered before speeding upward. Her face was pale and set in stone. She shook her head and her eyes turned green once again. She grit her teeth and pushed her broom to the limit. She spiraled into the air and Ron sighed in relief.

"Neville, you can look now," Ron said, relief in his voice. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's large coat, thinking that the girl was about to die. Suddenly, Bella stopped and grabbed her throat. Her broom sped towards the ground and she collapsed onto the sandy ground in a heap. She looked like she was about to be sick and Tom watched, carefully. He could feel the other teachers' eyes on him but he didn't give a damn. The only one he cared about was Dumbledore's damned twinkling eyes. He gave a parody of a smile at the thought of tearing the eyes out of its sockets before wiping his face of emotion.

Bella was on all fours now. She was heaving, bile rising in her throat. And then suddenly, something gold rolled out of her mouth. Bella stared in shock before grinning and throwing her hand into the air, the golden object in hand.

"I've got the Snitch!" she shouted, waving it above her head. Marcus Flint landed first and looked like he was about to throttle her. Madam Hooch and Oliver landed next and looked at her in wonder.

"She didn't catch it! She nearly swallowed it!" Flint howled in rage even hours later.

That day Bella had walked up to Riddle in the middle of the crowded Great Hall right before she would go to Hagrid's hut. Ron and Hermione stood there, a little ways back and Bella looked at him in wonder.

"They say my eyes turned crimson. I wonder why," Bella said, quietly. Tom tilted his head but said nothing.

"I heard your voice too. In Parseltongue. Sorry for calling you, Marvolo. Detention?" Bella asked, almost hopeful. Riddle smirked at this and nodded but uncharacteristically, his eyes were soft.

"Miss Potter, your eyes _did_ turn crimson. I will tell you when you are older…some things are meant to be learned later in life," Riddle…no, Marvolo said, quietly. She took this as an answer and nodded before walking away, quickly.

But, Tom couldn't tell her. He would never tell her.

Because, she would dead by the end of the year.

And for some reason, that knowledge made his stomach turn.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 9th of November 1991**

**3:00 PM**

Bella sat with Hermione and Ron as Hagrid made the three strong tea to battle the bitter cold that was just beyond the walls of the little hut.

"It was Snape! Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick. Hermione took him out and saved you though," Ron said, proudly as if it were all his idea. Bella blinked in surprise and cleared her throat, trying to figure what exactly she was supposed to say in response to all of this.

"Rubbish! Why would Snape do somethin' like that?" asked Hagrid as he placed the tea in front of the kids.

"I don't know but Hermione didn't save me. She stopped the broom from bucking. I couldn't get back on. I was about let myself drop. But then…Marvolo saved me," Bella said, quietly. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Who _is_ Marvolo? I heard you screaming for him when you were falling. Some people heard you too but they thought it was just you screaming a spell or something of the sort. It's a name, isn't it?" Hermione asked, clarifying her theory. Bella nodded. Hagrid seemed to have an idea of who it was for he grimaced.

"Yes it is. Professor Riddle's middle name is Marvolo. Salazar calls him that all the time and I call him that to piss him off. I don't know why I screamed his name…there was something…my eyes turned crimson and it felt like someone was making me get up when I couldn't. Riddle's eyes turn crimson when he's in emotional distress," Bella commented. Hagrid looked at her in shock, as if she had no business knowing this small bit of information.

"How would ye' know tha'?" Hagrid asked, confusion permeating his voice. Bella blinked and shook her head.

"Remember that troll that we had a run in with? It almost killed me and he was so…_angry_. His eyes were red then. But my eyes turned red apparently. So Snape cursed me?" Bella said, wishing to move the topic from her. Hermione and Ron nodded and Hagrid shook his head.

"Snape wouldn't do somethin' like that. Dumbledore trusts him," Hagrid said, strongly. The trio exchanged looks. They decided on the truth.

"I found out something about him. He tried to get past the three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding. Well Hermione doesn't think that—" Bella trailed off as Hagrid spilled his tea.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he asked, in shock.

"Fluffy?"

"Yeah. He's mine…bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the…"

"Yes? To guard what?" Bella asked, forcefully.

"Now don't ask me anymore. That's top secret," Hagrid said gruffly despite his sudden timidity.

"But Snape's trying to steal it!" Ron snapped in frustration.

"Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher. He'd do nothin' of the sort," Hagrid repeated. Hermione slammed her hand down and Bella felt another nagging tug on her mind. Hermione's eyes were dark in anger.

"So why did he try to kill Bella? Even I find something wrong that! And in broad daylight! He's a fool. A desperate fool who thinks he knows. He is ignorant! He knows _nothing_!" Hermione shrieked, items rattling around her in reaction to her fury. Hagrid and Ron cringed.

Bella sat completely still as she contemplated Hermione's words. It sounded as if Hermione wanted to show Snape how it was done.

Hermione looked…off, Bella noticed. Her nose was flared and her eyes darker than obsidian. Suddenly, she gave a great shuddering breath and closed her eyes. She straightened and when she opened her eyes, the chocolate brown had returned and she sat back down, blushing.

"Sorry…I just lost my temper," Hermione said, quietly. There was a tense silence for just a moment before Hagrid gathered his wits and went back to arguing his point.

"Snape wouldn't do somethin' like that!" Hagrid snapped. Hermione snorted.

"I know a jinx when I see one, oa—Hagrid. I've read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact and he hadn't blinked _once,_" Hermione said, trying again to convince Hagrid by using her knowledge instead of losing her temper.

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly.

"I don' know why Bella's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh. Yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel," Hagrid finished.

"So…there's someone named Nicholas Flamel involved, eh?" Bella smirked. He was so easy to fool it seemed.

Hagrid turned ashen.

"I shouldn't have told you that…" Hagrid whispered, furious with himself. Bella shrugged and crossed her arms.

"But…you _did_. And I'm not letting that one go."

:::

**Original A/N: **As you should've figured out by now, Tom is evil and on Grindelwald's side. And he's not known to be merciful, I know. But he's forgiven Bella so easy. He forgave her for a reason. Why don't you try to figure it out and tell me what you think.

AND…we're nearing the end of Book 1. The last chapter of the Philosopher's Stone will be the chapter after the next and then a nice Interlude over the summer. And then CHAMBER OF SECRETS (BTW, not what that is about AT ALL)!

**NEW A/N: **Edited chapter.

Next Chapter: Desire, Mirrors, Nicholas Flamel, and the Forbidden Forest.


	8. Chapter VII

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Notes:** I just want to establish that Tom and Bella are not exactly soul mates. The definition of soul mate is as follows: a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner. They aren't ideally suited. They're opposites in all ways. So they aren't bound by the _soul_. But anything else is fair game. You got it? Awesome!

Oh and there is very limited Tom in this chapter. Sorry about that but he'll probably even less active the next chapter too. He'll be there at the end and in the Interlude but that's about it.

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter VII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 21st of December 1991**

**11:00 AM**

Bella sighed as she listened to Malfoy brag as everyone packed away their Potions ingredients. He was talking about how amazing his _Manor_ would look after the house elves were done cleaning it up.

"I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because there isn't enough room in the house or their blood traitor Uncle doesn't even want them. Or even worse…their parents don't want them because their full of dirty blood," Malfoy had said. All of the Slytherins laughed and Bella frowned. She knew that he was directing the comments at them. Hermione didn't seem concerned at all. Ron looked furious. His ears and neck were red but he was doing a good job of staying put.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, quietly. Bella had been looking down, doing nothing for the past minutes. Bella laughed, awkwardly.

"I'm fine. Er…uh…Merlin! I sound like an incoherent idiot. Kind of like how Malfoy sounds all the time," Bella said, loudly as they exited. She passed the sputtering Malfoy, her knapsack thrown over her shoulder.

"Close your mouth, Malfoy. You'll catch some flies that way," Bella said before leaving the classroom. Hermione and Ron were laughing after her as they exited. As they went up the stairs to the Great Hall, ready for lunch they saw that a gigantic fir tree blocked their way. Two enormous feet peeking out from underneath revealed that it was Hagrid.

"Hi Hagrid! Want any help?" Ron asked, his face in the branches as he looked for a way to see Hagrid through the thickness of the branches.

"Nah, I'm all right. Thanks, Ron," the response came. It was slightly muffled and it told them that Hagrid's face was also in the branches.

"Would you mind moving out of the way? Trying to earn extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts I bet. That hut of Hagrid's must be a palace compared to what you're family's used to," drawled a cold voice. Bella spun around at the voice and saw a smirking Malfoy with his two bodyguards. Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes, quickly and took a step back.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape. Malfoy was insultin' his family," Hagrid defended. Snape suddenly looked pained that there had been an adult witness to everything. He couldn't disregard what he had said.

"Be that as it may, Hagrid, fighting is against Hogwarts rules. Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful that it isn't more. Move along all of you," Snape said, smoothly. He walked past them and Malfoy and his goons followed by pushing past the giant tree, scattering needles everywhere.

"I'll get him…one of these days I _will_ get him," Ron grinded out. Bella was staring intensely at Snape's back.

"I hate them…I hate them _so _much. Malfoy _and_ Snape," Bella said with horrible conviction. They followed Hagrid into the Great Hall to see McGonagall and Flitwick decorating. Holly and mistletoe hung on the walls and no less than twelve trees were now present.

"How many day you got until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked. Hermione tilted her and cleared her throat.

"One. I decided to stay. And that reminds me. Bella, Ron, we have to go to the library," Hermione reminded them. Bella and Ron nodded, showing that they remembered. She nagged them about it everyday.

"What for? Just before the holidays?" asked Hagrid, confused. Bella gave him a bright smile.

"Oh, we're not working or anything like that. Ever since you mentioned Nicholas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is. My Uncle Sirius told me he was an alchemist but that's all we've found. He doesn't even know much about him so it's up to us. He's looking for us on the outside. We told him it was for History of Magic," Bella grinned. Hagrid stared at her in shock.

"You what?" he demanded. Bella's grin slipped off and formed a frown.

"We told him it was for History of Magic…that's not a problem is it?" she asked. Hagrid shook his head and sighed.

"Not that! Listen here, I've told yeh—drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicholas Flamel is, that's all," Hermione soothed. The three went to the library but unfortunately…nothing could be found.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25th of December 1991**

**7:00 AM**

Bella woke up early in the morning to see presents at the foot of her bed. She scrambled over to Hermione's bed and shook the girl awake. The dark eyed girl woke up and yawned. She smiled at the mounds of presents.

"Merry Christmas," Hermione said. Bella nodded and hugged Hermione tightly and kissed her cheek. She had come to view the girl like a sister.

"Happy Yuletide," Bella said, quietly. Hermione looked at the girl strangely and tilted her head in confusion.

"Do you not celebrate Christmas? I never asked if they had different customs…I just assumed everyone celebrated Christmas," Hermione said. She looked slightly annoyed that she hadn't known. Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"Yule is something that the pureblood families used to celebrate. It's Christmas but we have different customs. The Blacks are family with Dark magic affinity, thus they're kind of stuck with the old ways. I was raised as a pureblood. So we celebrate Yule. But some families, like the Longbottoms, have lost their way," Bella explained, patiently. Hermione nodded and they exchanged looks before looking at the presents.

"Should we open presents or get dressed first?" Bella asked. Hermione gave the presents a sly look.

"Presents…" she said. They nodded and began to rip open presents. Hermione got a Weasley sweater from Mrs. Weasley. It was purple and she smiled at it. It was obvious Ron had written to his parents about her. From Bella she opened two presents. One was a massive tome about pureblood customs and a book on alchemy, which she couldn't find anywhere Hogwarts' extensive library. The other was black and navy Yule robes. From Ron she got a box of chocolate frogs.

"This book looks so interesting, Bella. Thanks!" Hermione said, excitedly. Bella laughed and shook her head.

She went to turn to her presents and ripped them open. She got an emerald Weasley sweater, a locket from Sirius with rubies on it. The locket was silver and inside was a picture of Sirius, Remus, her parents and her as baby. On the other side it had an inscription.

'_A picture of the love of your life…you better not have one until you 45'._

"Your uncle is very protective. Kind of like my dad," Hermione commented when Bella showed her. Bella nodded.

"He is. He's like a father to me. He always looks out for me. Hey, Hermione, maybe you can meet him this summer. Fancy meeting up at my house? We have a library," Bella asked. Hermione nodded, ecstatically.

"Of course!" was her immediate answer. Bella turned back to her presents and found four more. One was from Hagrid. It was roughly cut wooden flute that sound like an owl when blow into. It was obvious that Hagrid had whittled it himself. That just made Bella's smile brighter.

"You have two more left," Hermione pointed out. Bella picked up the more elegant looking parcel. It had her name on it in a familiar elegant cursive. She opened it more delicately than the others and there was a letter sitting on top.

Bella looked at the gift with wide eyes. It was crimson robes that were beautifully and elegantly cut. They were obviously for Yule. Bella knew that no matter what, even if everyone wasn't wearing them, she would wear her Yule robes just like her uncle had in school. But…how had _he_ known?

"Those are beautiful. Do you know who gave it to you?" Hermione asked. Bella bit her lip and considered telling the truth.

Instead she shook her head.

"Oh…oh well. Let's get ready for breakfast," Hermione suggested. She knew Bella wasn't telling the truth but didn't object and said nothing. Bella sighed in relief before realizing she had one more gift left.

"I have one more gift…" Bella said. Hermione stopped and watched as Bella ripped it open. Some fluid and silvery grey fell on the ground. Bella and Hermione gasped as they realized what it was.

"It's an invisibility cloak! They're really rare!" Hermione gasped. Bella nodded and the two slipped into the bathroom to look in the mirror. Bella threw it over her shoulders and her lower body disappeared and she gaped.

"There was a note. Could you get it?" Bella asked. Hermione nodded and came back 15 seconds later with the note.

Written in loopy and narrow handwriting that Bella didn't recognize was:

_Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well._

_A Very Merry Christmas To You_

"Why did they have it?" Bella asked. Hermione could give her no answer.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25th of December 1991**

**8:15 AM**

Bella's crimson robes fell over her gracefully and she smiled. It was such a dark crimson, no one would be able to make any connection between the color and who had given it to her. Her black hair was brushed for once and wasn't in a ponytail. It fell down her back in an elegant plait like she always had it for Yule. Hermione's hair was in a braid and her navy and black robes looked severe. _She _looked severe.

"Merry Christmas…why are you guys all dressed up?" Ron asked when he really looked at them as they finally came down to the common room. Bella smiled.

"I don't celebrate Christmas. I celebrate Yule. Happy Yuletide," Bella clarified again. Ron frowned and crossed his arms.

"But…Slytherins celebrate Yule," Ron objected. The trio exited as Bella explained to him that all Dark families celebrated Yule and how, though her Uncle Sirius was Neutral, he came from a Dark family with traditions that they followed. Ron didn't seem to understand but didn't object.

Bella's eyes met Marvolo's and his lips were curled into the ever-present smirk. She nodded at him in thanks and he inclined his head before turning back to his food. Nagini was draped over his shoulders. None of the students look alarmed. She sat down next to George and Fred.

"Nagini's here. Why isn't anyone freaking out like they did last time?" asked Bella in confusion. Hermione seemed to be worried about the same thing. Fred gave her a reassuring smile.

"Because his snake always comes on Christmas. Everyone's just scared of her. It's okay if you're scared," Fred said, giving her a spooky look. Bella snorted and shook her head. She crooked her finger at the snake and the python hissed in amusement. She dropped from her master's shoulders before slithering across the floor. There were squeaks but no one screamed.

"I'm not afraid of my darling, Nagini," Bella murmured. She kissed the massive snake on the nose as she draped herself over the girl's shoulders. Nagini licked her nose and Bella laughed. Fred and George were staring at her in shock.

"Professor Riddle let's you touch his snake? We tried to prank him with her but he went ballistic. His eyes went crimson…like yours did during the Quidditch match," George said, his voice lowering when they talked about the Quidditch match. Bella shrugged. It wasn't much with the gigantic snake on her shoulders.

"Nagini is a sweetheart," Bella's answer was.

She continued to stroke the snake's head as she ate and Ron looked at her strangely as if he were debating in saying something. He seemed about to say something when Bella felt a familiar prescence behind her.

"You have something to say to me, Miss Potter," a voice whispered. She looked up to see Marvolo. She turned in her seat and looked at him. She _really_ looked at him and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks as she found herself agreeing with what Lavender had told her.

That Tom Marvolo Riddle, her professor, her magical guardian, the bane of her existence was hot.

She laughed at herself for her embarrassment.

Tom was wearing Yule robes of dark emerald green and his eyes were bleeding crimson around the edges.

"Er…uh…um…uh," she said. Marvolo sighed and shook his head as he stroked Nagini's head. Nagini hissed in pleasure but didn't move from Bella's shoulders.

"What did I say about sounding like an incoherent moron?" Marvolo asked, almost patiently.

"Not to.** Happy Yuletide…_Marvolo_**," Bella taunted. Marvolo rolled his eyes and Bella pouted that she hadn't been able to make him threaten her or even give her a detention. It wasn't fun if she couldn't make him annoyed anymore.

"That will suffice.** Nagini, let us find you some breakfast.** Happy Yuletide, _brat,_" Marvolo retorted as Nagini slithered up to her master. Bella sneered at him and he gave her a bored look.

"Goodbye, Marvolo," she spat. He smirked at her smacked her in the back of the head, her head going forward. Fred and George snickered as she looked at him in shock.

"Goodbye, brat. And detention," he smirked at her as she stared after him in horror and disdain. As soon as someone noticed Nagini was gone, the volume escalated. Hermione sighed.

"You really shouldn't bait him like that," Hermione chastised her. Bella shrugged, stabbing her ham rather viciously.

"Stupid son of a…mother fu…" she said, her voice varying in volume as she muttered to herself about how unfair he was.

"How did he get away with smacking you?" asked Fred, curiously. Bella stabbed at her plate one more time, cracking it before turning to Fred as it mended itself.

"He's my magical guardian. Don't ask why or how because today is not the day to be asking me questions. I hope he falls into a ditch," she snapped to herself before downing her scalding hot tea in one go.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25th of December 1991**

**11:15 PM**

It had been one of the best Yule days ever for Bella she noted as she slipped out of her robes. She threw on simple charcoal trousers and a button down white shirt. She sat on her bed and felt the cloak. It was slippery underneath her fingers

It had been her father's. The father she had never known. As she touched it she felt comfort in knowing that she had one of her father's possessions. However, she wanted something of her mother's. She had always felt a connection with the woman who had died for her.

She had tried to forge a connection before but that…that had ended badly. So, she had never tried again.

But her father was connected to her mother so that was a connection in some way.

"I need to use it," whispered Bella to herself. Her father had used it and she _needed _to use it_._ She got up and slung the cloak around her. The silvery cloth fell over her and she could see it before it disappeared and she along with it. She slid the cloak over her head.

She heard Hermione murmur in her sleep but didn't say anything. She wanted to use this on her first time, alone. By herself. She slipped down the stairs, her lace up boots on securely. The portrait swung open and the Fat Lady looked around, anxiously.

"Who's there?" she had asked.

Bella hadn't answered. She continued walking, thinking about where she should go. She remembered the library and how she had been looking for books. Hermione, Ron and her had agreed that they probably wouldn't find Nicholas Flamel anywhere. Hermione had claimed that previously she had read something but couldn't remember where so they continued searching. The only place left was the Restricted Section.

Bella decided to go there and she walked to it quickly. The library was eerily dark and Bella lit a lamp. She stepped over the rope separating the Restricted Section from the rest of the library.

She lifted the lamp, trying to read some of the titles. She couldn't read many of them. The lettering on the spines of the books were peeling off though she could read some of the Elvish books titles and she smiled. She picked up a book in Old English from the looks of it and opened it.

A piercing, bloodcurdling book emerged from it, suddenly. Bella flinched, almost unleashing her own scream when she thought better of it. Bella shut it in horror but the scream went on and on. She heard footsteps and she threw the lamp with as much strength as possible across the Restricted Section to another area. The glass shattered and the footsteps went in the opposite direction. She put the book back and fled from her spot of hiding. She stumbled over a chair and the noise echoed through the dark silence. She righted herself and suddenly, Filch was standing right in front of her.

He was staring through her and Bella felt relief that he couldn't see her.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night and somebody's been in the Restricted Section," Filch said. Standing next to him was a sour faced Snape and a chill Tom Riddle. He was looking dead into Bella's eyes and she flinched.

He could see her.

He could _see_ her.

His eyes gestured to the side of him. He lifted his hand ever so slightly, making Snape move away from him. She scrambled under his arm and ran down an unfamiliar hallway. She squeezed through a door on the left of it and stopped in shock. A large and beautiful mirror stood in the room.

Along the top were words:

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

She approached it and pressed her hand to it. Behind her in the mirror stood a man with untamable black hair and hazel eyes. He had round glasses and was smiling down at Bella. And next to him was a woman.

She was beautiful with long red hair and vibrant green eyes that matched Bella's perfectly. She was looking at Bella with a soft smile. Bella reached out to touch her but her soft fingers met the glass.

Suddenly, the mirror blacked out and suddenly showed Marvolo standing behind Bella. The woman in the mirror was the one she always saw in her dreams. The one that rode on the unicorn.

The woman was kissing Marvolo, fiercely. Her leg was hooked around his waist and they pulled close together. Her black hair was unruly and she was pale. They were in their own little world and the woman pulled away and turned to look.

She caught shocking Avada Kedavra green before the mirror fogged and revealed Bella's parents once again. This time her mother was crying but smiling at the same time.

"Mama? Daddy?" Bella asked in a small voice. She could almost remember saying those words. They looked at her and Lily, her mother nodded fiercely. She pressed against the glass, and Bella pushed back.

She felt terrible sadness rip through her as she felt the coolness of glass separating her from the mirror. Suddenly, standing next to her parents and leaning against the edge of the mirror was Tom Riddle. He was smiling, not smirking, at her with charcoal eyes. His wand was in hand and leaning against the other side of the wall was the crazy woman with the stick straight hair. The blonde man that had ridden on the thestral stood behind his parents with two redheads whose features she couldn't make out.

The Italian man with tanned skin and dark hair was standing with the woman with stick straight hair and smiling at her. Everyone was smiling at her and Lily looked down at her daughter.

"_This will be your new family…"_

The words shocked Bella before the mirror went blank and showed only her. She fell to her knees. She couldn't decide between what she was feeling. She was half joy and half sadness.

She stood there looking at her reflection, touching the place where her mother's hand had been and she bit her lip and looked away, her eyes dark with tears. She wandered off to bed, in a blank state. She slipped into bed and slept quietly.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 26th of December 1991**

**11:45 PM**

Hermione and Ron were with her this time and they were standing in front of the massive mirror. Bella could see what her mother had called her new family. Bella gestured at the mirror.

"Can you see them? The people," Bella asked. Ron was staring with a wide grin on his face.

"No…I'm alone. I'm different. I'm older. And I'm head boy!" Ron said, ecstatically. Hermione was shaking her head, looking weird. Bella crossed her arms and stared as Hermione cleared her throat.

"So am I…I see me as head girl and valedictorian, telling my speech at graduation," Hermione lied. Bella could tell. Ron was still grinning. He didn't notice that his best friends were not.

"I'm wearing the badge, like Bill used to. And I'm holding the house cup and Quidditch cup. I'm Quidditch captain, too! Do you think this can tell the future?" asked Ron. Bella shook her head and Ron looked crest-fallen.

"I saw my parents. They're dead," Bella said, quietly. She didn't tell him of the other images she had seen. Like the woman who now that she thought about it looked only 16 or 17, snogging Marvolo.

She didn't tell them of her new family.

When the three returned to their rooms Hermione had pulled Bella to the side and they went to where their sanctuary was. The bathroom just on the side of their dorm room.

"What did you _really_ see?" Bella asked. Hermione blushed and looked down. She looked away.

"I saw me and this man…he was very handsome. He was Italian. I just _know_ it. He was tan with dark hair. And I saw a man with pale blonde hair and silvery eyes. He looked like a relative of Malfoy. I saw a tall dark-haired woman. And I saw Professor Riddle who was kissing the dark-haired woman and an old man. The one face I didn't see was the dark-haired woman's but I don't know why. When she turned, the mirror turned back to normal for me. I don't know why," Hermione said, quietly and she seemed frustrated by the fact that she didn't know why. Bella nodded and touched Hermione on the shoulder and smiled.

She didn't want to tell Hermione about her dreams and what she had also saw in the mirror so she said nothing and went to her bed to sleep.

That night she dreamed once again of the battlefield and noticed that she didn't see her or Hermione on either side of the battlefield.

And her scar throbbed.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 27th of December 1991**

**11:32 PM**

The next night, Bella went alone. She looked at the mirror and Marvolo was standing in front of her with the brown haired woman. They were beckoning her closer and the brown haired crazy woman didn't look so crazy to her now. She looked normal. She looked happy and beautiful.

Bella sank down to her knees just as Marvolo had kneeled on one knee and touched the glass on the other side. She placed her hand over where his hand should be and closed her eyes. There was nothing keeping her from being here with her new family as her mother had said.

She wanted them. She wanted them so bad. She would do _anything_ to get them.

"Back so soon, Bella?"

Bella spun around and looked to see Albus Dumbledore sitting on one of the desks near the wall.

"Er…I didn't see you, sir," Bella answered, carefully. She was judging the distance between her and the door but she decided that it was futile to run. He had already seen her.

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore with a smile on his face. This smile made Bella feel absolutely safe and she sat back and leaned against the mirror. She looked up to see Marvolo still smiling at her.

"So, you like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised," Dumbledore commented, lightly though, as always, there was the undertone of pain.

"I didn't know that was the name, sir."

"I expect you've realized by now what it does?" Dumbledore asked. Bella tiled her head and looked up at her family and how they were still smiling at her.

"Er…yes. I see my family. Not my parents but others…some that I haven't even met," Bella commented. Dumbledore's eyes widened but he didn't comment on it and Bella was sure that it was okay that she had told him.

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."

"How did you know, sir?" Bella asked in complete surprise. Had the three of them walked past him yesterday as well.

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible. Now can you think what the Mirror of Erised show us?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Bella frowned and shook her head as she thought about. No she couldn't understand.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror and she himself as he is."

"It shows us…what we want…what we desperately need…what we _desire,_" Bella whispered as she pressed her forehead to mirror-Marvolo's should have been. He was looking at her with the soft eyes that bled crimson at the edges and she pulled away, almost painfully. Dumbledore seemed to be surprised that she knew.

"Yes. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, desperately want this family that you've never met nor know how to obtain them. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible," Dumbledore said, quietly. Bella slumped against the mirror again, wanting to be closer to those people in the mirror.

The blonde man in the mirror was making funny faces at her now and she giggled. He seemed at first, much too aristocratic to make such faces. The Italian man laughed as well and the brunette was giggling, insanely.

"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Bella, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?" said Dumbledore, quietly. Bella looked at him frantically before nodding and picking up her cloak. She turned to Dumbledore.

"Sir, what do you see in the mirror?" she asked. Dumbledore smiled but that grief and sorrow she had seen in his eyes only a handful of times before resurfaced in his deep blue eyes.

"I, I see a pair of socks."

"You're lying, Professor, but I suppose it _was_ a personal question," Bella said before turning to the mirror. She leaned her forehead against the mirror and placed her hands on them. The Italian man leaned against the glass and winked at her. The brunette was crying, knowing it was the last time she would see her. She was smiling at Bella though, like her mother had done. The blonde gave her a sad smile.

The mirror Marvolo was on her level and his larger hands were over where hers were. Their foreheads were separated by glass and she looked him in the eyes.

"I'm going to get you. You're going to be _mine_. I promise. _Melinldë ilya,_" Bella whispered.

I love you all.

And she knew it was true even if she had never met them. She had a bond with them that wasn't established now but it would be.

She would make sure of it.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 5th of January 1992**

**9:15 PM**

Bella was watching Hermione and Ron play chess after she had finished telling them the absolutely terrible news of _Snape_ refereeing the next match. They had given her a bunch of ludicrous ideas such as faking a broken leg (which _had_ merit until she remembered diagnosis spells) to an actual broken leg which she wasn't doing. She had enough emotional pain.

Every night the new family her mother told her about haunted her dreams. It was much better than her old dreams about the battlefield but in other ways were much worse. Battle was coming. She could feel it. She knew that the Ministry was corrupt and one day _they_ would come to bring anarchy and then establish a new Order.

Well that was the Dark fairytales said but she never put much thought behind that.

She contemplated that when Neville toppled into the common room. Bella gaped and Hermione and her stood up to help the poor boy up. His legs were in the Leg-Locker curse and everyone was laughing loudly.

Neville turned pink and looked down. Hermione sent everyone a dark glare and they sobered up, with the stray giggle falling from one of the older and less intimidated students.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, worriedly.

"Malfoy. I met him outside the library. He said he had been looking for someone to practice on," Neville said, shakily. Bella gritted her teeth and she snarled under her breath.

"I'll murder the little git…" Bella hissed under her breath.

"Go to Professor McGonagall! Report him!" Hermione said, angrily. Neville shook his head and flushed more.

"I don't want more trouble," he muttered.

"You've got to stand up to him, Nev! He's used to walking all over people but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier!" Ron protested.

Hermione took out a chocolate frog she had gotten from Ron and gave it to Neville who smiled.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? You have the courage to stand up to him. And Malfoy's a Slytherin. A coward. Not all of them are cowards but he got that trait. He's all bark, no bite. Next time he messes with you tell him you know the Mistress of Snakes. He'll get it and back off. I promise," Bella said, sincerely. Neville nodded and opened the candy. He ate it before giving the card to Ron.

"Thanks, Bella…I think I'll go to bed…here's the card, Ron. You collect them right?" Neville asked. Ron nodded and accepted the card. Neville went to the dorm and Ron sighed.

"Dumbledore, again. Want it, Bella?" Ron asked. Bella shrugged and looked it over before gasping in shock.

"I've found him! I've found Flamel! Listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his long going fight against the dark wizard Grindelwald, who fell to Bella Potter in 1981, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!" Bella said, excitedly. Hermione jumped up and ran up the stairs before coming down with the book Bella had bought her.

"I can't believe I never thought to look in here! This is the book Bella had bought me for Christ…Yule," Hermione said, answering Ron's unspoken question. She flipped open the heavy book and she flipped through the pages. Bella and Ron looked over her shoulder before she grinned.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she said, happily.

"What did you know _this _time?" Ron asked, grumpily. Hermione leaned forward.

"Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone," she said, dramatically. Bella had gaped at this. Her uncle had told her of these things. The important things in history…like the ability to be potentially immortal!

"The what?" Ron asked.

"Oh honestly! Don't you read? Here read this, if you can…I swear it's like you're completely incapable of doing so," Hermione snapped. Ron glared at her nastily before turning to read the book. He read quickly before gasping and staring up with wide eyes.

"See? The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him because they're friends!" Hermione said, excitedly. Ron's eyes widened.

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying! No wonder Snape wants it. Anyone would want it!" Bella gasped. Ron nodded in agreement before snorting. They looked at him in surprise.

"And no wonder we could find Flamel in the study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. At six hundred and sixty-five, he's passed ancient and is bordering prehistoric," Ron snorted. Hermione threw him a scathing look before announcing that she was going to think about this more before abandoning the chess match. As soon as she left, Ron grinned.

She had lost to him. Again!

Perhaps, he _was _smarter than her. Just as he suspected…

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 22nd of February 1992**

**10:56 AM**

Bella was in her Quidditch robes again and she sighed as she laced up her boots. She tried not to dwell on the fact that Snape had suddenly desired to referee this match. He was a right ass to her in every single Potions class and the only relief for her was that she always had DADA right after where Marvolo would be there to banter with and get detentions from.

Most of the other students thought that they hated each other but that wasn't the case. He was Bella's favorite teacher and she knew she was his favorite student. And he didn't want to show favoritism so he was hard on her. She was fine with that. She didn't think she could bare the insults from Malfoy.

She walked outside of the girl's side of the changing rooms into the boy's side when Oliver grabbed her suddenly. She blinked as he pulled her to the side. He had a serious look on his face and Bella stared up at him, solemnly.

"Don't want to pressure you, Bella, but if we ever need an early catch of the Snitch that'd be now. So could you catch it before Snape begins to favor Hufflepuff _too_ much?" asked Wood. Bella smirked and nodded. She looked over to Alicia and Katie whom were hurrying Fred and George to put on their top robes so they could get out there.

"I can do that…" she said, quietly. Fred stuck his head out of the tent and gasped.

"The whole school's out there! Blimey…even Dumbledore's come to watch," Fred said. Bella stuck her head out and could see the silver beard miles away.

Her stomach did a somersault. She knew she would be safe even though Ron and Hermione didn't believe so. Marvolo would've helped her just like he had last time. But now that Dumbledore was here…she recalled their one-on-one meeting at the mirror.

He had known what she had said to the mirror. She already knew that. But what surprised her was that he hadn't questioned her on how she knew what he had said was a lie. But, that was all besides the point.

She would be safe with him here.

The team went out, ready to _destroy _Hufflepuff. Bella's eyes were narrowed in intense concentration and she zoned out, as Snape snarked. As soon as the whistle was bone, she shifted into her game face.

She took off flying, not even truly paying any attention to the game. She caught flashes of how Snape awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George had hit a Bludger at him but that was relatively all. Her goal was the Snitch and not anything else. Especially with Snape calling fouls for the most _technical _of things.

Bella turned to look at the Gryffindor stand, suddenly, to see Ron and Hermione being bullied by Malfoy. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Not this time…" she whispered. She went as fast as she could and flew right over his head. Malfoy let out a shriek and everyone laughed loudly.

"Sorry about that Malfoy!" she shouted, gleefully as she swooped back up and around to look for the Snitch.

She had caught it in the next few minutes after spotting the Snitch flying over Snape's head. She had made a spectacular dive and pulled upright right over him and he had looked at her in shock, as if he couldn't believe that she dared to come so close to him. She smirked down at him before throwing her hand in the air, announcing that the game was over. She laughed at the shock in everyone's eyes and landed before jumping off her broom.

Snape looked tight-lipped and pale with anger. Bella couldn't conceal her grin. A hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up, thinking that she was about to see Marvolo. It was Dumbledore.

And it surprised her so much that she jerked away and bumped into a familiar person. She leaned against Marvolo in shock and she felt his hand on the top of her head. He ran his hand down her tight braid before sending his hand forward. Her head flew forward as he smacked her and she gaped at him, stumbling.

"That was for making such a moronic move. Could've killed yourself…" Marvolo muttered. Bella sneered at him.

"Did I scare you? So sorry that I was trying to win, Marvolo," Bella spat. Marvolo smirked at her but his eyes told her what he was thinking.

He _had_ been scared for her. And she didn't know why.

That scared _her_.

"Detention, brat. I will not take your cheek," Marvolo remarked. Dumbledore looked highly amused with the interaction if a little weirded out about it.

"Well done, Bella. Nice to see that you haven't been brooding about the mirror…been keeping busy…excellent," Dumbledore said, quietly. Bella nodded trying to look innocent.

On the contrary…she _had_ been brooding about the mirror.

Because she desperately desired what it held.

* * *

**Forbidden Forest, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 22nd of February 1991**

**6:30 PM**

Bella was crouched in a towering beech tree with her broom in hand. She looked down at the little shadowy clearing. Snape was down there with Quirrell. But Quirrell seemed different. He stood straighter.

"D-d-don't know why you wanted t-to m-meet me here of a-a-all p-pl-places," stammered Quirrell, fear clouding his eyes as he spoke. Bella frowned in suspicion. His stammer seemed…forced…faked.

"Oh I thought we'd keep this private. Students aren't supposed to know of the Philosopher's Stone," Snape said his tone icy and his eyes hard and dark as coal.

Bella's eyes widened at the mention of the Philosopher's Ston and she leaned down in the tree, as silently as she could to hear what Quirrell responded with. She could hear nothing from her height and she cursed internally for opting to be in such a high spot.

"Have you found out how to get past the Cerberus yet?"

"I-I d-don't understand…"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell. Answer the question" Snape snapped, his teeth bared and his sallow face portraying his anger. Quirrell gave a pitiful excuse for a cower.

"I d-don't k-know w-what y-you m-me-mean…"

"You know perfectly well what I mean!" Snape hissed, his wand out. Bella covered her mouth to muffle the gasp that escaped.

Quirrell kept his mouth shut and shook his head. Snape looked at him in disgust and sneer at him in such a way that it made Bella shiver.

""Very well," Snape spat. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

He walked away rather quickly and Bella mounted her broom and took off flying once again to go tell Hermione and Ron what she had heard.

But she couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was off with Professor Quirrell. And that off could be her downfall.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 10th of May 1992**

**1:00 AM**

Bella, Ron, and Hermione crept back to the Gryffindor Tower as quietly as possible. They had just delivered Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback to Charlie, Ron's brother. Bella held the invisibility cloak in her hand. It was late and they were dead tired. Bella contemplated on what had happened in the past weeks.

Hagrid had gotten a dragon that he _knew_ he couldn't keep and kept it until it had hatched, which Bella thought was the most idiotic thing _anyone_ could do when they knew they couldn't keep it.

And then Charlie, Ron's brother had arranged for them to ship it off at _midnight_ of all times. She didn't know what was wrong with noon at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was still 12! She was exhausted and irritable and she _knew_ something was going to go wrong. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach.

And to make matter worst, Hermione had been nagging her about studying for the past weeks as she talked about how exams were coming up. So she had to study all the time that she _wasn't_ doing homework or worrying about the Merlin be damned Philosopher's Stone!

"Well, well, well, we _are_ in trouble."

Bella watched in horror as Filch seemed to Apparate right in front of them. Bella groaned as Filch led them to McGonagall's office.

Things couldn't get much worse.

Bella created alibis, cover up stories, and excuses in her mind but they all seemed too far fetched for the particular situation she was in. To her surprise Hermione was shaking in terror. She seemed to be in deep thought as they walked and Bella could tell that she was developing either an escape route or an excuse. And with the look on her face, it was currently, not adequate for the situation.

Just like her.

"I would never have believed it any of you. Mr. Filch says you were in the astronomy tower. It is one o' clock in the morning. Explain yourselves. Immediately!" McGonagall said in cold fury. Malfoy was smirking at them from beside her.

"I…we…Professor, we have no excuse," Bella said, quietly. Ron and Hermione looked at her in shock. McGonagall stared at Bella in shock and raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected her to respond.

Well, Bella was _full _of surprises.

"You see…we've never really explored the castle and I suggested that we go out without any people around. It was all my fault. I made them come with me," Bella continued. McGonagall's nose flared, as the other two said nothing in their astonishment at her willingness to take the fall for the situation that they had found themselves in.

"That may be Miss Potter, but I will not allow this to pass unpunished. You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense! As for you, Miss Potter, I thought Professor Riddle would've taught you something in all those detentions you spend there writing lines and such. All three of you will attend detention and…fifty points from Gryffindor…each," McGonagall decided. They gaped but Hermione and Bella had the sense to close their mouths.

"Professor, you can't—" Ron protested.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do Mr. Weasley. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students," were McGonagall's final words. She turned to Malfoy who had been smirking until this point.

"As for you, Mr. Malfoy, wipe that smirk off your face. Fifty points from Slytherin and you will serve detention with them. You are dismissed," she said, sharply before turning on their heel.

And the next morning Bella Potter was the most hated kid in the school for losing one hundred and fifty points for her house in one go.

Only Hermione, Ron, and surprisingly and less openly, Tom Riddle stood by her.

* * *

**Forbidden Forest, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 26th of May 1992**

**11:00 PM**

"The forest? We can't go in there at night! There's all sorts of things in there…werewolves, I've heard!" Malfoy said in horror as they stood at the edge of said forest with Filch and Hagrid.

"That's your problem, isn't it? Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" Filch leered at the Malfoy heir. The Malfoy boy glared at him but he still appeared frightened and Belle sneered at him in disgust. For all his haughtiness, he _was _a little coward.

"Be a man, Malfoy," she hissed at him before turning back to Hagrid as Filch lumbered away. Malfoy's demeanor changed as Filch left and he sneered.

"I'm not going into that forest," he said in a slightly panicked voice. Bella gigged at it, unable to feel anything but amused disgust now and he glared at her in annoyance. She was openly mocking him and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd—" snapped Malfoy. Hagrid cut him off

"Tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

Malfoy didn't move. He just glared at him angrily and Hagrid nodded.

"Right then, now listen, carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a mo'," Hagrid said. They followed him, slowly.

He explained how he wanted them to find the unicorn that was bleeding all over the place. Hagrid looked as if he was deciding the groups.

"Alrigh'. Draco and Bella will go with me or Fang. Hermione an' Ron will go with the othe'," Hagrid decided. Malfoy decided before anyone could get his or her pick to Bella's annoyance.

"I want Fang," he decided.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. " So me, Ron ,an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Bella, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

They went into the forest and Malfoy was practically quaking in his boots. Bella couldn't help but snicker. Typically, she'd be just as terrified but she had felt true fear before and going into the dark wasn't it. Her only fear…was a man and not darkness. She had nothing to fear…

He wasn't here.

"What's so funny, Potter?" demanded Malfoy. Bella shook her head.

"Nothing…" she trailed off as she caught sight of someone pure white. The unicorn was on the ground.

It was absolutely beautiful, just like the one in her dream. Except this one was very real and very _dead_. Something within her cried for the dead creature and she didn't know why. Something in a cloak drifted over to where the unicorn was and lowered it's head over the unicorn's wound before beginning to drink.

"AARRGHHHHH!" Malfoy screamed, his scream alerting the others she was sure. He took off running with Fang but Bella was rooted to the spot. The figure looked up and Bella shrieked, falling back. Her scar burned like it was on fire. She staggered back but was caught by strong arms. The pain disappeared as the person held her. She looked up, half-blinded and caught sight of crimson eyes before passed out.

She awoke again with a centaur looking over her with crystal clear blue eyes. She flinched at how clear and knowing they were.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"What was that? Who saved me?" Bella asked. The centaur looked at her uncertainly. He looked at her forehead to see her red scar.

"You are the Potter girl. You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe right now, especially for you. Get on my back and I will tell you on the way. My name is Firenze," he added. Bella nodded before climbing onto his back shakily.

"What was that? And who saved me?" Bella asked again as they took off a trot. Firenze looked over his shoulder at her.

"Bella Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" Firenze answered with a question. Bella cleared her throat.

"Err…no. We've only used the horn and tail in Potions," she said, her voice unsure as Firenze. Firenze nodded.

"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips," Firenze explained. Bella bit her lip, debating whether she should ask.

"Is it…possible to turn a unicorn…to taint their pureness?" asked Bella. Firenze looked at her strangely but tilted his head.

"It has never been done but to my understanding, if unicorn chooses a person with a Dark affinity so powerful that it overpowers anything then I suppose it could happen. But don't you wish to know who would be so desperate to drink the blood of something so amazing?" Firenze asked. Bella nodded as she catalogued the answer. Now she knew that the woman Marvolo had kissed was evil…she didn't understand but right now that wasn't the matter at hand.

"I do…but I don't understand. This has something to do with Philosopher's Stone…which is the Elixir of Life…someone's trying to get it!" Bella exclaimed. Firenze nodded, gravely.

"Can you think of nobody who has waited for years, who has clung to live, waiting for his chance to be back in power?" he asked. Bella froze as she reached where Hagrid and the others were running towards her.

"Grindelwald…"

:::

**A/N:** Look, I know it's fast-paced but that's the point and don't get mad at _me_ that frankly I'm sort of tired of her first year. Everything is so petty and shallow and I love the later books with all the mass amounts of angst and such. Well, Chamber of Secrets is going to be fun.

We get to have some fun with the twins…not Fred and George but the second set. Gideon and Ginny. I needed twins for my plot device. It was rather important yet annoying since I can't stand Ginny anymore and Gideon will be worst with his crush on Bella to the point of actually stalking her.

On another note, wow! I actually wrote this in a few hours as opposed to my normally day and a half. This is totally un-betaed.

Does anyone wish to be my beta? I'd love you forever!

**NEW A/N: **I have finally decided to update a shit load of edited chapters. I am slowly but surely trying to make this a better story in between all of my other stories. I'm writing quite a few and editing this and Masquerade has been put on the backburner, unfortunately. I'm really sorry about the fact that you're reading such terribly quality writing.


	9. Chapter VIII

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

There is also a lot of conversation taken from the last chapter of Philosopher's Stone. The next book there will be a lot of variation in conversation and with the extra character of Gideon, things will be _very_ different.

**Notes:** There is almost no Tom in this entire chapter except at the very end. This kind of makes me sad because I love writing Tom and his many quirks and emotional mood swings. Just bare with me, the romance will come. Towards the end of the third book or something like that, during the interlude. But it will be some crazy romance thing where people won't let them be together. Guess who?

**AU!**

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter VIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4th of June 1992**

**5:00 PM**

"I wish I knew what this means!" Bella exploded in anger. Ron and Hermione looked up at her in alarm as she rubbed her scar, irritably.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, confused. Bella grit her teeth and resisted the urge to snap at him and took a deep breath.

"My scar keeps hurting…it happens only when I have the dreams," Bella said, whispering the last part. Ron didn't understand but Hermione did to an extent and she touch Bella's arm.

"The dreams? What are the dreams about?" Hermione murmured. Bella looked at her with tired eyes, dark circles under her eyes.

In truth, Bella didn't want to talk about the dreams. They had gotten worst. Instead of yelling across the battlefield there was actual battle and though all of the people on the magical creatures scared her, the woman who Tom usually kissed and protected was scariest. Tom and her fought together, always. It was like they were one and they were both fluid.

She could remember one time when Tom grabbed the woman's hand and swung her in a circle so she was shooting curses when they were surrounded. She had decapitated someone with her high heel and when someone had tried to kill Tom she had gone absolutely vicious.

"Chaos. Absolute chaos," she whispered. Hermione looked worried as she glimpsed at how tired Bella actually was.

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," she suggested. Bella shook her head and sighed, leaning on her hand.

"I'm not ill. It's a warning of when danger is coming…and it's coming tonight. I can feel it," Bella whispered. They all looked at each other and sighed, tiredly.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4th of June 1992**

**9:30 PM**

"Music…what possessed him to tell someone that! Is he stupid?" Bella hissed in anger as she and Hermione fetched Ron from his dorm. Hermione shrugged and inclined her head towards Bella.

"He's a little gullible but I don't think he's _stupid_. He just says the wrong things at the wrong time," Hermione explained. Bella smirked and crossed her arms as she pulled the cloak out.

"Well maybe he should be put into permanent silence…what made me say something like that?" Bella gaped. Hermione looked at her from the corner of her eye but said nothing. She couldn't.

She'd been thinking the exact same thing.

"Ron would you come on! We could've been there and back by now!" Hermione hissed in annoyance. Ron came lumbering from his dorm room and Bella was surprised that nobody had heard him. She shoved her hand in her pocket and felt the flute Hagrid had given her.

So it would definitely come into use…

They walked downstairs and were almost out of the portrait hole when someone squeaked. Bella and Hermione spun around, their wands out and the squeak turned a squeal before it went down.

"You're going out again," Neville said, quietly. It wasn't an accusation but a simple statement that was confirmed by their actions.

"No, no, no. No we're not. Why don't you go to bed?" Hermione said, kindly and almost motherly. Bella sighed, not having time to deal with Neville and raised her wand and took two steps forward until she was only one step away from Neville. Hermione dragged her back and took her place in front of Neville.

She knew Bella wouldn't hesitate to hex him.

"Y-you c-can't go out again. You'll get caught again and lose more points for Gryffindor," Neville whispered. Bella snarled and she was suddenly very angry between the pounding in her scar and Neville's behavior. She took a deep breath and tried to center herself.

"You don't understand…this is very important," she said as if talking to a two year old. Neville shook his head and raised his fists as if forgetting about his wand. He probably did.

"I-I'll fight you…"

"Neville, put your fists down and don't be an idiot," Ron snapped, exploding from the short leash he was keeping himself on.

"Don't call me an idiot—"

"Look here, Neville…this isn't about Goddamned school points. This is life. This between life and death and I'll be damned if _I'm_ going to die. I swear to God I'll make Grindelwald look like a fucking saint. So get out my way!" Bella hissed in rage. Neville took a step back and looked like he was about to scream.

"_Stupefy_," Hermione whispered, looking almost sad to knock the poor boy out. He fell down and was out cold. Bella smirked at Hermione.

"Thank you, sister," she murmured. Hermione frowned and nodded before they exited the portrait hole and went to the third floor corridor.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4th of June 1992**

**10:10 PM**

They were falling and falling into the darkness of the pit. Hermione's hand was wrapped in Bella's as they tumbled through the air into the vast unknown. She could hear herself screaming along with Hermione and Ron and it wasn't comfortable. Not at all…

Suddenly, she was on something thick and slimy and absolutely disgusting in her mind. As soon as she fell on it, black feelers slipped around her legs. She fell down as it entwined around her legs quickly and she began to struggle. Hermione grabbed her hand.

"Lucky this plant thing was here to stop our fall," Ron said. Hermione looked at him in disbelief.

"Lucky! Look at you! Don't move. I know what this is. Devil's Snare," Hermione said, annoyed by his stupidity. Ron look frightened for just a moment before he snorted and glared at her, as if she were the stupid one.

"Thanks for the trivia. It's great that we know what it's called and all but—" Ron started, sarcastically. Hermione had just given him a fearsome glare and he cowered from her anger in fear. She sneered at him.

"Shut up! I'm trying to remember how to kill it!"

"Well, maybe you could hurry up with that because I think it's about strangle me…" Bella murmured as the thick feeler began to make its way up her body. Hermione tilted her head in intense thought and she bit her lip.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, it likes the damp and dark…" Hermione whispered to herself. Bella gave her a look of annoyance. It was quite obvious.

"Light a fire!" she commanded. Hermione looked at her in shock and looked around at her in absolute confusion.

"Yes, of course! But there's no wood…" she said, looking genuinely crestfallen. Ron growled at her before exploding.

"HAVE YOU GONE ABSOLUTELY STARK-RAVING MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Oh…right. _Incendio_!" she shouted. Fire burst from the end of her wand and exploded over the plant in a heat-inducing inferno. It burned the horribly and there seemed to be a shriek as it cringed away from the light.

They pulled free of the burning Devil's Snare and walked away from it as quickly as possible. They went to the wall where a passageway was. They heard a sound and Hermione's eyes widened.

"This way" Bella said, feeling that they were going the right way.

"Can you hear something?" he asked.

"It's not exactly quiet, Ron," Hermione retorted in annoyance. Ron sent her a withering look but they continued walking. There was a beating sound that seemed to echo among the stone walls.

"Shut up! It sounds like…like wings," Bella murmured.

They reached the end of the passageway to see a large high ceiling room filled with large flying glittering objects. Broomsticks lie to the side of the room. There was a large wooden door at the other side of the room. Ron crossed it a long stride and slammed his shoulder against it. Bella and Hermione exchanged eye-rolls.

"Ron, it needs a key. I think…that those things are keys. Winged keys…we have to get the one that matches the lock. But there are hundreds of them. This could take all night," Bella sighed, almost giving up in her quest to reach the Philosopher's Stone. She watched as Ron began to examine the lock. He blinked before looking up with bright eyes and he shook his head in astonishment.

"It may not…we'll be looking for a big and old fashioned one. Probably silver, like the doorknob," Ron suggested with a thoughtful look upon his face. Bella nodded and looked up.

She could see one in the corner of the room, hanging out while the others caused chaos. Bella grabbed a broom and kicked off, going up to where it was. It was large and clumsily made.

It had a broken wing as if it had already been grabbed roughly and Bella knew that this was the key that they were looking for. It flew to the other corner and Bella shot there just as fast before grabbing it delicately. She went back down and put it in the keyhole.

"We definitely can't go back now. Are you guys ready?" Bella asked. Ron and Hermione looked at her like she was stupid.

"We can't exactly go back now. Come on," Hermione said, pushing the door open. They walked into a gigantic chamber. As soon as they stepped onto the marble floor fire erupted around the platform they seemed to be on.

It was an astonishing sight they saw next. They were standing on a gigantic and majestic-looking chessboard with enormous chess pieces, poised to play. There were empty spaces on the black side, ready to be taken and they looked at it curiously.

"We've got to play our way across," Ron said, his eyes wide in delight. Bella nodded and looked at him for instruction.

"How?" said Hermione, quizzically and not at all nervous.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"Do we…err…have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded, confirming Ron's suspicion. Ron turned to his two companions with a stern look on his face.

"This needs thinking about," he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces..."

Bella and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Hermione made a note that this was something to be documented. She didn't think he thought very much.

Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess…"

"We're not offended. I don't really care for chess anyway," said Bella quickly.

"Just tell us what to do," Hermione agreed though she had a bit of a scowl on her face.

"Well, Bella, you take the place of a bishop, and Hermione, you next to her instead as a castle."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Bella, Ron, and Hermione took.

"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board.

"Yes... look..." Bella said, pointing.

A white pawn had moved forward two squares

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Bella's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

"Bella, move diagonally four squares to the right," Ron commanded. They continued to play until they soon learned what would happen when a chess piece was taken.

The white queen smashed the other knight to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

"Had to let that happen. Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on" Ron said, shakily. But though he was frightened he was in his element. He was a strategist and he was damn good at it. And he wasn't going to back down. He was good at chess.

It was the only thing that I'm good at.

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron had almost let Bella and Hermione were about to be crushed before instructing them to move a danger free area. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

"We're nearly there. Let me think let me think..." he murmured to himself. He let the white move and he wasn't surprised on the move that the queen had chosen.

She had turned to face him.

"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."

"Ron…are you sure? Is there not another way?" Hermione shouted.

"That's chess! Sometimes you've got to make some sacrifices to win! I take one step forward and she'll take me and that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Bella!" Ron snapped. Bella looked at him with wavering eyes.

She wanted to win, feel victory over this challenge. But at the same time, she didn't want her friend to get hurt.

He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor.

Hermione shrieked as he fell and the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, surprising herself with her worry for the boy. She almost stepped from her place when Bella held up her hand.

"Wait! We're still playing," Bella reminded her. Hermione nodded once.

The Girl-Who-Lived moved three spaces to the left. The white king took off his crown and threw it at Bella's feet. They had won. The fire on the other side of the board ceased to exist, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Bella and Hermione ran through the door and up the next passageway.

"What if he's…dead?" Hermione whispered.

"He'll be all right. And if he isn't he would've died for a worthy cause," said Bella. Hermione looked at her in shock.

"You can't mean that, Bell," she said. Bella didn't show any reaction about her new nickname and shook her head.

"I do mean that, Mione. And it _is_ for a worthy cause. No one should have that kind of power. And no one should rely on power that isn't his or her own. That is failure and that is losing," Bella said, quietly. Hermione nodded in acceptance, knowing that it wouldn't make a difference if she argued with Bella about it all night.

"What do you reckon is next?" Bella asked.

"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Riddle's trap, and Snape's," Hermione reasoned out. Bella nodded in agreement as they opened the door.

"OH HOLY MOTHER OF FUCKING MERLIN! WHAT IS THAT BLOODY SMELL?" Bella shouted in disgust.

As soon as they had opened the door an unholy and eye-watering smell had come over them. Hermione shoved her hand over her nose and glanced over at Bella in alarm.

"I didn't know you had a sailor's mouth…" Hermione said, though her hand muffled her speech. Bella pinched her nose and gave her a look. How didn't she know? She had periodically cursed in her ranting about Marvolo.

"Does it really matter right now?" Bella asked, flatly. Hermione ignored her before inspecting the room.

Flat on the ground in front of them was a troll. It was much larger than the one Bella and Hermione (with minimum help from Ron) had been able to hold off. The disgusting creature was passed out with a bump on its head the size of a dragon egg.

"Glad we didn't have to deal with _that_," Hermione said, quietly. Bella nodded in quiet agreement. They walked past the troll, quietly, still afraid that they might wake it up. Hermione wrenched the door open and Bella looked around.

There was a simple table with seven differently shaped bottles of what looked like potions. Bella and Hermione stepped over the threshold. As soon as they stepped through, purple flames erupted behind them. Black flames blocked their other exit that went onward.

"Cursed flames…what is with Hogwarts teachers and flames!" Bella complained. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to the room. She walked towards the table and picked up a roll of parchment.

"I'll read:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight_," Hermione read aloud. Bella tilted her head and growled to herself. Hermione looked at her in surprise and Bella crossed her arms.

"I'm not good at puzzles. Especially, riddles. I suck at them," Bella explained. Hermione's face grew a Cheshire grin.

"Riddle, eh?"

"_Not_ the time, Mione. Of course, I don't know how to deal with my abusive professor who happens to also be my magical guardian who gives me detentions like it's candy. Can we get on with this?" Bella snapped. Hermione shrugged and looked at the paper again.

"This is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. A lot of the greatest wizards don't have an ounce of logic so they'd be stuck here. We won't. Seven bottles: three are poison, two are wine, one will get us safely through the black fire, and the last will get us through the purple," Hermione murmured to herself. Bella had to strain to hear her but nodded along with her, understanding everything that Hermione was saying.

"So, do you have the answer yet?" Bella asked, thirty seconds later. Hermione looked at her from the corner of her eye and sighed, her tiredness showing through her dark eyes.

"If I tell you I do, will you promise not to stay with me?" Hermione asked. Bella shrugged, not understanding the question. Hermione lifted the bottle and handed it to Bella.

It was the smallest and there was barely a swallow left in it. Bella suddenly understood and she grabbed Hermione's hand and shook her head.

"No, no, no, no! I can't do this without you," Bella said, her mask of confidence finally slipping off and shattering. Hermione jerked away and looked Bella in the eye with a hard look that reminded Bella of the woman in her family…Hermione.

Hermione was that woman.

"Yes you can, Bell. Go. I'll go back to Ron," Hermione said, quietly. Bella nodded, weakly. She had just discovered part of her family. And she knew she would discover the last two, quickly.

"Grab the broomstick in the key room and go up to the trapdoor. Get Professor Riddle. And then send a letter to Dumbledore. You hear me? I don't think it's Snape in there. I think it's someone _much, much, much_ worse," Bella said, quietly. Hermione nodded in understanding.

"You think it's Grindelwald."

"No…I know it is. And I won't lose. Because I won't let me lose. Go Mione," Bella said, quietly. Hermione jumped on Bella, hugging her fiercely.

"You're a great witch, Bella," Hermione whispered. Bella chuckled and shook her head.

"Not as great as you," Bella said, rubbing the back of her head, self-consciously. Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"Me! I know books, cleverness, and the stray Dark spell. There are more important things…like bravery, loyalty, cunning, and intelligence. Be careful, Bell," Hermione whispered. Bella kissed her cheek and nodded.

"I will be. I promise," she said before downing the potion and stepping through. She walked into the last chamber and she couldn't say she was surprised.

"You," was what she said as she crossed into the chamber.

Quirrell looked back at her with a patient smile on his face. Bella's eyes were hard, like the precious jewel that they were the color of.

"Me. I wonder when I'd be meeting you here, Miss Potter," Quirrell said. Bella noticed that he wasn't stuttering and suddenly, she realized that this was what he really sounded like when he wasn't forcing the stuttering.

But something was off about him…

"So it was you all along. You had me fooled for a minute. I had actually thought it was Snape. But now it makes so much more sense," Bella said, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.

Her scar felt as if it were on fire.

"Severus? Yes, Severus does seem the time, doesn't he? He's like an overgrown bat. What child wouldn't suspect Severus Snape of doing something terrible? Who would suspect s-st-stuterring P-P-Pro-Professor Quirrel?" baited Quirrell. Bella stared at him and growled at him.

"Don't stutter! You tried to kill me. But I bet Hermione setting Snape's robes on fire distracted you. Am I right?" demanded Bella. Quirrell smirked at the girl and nodded before looking at her peculiarly.

"But…I didn't expect your eyes to turn crimson. _That_ was a surprise. What was that magic anyway? It was so dark…so delicious," Quirrell said, almost hungrily. Bella took a step back and glared at him.

"I'm not going to tell you! Snape refereed the game to protect me. From _you_. I heard you in the forest and I thought that he was threatening you. But now I see that he was onto you. He knew what you were trying to do and trying to stop you. You're a fool, Quirrell," Bella spat. Quirrell smirked.

"Am I? Bella, I think it's time I introduce you to someone who has been wishing to meet you for so very long," Quirrell said. He closed his eyes and suddenly they flashed open. They were no longer dark. They were navy. And tainted with a deep Darkness that would have frightened Bella if it wasn't so familiar.

"Hello, Bella Potter. I am Gellert Grindelwald," he said. Bella gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Hello, Gellert Grindelwald. I'm your executioner," Bella snapped back. Grindelwald gave a hearty laugh before snapping his fingers. Ropes appeared from thin air and bound her hands by the wrists.

"Are you? Come here," Grindelwald said. Bella didn't move and he grabbed her by her neck and dragged her forward. Bella's eyes widened when she saw that she was kneeling in front of the Mirror of Erised.

Her family was there and she could easily recognize Hermione now that she knew who she was. Mirror-Marvolo held a red stone in his hand that he was tossing up and down, up and down. He smirked at her and then turned the mirror-Bella. He held it out to her and the mirror-Bella grabbed it. She winked at the real Bella before dropping it in her pockets and crossing her arms.

A weight appeared in her pocket and her eyes widened. The Philosopher's Stone had just appeared in her pocket, miraculously. It occurred to her that this must be Dumbledore's test.

"What do you see, Bella Potter?" Grindelwald asked, standing behind her. Bella looked up at him and spat.

"What do you see old man? Dumbledore and you snogging?" Bella retorted. Grindelwald's hand flew at her face and she slammed into the mirror from the force of the slap. She heard the crack of her jaw but the pain paled to the pain in her scar.

"Shut up, child! Give me the Stone! It's in your pocket! Give it to me!" he screamed at her. Bella pulled at the ropes as hard as she could, giving herself rope burn_ but_ breaking the ropes. She sighed in relief.

"No!" she shrieked back. Grindelwald took a deep breath and held out his hand.

"I only wish for a body of my own, Bella. This body is too weak to host all of my powers and to share a mind with. Will you not allow me that one thing?" Grindelwald asked, almost kindly. Bella sneered at him and glared.

"When hell freezes over!" Bella shrieked.

"Don't be a foolish girl! It would be more prudent for you to save your own life and give me the Stone. Or you might meet the same end as your parents. They died begging me for mercy," Grindelwald taunted. Bella snarled in fury as he disrespected the parents that she would never truly meet and never truly know. Her rage made her face turn ashen.

"LIAR! YOU GODDAMNED LIAR!"

"How touching. I always value courage, my dear girl. You parents were brave. I took down your father first and he gave up a courageous fight. But you mother didn't have to die. She was powerful, I could tell. And she actually drew her wand against me. She was trying to protect you. Now give me the Stone or her sacrifice will be in vain," Grindelwald said, persuasively. Bella closed her eyes and looked in the mirror again. Marvolo's eyes were crimson as were hers.

"**Don't give the Stone…don't give it!**"

Bella glared at him with crimson eyes and he took a step back as she growled at him.

"You can go to hell if you think I'll let you take the Stone. I know the spell…I won't hesitate to kill you. I'd rather go to Azkaban then see you walk with that Stone," Bella snapped. Grindelwald became reckless then and he threw himself at her. She grabbed him around his neck and he began to writhe in pain.

She didn't know when, Marvolo and Dumbledore arrived. She didn't realize that they were standing in the doorway, watching her torture Quirrell. Wherever her fingers touched he burned and blistered, turning to ash.

And she felt pleasure in doing so. She knew that she had control over an individuals life and she felt pleased that she had triumphed over this particular foe. In her eyes, at that moment, it was only her and Quirrell. There was nothing else. And when he finished writhing under her fingers, she let go, watching his skin peel off and disappear into nothingness. She staggered away, suddenly feeling more than a little tower.

She wasn't aware that Dumbledore and Marvolo had witnessed the entire event, including the vindictive and victorious grin that had her graced face when she knew for certain that she had incapacitated the man.

She wasn't aware of anything around her until she caught sight of matching crimson eyes looking down at her as the world around her turned into the blissful dark.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 8th of June 1992**

**3:00 PM**

Bella's eyes flashed open, suddenly and she squinted as her vision was suddenly filled with a bright light. She could see dark blobs but couldn't make out any shapes to her annoyance. She blinked her eyes a few times and she rubbed at her eyes. Her vision was blurred in one eye, she noticed.

The eleven-year-old girl reached a shaky finger up and she moved her left contact back into place. She blinked a few more times before turning to see Marvolo, half asleep next to her and Dumbledore eating lemon drops.

"**Marvolo…wake up**," Bella hissed, softly. Marvolo blinked before jolting awake. He looked up with dark eyes and his eyes widened as he took in Bella's state before he leaned forward, anger on his face and his nostrils flaring.

"You're awake. Do you know how incredibly reckless that was? You could've died. You could've poisoned yourself. You could've burned! Grindelwald could've killed you!" Marvolo said, anger clear in both his tone and body language. Bella looked at him with heavy lidded eyes. He was ranting her back to sleep and she had questions that she wanted to ask before that happened.

"Are you done with your panic attack?" she murmured, her words slightly slurred. He glared at her before standing up.

"I don't panic. Tom Marvolo Riddle, the Heir of Slytherin, doesn't panic. Nagini was worried, that's all. Have a good day, brat," snapped Marvolo before leaving briskly. She turned to Dumbledore who was smiling brightly.

"Good afternoon, Bella. I'm sorry about Tom. He was deeply worried and he has problems with expressing his feelings," Dumbledore said, cheerfully. Bella could see he looked slightly depressed and tired but aside from that he was genuinely happy to see Bella alive. Which reminded her…

"Sir! It was Quirrell! And Grindelwald! The Stone!" Bella cried out. Dumbledore patted her shoulder as she tried to sit up and she groaned in pain. She glanced down. She was in the same clothes she had been wearing. Her wrists were wrapped in gauze and the cut and scrapes she had gotten from the shards of flying chessboard pieces were gone.

"Calm down, my dear girl. You are a little behind times. Quirrell does not have it," Dumbledore said. Bella looked at him for just a moment before recalling that she had destroyed Quirrell. She looked around, curious to whether she would find him in a nearby bed.

He was not there.

"Then what…what is all this?" Bella asked, looking at her bedside table. It looked like a candy shop had thrown up on it and she could see almost every single type of candy piled there. Dumbledore chuckled at her bewildered expression.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers. What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret…" Dumbledore trailed off. Bella cut him off.

"So, naturally, the whole school knows about it," she cut in. Dumbledore gave another chuckle.

"Naturally. You've been in here for three days and Miss Hermione Granger and Mister Ronald Weasley are very worried. Almost as worried as Tom was," Dumbledore said. Bella sighed in annoyance that he had managed to distract her from the matter at hand.

"Sir, the Stone…" she reminded him. He nodded as if he had forgotten all about it. Or he had wanted to.

"I see you are not to be distracted. Quirrell couldn't take the Stone. You almost killed him. He was just alive enough to almost grab the Stone when Tom interrupted and killed him. Rather viciously, as well, may I add. Your eyes were a most peculiar shade of crimson," Dumbledore said rather blasé. Bella nodded.

"It's only happened once before. When a voice whispers to me in Parseltongue not to die. What happened to the Stone?" Bella asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"It has been destroyed," was his simple answer. Bella leaned forward in shock and winced when she rested her weight or her wrists. She pulled back and leaned against the wall the bed was up against.

"But sir…you're friend, Nicholas Flamel! He'll die," Bella said in shock. Dumbledore's grin returned.

"Oh! You know about Nicholas. You _did_ do you research, correctly. Well Nicholas and I have had a little chat and we've agreed it is for the best. He and his wife have just enough Elixir to set their affairs in order before they will die," Dumbledore said, sounding delighted. Bella looked at him as if he were insane before dying.

"I guess it _is_ for the best. No one should be allowed that type of power. Well maybe Flamel. He _did _create it. Everyone should rely on their own magic. Because that is what victory is," Bella said, strongly. Dumbledore gave her a faint smile.

"I've been thinking, sir. Now that the Stone's gone, G-Grin—" Bella stammered, not even able to finish the name. He had scared. He really had. He was certifiably insane, she could tell.

"Call him Grindelwald, Bella. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself," Dumbledore said, kindly. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"I don't fear his name. I fear what he did to me almost succeeded in doing. He took away my free will…and he had physically…assaulted me. It's not the same as someone casting a spell on you. He actually broke my jaw, I think. It's much more frightening," Bella said, quietly. She couldn't help but think back to another time that was infinitely more frightening than this time. She felt the phantom pain of a slap that had nothing to do with Grindelwald.

Dumbledore patted her shoulder, gently, bringing her out of her painful memories.

"But you are safe now, Bella. He most likely slapped you because you discovered the truth," Dumbledore said, kindly. Bella froze up at the thought as she remembered what instigated the slap.

"_What do you see old man? Dumbledore and you snogging?"_

"Right…I want to know the truth about a lot of things, sir. Grindelwald is going to find another way to get a body, right? He's not truly gone. And other things…" Bella trailed off. Dumbledore smiled at her.

"The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie. I will simply be unable to tell you," Dumbledore sighed. Bella nodded.

"Grindelwald said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?" Bella prompted. Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day... put it from your mind for now, Bella. When you are older and I know you'll hate to hear this…when you are ready, you will know," was his answer. Bella wanted to argue but she knew it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't budge.

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?" prompted Bella, hoping he could answer this. Dumbledore's eyes hardened and turned to blue shards of ice. She looked at him in surprise.

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Grindelwald cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Grindelwald, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good," Dumbledore said in a chilled voice, his voice once more tired and cold as ever. Bella nodded and gave a slight sniffle

Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill.

Bella next asked, "And the invisibility cloak. Do you know who sent it to me?"

"Ah. Your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled now and were warmer; far from the shard they were when he was talking about Grindelwald and love. Bella frowned in suspicion though Dumbledore didn't seem to notice.

"Useful things... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here" Dumbledore continued. Bella couldn't help but grin at the information.

"Oh and one more thing…how did I get the Stone from the mirror? All I know was that one of the people in my new family was tossing it up and down before giving it to my reflection before my reflection pocketed it. How did it get to me?" Bella asked. Dumbledore seemed to be surprised but didn't ask any questions.

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes. Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them. But I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?" asked Dumbledore. Bella shrugged as he popped it into his mouth. He gave a funny little grimace.

"Alas! Ear wax!" he choked. Bella couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 8th of June 1992**

**7:00 PM**

Bella entered the Great Hall after almost everyone else and as she entered there was a collective hush until the gossip started up. But all Bella could see was green and silver. It almost made her have a heart attack. She was already hyperventilating when she finally sat down next to Hermione and Ron. Hermione threw her arms around her and Bella hugged her back, gingerly.

"Careful there. I'm still sore. I broke my jaw as you know. Mione, you can get off now," Bella said, gentle. Hermione still didn't let her go and Bella snorted in amusement at Hermione's worry.

"Mione…you saw me alive not an hour ago. You can seriously let go," Bella giggled. Hermione let go and blushed and rather sheepishly at that. She shook her head and sighed.

"I was just so scared!" Hermione admitted, quietly. Bella laughed and shook her head. Ron looked at her in confusion.

"Wait…how did you break your jaw again? I think you were telling that when I was eating chocolate frogs," Ron said. Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Grindelwald slapped me and smashed my head into the mirror. Anyway, where's the food? I haven't eaten a real meal in three days! I'm starving," Bella confessed. Hermione snorted at Bella's antics. But the food didn't show up. Instead Dumbledore stood.

To Ron's disappointment.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully.

"And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy- two," he continued

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Bella sneered and could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. Snape looked victorious, the slimy git.

And Marvolo was smirking right at Bella, obviously very amused. Bella frowned and glared at the table. She could feel the looks on her. They could've won the House Cup if it wasn't for her and her stupid midnight escapade.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore, genuinely happy for them it seemed. Bella couldn't see why. They weren't all evil but it was clear that they were all big-headed, egotistical jackasses.

"However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little. Bella's smile spread and Marvolo's smirk was falling, very fast. She sent him a vindictive grin that he sneered at in annoyance.

"Ahem, I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...first to Mr. Ronald Weasley..."

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a happy and prideful plum with a really bad sunburn.

"...For the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points," Dumbledore said, nodding to Ron.

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver.

Percy was yelling over the din to the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

Soon silence reigned and Marvolo's lip was curling into a sneer. He seemed to know what was happening next.

"Second, to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic and intellect in the face of fire, I award fifty points to Gryffindor house," Dumbledore said. Now, people were absolutely shocked and couldn't even cheer.

"Third, to Bella Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding loyalty, cunning, and courage, I award Gryffindor house, sixty points," Dumbledore continued. Bella froze and looked at him with wide eyes. Her eyes shifted to Marvolo's face and he was staring at her with an unfathomable expression. He flashed her a slight smile but a smile nonetheless.

This shocked her and she jolted in her seat. Marvolo's soft smile turned into a wicked smirk of triumph. Everyone was screaming and shouting. They were now tied with Slytherin. The Slytherins' smiles were sliding off and some were grimacing.

"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies but even more to stand up to your friends. I therefore award fifteen points to Neville Longbottom," Dumbledore said. Everyone was shocked into silence.

Neville had never earned not one point for Gryffindor before and now…he had one them the House Cup.

"Which means…we need a little change in decoration," Dumbledore said. He clapped his hands and everything turned to scarlet and gold. Cheers were heard and Bella whooped and stood up clapping loudly for Neville. Even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were cheering for them as they were also tired of Slytherins' reign.

Bella watched as Snape gave a forced smile as he shook McGonagall's hand. McGonagall looked immensely smug. Marvolo winked at her before leaning back and crossing his arms and assuming the proper grimace since he _was_ a Slytherin.

All in all it was the best night of Bella's life.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 20th of June 1992**

**9:45 AM**

"Morning, Marvolo," Bella said, quietly, standing in the open doorway. Marvolo looked up from the library that he had been packing and he smirked at her.

"Good morning, brat. Aren't you supposed to be boarding the train?" Marvolo asked. Bella snorted and waved her hand.

"In fifteen minutes. I'll have to run so I sent Ron and Hermione with my trunk," Bella said, nonchalantly. Marvolo nodded and ran a hand through his lose black hair. Bella had never seen it out of its low ponytail and it was so silky looking that she had the resist the urge to touch it and see if it was as silky as it looked.

"Why are you here?" Marvolo asked, quietly. Bella sighed and shrugged.

"You're my favorite teacher. I wanted to say goodbye. And to give you the book," Bella said, quietly, producing the book that was filled with her notes on the language of Elves. She was a quarter through the ancient tome and she wanted to finish it soon.

"Why?" was his simple question.

"Because…I can't show Sirius. He'll flip. The elves are a near-dead ancient race and Druhir is a Dark, Dark language. I can't bring this home. And he likes to snoop. So, hold it for me until you can hand me another detention?" Bella asked, hopefully. Marvolo nodded and Bella thrust the book forward. Marvolo easily plucked it out of the air before sliding it into a drawer at his desk.

"Goodbye, brat," Marvolo said, quietly. Bella nodded. The DADA professor stood and walked over to her slowly. Bella froze as Marvolo hesitantly lifted his hand. He put his hand on her head and ruffled her. She glared at him and he smirked. She huffed before giving a tentative smile.

"See you, Marvolo."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 20th of June 1992**

**4:00 PM**

The trio walked through the barrier together.

"See you, Bella!"

"Bye, Potter!"

"Still famous," smirked Ron. Bella shot him a sneaky grin and shrugged.

"Always. But, I know you'll never treat me that way," Bella sighed in relief. Ron nodded and Hermione smirked.

"We wouldn't want you getting a big head…" she said, smirking. Bella grinned.

"Look, Mum! It's Bella Potter!" a voice said.

A redhead boy who looked a tiny bit younger that Bella had said this. Ron grimaced and Bella could tell that he was his younger brother, Gideon, who he had complained about.

"Be quiet, Gideon. It's rude to point," Mrs. Weasley said. She looked at the approaching trio.

"Busy year?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"You could say so…thanks for the sweater, Mrs. Weasley," Bella said, quietly. Hermione reiterated what she had said and also thanked Mrs. Weasley. A hand landed on Bella's head and she turned around.

"UNCLE SIRIUS!" she said, happily. She jumped on him and hugged him fiercely as he hugged her back.

"Bella, I missed you so much and you're in so much trouble when we get home…" Sirius said, in her ear. Bella snorted as she leaned back.

"Already knew that…the Howler was rather loud."

:::

**A/N:** I'm done! I'm finally done! I've succeeded in completing Philosopher's Stone! Chamber of Secrets has to be arranged without Tom being discovered but I think I have something figured out…we'll see. I'll have to get some advice.

Anyway, next chapter will be the awesomely short (only 2000 or so words) Interlude! It will be completely Tom. Bella will _not_ appear. Sorry but I need it. He needs to have enlightenment.

**NEW A/N: **I have another chapter. Yay. Insert sarcasm.


	10. Interlude I

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing**: TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note**: As you should know, Bella is absent this chapter. You'll see why when you read. Now get onto reading. A new quote will be chosen for the next chapter.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude I**

**Godric Hollow, West Country, England**

**Monday the 6th of July 1992**

**11:45 PM**

"Gellert…what are you doing in here? It's dangerous," Tom said, his arms crossed as he leaned in the doorway of the decrepit cottage. Sitting in the chair in front of a roaring fire was a young man with dark brown hair. His eyes were navy and he had a slightly and pleasant smile on his face.

"Tom! Come in, come in," he said, gesturing to the other armchair. Tom walked in, stiffly, his movements almost mechanical. He sat across from the fire and looked deep into it.

"Gellert, why are you in your old house? Dumbledore, the fool, comes almost every night. What is the purpose of being in a place where he could easily find you?" demanded Tom. Gellert looked unconcerned and this made Tom grit his teeth in anger.

"Is Albus coming tonight?" Gellert asked. Tom sighed and rolled his eyes at his 'uncle's' disregard for his own safety. He was entirely too confident.

"No. Minerva was able to stop him from coming tonight. Said it was bad for his health. What possessed you to do something as stupid as steal the Stone? You told me you were going to wait for me to take it and then you go make Snape suspicious by possessing Quirrell of all people!" Tom ranted. Gellert smirked and rolled his eyes.

"He had the weakest mind barriers. And you were taking entirely too long. I got a little…ah, desperate. Hmm, what happened to the Stone? I'm sure I can find another opportunity," Gellert said, cheerfully. Tom snorted and Gellert looked at him curiously and Tom ran a hand through his loose hair.

"The Stone was destroyed."

"WHAT?" Gellert roared, standing up. Tom was staring at him with a blasé expression, entirely too used to the sudden mood changes.

"You heard me. We'll have to put our plans on hold for now. No matter…" Tom said, lightly, as if he didn't care. Gellert suddenly grabbed Tom by his collar and Tom's wand was out in the blink of an eye. Gellert released him immediately.

He knew who was the more powerful of the two. Tom had always been more powerful and he had lived the past, almost twelve years without him. He had taken control of the situation and he knew that he wasn't just Gellert's underling anymore.

He was his lord.

"Don't ever grab me like I am your child, Gellert," he whispered dangerously. Gellert settled back into his seat but didn't respond. He knew not to talk back.

"As I was saying, we'll have to alter our plans. You do not have a body so we cannot plant one of my Horcruxes. I wouldn't work. Everyone already knows that I am the Heir of Slytherin. So, after some thinking I decided that we should use one of _yours_," Tom suggested. Gellert stared at him as if he were insane.

"Do you need to go to the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's? You're mad! I'm not using one of my Horcruxes! I only have four! You have six," Gellert protested. Tom rolled his eyes at Gellert's childishness.

"That may be but I can't afford to destroy a bit of my soul, though it may only be the tiniest slivers. Your magical core deteriorates and that can't happen. Now, I believe that we will use your necklace," Tom said, nonchalantly. Gellert sighed and thought over the possibilities.

"I suppose it could work…it would make them want the Hallows and I don't want anyone to get my wand," Gellert said, contritely. Tom let out a loud laugh and Gellert looked at him confused.

"The Elder Wand is no longer yours to command. The master of the Elder Wand is…Bella Potter," Tom said. Gellert's eyes widened when he heard Tom's voice go softer when he spoke the name of the adversary.

"Because the curse rebounded…speaking of Bella Potter…when can I expect that she will die?" Gellert asked, nonchalantly. Tom still had that look in his eyes before he turned his stare onto Gellert.

"Never."

"What do you mean 'never'?" demanded Gellert.

"I mean she will never die. I will not allow it. She and I are bound, mind, body, and magic. Her death will only make room for my own, thus she may not die," Tom said, softly. Gellert growled in anger and stood up. Tom stood up as well and they glared at each other.

"That is _not_ the reason you wish to keep her alive. You always find a way to avoid death. Speak the truth," Gellert snapped. Tom glared at him.

"I do not lie, Gellert. Bella Potter will not die. I will kill you before I let any harm come to her. Is this clear?" Tom said, steely voiced. Gellert glared at him and wrapped his hand around the golden necklace around his neck. He tore it off and threw it at Tom who easily caught it.

"_Crystal_. Let's not dwell on that. Now, Tom, there must be a rendezvous point and you must pick a target," Gellert said, his teeth grinding together in annoyance. Tom smirked at him, triumphantly and Gellert looked at him, slightly confused.

"In this chess game called life, I'm always steps ahead. The rendezvous point will be the Library of Ravenclaw, her personal domain. It is said that a fearsome creature guards it. As an Heir, I may be able to open it. The beast is said to be the all-intelligent creature. The one that knows all and knows nothing," Tom said, with a slight smirk on his face. Gellert nodded, complete understanding on his face.

"Ah…I see…what about the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets? What will you do with it?" Gellert asked, curiously. Tom looked affronted and glared at him. Gellert watched in surprise. What was he annoyed about?

"The basilisk is not an it. _She_ will aid Victory," Tom said. Gellert's eyes widened as he looked at him in wonder.

"You mean you've found them. The Horsemen?" Gellert asked, hungrily. Tom shook his head and suddenly looked quite disappointed. He only revealed this side to Gellert, someone he had come to see as an incredibly evil uncle.

"I've found one of the four. I have my suspicions but I only know one for sure. If we get Victory onto our side we will surely win. Victory…is Bella Potter," Tom said, quietly. Gellert's jaw dropped now and he crossed his legs.

"Are you absolutely sure? I don't believe I would've killed _Victory_. She would have a potent aura, I'm sure, that would alert me to her identity," Gellert pointed out. Tom smirked and tilted his head.

"Her aura…is as Dark as mine. It is crimson. The color of blood. The color of triumph," Tom said, proudly. Gellert's eyes widened and he titled his head as if in thought. Tom couldn't decipher what he was thinking and knew it was futile to try and access his mind. He would voice his opinions anyway.

"We could transfer the power to another person, I'm sure. She is too much of a liability, too drowned in the Light. We could never use her. She'll have to be eliminated, Tom. And I know you do not wish for her to die but it's all for the greater good," Gellert said, sounding earnest but in fact he wasn't. He looked calculating and cold and Tom gave him a look of cold fury. Gellert almost flinched. Almost.

"You will do no such thing. I will tell you again, Uncle. I will destroy you. I am much stronger than you could ever dream of being," Tom said, dangerously. Gellert waved his hand and nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes. Let's talk about targets now, my dear boy," Gellert said. Tom's eyes twitched. He didn't appreciate the nickname, nor did he like being dismissed and addressed as a child when he was already 65, no matter how young he looked.

"Don't call me that! You sound like Dumbledore and I haven't been a boy for 48 years," Tom snapped. He watched as Gellert's eyes softened when he mentioned Dumbledore. Tom made a sound of disgust in the back of this throat.

He heard the tragic tale of Dumbledore and Gellert and it always disgusted him. Not because they had been in love. Oh not that, though Tom couldn't see what was appealing about Dumbledore and his creepy twinkling eyes. It was the fact that Gellert had almost sacrificed everything he worked for, for the man. But he didn't and that was the point.

"Fine. Do you have a suggestion for a target?" demanded Gellert, impatiently. Tom could only smirk.

"How about two?"

:::

**A/N**: And thus ends Interlude I. So, it's time to pick a new quote for Part 2 of the story. The story is in seven parts and an epilogue. Seven parts because seven is the ultimate and most powerful, magically wise, number. See you next time! I think I have to think up a schedule for this…

Anyone want to beta me?

**New A/N:** I finished editing and revising Book 1 to the best of my ability. I'm finished with the first part of Inside My Mind. Thank God!


	11. Chapter IX

**T**

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…it's on to Book 2!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter IX**

"_What is love?_

_Love is when one person knows all of your secrets..._

_Your deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets_

_Of which no one else in the world knows..._

_And yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you;_

_Even if the rest of the world does."_

_Anonymous_

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 31st of July 1992**

**11:30 AM**

Bella stood in the loo staring at the mirror, trying to find something that looked different about her. She was twelve now and she couldn't see any difference. She was the youngest of her closest friends, meaning she was the last to turn twelve and it was highly annoying.

She might have been a little taller but that only made her look rather awkward. Her hair had grown from the small of her back to her waist but she was sure Sirius would make her cut it again; not considering how much she liked it long. What was even worse was her hair had become even more untamable and it took her 10 minutes alone to brush through it.

"Bella! Are you dressed yet? You've been in there forever!"Sirius yelled from down the hall. Bella sighed and stuck her head out.

"I don't see why you need to rush me! You have your own bathroom for Merlin's sake, Uncle Sirius!" Bella snapped. She gaped in surprise when she saw who was sitting on her bed. Sirius was grinning in the doorway at her.

Ron and Hermione were sitting on her bed; Bella gaped at them before launching herself at them and hugging them tightly.

"Ron! Hermione!" she cried out in surprise, hugging them tightly.

"Happy birthday!" they responded in unison Bella laughed and shot a look at Sirius who smirking at her now.

"I think I deserve an apology. I got your friends here and the Weasleys are here too. Surprise!" Sirius said, making jazz hands. Bella snorted before hugging him tightly.

"First, you're not getting an apology when you forced me into this stupid pureblood dress thing. You're actually supposed to say surprise when we get downstairs but that's all right. Thank you, Uncle Sirius" Bella murmured as Sirius hugged her back just as tightly and tapped her right over her scar.

"Just for you, Doe, and the dress is customary for someone who is Heiress to the Black line to wear. Suck it up and let's go downstairs" Sirius said. Bella glanced in the vanity by the wall and sighed.

The white dress she wore was beautiful and elegant over it she had on a crimson corset with black laces and a darker red tailcoat. It was all right she decided but it didn't mean she had to like it.

"I thought you hated tradition" Bella grumbled Sirius nodded, sagely and Bella looked at him with a look of complete outrage.

"I do but the dress it looks adorable on you" Sirius cooed teasingly and Bella snarled at him before turning away and looking at her friends.

"Bell, it does look nice on you" Hermione reassured her Bella looked at Hermione's face and saw nothing but complete honesty although she could see several traces of amusement. She decided to pick her battles and just sighed.

"Thanks, Mione. I don't think I've met your younger siblings, Ron. Would you introduce me?" Bella asked, trying to bring the subject off herself and the dress. Ron grimaced slightly and Bella looked at him quizzically.

"Er…well…you'll see…" Ron said, looking faintly embarrassed. Hermione and Sirius seemed to know about what he was talking about. They were both snickering under their breaths. When they finally walked down the stairs and into the dining room, she knew why Ron wouldn't say anything.

"Merlin! I'm in Bella Potter's house! I'm touching her stuff…this is bloody amazing!" the redheaded boy sighed. He was holding hands with a girl that could most definitely be his twin who was pretty in her own right.

"Don't go barmy in front of her! She's an amazing Quidditch player and she got on the team in her first year! I think she'll have higher standards than _you_, Gideon" the girl said. Gideon sneered at his sister and jerked his hand from her.

"You don't know that! Don't be such a prat, Ginny" Gideon snapped. Bella cleared her throat and both children turned to look at her. The effect was instant and had Bella laughing.

"BELLA POTTER!" they shouted together. Ginny's expression was one of awe and admiration. Gideon's expression was one of complete infatuation. This made Bella blush.

"Hi, Gideon and Ginny Weasley" Bella said, smirking. Ginny squealed and started jumping up and down. Gideon paled, considerably.

"She knows our names!" Ginny squealed. Bella snorted again and leaned back.

"I heard you guys were down here…hi, I'm Bella Potter…as you seem to know that already" Bella said, extending her hand. Ginny pushed Gideon aside and shook it, readily as she grinned up at Bella.

"Hi, I'm Ginny! You're biggest, biggest, BIGGEST fan!" Ginny said. Fred and George were snickering by the wall and Mrs. Weasley was sitting down near the front of the table, looking half cross and half amused. A redheaded man who was balding looked highly amused at the situation . Bella assumed that it was Mr. Weasley.

"She'll be wanting your autograph!" Fred called.

"She seriously _is_ your biggest fan. For Halloween she dressed up like you" Ron said, with a grin. Bella stared at the girl in shock. Said girl blushed deep red and looked away pointedly while everyone else laughed.

"Really? Did she have the lightning bolt?" Hermione asked. Ron nodded, laughing loudly now. Gideon was patting his sister on the shoulder, comfortingly. Everyone was laughing except for Bella, Gideon, and Ginny.

" Yep right in the center of her forehead!" George answered. The laughing got louder. Bella glared at them as they stared at her in shock.

"It's not funny!" she snapped, annoyed. She turned back to the shocked younger set of twins.

"It's not funny…Ginny, the scar is a little off-center. But I'm immensely flattered. It's nice to know that I'm idolized by someone" Bella said, smiling kindly. She didn't notice how everyone was looking over her shoulder or how the flames in the fireplace turned emerald. She was surprised as Gideon swept into a low bow and kissed her knuckles. Sirius was snickering even more but she was confused that it wasn't directed at her or Gideon.

"I am Gideon Weasley, Lady Black" Gideon said, sounding overly formal. Bella smirked and she mock-curtsied. Her head suddenly flew forward. She gaped and spun around. She stared wide-eyed with the other kids at the man standing behind her.

"She's not a lady yet but if you must that's Lady Slytherin to you, Mr. Weasley. And don't get a big head over that one, brat. Or any bigger I might say."

"Shut up, Marvolo!" Bella snapped. Tom Riddle smirked down at her and raised an eyebrow. She glared at him with her hands on her hips.

"Brat. **Crimson?**" he questioned with a smirk. Bella looked away, pointedly with pursed lips.

"**I happen to **_**like**_** crimson. My aura is crimson**" Bella snapped before turning to the snickering crowd. She crossed her arms.

"Whose idea was it to invite this _thing_?" Bella demanded while pointing at Tom however just looked rather amused and he leaned on the wall near the fireplace. Sirius raised his hand and she looked at him in shock.

"Guilty as charged Bella He _does_ have a right to be here seeing as he's the Heir of Slytherin and your magical guardian, he should be here for your birthday" Sirius said, smirking as Bella shook her head in disgust.

"Can we just eat breakfast? Merlin! I'm hungry and Kreacher wouldn't let me eat" Bella said. Tom froze at the name and turned to see an elderly house-elf enter the room. The house elf's eyes landed on him and narrowed in recognition but said nothing.

"Fine, fine. Sit down so we can eat" Sirius sighed. He sat at the head of the table and Bella sat at the other head. Ron sat to her left as Gideon had tried to score the seat on her right but Hermione beat him to that seat. That left Gideon next to Hermione and Ginny next to Gideon. Fred and George sat next to Ron. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat across from each other and on each of Sirius' sides. Tom didn't even bother he set down a tiny parcel in front of her and rapped it once with his wand. It enlarged and Bella stared at it in surprise.

"I expect you to have read the book by the time you get your next detention…meaning the day after you arrive back at Hogwarts" Tom smirked as he took long strides towards the fireplace as Bella opened the parcel carefully. A sharp gasp escaped her lips.

"**Elven texts? **Is this a tome on parselmagic? And what's this?" Bella murmured, running her hand over the ancient texts and scrolls. There were at least four scrolls on Elven culture and a large tome on parselmagic. The last was an unmarked and nondescript leather bound book. In the corner on the bottom there seemed to be initials but they disappeared as soon as Bella tried to get a closer look at it.

Tom hid his smirk well.

"Yes to the first question. It's not only a tome on parselmagic. It had almost a complete set of Salazar's notes in it. And that…that's just a notebook to take notes in. I'm aware that your old one is used for other things. Happy birthday, brat" he said before walking briskly towards the emerald flames. Bella ran her hand over the books while Hermione was practically salivating over them.

"Marvolo? How old are they?" she asked distractedly as he stopped in his stride and turned to look at her.

"Absolutely ancient the tome is about Slytherin's age. The scrolls are even older and come from the hidden books under the Library of Alexandria. I've made them waterproof and as resistant as possible. Have fun making sense of what it says" Tom said, almost cheerfully but definitely smugly as he slipped into the emerald flames and declared his destination under his breath.

Hermione ran her hand over the Parseltongue tome and she breathed deeply as if she had just had a huge relief. Everyone looked at Bella in surprise. She was sighing in content every time she touched the plain black book.

"Bella, this is amazing! You have to translate it for me. It might have amazing battle strategies. I know that Rowena Ravenclaw was said to be an amazing strategist" Hermione said, reverently. She got strange looked but Bella was used to it by now.

"Yes, well, Salazar was the battle tactician. I'll have to give you some of the translations. Yes…but the other scrolls…he must have paid an arm and a leg for these. Unless he found them in the vault. They're absolutely beautiful" Bella murmured. Ron looked at her strangely.

"Since when were you into books? I thought Hermione was the bookworm" Sirius said. Bella looked at her uncle with a defensive look on her face.

"I like to read on certain subjects. What do you think I do when I get detentions with Marvolo? He has an amazing library" Bella said, defensively as Sirius just held up his hands and laughed at her while she was frowning.

"Whoa Bella…no need to go on defense! Let's eat before we wish the birthday girl a happy birthday" Sirius said. With these words, food appeared along the entire long table and soon everybody was enjoying themselves. Bella had asked creature to move the books to the study off the library.

"Who's Marvolo? It's such a funny little name" Ginny said, giggling by just saying his name. Bella smirked at her and tilted her head.

"Don't let him hear you say that. You'll know him as Professor Riddle. He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He's a great teacher but he's rather mean to me and he calls me brat so I call him Marvolo. Usually, only in Parseltongue but well…" Bella trailed off. Gideon and Ginny's eyes widened together and Bella laughed, under her breath.

"You're a Parseltongue? Ron told me that all Parselmouths are evil" Gideon said, almost accusingly and Ron flushed. Hermione shook her head.

"Salazar Slytherin wasn't evil. He just had a different way of looking at things, To you what he did and what he believed may have seemed evil, however to the people who also believed in what he said, he was trying to incorporate systems that he thought would work better. He was working for… the lack of a better phrase, the greater good" Hermione explained and Gideon frowned.

"But what does that have to do with being evil and a Parselmouth?" he asked, confused. Bella winked at him and pink spread on his cheeks.

"That's the point. What does it have to be with being evil? I'm not evil. And I speak Parseltongue rather openly. It only seems unnatural to those who cannot speak it. It's like you speak English and someone else may speak French. It's the same thing but I can communicate with a different species entirely" Bella added on. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"But I think it's unnatural that you can speak to another species. I mean their only snakes. Snakes are evil omens" Ron said, rather thickly. Bella hissed at him and the room got quieter.

"If Nagini heard you…she _does_ understand English you know. Snakes are not any less intelligent than humans in reality they're much more observant. I don't appreciate you calling them evil. You _do_ know that I'm more or less part snake, right? Have you not noticed that when my eyes go red that they become silted? I speak the language as well. I'm incredibly insulted by your lack of tact" Bella said, rather passionately. There was snorts and snickers through the entire table. Mrs. Weasley was glaring at Ron in annoyance.

"Ron! You should watch you say I'm sorry, dear. Now, what do you mean, your eyes go red? They become bloodshot? I believe I can find something in a book to correct that problem" Mrs. Weasley asked, kindly. Fred and George grinned viciously.

"No, Mum. They _really_ go red like _all_ red" Fred said, enthusiastically. Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened. George nodded in agreement.

"They are wicked scary! In her first Quidditch game, she almost fell off her broom because Quirrell threw a Dark curse at it!" George said before pausing for suspense. All that weren't there drew a sharp breath. Bella had never gone into detail of what happened during that Quidditch matcg.

"And then, Hermione set the end of Snape's robes on fire and broke Quirrell's concentration!" Ron added. Everyone's eyes turned to the bushy haired girl. She blushed and looked away.

"Well…I supposed I _did _but I didn't save her!" objected Hermione. Gideon and Ginny leaned forward.

"What did you do next?" Gideon asked Bella excitedly.

"Did you use super cool powers that you used to defeat Grindelwald?" Ginny asked, just as interested and captivated by the story. Bella gave a nervous laugh.

"No, no. I don't have any cool superpowers. I'm just a regular witch. It was…" Bella said. Fred and George apparently didn't want the story to end so they leaned forward and interrupted.

"Then…she was dangling and her fingers were slipping. We were circling underneath her to catch her when suddenly there was high pitched hiss. Her eyes went red and then she shot up onto her broom and took off towards the teacher's stand. She said something before going into a spectacular dive and caught the Snitch!" Fred ended. George nodded in enthusiasm before casting Bella a sly look.

"In her mouth…she was almost sick right there on the pitch" he laughed. Bella flushed lightly. She looked away before sighing.

"At least, we won…"

* * *

**Leaky Cauldron, London, England**

**Wednesday the 19th of August 1992**

**10:00 AM**

Bella and Sirius walked through the pub, ignoring the murmurs. Bella's head was held up high. Her long black hair was pulled up in a ponytail on the very top of her head. She wore dark blue robes that were almost black in color. Her bangs were down to cover her scar but everyone was now familiar with what she looked like. The pair stopped in front of the renowned Hogwarts professor.

"Riddle."

"Black."

"Marvolo."

"Brat."

Those were the meeting words that had the entire party scowling. The pub got louder as they went into the back to open the gateway to Diagon Alley. Tom opened the doorway and they walked into the always amazing Alley.

"I don't want to go to the Alley with you" Bella said, bluntly as soon as they stepped foot into the crowded and bright Alley. Tom glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"I'm not enjoying the fact that I have to take time out of my day either. But why are you so angry? Don't you enjoy annoying me?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella nodded, enthusiasm shining through her at this point.

"I do. But…those were the most ridiculous books you put on the booklist!" Bella snapped in anger. She thrust a piece of parchment at Tom and he pushed it back, already knowing the contents. Bella examined the parchment once more.

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 _by Miranda Goshawk

_Break with a Banshee _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Gadding with Ghouls _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Holidays with Hags _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Travels with Trolls _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Voyages with Vampires _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Wanderings with Werewolves _by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Year with the Yeti _by Gilderoy Lockhart

"I didn't put them on there don't worry you'll find out soon enough" Tom snapped. Bella sighed and nodded. They continued to walk down the road, intent on getting to Gringotts.

"I don't like this at all I've heard about those books. Complete rubbish if you ask me" Sirius said with disgust on his face. Bella nodded in agreement and shook her head as she thought about.

"Absolutely stupid, I agree I'll look over the books anyway" Bella decided. Sirius shrugged and they made it to Gringotts and Bella gasped in surprise to see Hermione and two people that she assumed were her parents standing there, looking around in excitement. Hermione smiled brightly.

"Bella!" she cried out, enthusiastically. Bella and Hermione hugged before Hermione all but dragged the girl to her parents.

"Mum, Dad, this is Bella Potter. She's the Girl-Who-Lived. I went to her birthday party" Hermione clarified. The two looked at her in surprise before smiling.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Granger but just call me Mrs. Granger. It'll be much easier to distinguish who you're speaking with" Hermione's mum said kindly. She stuck out her hand and Bella took it before shaking it.

"Hello, I'm Sirius Black, Bella's guardian. I met you when I came to collect Hermione" Sirius said. Dr. Granger and Mrs. Granger nodded in recognition before turning to Tom who had been standing there, inspecting his nails and cleaning them on his robes.

"Oh…Professor Riddle? Mum, Dad, this is Professor Riddle" Hermione said, surprised that she hadn't noticed him there. Tom looked up and swooped down and kissed Mrs. Granger's hand before shaking Dr. Granger's. Dr. Granger looked slightly offended but Tom's face held the smallest hint of a smug smile. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Hello, I'm the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts" Tom said, eloquently. They nodded in understanding and Dr. Granger pulled out a stack of ten-pound notes.

"We should go in and exchange this…" Dr. Granger trailed off, awkwardly while Tom nodded and looked over at Bella.

"Brat, be proper and greet the goblins properly" Tom snapped. Hermione's parents gaped at his treatment of her. Sirius smirked, knowing he only meant it in jest, even if Bella didn't realize it. Hermione was snickering. Bella only scowled.

"Well aware of this, Marvolo" she snapped before throwing her head back and adopting the attitude of a pureblood Heiress. She walked into the bank with a sense of purpose and the Granger parents observed her. She approached the teller box and looked up at the teller box.

"Merry meet, Bogrod" she said, giving a low curtsey. Bogrod examined the girl in front of them. Hermione watched with a growing smirk.

"Merry meet, Lady Slytherin."

"Merry meet, Bogrod" Tom said, greeting the goblin. The goblin's eyes widened and Tom gave him a warning look.

"Merry meet, Lord Slytherin."

This got some reactions from the Grangers but mostly confusion. Hermione leaned over and explained that Tom was her magical guardian and what I meant and such. They soon understood.

"Which vault, Lord?" Bogrod asked. Tom tilted his head before giving a grim smile.

"Vault 1069" Tom answered. Bogrod's eyes widened and he tilted his head.

"The library?" he asked. Bella's eyes widened as Tom nodded.

"Miss Granger, would you like to come along? I'm afraid it only fits four people, however. Would this be alright with you, Dr. Granger, Mrs. Granger?" Tom asked. Hermione turned to her parents.

"Please, please, _please_ Mum! They have books from the Library of Alexandria! Please?" Hermione begged. Mrs. Granger's eyes widened.

"Really? The Library of Alexandria? That's fascinating " Dr. Granger asked, almost disbelievingly as Tom merely nodded his head.

"There was a hidden room that was fire resistant; a spell was cast over it I believe. It had the entire library copied there. Salazar Slytherin got his fair share…or more than fair, I suppose. He acquired half of it. The other half is scattered through the wizarding world, some to old families, and some are in the Department of Mysteries" Tom explained. The Grangers didn't quite know what the Department of Mysteries was but they nodded anyway.

"We must depart. It is a long ride down there."

* * *

**Flourish & Blotts, Diagon Alley, London, England**

**Wednesday the 19th of August 1992**

**12:30 PM**

The Weasleys, who had met up with them after they explored the vaults, group all made there way into the already crowded Flourish & Blotts. Ron groaned in annoyance.

"Why are there so many people here?" he moaned. Hermione pointed at the sign and made a huge squeal. Bella looked at the girl in alarm.

"Gilderoy Lockhart will be here! He's signing copies of his new book, _Magical Me_! I read it and it was absolutely inspiring" she sighed, looking completely awestruck and in addition to that, lovestruck. Bella made a nose of disgust in the back of her throat that most of the men echoed.

"We'll be able to see him in a minute…" Mrs. Weasley said, sounding rather excited. She was patting down her hair and Bella rolled her eyes. Hermione looked just as excited and it seemed like Bella was alone there. Even Ginny looked excited.

"This is ridiculous…" Bella murmured to Gideon who was standing closest to her. Gideon nodded in agreement, though he'd probably agree with the girl about everything.

Before Gideon could properly respond, Gilderoy Lockhart came into view. He had shoulder length gold hair that was in impossible curls and he looked like he spends hours doing it every morning. Bella could see why some women would consider him handsome. He was tanned and had a bright smile and eyes the shade of forget-me-not that matched his robes. But she didn't personally feel attracted to him.

"Out of the way, there! This is for the Prophet" an irritable little man snarled. He was taking pictures. About a dozen by the minute if Bella judged correctly. Ron moved out of the man's way and shot him a scathing look.

"Big deal! Lockhart's not that great anyway" Ron spat. Apparently, Lockhart heard him and looked up.

"It can't be…Bella Potter?" Lockhart shouted, shooting her a smile. She lifted one eyebrow and put one hand on her hip. The crowd parted and someone pushed her forward. She turned on the person and sneered.

"Don't push me!" she hissed before looking up at the flamboyant man in front of her with her head held high. She extended a graceful hand to Lockhart with an appraising and cold look that she had learned from Walburga. The woman in the portrait had taken a liking to her. Lockhart's big grin faltered for a split second before shaking her hand vigorously.

The entire shop burst into applause and Bella was pulled next to him as the Prophet photographer took photo after photo of the two. Lockhart threw his arm around her.

"Big smile, Bella. Together, you and I are worth the front page" Lockhart hissed through his unnaturally white teeth. Bella gave a pained smile and she looked for a familiar face.

She found one with her a smug smile and an amused expression. This had her instantly scowling and Lockhart jostled her again and she regained her pained and forced smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen! What an extraordinary moment this is! Two of the most famous people in the wizarding world happen to be in Flourish & Blotts at the same time. It's such an amazing moment that I think I make an equally amazing announcement" Lockhart said. Tom's smile slipped off and his eyes narrowed. Lockhart hadn't seen him yet but if he had…he would've dropped dead at the venomous glare.

"When young Bella here stepped into Flourish & Blotts today, she only wanted to buy my autobiography. However, she won't have to buy it. She will get a regular edition and a first edition, signed by me! In fact, she'll get two whole sets of my books—" Lockhart continued as he dumped the books into her arms. Bella staggered under the weight. The entire shop burst into applause.

"She had no idea that she would be getting much, much more than my well-written and beautifully crafted books. She and her schoolmates will be, in fact, getting the real magical me. I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be assuming the newly invented post, which was invented just for me, of the assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Lockhart announced. Cheers erupted through the entire shop. Bella froze and her eyes locked with Tom's. They were accusatory as her words.

"Why in the bloody hell are you letting this prat teach in _your_ classroom?" she snapped. Tom looked at her and his left eyes twitched. Lockhart seemed to suddenly realize that Tom was there and flinched at his vicious glare. Tom's hand shot out and pulled Bella out of the massive crowd.

"Are you serious? The guy is a fraud!" Sirius protested. He held half of Bella's books. Bella sighed and shook her head before taking the books from Sirius who didn't seem to realize while he was ranting to the Grangers, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Tom. She walked towards the side where Gideon and Ginny were talking. Bella dumped one set of books into Ginny's cauldron and another set in Gideon's. They looked are her wide-eyed.

"You have these. I'll buy my own…" she said, quietly.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" a voice said. Bella didn't even have to turn to recognize the patronizing tone. She turned away to confront the platinum haired Draco Malfoy.

"Famous Bella Potter, Can't even go into a bookshop without being on the front page. You're just _starved_ for attention aren't you?" Malfoy sneered. Bella rolled her eyes and couldn't respond when suddenly Gideon pushed forward with Ginny.

"Leave her alone!" Gideon snapped.

"Yeah, she didn't want all that!" Ginny agreed. Malfoy smirked.

"Potter, you've got yourself a little knight in shining armor and a lady-in-waiting. Aren't you the little princess?" Malfoy hissed. Gideon and Ginny flushed a bright red. Bella sneered back at him and lifted her head higher.

"No but I am your lady. Maybe it's time you show some respect" Bella drawled. Malfoy glared at her.

"Oh, it's you bet you're surprised Bella's here?" Ron asked, his voice straining to sound pleasant. Malfoy however held no such pretenses. He looked at Ron as if he were the street he walked on.

"No. But I'm surprised that _you_ are. I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those" Malfoy snapped, irritably. Ron turned red and started forward when Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him back. Her inhumane strength showed again for a girl about a head shorter than the soon to be second year.

"Ron! We're going to leave now? Come on, let's go outside" Mr. Weasley said, fighting his way over.

"Well, well, well If it isn't Arthur Weasley."

The drawl was remarkably similar to Draco's and Bella looked up to see a carbon copy of the boy. He was taller and older and he had longer hair but that was as far as the differences went. Wait, no, she noticed. The older man's eyes went icy blue in the light, it seemed.

"Lucius" Mr. Weasley said, coolly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, it seems. All those raids…I hope they're paying you overtime" Mr. Malfoy said. His eyes connected with crimson ones for a split second before his hand dipped into Gideon's cauldron and pulled out an old and battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide To Transfiguration_. He looked at it with disdain.

"Obviously not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace for a wizard if you aren't even paid well for the humiliation of it?" he said. His voice was aristocratic and lilting. He didn't seem concerned at all but there was a malicious undertone there.

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than his three other children.

"We must have very different ideas what disgraces a wizard, Malfoy" he said.

"Clearly. The company you keep…your status as a disgraced wizard may be raised by the fact that you're sorry excuse for a son is friends with Lady Slytherin, but it seems that the Mudblood…you family could sink no longer, it seems" Malfoy said. It wasn't Mr. Weasley who launched himself at Malfoy. It was Ron Malfoy easily threw him off and Mr. Weasley attacked him too. He knocked the other man backwards into a bookshelf and books came tumbling down.

Hermione stood frozen, looking down with wide eyes but a vicious smile spreading on her face.

"Break it up! Arthur, this ends now!" Sirius said. He grabbed the red headed man and pulled him off of Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy straightened and patted his hair back down. He was still holding her book and Bella thought she saw a flash of gold but she couldn't be sure. Mr. Malfoy dropped the book back into Gideon's cauldron.

"Take it boy. It seems that your father isn't worth looking up to if he resorts to Muggle dueling. He's a disgrace, just like the rest of your blood traitor family" Mr. Malfoy hissed before leaving the shop, Draco and another boy trailing after him. Hermione stiffened when her eyes fell on the other boy before she relaxed.

Bella looked at her friend strangely before exiting.

* * *

**Platform 9 ¾ , King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1st of September 1992**

**10:45 AM**

Hermione Granger sat on the train, waving to her parents she knew Ron and his family would be coming through the barrier at the last possible minute. Bella and Sirius would be running in at the last possible second. According to Bella, Sirius loved to be late especially when it had something to do with her.

"_Ciao, bella ragazza._"

The face made Hermione look up and she saw the same boy from before. It was the same boy who had been with both Malfoys. She really looked at him and couldn't help the blush that spread on her cheeks.

His skin was tanned and he had silky dark hair that fell elegantly to his shoulders. The way he held himself told her that he was a pureblood. This didn't make her stomach feel any better.

"Oh…er, my name's not Bella. That's Bella Potter. I'm just her Muggleborn friend" Hermione said in one of her rare and finest moment of ineloquence. The boy in front of her laughed.

"I know who the proclaimed Girl-Who-lived is, _bella ragazza_" he said, again. Hermione's eyes widened at his thick Mediterranean accent in his voice. Hermione cleared her throat, awkwardly.

"Er…right. Um…what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, slowly. The boy tilted his head and gestured to his trunk.

"I was looking for a compartment. It seems I haven't found one yet, judging from my trunk still being in my possession. Sì?" the boy asked. Hermione's cheeks turned pink and she looked away.

"Well, this compartment's taken. I'm waiting for my friends" Hermione said. The boy nodded in agreement and took a step back.

"Well, I will leave you to wait. _Arriverdeci, bella ragazza._"

Hermione's flushed deepened as he bowed to her before leaving. And that is how her friends found her.

"Mione, why are you blushing?"

"Shut up, Bella" was Hermione's response before blushing even harder.

:::

**A/N: **Well, well, well. We are starting Book 2 and it's starting much more differently than Chamber of Secrets. Have any of you figured out what the creature is that knows all but knows nothing? Well…it doesn't matter if you have because you won't be meeting that creature for only God knows how long.


	12. Chapter X

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…the story is underway and it'll be a very wild ride. I've finally come up with what I'm going to do for the third year. Prisoners and Azkaban will still be the star! This a short chapter but something very important happens in the end.

Okay…I think I'm going to change the title. I really think I am because I found the perfect title. So, next chapter, expect a different title!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter X**

**Hogwarts Platform, Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1st of September 1992**

**7:45 PM**

Hermione watched as Bella read one of the scrolls she had gotten from Professor Riddle. It was known by almost everyone in school that he favored her immensely Hermione noted. Hermione couldn't understand a word that it said, but Bella seemed to. The train was slowly coming to a stop and Bella placed the scroll in a special case in her trunk and muttered a quick warding spell that Sirius had most likely taught her.

She cared so much for the scrolls and books in there that Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Come on. We don't want to be late to the Sorting" Bella sighed and Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

They exited their compartment, abandoning their trunks so that someone on the train could take them to the dorms. Hermione knew that the train was a relatively new way to transport students to the school. The three pushed their way through the thick crowd. Bella was the smallest of the three in stature so she was between them and hooked arms with Hermione.

The girl looked very tired her eyes were dimmer and there were slight circles under her eyes, but it seemed that with every step Bella took, the Girl-Who-Lived looked less worn.

Hermione watched as Bella did a double take when she passed a girl with wide grey eyes and arched eyebrows that made her look permanently surprised. Her robes didn't have a crest so obviously she was a first year.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Bella shook her head but said nothing. Ron, Bella, and Hermione wandered around and followed the sea of older students to a bunch of horseless drawn carriages. The bushy haired girl pointed at them.

"That's how the second years and above get to the castle. I read about it" Hermione said, quietly. Ron snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, you've read about everything" he commented. Bella snickered as the three piled into the first empty carriage they came upon. They talked about stupid things but Hermione's mind was still on the Italian boy.

She could tell he was Italian. She understood basic words but for the life of her she was still confused on what he had called her. She had made an absolute fool of herself before and she refused to ask him what it meant.

"Bella, does Professor Riddle know Italian?" Hermione asked she knew from Bella that he had traveled the world at one point. Bella looked up from her intense conversation of Quidditch with Ron.

"Maybe…he traveled with his mentor for a time, I think. He might know the language. Why?" Bella asked. Hermione looked away and willed the blush from surfacing on her cheeks.

"I was just curious to know what a few words meant."

"Why? Did someone tell you something in Italian?" Ron asked, trying to get into the conversation. Hermione blushed and looked down. Bella gave her a sly smile and tilted her head.

"I'll ask him for you, tomorrow night" Bella promised. Hermione and Ron gave her a strange look and she looked at them, blankly.

"Tomorrow night?" Ron asked in confusion. Bella smirked and crossed her arms.

"I'm going to get my first detention of the year tomorrow! I bet you by the end of my seven years here, I'll have more than all of the Marauders put together, I bet you three sickles, Hermione that I will without even trying" Bella said, proudly. Ron sniggered, loudly.

"I accept that bet. You get on his nerves intentionally. You're going to be expelled before you even reach seventh year!" Hermione moaned. Bella just didn't know when to stop…

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1st of September 1992**

**8:00 PM**

Bella watched as Tom led the first years into the Great Hall. She smiled when Gideon and Ginny looked around with wide eyes. Tom shot her a smug smirk and her lips curled at him into a snarl. To everyone else it just looked like he was smirking at his normally did but his lips turned into that small smile. Bella's snarl disappeared and her eyes widened in surprise. She shook her head, sure that it had been her imagination but even she knew her imagination wasn't _that_ wild.

"Did you just see Marvolo…Professor Riddle smile?" Bella hissed to Hermione. Hermione was also watching with an astonished look her face but it was for a completely different reason, it seemed. Her eyes followed the other girl's look and she saw the boy Hermione had been staring at.

The boy looked increasingly familiar.

"He's a Slytherin…" Hermione muttered to herself but Bella heard nonetheless but didn't make a comment on it. If Hermione had wanted to tell her, she would have. Hermione turned the other girl as the Sorting began.

They didn't really listen as the Sorting Hat sang a similar version of what it had sung last year. Bella was glaring at the man who was sitting towards the end of the table. Gilderoy Lockhart was flashing bright grins at everyone that made Bella growl.

"Creevy, Colin."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Bella's eyes widened when she realized that she had blanked out. Hermione wasn't paying attention either. Ron was whispering to her but she was completely oblivious her eyes were darting from the empty plate and goblet in front of her to the boy at the Slytherin table who was shooting her sly glances.

"Are you okay?" Bella murmured. Ron looked affronted at being interrupted. Hermione blushed at being caught and glanced at Bella with heavy-lidded eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm fine" was Hermione's seemingly reassuring response.

"Lovegood, Luna."

"RAVENCLAW!"

Soon, only the twins were left up front and they looked nervous. Gideon was turning paler and paler as the minutes went by, his freckles standing out on his cheeks. Ginny was shaking and was turning red as the attention was turned from her brother on to her.

"Weasley, Gideon."

Gideon wandered up, his legs shaking and Bella could see Tom roll his eyes It was obvious that he wasn't the boy's biggest fan.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindors cheered, loudly in excitement and Bella smiled. He wandered over, almost tripping over his robes and sat a little ways down. He was slightly scowling over his smile he had been at first, searching for a seat near Bella.

"Weasley, Ginevra."

Ginny walked up, tiredly and ssat down on the chair and put the hat on over her head. As soon as it landed over her head, silence reigned. For, a few minutes she sat there, her fingers twitching as she sat there.

The silence reigned and Bella instinctually knew that the Sorting Hat was giving Ginny a choice. The Girl-Who-Lived knew that Gryffindor was one choice but she didn't know the other. Bella held her breath as the wide brim opened up to announce Ginny Weasley's house.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Ginny stood with wide eyes. Ron looked shell shocked as his sister walked towards the table decked with bronze and blue. Hermione clapped, smiling. Gideon was the only Weasley not shocked. He was grinning, proudly. Percy nodded, pompously and began declaring how intelligent his little sister was and such.

"GO GIN!" he shouted, Bella clapped as well as the Ravenclaw table cheered. She watched with bright green eyes as Ginny sat next to the girl with wide grey eyes. Something about her…

"I can't believe Ginny went to _Ravenclaw_" Ron said in shock he looked slightly disgruntled by that fact and Hermione gave him a stern glare, her attention finally back to her friends.

"Ron, Ravenclaw isn't a bad house at all. I was almost Sorted there" Hermione said, sharply. She was chastising him and Ron didn't like it. He glared at her and then puffed out his chest.

"Well, Bella and I were immediately sorted into Gryffindor! We're the courageous lot" Ron said, proudly. Bella cleared her throat and the two looked at her, curiously.

"Er…no I wasn't. I was almost Sorted into Slytherin" Bella commented. Ron looked at her in shock. She didn't look the least bit ashamed.

"But…but…all Dark wizards come from Slytherin!" Ron protested. Bella gave her a slight grin.

"Ron…I'm Lady Slytherin. Why _wouldn't_ I go to Slytherin?" was her only response.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1st of September 1992**

**11:30 PM**

_Hello, my name is Bella Anastasia Potter._

**Hello, Bella Anastasia Potter. My name is Tom.**

_I know someone named Tom, too._

**As do I Your name sounds common, Bella. What are you?**

_In what way? Blood wise?_

**That is correct.**

_I'm a half-blood. Your name sounds ridiculously common as well._

**I know.**

_What's wrong with my name?_

**Nothing. Nothing at all.**

_I don't like when people don't tell me things, I might get angry and tear you to shreds._

**We have a lot more in common than you think, Bella Potter.**

_In what way?_

_IN WHAT WAY?_

_Tom…answer me._

_ANSWER ME!

* * *

_

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 2nd of September 1992**

**8:00 AM**

The next morning, the trio walked into the Great Hall when suddenly, someone caught Bella's arm. Bella spun around, her wand already half out of her robes when she noticed that it was curly-haired Gideon, he was looking at her with bright brown eyes.

"Yes, Gideon?" Bella asked, tiredly.

"Bella! I was wondering if I could sit with you today!" Gideon said, looking at her earnestly. Bella paled and looked around. She already knew that the boy had a massive crush on her.

"Er…well…" Bella started.

"If it isn't Princess Potter and her little knight in shining armor isn't he a little too young for you, Potter?" the drawl came. Bella sneered and jerked her arm away from Gideon and looked at Draco Malfoy in surprise.

"Malfoy, what did I tell you about respecting your betters?" Bella asked, quietly. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You may be Lady Slytherin but you're still a disgusting half-blood" Draco snapped. Ron turned and red and took a step forward when Hermione pushed him back and took a step forward.

"What was that, you little ponce?" Hermione asked. Their eyes widened. Hermione never said anything derogative to anyone. It was a surprising development.

"Watch who you're talking to, you filthy Mudblood" Draco returned. Bella hissed and her wand was suddenly out and the tip was in his neck. Bella leaned forward and dug the tip of her wand into his jugular.

"Watch it Malfoy" Bella snapped.

"What are you going to do, Princess?" Malfoy baited Bella snarled and took a step forward.

"I'm warning you. I won't hesitate to curse you to hell and back," Bella said, quietly. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What curse could you, the Golden child of the Light know?" demanded Draco. Bella froze and then shook her head.

"I'm no one's Golden child."

A hissing laugh rang out and Bella's lips widened into a smirk and some of the first years screamed when they saw what was making the sound. Bella felt the heavy body climb up her and she saw Gideon gasp and almost scream as Draco paled.

"**Speaker-child, I haven't seen you in so long!**" Nagini said to her. Bella kissed the snake on the head and rubbed her cheek to the snake.

"**I know, Nagini. Where is Marvolo?**" Bella murmured to the snake. She still didn't remove her wand and didn't notice how Malfoy was inching away, slowly. Hermione's eyes were narrowing.

"**In there**" Nagini said, flicking her tongue towards the Great Hall. Suddenly, Bella looked back up as there was a flash of movement. Malfoy had tried to run away but Ron had lunged at him.

"No! Ron…" Bella snapped. Hermione grabbed him by the back of his robes and glared at Malfoy.

"You give purebloods a bad name…Thanatos" Hermione murmured, her eyes black, before turning on her heel and storming away. Draco growled and glared back at her, his silvery eyes turning into the color of molten steel.

"Drop dead" he snapped before walking away, with his head thrown back. Hermione blinked, her eyes going brown. Ron hadn't heard her, obviously. He was still fuming over the Mudblood comment.

"Do you even know what he called you?" Ron fumed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it means I have dirty blood. Well I'm a Mudblood and damn proud of it. Ron, it's over" Hermione sighed before walking into the Great Hall.

Ron was left standing in the doorway with Gideon.

"Why are you so angry?" Gideon asked, quietly. Ron growled and shoved past his little brother without another word.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 2nd of September 1992**

**9:05 AM**

Bella walked to the greenhouses with her two best friends. They had Herbology first with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Sprout stood in the front of the greenhouse near the head of the long wooden table. Twenty different colored earmuffs rested on the bench behind Professor Sprout. Bella grabbed a pair of green ones before hooking them around her neck.

After all the students gathered Professor Sprout announced what was on the agenda for the day. "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today, can anyone tell me what the properties of Mandrakes are?"

Hermione's hand was in the air before anyone could even blink.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state" Hermione quoted.

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. However, it is also very dangerous. Who can tell me why?" Sprout said.

Hermione's hand shot up once again. She had smacked Ron in her enthusiasm and he scowled, viciously, at her.

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Precisely. Take another ten points. Now the Mandrakes we have are very young so they will only knock you out. So everyone put your earmuffs on chop." Sprout commanded. Everyone snapped them on and she gestured for them to stand in front of the rows and rows of purplish green plants.

Sprout snatched at one of the plants with the weird leaves and pulled it up and Bella gasped in disgust. An small, ugly, muddy baby was attached to the leaves, and had pale green skin that made her want to vomit.

Sprout took a large pot with a lot of soil and buried the nasty looking baby in the dirt so that only the leaves were visible again and the crying had stopped. Sprout nodded and glanced around.

"Four to a tray" she said. The trio was joined by a Hufflepuff boy that Bella had seen around but never had spoken to.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley I know who you are, of course, the famous Bella Potter, and you're Hermione Granger you're always on top of every class we've got, and you're Ron Weasley, Bella and Hermione's friend" he said, smiling brightly. Ron scowled at that.

He didn't like being referred to as that, obviously.

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap. Have you read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and he just…he was fantastic" Justin started. Bella suddenly scowled and shook her head.

"Lockhart absolutely disgusts me. He's a fraud. " Bella said. Justin looked at her patiently.

"A lot of people don't think you defeated Grindelwald. Some would say _you're _a fraud" Justin said, quietly. Bella hissed and turned on him, her eyes rolling to stare at him. Justin flinched at the intensity of her glare.

"I don't know what happened that night. I barely remember anything, but I do know that I'm not a fraud. Grindelwald was defeated that night. But I don't think it was by me."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 2nd of September 1992**

**1:00 PM**

Bella sat in the front row, petting Nagini's head, slowly. The girl population minus Bella was buzzing about Gilderoy Lockhart. Bella sighed and the door opened in the back. Everyone turned to look to see if it was the 'revered' Lockhart.

It wasn't but the girl's didn't have to sigh in disappointment.

Tom stormed in, his eyes bright crimson he looked absolutely annoyed. Bella could tell by the tautness of his neck and how set his jaw was. He went up to her desk, and looked down at her. She looked up and he lowered down until he was centimeters away from her face.

"**Brat, he's going to try and corner you later today. Nagini…don't let the brat out of your sight**" Tom commanded. Bella nodded and her eyes wide as he walked around and stood behind his desk and slammed his hand down. Everyone stopped at abrupt sound of the loud noise.

"Hello, hello, hello!" Lockhart said, sweeping into the room. He was obviously gay, Bella noted. Lockhart threw a glowing smile around the room before his eyes rested on Tom. Tom actually cringed and his burned a deeper crimson. Nagini and Bella hissed at the man and Bella's eyes widened when she realized she had. The man hadn't heard but Hermione had.

Lockhart crossed to Neville's and he picked up and pointed at the picture. It was a winking Lockhart. Lockhart winked at Tom and Bella growled once again. Nagini's hiss was more audible and Lockhart looked up with wide eyes. Bella stroked the python, menacingly. Lockhart's grin never faltered.

"I'm Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five time of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. However I don't talk about that, I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her" Lockhart said. Bella couldn't resist.

"Yeah…because you didn't get rid of her,You're a fraud" Bella snarled. Lockhart heard her and scowled before looking away, replacing the scowl with a small smile, much smaller than his blinding and unnatural grin.

"Well, Miss Potter, I know it may seem hard to believe but even Professor Riddle can vouch for me" Lockhart said. Tom's lips turned into a smirk.

"I must agree with Miss Potter, Lockhart. Proceed on with the class" Tom said, plainly. Lockhart looked slightly crestfallen before turning back to the class. Hermione's expression was skeptical now and Bella grinned. Her friend thought he was a fraud too.

"I think we'll start with a quiz about myself…" Lockhart said. Bella groaned and Tom growled under his breath.

"Lockhart, that's enough. Teach something useful about Defense. Mister Longbottom could teach better than you" Tom snapped and Neville blushed. Bella rolled her eyes at Tom's annoyance. He knew that Lockhart was trying to flirt with him in the middle of the class. Hermione and Bella shared a look and Hermione raised her hand slowly.

"Yes? What is your name?" Lockhart asked. Hermione smiled, sweetly.

"Hermione Granger, resident Mudblood" Hermione started, smiling. Bella snorted and cackled under her breath. The other people in the class gasped and Ron stared at her in utter disbelief. Tom's smirk was widening and his eyes were back to charcoal now. He was completely amused.

"Er…right. Miss Granger, do you have a question about magical me?" Lockhart asked, confused as to why she was referring to herself in such a derogatory way.

"No. I know that you're a magical being. As I was saying, I'd just like to point out that Professor Riddle isn't gay" Hermione said. Lockhart's eyes widened and his smile really did slip off. Bella was outright cackling now. Everyone stared at her in shock before she flashed Tom a mischievous smile.

"That's the truth, Professor Lockhart! He's downright asexual" she cackled. Tom's smirk disappeared and turned into a sneer and he crossed over to her and smacked her in the back of her head. Lockhart's eyes widened and Bella scowled.

"Really? You're doing this again?" she snarled. Tom leaned down and glared at her though his eyes were glinting with amusement.

"Detention. 8:30" he hissed and Bella gave him an innocent look.

"Not the usually 8:00 sharp? You're getting soft" she said, smiling. Tom looked close to throttling her and Hermione groaned she hadn't meant to start this.

"You insufferable brat…ten points from Gryffindor" he snapped. Bella was still smiling just as sweetly despite the fact that everyone else was glaring at her. Bella turned around and kissed Nagini's head. Nagini took it as a cue and hissed at the other Gryffindors.

"Okay, Professor Riddle. Mione you owe me three sickles. I didn't even have to try" Bella smirked Lockhart looked at a loss for words. Tom stormed away and sat behind his desk before he began to grade the essays from summer homework.

"So, down to business, Now—be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures, know to wizard kind…" Lockhart said. Bella raised her hand and pointed at Tom.

"Actually, that's his job. You're just the assistant" she said, bored. Lockhart pointedly ignored the girl who was shaking with silent laughter.

"You may find yourself facing your worst fears in this room. Know that no harm can befall you whilst I'm here. All I ask you is that you remain calm" Lockhart said, quietly He crossed the room to fetch a covered cage. He placed it on the table it on Tom's desk. Tom looked up in alarm as half the cage was covering the parchments he was working on. He sighed and crossed his arms, his eye beginning to twitch.

"I must ask you not to scream. It might provoke them" Lockhart said, in a low voice. Nagini's tongue flicked out to taste the air. Bella watched in anticipation she couldn't help but be a little interested in what Lockhart had to show them.

He yanked back the canvas covering and Bella began to cackle, manically. Almost the entire class was laughing with her.

"Yes! Freshly-caught Cornish pixies it is normal that you have to dilute your fear with laughter" Lockhart said, completely confused. Seamus snorted even louder and Lockhart smiled at him.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Professor Riddle never brings in creatures and they aren't really Dark creatures are they?" Seamus asked. Lockhart didn't have a chance to answer. Bella turned to face Seamus.

"I know a Dark creature when I see one. That's not one of them" Bella said. Seamus looked at her, skeptically.

"How would you know?" he asked, curiously. Bella froze and Ron snorted, coming to her rescue.

"Do they _look_ dangerous, Seamus?" Ron asked. Seamus shrugged and they turned back to Lockhart.

"Don't be so sure they are devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" Lockhart said, wagging a finger at Seamus, Ron, and Hermione snickered under her breath when suddenly Lockhart opened the cage. Tom had darted forward to close it when all of them came out like little blue fireballs.

With that the chaos started. Bella however was leaning back in her chair and cackling loudly. The chaos was beautiful. In a few seconds the little buggers had Neville hanging from the chandelier. Windows were smashed and Tom looked absolutely livid.

"_Peskipiksi Pesternomi!_" Lockhart shouted, pointing his wand. Hermione groaned and shook her head.

"That's not even a real spell!" she complained meanwhile Tom stood up, shaking his eyes were crimson in color and his wand was in hand. He waved it intricately and snarled.

"**STOP!**" he let out in a large hiss and a calm rushed over the room as his magic was released from his wand and Bella leaned back and began to tremble. The pixies froze in midair.

Bella eyes rolled back into her head and she began to seizure. Tom stowed his wand away as Hermione screamed and looked at Bella with wide eyes. As soon as it was away, Bella let out a soundless scream and gasped for air, her green eyes burning. She looked pale and she was gripping her wand. Everyone watched as she closed her eyes and shook her head. Nagini looked at her charge, worriedly.

"So…**Dark…so Dark…so delicious. So…**_**evil**_" Bella hissed, sounding completely possessed. Her voice was low enough so that the only people that could hear her were Lockhart, Ron, Hermione, and Tom. Tom's eyes widened and turned away.

"Get her to the Hospital Wing for extensive magical exposure to an adult core. She fed on my magic. Granger, Weasley take her, now" Tom said, calmly. Hermione wrapped her arm around Bella's trembling shoulders. Bella looked absolutely insane and she pushed Hermione off her.

"Don't touch me, Mórrígan!" she hissed. She stormed off, her hair wild and Hermione's eyes widened at the name. Draco also looked stricken just as the Italian boy did.

"Mórrígan?" Hermione whispered. Bella's wand was out and she walking, quickly. Hermione ran out of the classroom as fast as she could. Bella was running faster and she glanced behind with a quirk of a smile. Ron was right behind Hermione.

"Keep up, Hermione!" Bella cackled Ron looked with wide eyes as Bella went crazy. The pair chased the Potter girl up the steps. Teachers shouted at them to stop. They almost ran over Professor Flitwick.

"Sorry, Professor! This is a bit of an emergency! Bella's gone crazy! Call the Headmaster!" Hermione shouted over her shoulder. Bella suddenly stopped at the seventh floor and ran past a blank wall. There wasn't anything there.

"Work, work, _work_! Please! I need it. I _require_ it!" Bella shouted. Nothing appeared. Bella backed up against the wall as Hermione and Ron appeared. And from the other side of the corridor, so did Dumbledore.

"My dear girl, what is wrong?" asked Dumbledore. Bella glared at him with hardened eyes and Hermione gasped. One was crimson and the other green. Bella cackled and smirked at him.

"You've lost old man. And you're about to lose…everything."

And then Bella's world went black.

::::

**A/N**: Hola. I was wondering if you guys would mind if I change the title. I was wondering if I should. The title is 'Once Upon A December'. Could you guys vote on it for me? I don't know if I should and it's seriously bothering me. If you have a different suggestion pick other and PM me with what you've got to say. Is that okay with you guys?

Oh, before I forget, review responses!

**Xoxo: **Hi! You seem to fear that Bella's not awesome enough. She grows into her awesomeness. Plus, you're forgetting that she's 12. She'll definitely grow into her awesomeness. I promise. Hermione is pretty awesome and I need her to be. But soon you're going to find that her awesomeness is going to get her into a shitload of trouble. And don't worry about Bella not being pretty. She's an angel. Tom was just being a complete jackass. She's actually very beautiful.


	13. Chapter XI

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **HELLO! I haven't changed the title because right now, it doesn't even really matter. So this chapter is not that long, people. The next chapter will be even shorter, purely because of the fact that it involves only one huge event that actually starts up the story. I really would like to have longer chapters because you deserve them! But it's getting harder and harder to update because my Trigonometry grade wasn't…very good. So, my parents are making me study every night for most of my classes. So, remember that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4th of September 1992**

**11:00 AM**

_The dark-haired woman she hadn't dreamt about since a year before stood in the snow, and wore a dark green cloak and was looking up with wide and innocent eyes. The woman sat on a stone bench as the snow fell on her and even though she didn't appear to have a warming charm on she looked completely comfortable in the bitter cold._

_Bella watched in surprise. She was always in her dreams but she was never this close so just in case she hid behind a large marble statue of what appeared to be Morgan le Fay._

"_Snow…such innocence, such beauty, and such purity," the woman murmured. She closed her eyes and felt the white snowfall on her alabaster skin. Lean arms wrapped themselves around her waist and she leaned back into the man who had appeared behind her. He was wearing a hood that shadowed over his face and he placed his chin on top of her head._

"_Just like you."_

"_Never. Not anymore. I lost that a long time ago, my love" the woman responded. The man chuckled._

"_Lost it to whom, may I ask?" The man asked as the woman gave him a cheeky smile. Bella slid from behind the marble statue to the stone bench, a little way from the couple but still in hearing rangre and sat down._

"_Who do you think? You, love. Where are my brothers and sister?" the woman asked the man as he tilted his head. Bella watched from her perch on a stone bench it was a courtyard, she understood now. She could see stained-glass windows around and if she had to guess, she'd say that they were at a cathedral._

"_Your sister is with Apollo and Thanatos is having his breakfast" the man answered. The woman frowned and She turned around to face the man and was still in his arms._

"_It's Yule. We should all be together."_

"_We will gather them soon…we do have the Yule Ball for the followers. Uncle insisted that we follow traditions. And he knows how much you love Yule and dancing" the man said, patiently. The woman smiled and pulled away._

"_I haven't danced in so long. I am not surprised about how excited I am. Happy Yuletide, my Lord" the woman said, teasingly. She curtsied and the man seemed to understand. He couldn't help but smile._

"_I can't really tell how excited you are. You always look excited. However, I must have yet to wish you a happy Yuletide, Ana. So…happy Yuletide, Ana. May I have this dance?" the man murmured and he bowed as the woman nodded with a grin and lifted her skirt. Bella could now see that the skirt was crimson, the robes she had underneath her dark green cloak were red, like the color of blood. They began to waltz, gracefully in the snow and they didn't notice a pale haired man, an Italian man, and the future Hermione from the mirror standing in an archway, watching them. A beautiful woman with long dirty blonde hair stood next to the pale haired man. Bella recognized the woman as an Elf. Her ears were slightly pointed and she was smiling._

"_They look beautiful together" the Elf woman said while the pale-haired man nodded._

"_They love each other very much, I agree" he said, quietly while dream/future Hermione was smiling and leaned against the tall man._

_They watched the pair dance to their imaginary music, gracefully as the pair appeared to be in their own world entirely. The woman placed both hands on the sides of the man's face and pulled back the hood. Bella couldn't see his face from the angle she was at. Bella could see a platinum ring around the woman's finger with a cracked onyx in the middle of it on the woman, Ana's, left ring finger while the man had a golden ring with a large emerald in it._

"_Love you" Ana murmured. The man leaned down to touch his forehead to Ana's. Bella could see that he had black hair and that reached his shoulders and long pale fingers. He brushed his fingertips against Ana's cheek._

"_And I love you as well."_

_The dreamed swirled into nonexistence and suddenly Bella's world was burning._

Bella shot up with sweat pouring from her face and let out a bloodcurdling scream as her scar burned, fiercely. She opened her eyes to see Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Gideon, Fred, George, Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Tom surrounding her. Bella screamed again and began struggling to get up.

"Let me up!" Bella commanded. She pushed past the others and looked out the window and sighed in relief to see that it wasn't snowing. She slid down, with her hands against the window and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay, Bella?" a voice whispered, sounding half frightened. Bella turned to see Gideon standing there with his hand outstretched. Bella nodded and walked almost zombie like towards Tom. She grabbed his wrist and he looked at her in complete surprise.

"My wand. Where's my wand?" she whispered Tom presented her with the holly wand and she grabbed it tightly. Her brow furrowed and she pulled him down by his wrist so that his ear was to her lips.

"My other wand, Marvolo. Where is it?" she murmured. Tom frowned and pulled away from her. He looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"What other wand?" Tom asked, patiently Bella seemed to be possessed by something and she seemed to be trying to fight if the flickering expressions continuing to appear on her face was anything to go by.

"The wand, Marvolo. The wand. I feel a connection to another wand…my scar, my scar" moaned Bella in pain. Tom leaned down and touched her forehead.

"Bella Potter. Sit down" he commanded. Bella glared at him.

"That's not my name! I can't remember my name. It…it starts with an…an…" Bella whispered, brokenly. She burst into sobs and everyone looked positively unnerved. Sirius, Tom, and Dumbledore didn't know what to do, Madam Pomfrey went to fetch a calming draught, and Hermione hugged Bella, tightly.

"It'll be okay, Bell. It'll be okay, I promise. Did you have a nightmare?" Hermione murmured. Bella shook her head.

"No…it was one of those dreams that made my scar hurt. I-it was a-about a woman…and a man and it was snowing. They man and woman were dancing in the snow and…you were there Hermione as well with two other men and a woman. You were watching and it was a cathedral that's all I remember" Bella murmured as Dumbledore crossed over to the two girls.

"Bella, are you sure there wasn't anything else you remember?" Dumbledore asked. Ron frowned.

"But…wasn't it just a silly dream?" Ron asked and Bella turned and glared at him, fiercely.

"That wasn't a dream. It was a premonition" Bella said as she yelled at him. She turned back to Dumbledore and tilted her head, frowning trying to desperately to remember.

"A ring there was a ring on Ana's finger. The woman's name was Ana, and the ring it was platinum and it had a cracked onyx stone on it" Bella exclaimed and both Dumbledore and Tom paled and looked at each other but for two completely different reasons. Dumbledore nodded and Pomfrey forced a calming draught down the girl's mouth.

"I see. I think it is time we take our leave. Children, you should head to your next class as soon as possible" Dumbledore said, quietly. Fred and George stood to leave and gave Bella thumbs up. Dumbledore waited for the other kids but they didn't seem willing to move.

"Get better, Bella. Oliver may hold a surprise Quidditch practice" Fred warned. Bella nodded, quietly.

"Will you be okay, Bella?" Ginny asked, quietly. Bella didn't even notice her odd behavior. She looked shaken and she was clutching Gideon's hand rather tightly and her other hand was her throat.

"I'll be fine, Ginny. Go back to class" Bella whispered, hoarsely. Gideon followed his sister, never letting go as they left. Bella turned to her best friends while they sat there, resolutely.

"You won't leave, even if I ask you, will you?" Bella sighed as Ron shook his head and crossed his arms.

"You're my best mate, even if you're a girl" Ron said as if that one statement said it all. Hermione's eyes were black again and she grabbed Bella by the hand.

"Bella Anastasia Potter, you're crazy if you think I'll leave you in this right state" Hermione said, admonishingly. Bella gave a slight smirk at this but it was half-hearted. Dumbledore smiled at their loyalty to the girl.

"**I don't want to dream, Marvolo**" she whispered and Tom looked at her through dark eyes and nodded,

"Do you want me to block the dreams?" he asked. She nodded and turned to glance through the window and at Hermione and her worried friends. Her eyes landed on Sirius who looked on the edge of having a panic attack.

"Yes please block them" she said, just as quietly as she had before. Tom closed his eyes and lifted his wand. Sirius' eyes widened and Tom held up a hand.

"Black, I'll have to use Legilimency to see what's causing the problem. I need your expressed agreement" Tom said.

"Doe, are you sure? Do you even know what it Legilimency is?" demanded Sirius. Bella looked at her Uncle with a scowl. She winced as her scar burned once again Tom caught the flinch and scowled at it.

"Don't undermine my intelligence, Uncle Sirius I'm sure I want this. You don't know how it feels. The dream may have seemed pleasant but from all the people except for the Elf, Dark magic radiated" Bella said, quietly. Everyone froze and McGonagall leaned forward.

"Miss Potter, you must be mistaken. The Elves have been a dying and hidden race of magical creature for centuries. One would not suddenly take sides" McGonagall said, gently or as gently as the stern woman could get. Bella scowled once more and looked determined.

"No she was an Elf, her ears were pointed and she was pale,willowy, and tall. She wore the purple robes of the council and she had large grey eyes" Bella said, determinedly. No one questioned her again. Tom touched his wand to her forehead and cleared his throat.

"**Close your eyes, brat—**" Tom started. Bella lifted her hand.

"**Don't call me that** **if it's impossible for you to call me by my first name, my middle name will do**."

"Fine, _Anastasia_. Close your eyes. Good..._Legilimens_" Tom commanded. He forced his way into Bella's mindscape.

His eyes widened as he looked at it.

_It was a long corridor of onyx and paintings filled the walls. They were all of different sizes and depicted different scenes. Tom glanced away and looked around. At one end of the hall was a locked door with what appeared to be a label on it. At the other end was another locked door. Tom moved forward, towards the left, and glanced around. The paintings were vivid in color and they were constantly moving. He watched the dream she had described and his eyes widened as he recognized the man and woman._

"_She doesn't recognize who…" he said, quietly to himself. He quieted himself down as he realized that she would be able to hear everything he said he walked, quickly, passing the memories depicted on the walls. At the end of the corridor, an iron door stood. There wasn't a handle it had simple plaque on it._

'_The Unknown'_

_Tom looked at it curiously before crossing to the other end of the corridor. That way, the paintings came faster and faster, changing and going like a never-ending cycle._

_That door wasn't labeled._

_But on the door was the sign of the Deathly Hallows. But it did have an ornate doorknob. Tom's hands went to the doorway. As soon as he touched it, it swung open and he entered the dimly lit room. Bella lay on a bed, her eyes closed. She was much older, looking about 17. Her hair was spread along the pillows and she kept whimpering in her sleep. He knew that she was dreaming again of the future._

"_Wake up, Miss Potter."_

_His voice didn't seem to rouse her out of her slumber. Tom frowned in thought and leaned forward._

"_Enervate!" he called pointing his wand. She jolted in her sleep but still didn't awake. He sighed._

"_Brat, wake up."_

_She became as still as a corpse and her breathing even slowed a little. Tom cursed under his breath before approached the side of her bed. He leaned over and inspected her she was wearing a long black dress that spilled over the side of the bed. Her hair stood out against emerald bedspread. The girl looked so pale and so waxy. Almost like a doll._

"_Bella, wake up. Wake up…" he murmured. Her eyelids fluttered the tiniest bit before closing again. Tom leaned down over the woman on the bed. He couldn't even really think of her as Bella. He leaned down until there was only a millimeter between the two._

"_Wake up, Anastasia. Wake up, Ana" murmured Tom. The words roused the Bella look-a-like and she shot up. Tom only had a second to dodge her. She was breathing hard and she turned to look at him with wide eyes._

"_You woke me up…" the Bella look-a-like murmured. Tom looked at her with narrowed eyes._

"_Who exactly are you?" he demanded. Bella look-a-like's eyes narrowed._

"_I have many names. I am Victory, I am Conquest, I am Nikita, I am the Ressurected One, and I am 'she who will rise again'" Victory said. Tom nodded and tilted his head._

"_What are you would be the appropriate question, then?" Tom asked. Victory nodded and gave him a slight smirk._

"_I am Bella as she will be in a matter of years it all depends on her choices. Her choice between Dumbledore and Gideon and…" Victory started. Tom took a step closer to her and looked at her in a confused manner. Victory took another step towards her and lifted her left hand to brush against Tom's face. He saw the ring Bella had been speaking of._

"_And who?"_

"_Grindelwald and…__**you**__" she ended hissing in Parseltongue before giving Tom a deep kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly. Tom couldn't even react as Victory ran her tongue over his lips before pulling away and smiling._

"_I'm going to savor that taste until Bella is older. Goodbye, love" Victory said before pulling back. Tom could see as the room warped. He knew he was exiting Bella's mindscape._

He emerged gasping for air as Bella's glazed eyes flickered back to life. Her eyes widened as she felt the presence awaken inside of her and form an iron hard barrier around her mind.

"What was that?" Bella whispered in shock. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed as they made eye contact. He tried to enter her mind when he heard a low and sultry laugh before being expelled back.

"Someone is protecting her mind. But it doesn't sound like Tom. Tom, what happened?" Dumbledore asked, business like, suddenly. Tom was staring at Bella in wonder and he blinked.

"An older version of herself is guarding her mind. It is fine Bella, sleep. Sleep now" Tom said, sharply. Bella's eyes widened, infinitesimally at the way he was addressing her. She decided to question later and just sleep. She was exhausted.

"Will I dream?" Bella asked. Tom shook his head.

"Anastasia, go to sleep and maybe you'll see" Tom said, baiting her. Bella sneered at him and settled down. She looked back at Sirius and held out her hand.

"Will you promise to be here when I wake up?" Bella asked. Sirius nodded without even asking Dumbledore or Tom. Dumbledore didn't seem to mind but Tom's expression soured.

"Of course I will Doe. I'm never going to leave you. I promise" Sirius said, quietly. Bella nodded and turned to Ron.

"Go back to class, Ron. I'll be fine. I swear and when I'm back on my feet from this damned disorder I'm going to attempt to kick your ass in wizard chess" Bella smirked. Ron snorted and picked up his bag.

"We'll see about that Bella come on, Mione" he said, wandering to the door. Hermione nodded and turned around when Bella grabbed the girl by her wrist and the girl turned around.

"Mione…don't lose yourself in it" Bella whispered. Hermione jerked her wrist from Bella's hand with wide eyes. Tom raised an eyebrow.

Sometimes the things she said didn't make sense but did at the same time. Was the door that said 'Unknown'…

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said, evenly. She almost sounded cold. Bella smirked and shook her head.

"You can't lie to Anastasia, darling" she tusked before smirking and then passing out. Hermione pulled away before walking away, a hard look in her dark eyes. She glanced back at the sleeping girl before following Ron out of the Hospital Wing.

"Tom, Minerva, if you will join in me my office" Dumbledore said. Tom grimaced, knowing what was coming up next.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4th of September 1992**

**11:35 AM**

When the three teachers reached the headmaster's office, Tom was trying not to have a panic attack.

Because Dark Lord's do not have panic attacks.

He gritted his teeth as Dumbledore sat behind the desk and in the chair that he so coveted. He wanted that seat more than anything and he would kill for it. Behind that desk he would have power behind his imagination.

It had nothing to do with being magically or politically powerful. He would have power of an army of children that he could brainwash…er…sway to his side.

"Lemon drop, my boy? Lemon drop, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked as soon as they sat down. Minerva simply gave Dumbledore a disbelieving look. Dumbledore turned to look at Tom. Tom did his best to not glare at the man but Dumbledore still had that stupid innocent expression on his face.

"I don't want any of your muggle candy" Tom spat. Dumbledore nodded and leaned back in his chair. He didn't say anything he just picked up a silver instrument and inspected it. He poked at it with his wand and began to tinker with it. Tom stared at the man in disbelief. Minerva seemed a little more annoyed.

"Albus! Is there a good reason why I am not teaching my class?" demanded Minerva. Dumbledore looked up from the instrument and nodded, sagely. He placed the ash wand down in front of him and the silver instrument.

"There is. Tom wasn't exactly telling the truth about Miss Potter's mindscape. What did happen?" Dumbledore asked. Minerva's eyes went wide as Tom's eyes narrowed and his hand clenched into a fist.

"Her mind was incredibly organized for someone her age it consists of a long corridor built with onyx bricks, and her memories were in portraits that were vivid in color" Tom stated as if he was reading a report. Minerva looked at him, expectantly.

"Her memories were stored in pictures?"

"No. Portraits. They were painted. I saw the one with this Ana figure and the other people. I couldn't make out their faces, most likely because she couldn't" Tom lied. Dumbledore seemed to trust him and didn't make a comment. Tom held back his smirk. Dumbledore had never trusted him as a student. This was a nice change.

"Continue Tom," Dumbledore prompted. Tom nodded, stoically.

"At each end of the corridors was a door. At one end of the corridor was a door marked 'Unknown'. It did not have a doorknob, thus I deemed that it could not be opened by anyone except for Miss Potter. At the other end was a door with a doorknob but without a label or mark of some sort. I opened the door to reveal an older Bella Potter. She was asleep on the bed and I tried to awaken her," Tom continued. Dumbledore nodded and leaned back with a sparkle in his eyes. Tom cringed.

"Was it like the muggle fairytale, Sleeping Beauty?" Dumbledore asked. McGonagall almost choked on air. Tom did.

"No, you old moronic…no. I tried 'Enervate' but it did not work. I then called her name. I called her by the name of 'Miss Potter' and she didn't move. I called her brat and she turned into what would be equivalent to a wax doll. I called her 'Bella'. Her eyelids fluttered before she became still. I then called her Anastasia and she awoke. She…wasn't exactly Bella. She said that she was 'she who will rise again'. She then said that Bella may become her depending on choices. It's all about choices" Tom repeated. Dumbledore nodded and leaned back.

"Albus, what does this mean?" Minerva asked, almost worriedly and Albus tilted his head.

"I have my suspicions I will think about this and get back to you. Minerva, you may go teach your class. Tom, I'm sure you'll wish to see Bella" Albus said and Tom stood up with a scowl on his face.

"I have papers to grade and a stalker to stop. I don't wish to see a little unimportant girl," Tom said. Albus' retained his amused expression even after Tom left the room.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 5th of September 1992**

**4:30 AM**

Bella was asleep in her bed. The dreams had not come back to her since the day Tom had ventured into her mind. She was violently shaken away from her deep sleep. Her wand was in hand in seconds and a curse on the tip of her tongue. She blinked the blurriness away from her eyes to see Katie Bell standing over her.

The third-year girl was shaking the smaller girl and Bella shot up, looking around worriedly.

"Whassamatter?" Bella hissed and Katie smiled at the girl, tiredly.

"Quidditch practice come on" Katie whispered.

Bella turned to look at the window, wondering how she had slept in so late in the day. Then, she realized that she should've taken Fred and George's warning to heart. It was the crack of dawn. The sun was only half way over the horizon.

"What the hell…" Bella said, under her breath. She swung herself out of bed and slid on a pair of jeans and her top Quidditch robe over a long sleeved turtleneck. She scrawled a note to Hermione, just in case she wasn't back before the girl woke up before walking down the stairs.

"Bella!"

"Bella Potter, smile!"

Bella's eyes widened when a bright flash filled her vision and she fell back. Katie Bell was laughing at her and Bella scowled at the girl. She looked up to see that Colin Creevy boy who tended to stalk her but never approach her. Gideon was with him. Bella glared at the two.

"What? It's the crack of dawn! Go to bed!" Bella snarled. The two looked at her in surprise and Colin seemed to be in too much shock that Bella had actually spoken to him. Gideon looked at her, hopefully.

"We were wondering where you were going. We heard that fifth year Quidditch captain talking to the Katie girl. So where _are_ you going? On another one of those super cool adventures?" Gideon asked, excitedly. Bella rolled her eyes at his antics as she felt her stomach growl.

"Where do you _think_ I'm going? Your deductibility skills are rubbish, Gideon. I'm wearing my Quidditch robes and have a broom in hand. Obviously, I'm going on another 'super cool' adventure to destroy Grindelwald, forever. And then I'm going to marry you and have three kids named James Weasley, Albus Weasley, and Lily Weasley…" Bella snorted. Gideon had gone silent and then deathly pale.

"Did you read my journal?" he whispered. Bella froze and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a serious look. She shook her head.

"No. It was a joke."

Gideon turned the color of a tomato. He looked away and Colin's eyes were wide. Bella took a step back as Katie began to roar with laughter. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"Oh…can we…er…go watch you play?" Gideon stuttered out through his utter embarrassment. Bella shrugged, weakly. She didn't know what to say. Had Gideon really came up with all that crap?

"I don't care but I got to go. Oliver will be off his rocker if I don't show up soon" Bella said, walking away, much more quickly than necessary. Katie's laughter had turned to giggles and she looked at the girl next to her.

"He really fancies you. He's a first year, right?" Katie asked. Bella nodded once and tilted her head.

"Yes. And I know he fancies me. Ron, his older brother, points it out to me all the time" Bella sighed. Katie smirked as the two made it on to the Quidditch Pitch. When they finally got down there, they sat in a low dugout type area where Wood was.

"What took you so long?" asked Oliver once they got there. Katie smirked.

"Bella had a run in with her most devoted admirer" Katie teased and the elder set of Weasley twins gave wide grins.

"That would be our little brother, Gideon" Fred said, chuckling tiredly and George nodded and then looked like he was falling asleep before he pointed up.

"Oh…there he is now. With some other kid" George commented. Oliver knew that Gideon was trustworthy if he was Fred and George's brother but he looked instantly suspicious about the other kid.

"Someone get him away! He might be a Slytherin spy…" Oliver said, lowering his voice towards the end. Bella rolled her eyes and gave a loud yawn.

"He can't be. He's a Gryffindor" Bella explained. George nodded before glancing across the field.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy" he commented. Oliver and the rest of the team looked at him startled.

"Why is that?" Angelina Johnson asked. Fred pointed to the area across the field.

"That would be because they're here in person."

Like a sea of green and silver, the Slytherin Quidditch team walked over in formation. The captain was towards the front with the two Beaters flanking him, the three Chasers were right behind the Beaters and the Seeker, who wasn't visible, was probably behind them, rounding out the group.

"I booked the Pitch! I booked it!" spat Oliver in rage. Marcus Flint gave a greasy smirk and produced a piece of parchment.

"Ah, yes but I've got a note specially signed by Professor Snape to train our new Seeker" Marcus said, smirking.

"You've got a new Seeker? Who is it?" Oliver asked, suddenly distracted. He was eager to scope out Bella's competition.

The new Seeker walked forward, confidently. His platinum blond hair was slicked back and he had a smirk on his face and Bella's lips curled into a sneer.

"_Him? _The little dragon is your Seeker?" she scoffed and Draco Malfoy glared at her and lifted his chin.

"Afraid of some competition, princess?" he snarled back. Bella stood up and glared at him rolling up her sleeves.

"Come on, Dragon I can take you, here and now, muggle-style" she hissed, her hands clenching into fists. Alicia Spinnet and Fred grabbed her by the back of her robes to keep her from going at it with Draco.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" asked George.

"Funny you should mention Malfoy's father. Let me show you the generous gift he gave us" Flint said. The team extended their brooms. They were black and sleek and made every broom, except for maybe the Nimbus Two Thousand, look like child's play.

"So, he bought his way on to the team. I'm not surprised" Bella snorted. Draco gave her a foul look.

"Bet you couldn't even afford one, Princess Potter" Draco hissed. Bella snatched her robes from Angelina's loosening grip. Fred had already let go to inspect the brooms. She stalked up to him with anger written on her face.

"Let me tell you something, Draco. You've obviously forgotten who I am so let's go over it again. I am the future Lady Potter-Black-Slytherin I could buy a whole fleet of broomsticks and then still have enough money to buy out your entire family" Bella hissed, low enough for only the people immediately surrounding her to hear. Flint's eyes widened at the information but he didn't comment. He turned to look over his shoulder when he his lips curled in disgust.

"Oh look, a field invasion" he said, calmly.

Ron and Hermione were walking over to the opposing teams.

Bella already knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Anastasia, what's happening? I thought you came out here for practice?" Hermione said. Everyone looked around in confusion. Fred and George exchanged looks.

"Anastasia?" they murmured to each other. Draco didn't seem fazed at all by the nickname.

"What's _he _doing here?" Ron spat. Draco smirked at the redhead.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, weasel. Everyone was admiring the brooms my father purchased for the team" Draco smirked. Hermione made a noise in the back of her throat. Ron gasped, looking at the sleek brooms.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in by pure talent" Hermione snapped, sharply.

"No one asked your opinion, you crazy bitch" Draco said, smirking. Everyone gasped and Hermione froze up and glared at him, taking a step forward.

"I'm not crazy."

"Notice, she didn't make a comment about her being a bitch. The filthy little Mudblood" Draco sneered. Hermione's lips spread into a smirk as everyone suddenly freaked out.

Flint dived in front of Malfoy and Hermione to keep Fred and George from tackling him. Alicia and Katie gasped.

"How dare you!" Angelina shouted. Ron whipped out his wand, quickly. The long narrow stick was aimed directly at Malfoy.

"You'll pay for that one! Eat slugs!" Ron shouted. Bella noticed a moment too late that the wand was facing the wrong way. A green jet of light shot out at Ron and he was knocked backwards by the force. He landed on his wand and there was a sickening wooden crack. Bella could feel the magical core escaping from the wand and her expression became forlorn as she realized that Ron's wand broke. But that wasn't what truly concerned at the moment. Ron was turning green and everyone's attention was divided between him and Hermione.

"I'm a mudblood and proud of it, Malfoy. And I will always be proud of it. And I'm _not_ crazy" Hermione said, at regular volume and her eyes dark. The last part was drowned by a great belching noise and everyone watched in shock as three slimy slugs slipped from Ron's mouth.

The Slytherin team erupted into laughter. Flint was leaning on his broom to keep standing up and to avoid slipping onto the ground. Malfoy was on all fours, laughing so hard that no sound was coming out of his mouth. Hermione spun around, suddenly and her expression was worried.

"Ron! Ron, are you all right?" Hermione shrieked, worriedly. Bella shook her head.

"We better get him to Hagrid's. It's closer than the castle" Bella said. She slung one of Ron's arms around her shoulders and Hermione supported his other side. When they exited the Quidditch Pitch, they saw Gideon, Colin, and now Ginny appear in their path.

"Ron! Ron are you okay?" Ginny asked, almost repeating the exact same thing Hermione had. Ron only belched in response and Ginny squealed as one of the massive slugs fell on her trainers. She kicked it off and it landed in Ron's face leaving slime as it fell to the ground.

"Could you hold him up so I could get a picture?" Colin asked. Bella scowled.

"No Gideon, Ginny go get Ron's wand. It's broken on the field near Fred and George. Go find some Spellotape and fix it for now, alright?" Bella asked. The pair nodded. They exchanged ominous glances and Gideon's hand slipped up to his neck where Bella could see a hint of a gold chain. She didn't pay much attention to it. They walked back, nodding and the trio made their way towards the hut Hagrid lived in.

"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me" Hagrid said, smiling. He beckoned them in and Bella explained quickly about Ron's slug problem. Hagrid didn't seem at all bothered and handed Ron a copper basin.

"Better get 'em all up" Hagrid advised. They spent the next few minutes in silence, listening to Ron get sick with slugs dribbling from his mouth every few seconds. Finally, Hermione was fed up with hearing the sickening sounds.

"So Hagrid how's this year going for you?" Hermione asked. Surprisingly, Hagrid scowled.

"Professor Lockhart was givin' _me_ advice on getting' kelpies out of a well. Like I don't know. An' he came bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'd eat my kettle" Hagrid grumbled. Bella snorted and Hagrid looked at her in surprise. Hermione giggled.

"Professor Lockhart and Bella don't really like each other very much. You see, it seems Professor Lockhart has a little crush on Professor Riddle. And I pointed out that Professor Riddle wasn't gay. So, Bella likes to goad him on that. We were assigned an essay. It was only a foot long and at the top she wore 'Rejected, rejected, oh, you were rejected. R-E-J-E-C-T-E-D. Rejected'. It was very amusing" Hermione said and everyone laughed along with her, though surprised at the revelation.

"I'll probably get a T on that one. But it was worth it. And if Marvolo looks over all of them, he'll bring up my grade because I made my essay thoughtful and not idiotic. Apparently he hates morons…and idiots. He spent most of last year, conditioning me from idiocy apparently" Bella grumbled. They laughed again but were joined by a new laugh. It sounded bitter and everyone looked over to watch Ron as he sat up and placed the now full basin towards the side.

"So tell me, wha' happened?" Hagrid said, finally. Hermione sat up.

"He was trying to curse Malfoy" she said, matter-of-factly.

"He called her a Mudblood" Ron explained. Hagrid gasped.

"He didn'" Hagrid growled. Ron nodded.

"It's such a disgusting thing to call someone. Common blood. Dirty blood" Ron spat. Hermione sat up and crossed her arms.

"And I know that. I took no offense at it. Because I _am_ a Muggleborn. And if someone calls me a Mudblood, I'll be proud of it. And that's why, when I first introduced myself to Professor Lockhart, I said 'Hermione Granger, resident Mudblood'" Hermione said, firmly. Hagrid gasped.

"Why woul' you go an' do tha'?" Hagrid demanded. Hermione gave him a grim smile.

"Because that's who I am."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 5th of September 1992**

**11:00 PM**

_Hello, Tom. Are you there? Are you going to answer me?_

**Hello, Bella.**

_TOM! Why didn't you answer me before?_

**I didn't feel like it.**

_You seriously remind me of the other Tom I know. He's a total jackass._

**I'm sure.**

_Why do I detect some sarcasm from you?_

**Your detecting skills are astounding, even through paper. Most impressive.**

_I'm still getting that sarcasm vibe from you._

**Good. That was the point. Now, why were you disturbing my peaceful rest?**

_You're a book. You can't rest._

**I'm much more than a simple diary. Now answer my question.**

_Fine…I was just wondering if you knew about any weird animals in Hogwarts._

**What do you mean by 'weird animals' as you so eloquently put it?**

_You're a total smartass, you know that? Anyway, I mean magical creatures. I heard this growling, echoing in the halls. I was all alone and the growls were getting louder when suddenly Ginny Weasley, Fangirl # 1 turned the corner and gasped when she saw me. And then the growls disappeared._

**I can't say that I do know at the moment but if I remember anything I might let you know for a price of course**

_Hmm…if I compare you to the Tom I know, that means you want my soul._

**Perhaps…**

:::

**A/N:** Hola! Ni Hao! Ciao! What's up? I'm sorry I haven't updated. My awesome beta was taking a while. Life's been hectic for her so I don't blame her. Tell me what you thought about this chapter. I feel it was a little rushed. Well, by the time you get this, the next chapter would've been finished. It's taking me a while to crank out new chapters, since I'm so focused on school. Well, oh well.

Next Chapter: Halloween


	14. Chapter XII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **HELLO! I haven't changed the chapter because right now, it doesn't even really matter. So this chapter is not that long, people. I really would like to have longer chapters because you deserve them! But it's getting harder and harder to update because my Trigonometry grade wasn't…very good. So, my parents are making me study every night for most of my classes. So, remember that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 19th of September 1992**

**8:00 AM**

"Happy birthday, Mione!"

Hermione smiled at her excited friend and looked out the window. Hermione sighed and turned back to look at Bella who wasn't grinning now. Instead she was pouting causing Hermione frowned in response.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked Bella looked away and sighed dramatically.

"You're 13 now I hate being the youngest" Bella moaned causing Hermione to roll her eyes and began to tie her hair back in a high ponytail, as she'd taken to doing every morning. As she was tying her hair, she didn't notice Bella pull out a large parcel. When she looked back up, Bella all but shoved the parcel into her face.

"A present. What is it?" Hermione asked, excitedly. Bella raised an eyebrow and gestured at it, wordlessly. Hermione opened it and saw that a piece of parchment fluttered out first.

_Dear Mione,_

_Making this book has taken me a very long time. It is a translation of the parseltome on battle tactics. I know how fascinated you are with battle, warriors, and war in general. So here it is. The book was written in the year 1300 in Parseltongue and English words are twice as long. You'd better thank me._

_Love,_

_Bella_

Hermione stared at the book in shock. It was new leather and she could smell new parchment. She looked at her best friend with wide eyes. Bella was smirking at her astonished gaze.

"Bell…I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything" was Bella's only response.

Later, that day as they sat in the library reading while Ron played wizard's chess with Seamus when the duo was interrupted.

"Bella…"

Bella looked up to see the fiery headed Ginny Weasley with a girl with large grey eyes and arched eyebrows that made her look permanently surprised. Bella blinked before closing her book on Elven culture. The other girl's eyes flickered to the cover before her lips spread into a dreamy smile.

"Hey, Ginny. What's up?" Bella asked, leaning back in her chair. Hermione barely glanced up before bending back over her new book. She was taking notes on almost every tactic and she already had a notebook half filled up. She knew she'd have to order more ink and books, and she couldn't forget quills, Hermione added mentally. Ginny smiled at Bella.

"Well, I'm fine. I'm doing really well in Ravenclaw I was surprised that I got into there, but anyway, this is Luna Lovegood she wanted to meet you" Ginny said, introducing the girl. Luna smiled dreamily at Bella before stepping forward, extending her hand.

"Hello, Anastasia" Luna said, softly. Bella froze as the girl raised her other hand to brush part of her pair behind her _pointed_ ears. The girl…Luna, was the Elf in her dreams.

"Luna…" Bella said, trailing off. Hermione looked up sharply at the girl calling Bella by the name that nowadays only Tom called her by. Luna smiled, softly and tilted her head.

"So you dreamed of me?" Luna asked, quietly. Hermione straightened even more and glanced at the girl's ears.

"You're an Elf" Hermione said, pointing out the obvious. Luna and Ginny exchanged looks before they both broke into wide smiles.

"Yes, I am and I'm also neutral…for now" Luna said, matter-of-factly. Hermione leaned forward and then her eyebrows rose as she looked over Luna. Bella was more or less, mentally hitting herself. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized that Luna was an Elf. She had seen the girl around and she knew that something about the girl had been calling to her. She was tall for her age, thin and willowy, and her hair looked soft enough to rival a veela's hair, and she had that strange beauty likes all elves. However her eyes were not the neon colors of the Elves.

So what exactly was she?

"I'm half-Elf, if you're wondering. My mom was a full-blooded Elf" Luna said, answering the unasked question while both girls nodded in response.

"I knew you weren't a full-blooded Elf. Your eyes don't fit the characteristics" Bella said and Luna nodded and she blinked owlishly.

"Yes…what do you think of Riddles, Anastasia?" Luna asked, with grey eyes. Ginny watched in confusion as Bella's eyes narrowed. Bella stared at the girl through narrowed eyes and couldn't figure out if she was speaking of Tom or actual riddles. She decided to give an answer that would make sense for both.

"I think Riddles are hard to figure out. Why?" Bella asked, carefully and Luna gave a slight smile.

"Because…it seems that your task in life…is to solve them."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31st of October 1992**

**10:50 PM**

Bella sat at the feast eating quickly. Hermione gave her a sullen look while Ron was eating rather rambunctiously.

"Stop looking at me like I did something wrong, Mione" Bella finally snapped. Hermione looked at the peeved off girl, anxiously before scowling again and crossing her arms. She was picking at her tart, tiredly.

"We should've gone to Headless Nick's Deathday Party. We _did_ say we'd go" Hermione said. Ron guffawed around his food and swallowed thickly. Hermione's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Who would want to go to a party with dead people? They're _dead_. It'd be boring" Ron said. Bella nodded in agreement before letting out a loud laugh as something tickled her hand. She looked down and extended her arm. Nagini slithered up the girl's arm and coiled the rest of her hanging body around the girl's waist. Bella kissed the snake on the head.

"**Hello Nagini**" Bella murmured, lowly. Nagini hissed in content as Bella stroked the top of her head.

"**Hello, speaker-child. It is All Hallow's Eve**" Nagini stated. Bella nodded and sighed, quietly. Nagini looked up in curiosity at the downtrodden girl. She looked exhausted, as if she had stayed awake all night.

"**I have a bad feeling…**" Bella said, quietly. Nagini didn't make another comment and sat comfortably, looking up at the girl. She inspected her and couldn't understand why she smelled so much like her master.

She could feel the great power radiating within her and it just made her respect the speaker-child even more but she wouldn't say that to her. The girl would have to discover this ancient power on her own. It wasn't her place to reveal such things it was Fate's.

Hermione sighed, quietly and glanced over at the Slytherin table. She hoped to see that Italian boy from the train and blushed when she realized she didn't even know his name and she was obsessing over him. Bella continued to forget to ask Professor Riddle if he spoke Italian.

She glanced over the table slowly and finally caught sight of the Italian boy sitting next to Draco Malfoy and another girl. She had dark hair and grey eyes and she was very pretty. She leaned over the boy's shoulders and kissed his cheek. The boy looked down at her blankly.

Hermione glanced away, quickly and could only blink. So, he was one of those people who had a bunch of admirers. She glared at the pumpkin pasty on her plate. Of course she, the Mudblood, didn't have a chance! She couldn't even believe that she had thought of it.

"What's wrong with you? Did the big bad pumpkin pasty say everything in the textbooks are wrong?"

Hermione looked up to glower at Ron who looked taken aback by her fierce glare.

"What's wrong Mione?" Bella asked, just as surprised, Hermione gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, letting her eyelids slide close. She shook her head and tried not to let the voices in her head to get to her.

"Nothing…sorry I just…was arguing the Pythagorean theorem in my head. It may be totally incorrect that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides" Hermione babbled while Ron and Bella gave her a strange look.

"I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about" Ron said, blankly. Bella nodded in agreement.

"What the hell is hypo…whatever?" Bella asked. Hermione straightened at the question and finally smiled. They were distracting her from the unnamed Italian boy and her predicament.

"A hypotenuse is the longest side of a right triangle and it is always opposite to the actual right angle…you do know what that is?" Hermione asked, almost worriedly. Bella looked completely impatient when Hermione hinted that she might not know something that Hermione did.

"I _do_ know what a right triangle is, thank you very much. I _did_ go to primary school. Those who lived in the Wizarding World before coming here aren't completely incompetent" Bella snapped. Hermione looked at her in shock and shook her head, though was a little annoyed that Bella had said such a thing.

"I never said that…" Hermione trailed off, going into patient teacher mode. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I know exactly what you said. You think that because I was raised a witch, that I don't know what a right triangle is. I know what it is. It's a triangle with a 90 degree angle. I'm not _that_ stupid, Hermione. I may not be able to rattle off about Aristotle and his five elements. I may not know the many theorems of mathematics but I assure, Hermione, that I am not stupid" Bella ranted in anger. Hermione stared at wide-eyes, before her nose flared.

"Let me tell you something before you go assuming things! I was just asking a simple question! If anything, it wasn't for your benefit, it was for Ron's!" Hermione snapped. Ron looked highly affronted.

"Hey!" he called out. The two girls thoroughly ignored him, in favor of glaring at each other. They looked away but didn't budge from their seats. Hermione watched as Bella hissed something under her breath to Nagini. Nagini slithered away and towards her master. There were little shrill squeals from the first years but Nagini finally wrapped herself over her master's chair. Bella scowled and pushed her plate away. She was suddenly not hungry anymore.

"I'm not hungry. I'm going now" Bella said, sharply. She refused to look at Hermione and she turned to Ron.

"What?" he asked as she stood there, expectantly. Bella grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his seat. He stumbled backwards onto the ground and looked up at her in shock.

"What the bloody hell are you doing on the floor? Let's _go_!" commanded Bella. Hermione stood as well and crossed her arms and the trio walked in silence from the loud dining hall. As they got into the quiet stone halls, Bella felt something. The back of her neck was prickling and she froze.

_I am cold and hard. I bring those not solid._

_I bring those alive yet their spirits have ascended from this world._

_My heart is cracked in half yet I live not._

_I am the stone of the riverbed._

_What am I?_

The riddle brought shivers down Bella's spine and she looked around. There was no one there and Hermione and Ron didn't seem to have heard it. Apparently, Ron saw her spooked expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Bella shook her head and just turned to Hermione with dark and haunted eyes.

"My task in life is to solve riddles. I heard a riddle…" Bella whispered. She followed the voice that was speaking. The voice was turning into bloodthirsty growls that reminded Bella, strangely, of a lion. Ron and Hermione looked at her bewildered as they wandered from the stairs that would've led them to the common room.

"COME ON! I have to answer the riddle!" Bella shouted. She jumped up the other stairs that led to the second floor before running up the stairs and then into an abandoned corridor. Bella stood, staring at the wall.

_**I am as black as your heart, Anastasia Slytherin.**_

_**Riddle me this**_

_**What am I?**_

_**The Library of Corvus has been opened.**_

_**Enemies of the Heirs,**_

_**Beware.**_

Right below it was the sign of Grindelwald. It was a large triangle inside was a circle. Running down from the top of triangle down to the base was a line. The color was the color of new glistening blood.

"W-what is that?" whispered Ron, pointing with a trembling finger to the shadow hanging from the torch bracket. The torch within the bracket was burning, illuminating the blood on the walls.

"That…that's Mrs. Norris!" Hermione yelled horrorstruck yet fascinated. She was staring at Filch's cat. Mrs. Norris was hanging from the bracket by her tail and she was paralyzed completely. Not even her eyes were moving. But that didn't concern Bella.

Bella couldn't move. She was staring at the name written on the wall. She knew who Anastasia Slytherin was. That was her. It was talking about _her_!

They heard noise as they realized that the feast was ending. Ron looked around and his self-preservation skills kicked in. Obviously, it was up to him. Bella looked terrified and Hermione was too enthralled by Mrs. Norris.

"Come on! Let's get out of here" Ron said. Bella shook her head and she gasped into her hand. Tears fell from her eyes and she turned towards Ron with her eyes wide. She pointed at the name and ignored the gasps from the people that found them. She ignored the magic calling out to her from a familiar source.

"Ron! Shut up!" Bella snapped. She wiped her tears, quickly and swallowed the large lump in her throat. She could feel the people around her and it wouldn't do for people to see her react like that. They would know that _she_ was Anastasia.

"Enemies of the Heirs, beware? You'll be next Mudbloods!"

Bella spun around to see the usual pale Draco Malfoy flushed. His eyes were alive and he looked completely and utterly alive.

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31st of October 1992**

**11:00 PM**

Albus Dumbledore knew that he was a smart man. He also knew he was an exceptionally perceptive man and from the moment he saw Bella Potter, he knew she would be different. On that night, many years ago, he had wanted to be the one to bring her to the Dursleys, but Tom Riddle had decided to bring her to her godfather.

Albus hadn't anticipated Sirius not blowing his top after finding out that Peter Pettigrew had betrayed the Potters to Grindelwald. Sirius had known that Bella would need him so he stayed. To Albus this wasn't exactly a bad thing. It just made him adjust his plans.

The one thing that made his plans spiral out of control was the fact that Bella seemed to be much darker than he had intended her to be. He wanted her to rely on him. She had so much potential and though Albus had hoped that she wouldn't have to be the Savior of the Wizarding World, it was now apparent that she was.

Gellert had made Horcruxes. And this pained Albus very much but what made the least sense to him in all of this was Gellert's Heir who had yet to do anything in the past 12 years. Dumbledore had dueled the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort before. If anything, he was just as formidable as Gellert or himself.

However Albus Dumbledore wouldn't dwell on past events. He would focus on the task at hand, and the task at hand would be discovering what had caused the disturbance in the castle's wards. Albus dismissed everyone early and the staff seemed to notice. Albus turned towards Minerva, Tom, and Snape. Lockhart was leaning over Tom's shoulder and the other man looked at him threw narrowed eyes causing Lockhart to lean back, slightly.

"I think it would be prudent for us to go to the second floor. I felt a disturbance" Albus said quietly. Tom focused and closed his eyes. He could feel _her_ magic calling out to his, searching for comfort.

"Anastasia is distraught" Tom said, quietly. Snape didn't seem to recognize who this was but Albus did. He stood.

"How distraught would be good to know" Albus said, quietly. Tom closed his eyes and focused once more before sighing.

"Distraught to the point of hyperventilation."

This sent the teachers walking, quickly down the hallways and up the stairs. Albus was leading the bunch and Lockhart was scurrying after Tom like a puppy a puppy that Tom hated decisively. They finally made it to the crowded corridor. Tom could feel the anger and rage growing within Bella. They finally pushed their way to the front and Tom kept his gasp inside.

"Anastasia Slytherin?" voices whispered. Tom stepped forward but was pushed back when that filthy Squib, Argus Filch pushed forward.

"What's going on here? What's going on…my cat. My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" demanded Filch.

He looked around with wide eyes before it landed on Bella who was standing directly in front of the stone. Her head was pressed to it and her back was to the audience behind her.

"You! You've murdered my cat!" Filch accused. Bella spun around, her eyes burning the color of Avada Kedavra green. Filch stumbled backwards and Bella had her wand out.

"I didn't do anything to your cat!" Bella snarled. She backed away from him before glancing back up at the message. She shuddered and shook her head.

"Argus! Come with me, Argus!" Dumbledore commanded, detaching Mrs. Norris from the bracket. Tom nodded and glanced at Bella with a hard look. Her eyes were still glowing, making her looked completely touched in the head.

"My office is closest. Miss Potter, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, please follow" Tom said, sharply. Bella took the lead and stopped next to Draco. They were shoulder to shoulder and Bella glanced at Draco.

"Death."

"Victory."

"War" Hermione murmured, unconsciously. She glanced at the Italian boy who was standing next to Draco.

"Plague" he whispered. Tom's eyes widened as he and Ron heard the murmured words. Bella continued without another word before going down into the dungeons. Lockhart walked next to Tom and glanced at him.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her. Probably the Transmogrifian Torture. I've seen it used many times. I know just the counter curse…" Lockhart bragged. Bella turned just as Tom sneered at Lockhart.

"Would you _shut up_? That's not even a real curse and Marvolo isn't gay! By Merlin, you don't listen, do you?" Bella snarled before approaching Slytherin's portrait. Lockhart's eyes widened as she began conversing with it, rapidly in Parseltongue. Nobody else looked _too_ affected by it.

"**Salazar, it was terrible. Someone's coming after me. I've been hearing riddles. And the Library of Corvus was opened…it's horrible! I feel the need to figure it out and I'm sure something bad is going to happen…**" Bella said. Salazar looked at her with warm eyes, even if sneer was in place. He tilted his head.

"**Go inside. Marvolo!**" Salazar called, looking at Tom. Tom stepped forward.

"**Yes?**" he said, quietly. Lockhart gasped and he gazed at Tom in awe.

So, he was also bilingual! Gilderoy couldn't believe his luck. He was working with a handsome man who also happened to be one of the strongest wizards in the entire world and he was Lord Slytherin.

"**Anastasia has to figure out this riddle and you will help her. No if, buts, or ands**. Dumbledore, why is Anastasia feeling threatened?" demanded Salazar. Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise before glancing down at Bella.

"I'm not sure" Dumbledore admitted, though he had many ideas. Bella shook her head and looked at Salazar with a tired look.

"It…it's okay. **Open**" Bella hissed. The portrait swung open and she led the way inside. Ron and Hermione looked around in wonder, with wide eyes. They had never been Professor Riddle's office.

Hermione watched with curious eyes as Bella walked down the long corridor before making a sharp right and ending up in a big office. Hermione stared with wide eyes and she looked in awe. There were so many books in there it rivaled the library. The office was tall and looked very professional. Bella crossed to the armchair that was only a little way from the desk. Tom sat behind the desk without even giving Dumbledore the chance. Tom flicked his wand, lighting the candles and then looked at Bella.

She heard him hiss something at her and Hermione was so used to the language being used that she didn't even shudder anymore at the sound of it. That was a feat in itself.

"No. I'm fine, I'm fine" Bella said, answering in English. Tom hissed at her harshly, annoyance coloring his voice. Lockhart looked genuinely curious. Bella rolled her eyes and scowled.

"I could've sworn I just said I was fine" Bella snapped, exasperated. Tom rolled his eyes and gestured at her eyes with his wand and pointed towards the reflective glass towards the side. Bella looked at it with wide eyes before shrugging.

"It does that. It means I'm mentally unhinged. Which I am. I just found a dead cat with a note to me, saying my heart is black as whatever the hell the riddle was talking about. I'm more than unhinged. I'm on the fucking edge of insanity!" Bella snapped in anger. McGonagall gasped. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Language, Miss Potter. Five points from Gryffindor" McGonagall said, as calmly as possible. Bella's sighed and Hermione noticed that her eyes were still that sickly color. Tom swiveled in his chair until he was fully facing Bella. He withdrew his wand and Bella took her own out and they touched the tips together. The tips glowed simply.

"_Auratrus Revelio_" Tom whispered. Bella stood and yanked her wand back just as black and crimson burst from her. Bella flicked her wand and returned the spell to Tom. His turned completely black with hints of emerald. The gold threads erupted and began dripping energy. Bella's aura was represented by black and crimson. Hints of white were quickly turning grey. Tom flicked his wand and the spell ended. Bella followed his example and the magic disappeared.

Dumbledore hadn't even been paying attention. He had been inspecting Mrs. Norris, his nose not even an inch from her fur. McGonagall and Snape looked surprised. Lockhart just looked confused.

"You're not okay. Liar" Tom spat. Bella turned pink and looked away.

"It doesn't matter."

"Your core is in turmoil. Obviously, you don't know what's going on" Tom pointed out. Bella shrugged and pointed at Mrs. Norris.

"I just heard a voice reciting a riddle. I just got a message in blood and I found a dead cat. A fucking dead cat. How do you think I'd react?" Bella demanded, glaring at the ground. Tom grabbed Bella by her arm and gripped her chin. He made the girl look up at him. He snarled at her and Lockhart's eyes widened.

"Anastasia, I swear to Merlin and beyond that if you don't stop being a moron, I'll smack you down through the seven fiery pits of hell" Tom swore as Bella pulled away from him and glared at him. Tom's lips curled into a smirk at the sight of her usual disregard for authority.

"Fine!" she snapped and Dumbledore finally looked up at the sobbing Argus.

"She's not dead, Argus" he said, quietly.

Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. Everyone except for Tom looked very confused.

"Not dead? But why's she all stiff and frozen?" demanded Argus. Tom sighed and rolled his eyes.

"She's been Petrified" Tom and Dumbledore said at the same time. Lockhart nodded and leaned casually against Tom's shoulder. He placed his hand on Tom's other shoulder. Tom looked down at him in disgust. Bella rolled her eyes and pushed Lockhart from Tom before taking her place beside the DADA teacher and standing half behind him.

"That's what I thought" Lockhart exclaimed. He cast Bella a dirty look and she only awarded him with a smirk while Dumbledore ignored Lockhart.

"But how I can't say…" Dumbledore said. Bella knew he had his suspicions but didn't want to share it in front of some teachers and the trio.

"Ask them!" Argus shrieked, pointing at Bella, Ron, and Hermione.

"We didn't do this! No second year could do this! And why would Bella do this when the message was addressed to her?" Hermione shrieked. Everyone was on the last bit of his or her nerves. Argus shook his head.

"No! You saw what she wrote on the wall. Threatening an imaginary person! And writing the enemies…she must have figured out that I was a Squib" Argus said. Bella trembled before hissing. The temperature in the room grew colder.

"I _AM _ANASTASIA SLYTHERIN! My name is Bella Anastasia Slytherin-Black-Potter. Someone found out!" Bella snapped in anger. Snape's eyes widened, maliciously.

"If I might say, Headmaster, Potter and her friends may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However we do have some suspicious circumstances. Why was she in the corridor at all? Why wasn't she at the feast?" Snape asked, cruelly. Tom's knuckles turned white and crimson was slowly seeping into his eyes. Bella looked into Snape's dark and empty eyes.

"Hermione and I got into a fight. Even when we fight, we don't separate. That's just the way we are. And then…I heard the voice" Bella said. Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Could you all hear the voices?" Snape questioned as Hermione and Ron glanced at each other, uncertainly.

"No…but we've come to trust Bella about this kind of stuff" Ron defended. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Bella heard the voice. She said it was telling her a riddle that she had to answer, Because…well…someone who I suspect is somewhat of a seer told her task in life is to solve riddles" Hermione said, quietly. Tom didn't give any reaction on what was said and Bella nodded in agreement.

"Could you repeat the riddle for us, Miss Potter?" Snape challenged. Bella blinked and then her face went blank.

"The riddle was…it was…I can't remember" Bella lied. Everyone looked at her with wide and alarmed eyes. Hermione sent her an alarming look before taking a step back. Snape's eyes glittered.

"What do you mean you can't remember?" he demanded. Bella glared at him.

"I said it in English. I'm pretty sure I wasn't speaking in Parseltongue. I don't remember" Bella snapped. Snape's eyes glittered in triumph before glancing at Dumbledore.

"I suspect, Headmaster, that Potter isn't being completely truthful. It might be a good idea if she was deprived privileges until she is ready to talk. Maybe taking her off the Gryffindor Quidditch Team will make her speak" Snape suggested. McGonagall came to Bella's rescue.

"Really Severus? The cat was not hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence that says that Miss Potter really did something" McGonagall said. Bella nodded and Snape looked over at Dumbledore.

"Innocent until proven guilty" Dumbledore clarified causing Snape looked absolutely furious. Filch looked just as angry

"My cat has just been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Filch shouted. Dumbledore placed a calming hand on Filch's arm.

"We will be able to cure her, Argus. Professor Sprout has just received some Mandrakes. As soon as they are full grown I will have potion made to revive Mrs. Norris" Dumbledore promised. Lockhart nodded.

"I'll make it! I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Potion in my sleep" Lockhart butted in. Before Snape could say anything Tom rounded in on Lockhart.

"Would you shut up? Severus will make it. He is the Potions Master of the school" Tom said, simply.

"Thank you, Riddle. I suppose your little brat is safe…for now" Snape said, icily. Bella glowered at the man and shook her head.

"**You are a soulless bastard**" she hissed. Tom looked down at her and smirked before pointing towards the door and then Nagini.

"**Nagini, go with her**" he commanded. Nagini slithered over to Bella and Bella gestured towards the snake as it wrapped itself around her. Bella turned to Dumbledore. His ice-blue eyes were twinkling and made her feel like she was being X-rayed. She winced in pain as she felt something knock against her mind with force before looking away. Dumbledore gave a small smile.

"You may go" Dumbledore said. Hermione, Ron, and Bella left the office, quickly.

They walked silently up towards the staircase. The finally spoke when they were out of any of the professors' earshot.

"Do you think I should have told them the riddle?" asked Bella, quietly. Ron shook his head.

"No. Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't normal. Not even in the Wizarding World" Ron said, quietly. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"And I have a feeling it's _you_ who is supposed to answer the riddle. Anyway, the writing on the wall was weird. What's the Library of Corvus? It wasn't in Hogwarts, A History" Hermione pointed out. Ron looked at her in surprise.

"It's a wizarding fairytale even if it takes place in Hogwarts. It has all the knowledge of the world. It has the future and the past. A lot of people have tried to find it but apparently there's a key to it. The key is to answer three riddles thrown your way that has to do with you, personally. It's all about self-enlightenment and stuff" Ron said. Bella looked at him in shock before nodding in agreement.

"I remember that story! Uncle Sirius used to tell me stories about that! I don't remember the old story but there was a warning at the end saying that there was another way in. There's also the fact that if your will is strong enough, you can open it. But only with incredibly Dark magic," Bella said. Hermione gasped.

"But who has that type of power?" Hermione asked. Bella grimaced as the answer didn't come to her. Grindelwald wasn't strong enough to do that yet if he was only a spirit who could possess bodies that weren't even his.

"I don't know…"

:::

**A/N: **So...I finished that chapter and you can have it. I'm trying to get the Library of Corvus arc finished so I can move onto Prisoners of Azkaban. That's going to be the most fun. And I remember someone complaining about Bella not being cool enough. And Hermione...she's going to be in for a wild ride in the next one. So, I'm just trying to finish of fixing Bella's psyche before moving on to Hermione and then I can't WAIT until Goblet of Fire! Romance finally starts!


	15. Chapter XIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Well…hi…wow, I'm exhausted. I'm starting this chapter at 7 in the morning. On Saturdays I wake up at 9. This is really early for me so I'm exhausted. And the chapter will probably get better as it goes on. It'll suck in the beginning because I'm exhausted so…yeah…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 4th of November 1992**

**12:30 PM**

Bella sat in the library with Ron and Hermione after lunch. She had shoved an egg salad sandwich sandwich down her throat. She hadn't been able to get a more filling lunch since Snape was obviously depressed that she hadn't been expelled and had made her stay behind to scrape tubberworm guts off the table.

"I'm still eight inches short!" complained Ron while he was measuring his History of Magic essay. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Write big. I finished that ages ago Ron" Bella laughed causing Ron to glare at her and pointed an accusing finger at Hermione. Hermione looked up sensing Ron's glare and she looked at him unimpressed.

"You're influencing her. Let me read your composition, _please_" Ron begged causing Hermione roll her eyes and shook her head before growling at the large book on the table in front of her. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"What's got your knickers in twist, Mione?" Bella asked. Hermione shot her a look before sighing and leaned back, her eye twitching in annoyance. Bella snickered. It reminded her of Tom's twitch.

"I looked in _Hogwarts, A History,_ and there was no mention of the legend of the Library of Corvus!" complained Hermione. Bella and Ron exchanged notes before breaking out into laughter. Hermione just looked at them indignantly.

"Hermione! It wouldn't be in _Hogwarts, A History_" Ron laughed, heartily. Madam Pince hushed them and it quieted their laughter only a little.

"And why not?" she asked, reproachfully. She was obviously annoyed that they had disturbed the quiet of the library with their loud laughter.

"Because…the Library of Corvus is just a fairytale, darling" Bella giggled. She froze and closed her eyes as she a familiar prescence. She tensed, waiting for the hand to settle on her shoulder. Ron frowned.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Ron asked. Bella shook her head, as she didn't feel the long fingers settle on her shoulder and it was unnerving her a bit. She stood quickly and Ron stood along with her. Bella sighed, knowing it'd be hard to get away from Ron.

"Er…nothing. I have to go get a book. It'll only take a couple minutes" Bella said. Ron looked at the girl cautiously.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked. Bella sighed at him being overprotective. She didn't mind when Tom did it. It felt right then but when Ron did it, he just seemed overbearing.

"No. I'm fine. I can deal with the sneers and glares of my classmates, Filch, and Snape" Bella sighed. Ron nodded, slowly and cautiously before sitting down. Bella walked off, following the call of his magic. She ended up hanging over the rope of the Restricted Section. She could see him leaning over his book and her eyes widened when she saw he had reading glasses on and couldn't resist the urge to smirk.

"So, the big and bad Lord Slytherin needs glasses" she teased Tom didn't even look up but she could see his lips curl in amusement.

"And the Girl-Who-Lived got her eyes fixed partially by a potion when she was nine years old. She used to be blinder than a bat and still wears contacts to this day."

Bella's eyes widened and she looked at him in shock. No one but Sirius and her old primary school friends knew that. She remembered when she was younger how she had the ugliest pairs of glasses she had ever seen. They lenses were circle shaped and framed in black. The lenses had been thick and she couldn't stand them. Thinking about them reminded her how she looked before and she flinched.

She had been the geekiest looking child in all of London. She used to wear her hair in pigtails and her glasses covered half her face. She was shy and closed off and used to read as many books as Hermione. She was all together awkward but after she had gotten rid of her damned glasses she had opened up more and became friends with almost everyone.

"How the bloody hell do you know about that?" Bella demanded, annoyed. She brushed her wild black hair behind her ear and raised an eyebrow. Tom smirked in amusement at her shock and annoyance.

"Oh, Black might have shared a few stories of you when we escorted you around Diagon Alley. Quite amusing to think of you as an awkward child who wore trainers and Muggle clothing at all times until you were seven" Tom said, smugly. Bella glared at his amusement she didn't wear Muggle clothing much anymore. She always wore robes over them.

"Well, I'm not a Muggle. I liked to fool myself into believing I was one of them when I was younger and don't pretend you didn't" Bella snapped. Tom's expression darkened ever so slightly and Bella frowned at the change.

"Yes, well run along with your little friends. I'm sure they're awaiting you…most likely behind that bookcase over there" Tom said, gesturing towards the large bookcase behind her. She scowled at it before shrugging and turning back to him. She leaned on her hand as she contemplated her next words.

"Do you know why the people who opened the Library of Corvus are targeting me?" she asked, gently and quietly. Tom looked back at her sharply and he scowled, his eyes narrowing.

"No but I'm quite curious on how you forgot the riddle so quickly" Tom said as his scowl began to relax. Bella knew that they were moving into dangerous territory and she couldn't tell him. For some reason, she knew that the riddle was hers to find out and no one else's.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping for a normal school year this year and I guess I went a little…weird…when I saw the writing on the wall, I think in all of the excitement I forgot" Bella lied, rather weakly at that. Tom seemed to notice and he gave her a honest to God grin that made her blink in surprise.

She could also hear Hermione and Ron's gasps. She rolled her eyes at the bookcase and turned back to Tom.

"Anastasia, if you're going to lie, lie well."

"I'm not lying!" Bella lied, quietly. Tom gave her a smug smile now, much more subdued than his grin from before.

"Yes, you're not lying. You're simply making a fabrication of the truth for fear of what anyone would say if they found out, that indeed you know there was something more to that message. In short lying…because you're _afraid_" Tom said, pointedly. He sounded almost teasing. But somehow, Bella knew that he wasn't teasing her. He was trying to get it out of her.

He was trying to manipulate her.

"I'm not afraid. Why would I be afraid to tell anyone something as important as this? Someone is threatening the school. Why wouldn't I tell an adult?" Bella asked in monotone. Tom tilted his head and inspected her carefully. Bella tried her best not to flinch at his scrutinizing gaze.

"Fine. Did you read the books I gave you for your birthday?" Tom asked. Bella nodded, carefully, as she dissected what he was saying.

"Yes, I did. I translated the Parseltongue book into English for Hermione. It was very good. The scrolls I'm still trying to decipher. During the winter holiday, I was thinking about going back to the vault for other books" Bella said and she noticed Tom didn't look _too_ alarmed.

"I see and what did Miss Granger think of her gift?" Tom asked, smoothly. He looked at her, carefully.

"She actually liked it quite a bit. She's a little obsessed about war. She seems to take a thrill in all things battle related, verbal or otherwise."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 4th of November 1992**

**1:00 PM**

The class settled down in front of the ghost of Professor Binns. He began with the usual droning on of boring notes. Bella stared out of the window, falling asleep right then and there. Binns could make even Quidditch boring. Bella couldn't understand how Hermione found all of this interesting enough to take notes on.

"As you know the Goblin Wars began in—" Binns started Bella snorted before nodding in understanding.

Ah, that was why Hermione and her weird fascination with war and battle and just blood all together. She never questioned it, though Ron found it strange. Bella found it endearing and just one of Hermione's very strange quirks.

Hermione suddenly raised her hand and everyone looked alert. Binns stared at her in utter amazement.

"Yes, Miss…er…" Binns said. Bella smirked internally. He couldn't remember any of his students' name. He was a completely inadequate teacher. For goodness' sakes, he was freaking _dead_. You couldn't get less sufficient than that.

"Granger, Professor. Sir, I'm a Mudblood so I was wondering if you could tell us about the Library of Corvus" Hermione said, in a clear voice. Everyone continued to stare at her. They couldn't get used to her using the word 'Mudblood'. Bella, personally, was proud of Hermione turning the slur into something that defined a person purely on how proud they were of their heritage.

"My subject is History of Magic. I do not teach fairytales or legends of any kind" Binns said sternly before continuing.

"The Goblin Wars made a huge impact on the economic system of the Wizarding World—"

"Sir in all honesty, I don't give a bloody damn about the Goblin Wars" Bella piped up. Everyone turned towards her and Binns looked at her with narrowed eyes. Hermione glanced at Bella through the corner of her eye. Bella's lips turned up into a mischievous grin, when she saw Hermione's obvious disapproval.

"Sir, I think Bella is trying to say that all legends have a basis in fact. I do enjoy hearing about the Goblin Wars and history, but sir in light of the circumstances…" Hermione manipulated, subtly. Binns nodded and sighed.

"Oh, very well. The Library of Corvus…I remember the tale well. You all know that the four greatest wizards and witches of the age founded Hogwarts some thousand years ago. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin founded it. They built this castle together and molded their magic into each every stone until it came alive into what is known as Lady Hogwarts, the great House of Magic. As people pass through the wards into Lady Hogwarts, their magic only strengthens the castle even more" Binns stated.

Everyone was listening to his every word for a change and he seemed confused by the sudden attention. Nonetheless, he continued with his story.

"Anyway, for a few years, the four founders worked in harmony, seeking out youngsters to train in the ways of magic. They each valued different traits. Gryffindor valued the brave and the nerving. Hufflepuff always found hard workmanship as the best trait of a person. Slytherin favored those who were cunning and sharp. However, Rowena Ravenclaw, found that intelligence and knowledge was important above all."

"Rowena was known for her wit and strategy. Those who came to her always knew that she had the answer. Rowena was a Seer but not by birth. Her gift of knowing was coveted. But, it was unnatural. While Slytherin was feared for the ability to speak to snakes, Ravenclaw was feared for her knowledge and sharp eyes. And when she knew she was nearing her time, she supposedly built the Library of Corvus to store her never-ending knowledge. Soon, Rowena became depressed, for unknown reasons and her time neared faster. In the end, she sealed the Library of Corvus and set an all-knowing creature as guard before going to her deathbed."

"According to legend, one who could open the Library was powerful. No one has been powerful enough to open it thus far and if one should, a powerful knowledge will be washed over the people. It is like Pandora's box and the one thing locked in that Library is hope. For if one should have that type of knowledge…all hope would be lost" Binns finished, dramatically. Bella frowned. That hadn't been the story she was told when she was younger. The story she had been told used to chill her to the bone.

"So, there really _is_ a Library of Corvus?" Hermione asked, excitedly. Everyone was excited at the prospect of knowing all things. Bella couldn't help but be tempted by the thought. However at the same time, the idea repulsed her. No should have that type of knowledge if they hadn't had it in the first place.

"No. It's all just a legend. And no more questions! It's just a story" Binns snapped when other people decided to try and protest. Bella was lost in her thoughts as Binns launched into another lecture on the leader of the rebellion in the Goblin Wars.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 6th of November 1992**

**8:00 PM**

"Shouldn't you be resting? You've got a Quidditch game tomorrow" Ron urged. Bella gave him a patient look but read the scrolls she got for her birthday, carefully. Ron was leaning over her shoulder. Hermione sat across from her caught Bella's eyes. Bella rolled them and Hermione muffled a giggle.

"I'm fine, Ron" Bella answered, after realizing that he was obviously waiting for an answer. Ron nodded in understanding.

"I'm just worried about you, Bella. I see you as a sister, and Weasleys are protective of their own kind" Ron said, kindly. Bella smiled. Hermione smirked and inclined her head towards Gideon and Ginny, who happened to always be in the common room. Luna Lovegood was with her for once.

"Some Weasleys see her as a little more than that. Gideon's got an awfully big crush on you, Bell" Hermione pointed out. Bella nodded, her smile fading slightly as she looked out of the window at the inky sky.

"I know. People tease me about it all the time. Frankly, it's embarrassing. I can't stand when people do that. He doesn't even know me," Bella sighed in annoyance. Hermione smiled and turned to look at Gideon.

"Bella. He's staring at you again" Hermione said. Bella looked up, sharply and Gideon was staring at her with his friends. Bella smirked at him and he turned redder than his hair. Ginny and his friends burst into laughter. Ron snorted and Bella turned back to Hermione.

"Now, he's not" Bella countered, playfully. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You shouldn't tease him like that" Hermione answered. To Hermione's intense surprise, Bella sighed and nodded. She shook her head and glanced at Gideon.

"You're right. I shouldn't and I'm not. Ron, why does your brother even fancy me?" Bella asked, curiously. Ron tilted his head as his face screwed up in concentration. The expression had Bella snorting in a unladylike manner.

"He's always liked you, I think, since he was little. After your birthday party he raved on and on about how pretty you are and how amazing and smart. It got bloody annoying after a while. I think George and Fred taped his mouth shut. And then Ginny talked about how you were the best person in the world" Ron said, chuckling at the memory. Bella sighed and looked over at Gideon.

"See, Mione he doesn't know me. I've never met anyone who _really_ knows me. Well except for Sirius and…" Bella started. Her eyes widened when she remember what Tom had told her two days ago.

"And who?" Ron asked in curiosity. Bella glanced up at Hermione through her eyelashes and shook her head.

"And no one. No one at all. Anyway, Gideon doesn't know me watch. Gideon! Come here for a moment!" Bella shouted across the common room. Gideon turned at lightning speed and was striding forward, just as fast.

"Yes, Bella?" Gideon asked as soon as he sat down. He shoved Ron over so he was sitting directly in front of Bella. Her lips curled into a cruel smile of amusement.

"What's my favorite breakfast food?" Bella challenged.

"Porridge with mounds of sugar" Gideon answered immediately. Bella's mouth fell open in shock.

"How did you know that?" Bella demanded. Gideon blinked but didn't answer back. Bella frowned and sighed before asking another question.

"Favorite Muggle candy?"

"Red Vines."

"Favorite Amy Mann song?"

"Red Vines."

"Favorite way to say red wine in a German accent?"

"Red Vines."

"Favorite lunch food?"

"Kreacher's treacle tart, even though that's not even a lunch food."

"What's my favorite dinner food?" Bella challenged she felt annoyed that he actually knew this useless stuff about her, especially the Red Vines crap. She was addicted to the stuff though she tried not to eat it in front of Hermione. Hermione's parents were dentists…

"Steak-and-kidney pie" Gideon answered, smugly. Bella's eyes widened as she came across the perfect question.

"Favorite colors?"

"Emerald and midnight blue" Gideon said, confidently. His eyes were glimmering and he was obviously happy that he had Bella's full attention. He started when Bella's face suddenly held a wicked smirk, reminiscent to the one of his least favorite teacher in the entire school.

"Wrong. It's crimson and charcoal" Bella answered. She tensed as she realized what she just said. She felt the scrutinizing gaze of Hermione on her but she threw it off. Gideon frowned.

"No…I remember Ginny asking Ron. He said emerald and midnight blue" Gideon said, slowly. Bella shrugged before sighing.

"My second favorite color changes every other week. But…crimson never changes. Remember that for next time. One last question" Bella prompted. Gideon looked at her, raptly as if she were giving an important lecture for an upcoming exam.

"Yes, Bella?" he asked.

"What is my dream?" Bella asked. Hermione's eyes widened. Gideon's eyes lit up.

"To save the world and marry into the Weasleys?" Gideon said, hopefully. Ron snorted and erupted in laughter. Hermione giggled but Bella's eyes were serious.

"Wrong. It's to find my family. My true family, not my parents, but Hermione and the others" Bella whispered. She turned away and looked out at the sky. Gideon leaned forward and placed his hand on her arm. Bella's head snapped back to look at him and Gideon recoiled. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron yelped. Everyone turned to look at them and flinched.

Bella's eyes were crimson.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 7th of November 1992**

**11: 00 AM**

Bella walked onto the Quidditch Pitch, snapping gum in her mouth. Her usually wild hair was pulled in a ponytail. It fell down her back and Bella hadn't bothered to actually comb it. She knew that it would get messed up in the wind. They met the Slytherins half way across the pitch.

"On my whistle. One, two, three…" Hooch said before blowing the whistle. Bella swung her leg over the broom and spiraled upwards, higher than anyone. Her gum was pushed to the top of her mouth as she spiraled up. The overcast sky opened up to reveal rain.

"All right there, Princess?"

Bella turned sharply in the air to see Draco Malfoy smirking at her. She sneered at him and shrugged.

"I'm fine. How are you, Mummy's little dragon?" Bella teased. Draco turned red and Bella laughed. She had just guessed what his mother called him. It was amusing.

"I'd love to chat but I think I see something gold. See you around, Malfoy" Bella sighed. She was bluffing, expecting him to follow. As she took off, swooping between the stands, he was right on her tale. Bella cursed under her breath.

He was good. He obviously had some training. She ducked under before looking up in surprise. She could see the gold glint in the rain and she grinned. She turned around and saw Malfoy's face upturned towards the sky.

He had seen it too. He went up just as fast as she did.

Suddenly, she stopped.

_I am round, I am fast_

_I unseat all._

_What am I?_

Bella looked around in shock before something big and brown sped towards her and hit her straight her in the chest. Draco stopped moving as everything moved in slow motion. Bella fell back and she locked her legs. She hung upside down and everyone stared up at her.

"Anastasia! Get back up!" Malfoy urged in concern. Bella looked at him in shock but couldn't help but listened. She climbed back up and as soon as she was seated properly, Malfoy rushed up. Bella looked around and suddenly something struck her in the side.

She heard the shattering of her bones before she felt the pain.

She let out an agonized scream. Hermione shouted in shock. She glanced around and Hermione gaped when she saw Professor Riddle. His face wasn't in its usual arrogant expression. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. He was even paler than usual, bordering on unhealthy looking and he was gritting his teeth together.

"What happened? She just screamed" Gideon said, worriedly. Hermione sighed. He was concerned for her but Riddle looked absolutely stricken. Riddle looked ready to...ready to _die_.

"I think…I think it shattered her arm" Hermione whispered. Gideon and Ginny looked at her in shock. Luna nodded, sagely.

"It did. She's feeling a lot of pain. So is he. But it's only emotional pain" Luna said, knowingly. She looked back up, quietly before blinking, owlishly. Hermione sucked in a breath.

"But she'll be okay. She'll be okay, right?" demanded Ron. Luna surveyed Ron for a long moment without saying anything. Ron was quickly becoming uncomfortable under her gaze.

"She will be fine for now."

Bella was in the air, screaming in pain. Her screams came out in short pants as the bones shifted in her skin with every move. Her arm felt as if it were just thrust into the hottest oven. But she knew she had to get the Snitch before Malfoy. She let it drop to the side of her body. It smacked her arm and she gritted her teeth to avoid another scream.

"Potter, what the hell are you doing?" demanded Malfoy as they raced upwards. Bella's vision was quickly turning black as she neared the Snitch. She raced up, before wrapping her legs around the broom before removing her hand and catching the Snitch. As her fingers wrapped around the gold ball, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she went limp.

Hermione screamed with the masses when Bella began to fall. Suddenly, Riddle was up and his wand out. He waved it sharply, snapping something in anger before Bella flickered and completely disappeared. She reappeared on the ground where she seemed to be coming to. Riddle walked, briskly down with a lot more pep in his step than Hermione expected. Hermione got up and dragged Ron down with her. Gideon and Ginny were trailing after but Luna stood where she was, her eyes fixed on Bella on the ground.

Malfoy landed clumsily before rushing over to Bella. He leaned down, just as Tom got over. Tom pushed him out of the way and knelt beside Bella. Lockhart was just behind him.

"Professor, will she be alright?" asked Hermione, anxiously. Tom looked up with deadly crimson eyes.

"I don't know yet. **Anastasia, wake up**" Tom murmured, his tone softer than usual. Bella blinked before glancing around and her eyes fell on Lockhart who had drawn out his wand.

"Oh, no, not you!" she moaned in pain. She jolted as another spasm of searing pain shot from her arm and ran down the length of her body.

"She doesn't know what she's saying" Lockhart said, soothingly. Tom was actually on his knees next to the girl. And his eyes were wide.

"**Anastasia, can you sit up, for me?**" Tom asked in a soft voice. Bella shut her eyes, tightly and cleared her throat. She struggled to sit up until she was leaning on one hand and she looked at him with eyes dark with pain.

"**This hurts like a bitch**" Bella snapped. Tom gave a little hissing laugh before lifting his wand and touching it to her arm. Lockhart stumbled forward.

"I can do this. I've done this a hundred times" he said. He flicked his wand and Bella felt a strange sensation run up her arm. The pain had stopped running up her arm and she didn't feel shards of bones poking at her muscles any longer. Actually, she didn't feel like she had an arm at all. She looked down as it fell limply. Tom picked it up with his a hand and it flopped over. He looked up at Lockhart with crimson eyes. Bella glared and their eyes blazed the color of hellfire.

"T-that happens sometimes" Lockhart stammered. Tom looked down at Bella who turned green as she realized what would have to happen now.

"I never realized how much of a total moron you were? Merlin, Professor Riddle probably wants to murder you!" Hermione snapped. Lockhart looked at her in surprise.

"Miss Granger, I don't think that was necessary. To—" Lockhart started. Hermione's eyes turned pitch black but it wasn't her that answered. Draco sneered at Lockhart, righteously.

Someone approached from the left.

The Slytherin boy stood next to Hermione. She didn't turn around.

"I swear to God, Lockhart…I have a healthy respect for authority. So, I won't tell you all the things I want to tell you in front of Professor Riddle, but I swear on my magic if you raise your wand to Bella ever again, I will destroy you" Hermione vowed, dangerously. The magic stirred heavily in the air as the oath began.

"Witnessed. Witnessed by the Dark House of Malfoy" Draco swore. The Slytherin nodded.

"Sealed. Sealed by the Dark House of Zabini" Zabini said. Bella's eyes narrowed and nodded.

"Bound. Bound by the Dark Housssse of Black and Sssslytherin" Bella hissed. Hermione nodded once. The oath burned onto her arm in the form of a long sword, running from her shoulder to her wrist. The color of the tattoo was red. Hermione smirked in satisfaction.

"So mote it be in the name of the Apocalypse. Witnessed, sealed, and bound."

:::

**A/N: **So, here is the next chapter. I had fun writing the last scene. Hermione's temper is going to get her in trouble. And I can't wait to write about it. It's going to happen in their fifth year, so after the romance happens and stuff. It'll probably happen in the summer before or after fifth year. I haven't figured it out yet...or it might be in third year. Depends on when I get to it.


	16. Chapter XIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Wow! Last chapter didn't go as planned. But I liked it. Hermione wasn't supposed to make that oath! And this chapter was supposed to go differently. Now, Hermione is going to be compared to someone in this chapter but not by name. If you can guess who it is, I'll answer one question that has to do with this fic that gives spoilers if you wish.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XIV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 7th of November 1992**

**12:30 PM**

"She should be punished! She threatened a teacher and made an oath against him! This is an outrage! She should be expelled! As well as Miss Potter!" Snape sneered. He looked pale with anger yet in his usually soulless eyes, there was a hint of smugness. Hermione stared at the teachers in front of her without dark and heavy lidded eyes as they all were in the Hospital Wing since Hermione had refused to leave Bella's side.

"Then you would have to punish your own students as well, Severus. This is not a one way street" McGonagall pointed out. Snape gritted his teeth and shook his head and Bella grimaced in pain as the Skele-Gro did its work.

"Before we hand out punishments, we should get down to the bottom of this problem, I believe" Riddle suggested. He was sitting on Bella's other side. Bella was absently tugging on his robe sleeve. Ron was sitting with Hermione. They were the only students in the room at that point in time. Hermione sighed and looked out the window. She didn't want to talk about it.

"Yes, Tom I believe that is also the way to go. Miss Granger. Why did you swear that to Professor Lockhart?" Dumbledore asked. Before Hermione could answer the question, Lockhart intervened.

"Yes, Bella forgave me. Was there a point to giving the oath if I forgiveness was already given?" Lockhart said. Bella rolled her eyes but didn't respond at all. She grimaced in pain again and slumped against the pillow.

"She didn't forgive you! And why would she? You made the bones in her arm disappear with a spell that wasn't even real!" Ron protested. Everyone glanced at Lockhart in surprise except Riddle and the children. Lockhart looked chagrined.

"You're just a second year. You wouldn't know any of the particularly dangerous medical spells that I do. And as I said before, it happens sometimes. Right, Anastasia?" Lockhart asked using the nickname Bella's friends and Riddle called her. Hermione's patience ended with that particular name.

Hermione's eyes turned darker than ever and she stood up, pointing an accusing finger at Lockhart. She lifted her head up into a haughty manner that made everyone old enough to remember the First War freeze.

"Shut your mouth! How dare you speak that name? You dare besmirch that name with your filthy mouth?" she hissed in anger. Bella blinked, owlishly, reminiscent of Luna for a moment. Bella grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her down to sit back next to her.

"It would be prudent for you not to call me that, Professor Lockhart. A handful of people have permission to use that name. You are not one of them" Bella said, coolly. She gritted her teeth but a moan of pain escaped her lips. Lockhart nodded and Dumbledore looked at Hermione in understanding.

"The oath cannot be broken without being released by the three houses it is bound to and the expressed regret of issuing the oath from Miss Granger. I don't believe that will be happening, will it?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling. Hermione tilted her head and then shook it. Hermione didn't flinch as she felt Dumbledore's eyes probing her.

"Sir, are you looking for the mark of the oath?" Hermione asked, curiously. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he allowed a small smile.

"I am. Could you please show me…if it is in an appropriate place, that is?" Dumbledore requested. Hermione shed her robe and rolled her up her shirtsleeve to her shoulder to expose the long red tattooed sword. Bella traced it in fascination and Dumbledore looked at it, carefully.

"I don't know what the sword is. It looks faintly familiar. What is it?" Hermione asked, quietly.

"That is the ancient symbol of War."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 8th of November 1992**

**8:00 AM**

"Hey, Gideon! Are you paying attention? Oh…_she_ walked in" teased one of Gideon's friends. Gideon looked back at the muggleborn, Christine Jackson who had been speaking to him. Michael Brown, the younger cousin of Lavender, laughed when their group of friends turned to look at as Bella Potter entered the Great Hall.

Gideon gaped at the girl. She was wearing a flattering outfit. Her legs were covered in blue skinny jeans and she wore her usual black combat boots. Her crimson silk shirt was loose at the sleeves but tightened around her wrists. Her usually wild black hair was tamed. She wore a black robe over her outfit. And for once, she wasn't flanked by Hermione or Ron. Instead, a snake followed her on the shoulders of Gideon's least favorite teacher.

"It's _Riddle_" Gideon spat. Christine smirked at her best friend. Ginny snickered and Michael looked confused.

"What's so funny?" Michael asked. Christine glanced at Bella who was smiling fondly at Riddle.

"He's angry because Bella has the biggest crush on Riddle" Christine said. Gideon glared at the teacher. Riddle grabbed Bella by her wrist and pulled her back through the door and Bella had a large grin on her face. Riddle was hissing at her.

"That's not why! He's ancient and annoying and he hates me! And Bella does _not_ fancy Riddle!" Gideon snapped. Christine shrugged and Ginny giggled again.

"He doesn't look ancient. He's actually what most of the female population would describe as gorgeous. He isn't annoying at all unless you're talking about him hating you. And he hates you because you're always stalking his ward. Everyone knows that he's her magical guardian. It's creepy, Gideon" Christine explained. Michael nodded in agreement and glanced back at the door. Bella had just wandered back in with a grin on her face. The giant snake was wrapped around her.

"Hi, Gideon" Bella smiled as she sat down next to the group. Hermione was smirking down the table. Ron looked surprised as if Bella had done something they had never expected.

"B-Bella…why are you sitting with me...er...us?" Gideon asked in shock. Bella shrugged and pressed her lips to the giant snake's head.

"Isn't that Professor Riddle's snake?" Michael asked, quietly. Bella's eyes widened and a crimson ring bled from her pupil slightly. She nodded and brushed her face against the snake.

"Yes, this is Marvolo's pet. Marvolo is Professor Riddle, if you're wondering. He's not very happy with me, right now. He's actually very pissed off at me. There he is…" Bella said, her grinning growing wider as Riddle walked down the aisle she was seated at. Bella's face flew forward, turning to complete shock.

"You're an utter moron, Anastasia" Riddle growled. Bella scowled at him and shrugged before sighing.

"Do you expect an apology of some sort?" Bella asked. Riddle leaned in before giving a sharp nod. Bella leaned forward with a grin and tilted her head before giving an innocent look.

"I can promise you, you won't be getting one" Bella promised. Riddle leaned down and leaned down before smacking the base of her neck. Bella jolted forward and she looked at him in surprise. Gideon watched in annoyance. It had looked like Riddle had just shocked her! His Bella!

"You need more respect for your elders, brat. No more library for you."

Riddle pulled back slowly, his nose skimming across Bella's neck. Only Gideon seemed to catch the moment. Bella hissed in annoyance before turning back around and glaring at Riddle, defiantly.

"See if I give a damn…" she muttered. She turned back to the younger children. Bella's green eyes were luminescent in righteous anger. Michael leaned forward. He was a gossiper and he obviously wanted more information.

"What's he angry at you about?" Michael asked. Bella's eyes snapped back to him and Michael almost flinched at the intensity.

"I can't say. That's what I told him. He asked a question and I couldn't answer him. He's very angry with me. Well, I'll see you guys later" Bella murmured. She got up and glanced at the Slytherin table. Christine's hand shot out and grabbed Bella by the wrist and Bella looked down.

"Bella, what do you think of Professor Riddle?" she asked, curiously. Bella laughed at this and rolled her eyes.

"I absolutely detest him."

Gideon tried his best to believe her. He really did but…

He couldn't.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 8th of November 1992**

**7:00 PM**

Bella stared in shock with the rest of the students, staring at the stairs. Hermione was grasping Bella's arm. Madame Pomfrey stood at the stairs with Dumbledore and Tom. They were staring at the still body of Colin Creevy.

There was so much blood. Bella couldn't tell if he was dead or not. She just knew his chest was half torn up.

"Another attack, its worst than last time. What's happening?" asked Pomfrey. Dumbledore glanced around slowly, as if contemplating of what exactly he was going to say.

"This means that indeed the Library of Corvus is open. These are claw marks. The creature guarding the Library clawed at him before Petrifying him. There are dark forces at work" Dumbledore said. This sent a shiver down Bella's spine. She looked around, for a message.

"Is there another message?" asked Tom, as if thinking exactly what she was thinking. Dumbledore tilted his head and looked down at Colin Creevy. He nodded before bending down and unclenching Colin's hand around his camera. He opened it and removed a picture. He looked over it before his eyes widened. He passed it to Tom.

"_Invisible to all._

_Translucent I am._

_I hide from Death and I hide Death._

_What am I?_"

Bella flinched, as she knew it was directed at her. She turned away and cleared her throat. Hermione hid her face in Ron's shoulder. Ron looked grim-faced, which was unusual for the usually cheerful Weasley.

"But…by who?" McGonagall asked. Dumbledore blinked.

"The question is not who. It is how" was his only response. Bella closed her eyes and took Ron and Hermione's hands and dragged them down the hall. They passed Ginny and Gideon who looked absolutely distraught. Bella shook her head and sighed. They were fellow first-years with Colin.

They turned the corner and entered a deserted corridor and she spun around. Bella's eyes were wide in alarm and she looked absolutely panicked.

"I…it's directed to me! I know it!" gasped Bella. She began to hyperventilate and Hermione and Ron looked at the girl in surprise. They had never seen Bella lose her composure so suddenly. Bella was usually a sassy, fast-talking girl who challenged anyone. Now, she just seemed so scared. Their leader was breaking and fast. So, it was their job to make sure she stayed together before she shattered.

"Bella, calm down everything is going to be fine. We're going to figure this out. I'll owl my parents and tell them that I am staying for Christmas. Stop hyperventilating," Hermione urged. Bella shook her head and closed her eyes.

"No! You don't understand! You've never heard the fairytale…oh God!" Bella moaned. Ron nodded and cleared his throat.

"It's a very Dark fairytale. And it doesn't end well, Hermione but Bella, we've got your back. We're going to stop this but we're going to help you figure out the riddles first. How many have you heard now?" asked Ron, curiously. Bella glanced up at him through narrowed eyes.

"Two. I've heard two. I've got two more to go" Bella whispered. Hermione glanced at them, curiously.

"I thought you said there are three" Hermione said, quietly. Ron nodded and looked down almost nervously.

"I think it's time we tell Hermione the story."

"I agree Hermione come on. We've got to find somewhere quiet" Bella said, taking a deep breath to center herself. She closed her eyes and glanced back up. Hermione nodded and looked around.

"We should go to the library. No one will be there now it's almost dinner anyway" Hermione suggested. Bella nodded in agreement and the trio made their way to the library in silence. No one wanted to disturb the tense quiet. They were too scared to speak anyway. Bella had never felt as if something this important had depended on her. It would've been different if it were something less dangerous. Like a giant snake of some sort a basilisk maybe.

But no, it had to be knowledge. Knowledge was the most dangerous weapon of all. It was sharper than any sword, stronger than any spell. And just as deadly as the Killing Curse, which had taken her parents.

"We're here we need to find the book" Bella said. Hermione nodded and tilted her head.

"Where do you think it would be?" Hermione asked. Ron looked around and pointed towards the back.

"The unedited version would be near the back near the Restricted Section" Ron said. Bella nodded. The group made their way through the dark and vast room. Bella felt safe here. A familiar feeling was draped over her and she basked in it. Her safety was ensured here, she was sure. They browsed the shelves before Hermione made a sound of amazement. She pulled down a large tome. It was dusty and the pages were yellowing but it was the book of tales that they needed.

"The Old Tales of Beedle the Bard" Hermione murmured. She sat down on a plush chair near a fireplace. Hermione pointed her wand at the damp wood and cleared her throat.

"_Incendio._"

Fire crackled into being from her wand and gave them a warm light. Hermione opened the book and looked down at it before flipping through the pages. She landed on the tale and glanced up.

"'The Forgotten Tale' why is it called that?" asked Hermione. Bella raised an eyebrow at Hermione before remembering that the girl had been raised in the muggle world. She may know how to make an oath but she didn't know _everything_.

"It is called 'The Forgotten Tale' because it was not included in the mainstream edition of the book. The Old Tales of Beedle The Bard are all of the tales he wrote when he was still alive. It was this massive compilation that got simplified years later. It was pushed out in favor of 'The Tale of Three Brothers'," Bella explained. Hermione nodded before looking down.

"_There was once a wizard and a witch who were traveling in the lands of Scotland. And they wandered upon a glorious castle built by four powerful sorcerers. The castle's name was Lady Hogwarts, and Lady Hogwarts was in mourning for it's four creators had died not two hundred years previous to the time of this young witch and old wizard. This witch and wizard were most intelligent and had heard of Lady Hogwarts and what waited inside_" Hermione began. She passed the book to Bella. Bella leaned over it and skimmed the words before taking her turn to read.

"_And what waited inside were four things: a chamber of secrets, a cup of unknown origins that was said to be the Holy Grail by mortals, a sword of utmost power, and a library of all knowledge. These two magical beings were full of ambition and cunning and thus they chose to travel to the library of all knowledge, bypassing the other three powerful objects._

_The elder man was corrupt in being while the younger witch still seemed to have a hint of innocence in her soul and that was enough to even access Lady Hogwarts._

_However, before allowing them access, a powerful beast had been given instructions from its former lady to give three tests to reveal their true selves. And so it tested the elder wizard first._

_The beast asked its first riddle._

'_I am felt but never seen,_

_I break but never fall apart,_

_I may feel lost, but I am never gone._

_What am I?'_

_The old man was obsessed with finding the answer to the riddle. All he knew was power and so that was his answer. The beast tore him apart into pieces for answering incorrectly. She then feasted on his flesh, leaving clean and white bone in his piece. The young witch was frozen in horror and couldn't believe what she had just witnessed._

_The beast repeated the riddle to the young witch and the young witch knew what it was referring to._

'_My heart' the witch suggested. The beast let her pass to the next corridor as she led her closer to the Library of Corvus. As they went to the next door the beast stopped the girl and addressed her again_" Bella ended. She handed the book to Ron and Ron looked down at it curiously.

"'_I cause wars and rebellions._

_I am wanted by you, but denied as well._

_I taunt you who cannot have me._

_I am found in history, but my opposite is found even more._

_What am I?'_

'_Freedom' the witch decided. The beast nodded, wisely before they continued to the next door. The witch assumed it was the last. The beast asked the next riddle._

'_I'm always here._

_You see nothing else._

_When, you look in my face_

_I will look you in the eye_

_And never lie._

_What am I?'_

'_My reflection' the clever witch said. The beast stopped and looked at her with soulful eyes before it widened. Underneath the innocence was a cruelty and she couldn't allow that to access her mistresses' knowledge. And thus she asked one more question._

'_I am decided._

_I am set in motion._

_I am finality._

_I will find you._

_I am a kin to death._

_What am I?' asked the beast. The witch glared at the beast before giving a stomp._

'_Knowledge! Give it to me! It's mine!' she shouted, her true colors showing. The beast's eyes widened when she realized she had misjudged and attacked the witch._

_The beast tore the witch apart with no mercy before sealing the Library of Corvus with the powerful magic of Lady Hogwarts. And went into a deep slumber, waiting to be awakened to confront the next pursuer of knowledge_" Ron read. He passed the book back to Bella

"_But listen close and listen well. Where there is Light, Dark dwells. These forces of shadows shall wander through the night. But Magic in its purest form can lead you through the endless abyss and gift you with a pure Sight. But remember this, those who seek what shall not be seen, darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always bring good_" Bella finished.

Hermione looked up at Bella in shock.

"That's not _that_ Dark" Hermione said. Bella glanced at Hermione and shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Think about it, Mione. Two people were torn _apart_! Did you not see Colin's chest. It was ripped apart and it was this beast! This is dangerous!" Bella snapped. Hermione nodded in agreement and tilted her head.

"Well, we need to solve your riddles so that doesn't happen to you. It's okay if you're scared, Bella. You can admit it" Hermione said, soothingly. Bella glared at the muggleborn girl and Hermione didn't even flinch.

"I'm not scared!" Bella snapped. Ron looked at his stubborn best friend with unfathomable eyes.

"But, Bella…you _are._"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 18th of December 1992**

**7:00 PM**

"Look, they're starting a dueling club! The first meeting is tonight" Seamus Finnigan said, pointing out the parchment on the notice board that was right outside of the Great Hall.

"I wouldn't mind dueling lessons. It could come in handy one of these days" Dean Thomas said. Ron snorted and glanced at them.

"You think Ravenclaw's beast can duel?" asked Ron, though he looked interested as well. Seamus glanced at Ron and shrugged.

"It looks interesting, is all" Seamus said, as if Ron had hit the mark. Hermione and Bella exchanged looks. That had wanted to spend time deciphering the riddles but they both found it interesting. Bella loved dueling, no matter how much she denied it. Hermione may have had a larger spell repertoire but Bella put more force behind her spells, thus making them damaging.

"Do you want to go?" Ron asked as they entered dinner. Bella bit her lip and sighed. She was torn, torn between dying without finding the answers to the riddles and dueling.

"I don't know, Ron…she has to find the answers to the riddles" Hermione said, worriedly. Ron gave Bella a pleading look.

"Come on, Bella. You love dueling. I know you do" he said, reminding her of her love. Hermione crossed her arms and glared at Ron in annoyance.

"Ronald! You know more than anyone that she has to find the answers to the riddles. Would you rather her die? She can go after she finds the answers. I can't believe you would suggest her to go some club. We'll go the library at lunch. You can go to the dueling club on your own Ron" Hermione snapped. Bella giggled at her bitching before looking at Hermione.

"But Mione, I haven't dueled in so long. Did you know that I had a tutor when I was younger? I don't get to duel as much. Please?" Bella begged. Hermione looked at her in shock before crossing her arms.

"Bella, I can't believe you're unconcerned for yourself. You would rather duel than prevent your death? I should've known! You never have your priorities straight. You know what? Do whatever the hell you want!" Hermione said, harshly. Bella's eyes narrowed and she glared at Hermione in rage.

"You know what? I don't give a flying fuck what you think, Hermione! I'm tired of you trying to be my mother! I haven't had a mother for eleven damn years! I don't need one now! So stop trying to be her!" Bella yelled. The Entrance Hall quieted down, slightly as everyone turned to look at Bella. Hermione stared at the girl with wide eyes before harrumphing.

"Fine! We'll go to the stupid dueling club" Hermione hissed. Bella nodded but didn't say a word as she stormed into the Great Hall. They sat down and the two girls didn't speak a word to each other.

Bella had talked to Ron about Quidditch all the way to eight o' clock, when the Dueling Club meeting began. Soon, most of the students in the school surrounded a dueling platform.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us" Hermione said. Bella finally turned to the girl before clearing her throat.

"It might be Flitwick. I heard he's a dueling champion. I would love for him to teach me" Bella said. Seamus nodded, as if he had overheard the talk when he had really been eavesdropping.

"Or it could be Professor Riddle. He's one of the greatest wizards on the planet" Seamus suggested. Bella grimaced at the thought.

"Well, as long as it isn't…oh no!" groaned Bella as she saw the wizard that had stood up on the platform. Gilderoy Lockhart was grinning at the group. His robes were a bright plum and the greasy and sallow Severus Snape followed him. Everyone was silenced as he took the stage.

"Gather around, gather around. Can everybody see me? Can everybody here me? Excellent!" Lockhart said. Snape looked like he didn't want to be there but he was forced to. Lockhart continued.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. The girls giggled.

"He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry – you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart continued. Bella snorted and the people surrounding her glanced back at her in confusion.

"We should be worrying that there won't be body parts from Lockhart flying. Snape's pretty good at dueling. Uncle Sirius told me. They went to school together" Bella explained to Ron and Hermione. They nodded in understanding.

"But wouldn't it be great if they finished each other off?" asked Ron. Bella looked at Snape. His lip was curling in disgust as if he wasn't against the idea of hexing Lockhart into oblivion.

"Yeah but I doubt Lockhart can even perform a real spell" Hermione sighed.

Lockhart and Snape spun to face each other. Snape jerked his head in what was supposed to be a bow. Lockhart dipped into a bow with a bunch of flourishing hands. They stood up and Lockhart held his hand wand lazily. Snape actually looked ready to fight.

"On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course" Lockhart said. Hermione chuckled, darkly.

"I wouldn't say that…" Bella said, quietly. She stared at Snape who looked absolutely murderous. Lockhart finally got into a loose and confident combative position.

"One—two—three."

"_Expelliarmus!_" shouted Snape. A red jet shot from his wand and hit Lockhart in the chest. Lockhart was blasted back and he flipped over before landing on his back.

Malfoy and the Slytherins cheered for their Head of House. Snape looked over at Lockhart, smugly.

Lockhart stood up dazed.

"Is he alright?" Lavender Brown squealed.

"Who gives a damn? That prat deserved it!" Bella snarled. Everyone looked at her in surprise but they knew she was always in a darker mood nowadays.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I've lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Brown – yes, an excellent idea to show them that Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy – however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see. Now, we'll call individual pairs onto the platform. Miss Potter!" Lockhart said, sensing Snape's murderous glare. Bella walked up onto the platform.

"Hermione, come on" Bella insisted. Snape held up a hand.

"I don't think so. Mr. Malfoy, can join you" Snape insisted. Bella shrugged and placed both hands onto the platform before flipping onto it, her combat boots hitting it hard and echoing in the quiet. She strode confidently to the middle and waited for Malfoy walk on.

"Wands at the ready When I say three, disarm your partner. Only disarm" Lockhart said. Bella smirked at Malfoy.

"Scared, Princess?" Malfoy asked, loudly. Bella leaned forward, her pupils rimmed with crimson. Her irises were rimmed with the hellfire color as well. Bella grinned, crazily.

"You wish, Thanatos" she challenged. Malfoy's eyes widened and Lockhart began to count. He had only reached two when Malfoy had flicked his wand.

"_Reducto!_" he shouted, pointing at the floor she was under. Bella jumped from the spot and skidded across the floor, gracefully. Lockhart watched in shock.

"I said disarm only!"

"_Confringo!_" Bella shrieked. It hit Malfoy in the chest and he was blasted back. Malfoy spun up, gracefully. He aimed his wand at her.

"_Affligo!_" he snapped. Bella felt the invisible punch be made to her stomach and she wheezed as it knocked the breath out of her. She fell to her knee before looking up with completely crimson eyes.

"You're going to regret that, Malfoy! _Castreo!_" she hissed. Everyone flinched as they saw Malfoy grabbed his crotch and fell to the ground with a short squeal. Bella smirked, victoriously. It was wiped off quickly when Malfoy looked up with a burning desire for revenge in his eyes.

"No, it is _you_. Who will regret it…Anastasia. _Serpensortia!_" he shouted. Bella reeled back as a large anaconda emerged from the jet of blue that shot from his wand. Everyone stumbled back and Bella watched in horror as it looked around.

"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it" Snape said, finally intervening in what he had probably seen as entertainment. Lockhart pushed forward, intent on redeeming himself.

"Allow me!" Lockhart shouted before giving his wand a flourish. It launched the snake in the air and when it landed, it was enraged. It hissed, warningly.

"**How dare you, you stupid humans?**" it hissed. Bella stared at it in shock as it rounded on Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley. It hissed and slithered up to them and Hermione was frozen.

"**I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!**" Bella hissed in Parseltongue. It felt like the world froze as the anaconda stopped in its tracks and turned to Bella.

"**You are a speaker?**"

"**I am. I am Bella. Please don't attack them. She's my…she's my sister**" Bella said, quietly. Snape moved forward, wide-eyed, pointing his wand at it.

"_Vipera Evansesca_" Snape said. The anaconda burned into nothingness. Everyone stared at Bella in shock. Justin looked horrified and afraid.

"What are you playing at? You're Anastasia Slytherin, aren't you? Aren't you?" he shouted for everyone to hear. Bella said nothing.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" someone shouted.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about" Bella stammered. Her mind was racing but her heart was beating faster.

"Yes you do. You're Anastasia Slytherin! You're a Parseltongue! I heard you speaking to Professor Riddle in Parseltongue in first year!" Malfoy shouted. Bella blinked and glared at them.

"I…" she started.

"Save it! You're a liar! You're a Dark witch!"

"You're no Savior!"

"You're not the Golden Girl!"

Bella clamped her hands over her ears and her eyes turned into slits. They flashed dangerously red and she shook her head. She fell to her knees as the shouts got to her. She glanced at Snape who was looking at her with a smirk. Hermione and Ron looked horrified.

"YOU'RE EVIL!"

The last shout struck Bella to the core. It had been Draco who shouted it. And that made it hurt even more. She stood up and hissed, making the students go silent.

"I'm a Parseltongue, fine! I AM ANASTASIA SLYTHERIN! The attacks are my fault! They're coming after me! OKAY, I'VE SAID IT! I've admitted it! But I'm _not_ evil! I swear!" she shouted. Draco smirked at her in triumph.

"That's not what they see. Welcome to the dark side, Lady Slytherin."

:::

**A/N: **DAMMIT! I forgot my Author's Note. So...I'm really liking the Hermione I'm creating. But not more than Bella. Bella may seem Light as of now but...I'm not done with her character. Hermione's character is really getting there. Once I reach Order of the Phoenix, I'll have her. Speaking of Order of the Phoenix...I've got a brill idea. But it cannot be shared. But you'll definitely be in for a surprise!


	17. Chapter XV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I'm really motivated and my muse is currently on the run since I've been trying to finish up Library of Corvus. Most of this arc is prewritten. We'll be catching up soon and that's not making me happy in the least. I'd like to actually start on Prisoners of Azkaban before I finish this up. Or at least get the damn interlude out of the way. Well, whatever. We'll get there when we get there. So, I feel so bad for Bella. She's just so…beat up in the chapter. Everyone hates her. Harry Potter was being shunned because they thought he was the Heir of Slytherin. Bella actually _is_. Thus, everyone hates her.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 19th of December 1992**

**9:00 AM**

Bella sat in the library with Hermione and Ron while they were trying to decipher the riddle and they were pleasantly undisturbed. Well unpleasantly for Bella her dark hair was wild and dark circles could be seen around her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept at all and she hadn't.

All night she had been kept awake by Lavender Brown and Parvarti Patil. They had been constantly harassing her with questions if she was related to Tom and if she really was the reason the Library of Corvus was opened. No one seemed to understand that it wasn't her fault. They gave her looks of distrust and actually took different corridors to the Great Hall if they saw her walking down one.

Someone had actually asked Hermione why she was hanging out with Bella if she knew she was going to get hurt. Hermione had threatened to break the boy's arm if he ever approached her with a stupid question like that. Bella smiled at the memory of the boy's pale face.

Her mood soured when she glanced at the corner of the library.

"Bella, pay attention we're trying to discuss…oh" Hermione said, after seeing where Bella had been looking. A group of Hufflepuffs were sitting at the far end of the library, glancing at Bella every few seconds.

"I can't deal with this…I have to tell Justin that it hadn't been my fault. I was trying to stop it. I didn't mean…I didn't mean to make this happen. I don't even know _how_ this is happening," Bella whispered, brokenly. Hermione placed a comforting her hand on Bella's arm.

"I know you didn't mean to Bella. You were trying to save me, weren't you? It was an anaconda. It would've killed us" Hermione whispered. Bella nodded earnestly and got up. Ron looked at her alarmed.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked. Bella pointed over to the group of Hufflepuffs. The Girl Who Lived squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She could do this.

"I'm going to ask where Justin is. I don't give a damn what they think of me" Bella snapped. She stood up and walked towards the Hufflepuffs and hid behind the bookcase they were next to, trying to hear their conversation.

"So anyway, I told Justin to hide in our dormitory. Potter is dangerous. Everyone around her is getting hurt. The Library of Corvus is a fairytale and I remember it well. The beast is going to ask her those three riddles and she's got to answer them right, and with every passing moment that she doesn't answer them, someone's going to get hurt, and the only people getting hurt are muggleborns and squibs. You saw her egging on the snake to Justin and Granger. She was trying to make sure that the beast marks them instead of going after her. No one's lived this long without answering the riddles" Ernie Macmillan said. Bella's mouth fell open.

"So, you definitely think it's Bella who is Anastasia Slytherin?" Hannah Abbott asked. Ernie gave her a disbelieving look and shook his head.

"Over course she is! She said so! She's obviously evil if the beast of Rowena Ravenclaw marked her out! All Slytherins are evil, no matter what Dumbledore says" Ernie said. Hannah looked at him, earnestly.

"She's so nice if a little headstrong and she destroyed Grindelwald. She can't be bad" Hannah said, quietly. Ernie shook his head.

"No one knows how she survived that attack by Grindelwald. I mean to say, she was only a baby when it happened. She should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark witch could have survived a curse like that!" Ernie said. Bella pushed herself from behind the bookcase and cleared her throat. The two looked up at her, terrified. The other three with them looked as they had just been petrified.

"I'm not even really related to him. Get your facts right and stop being gossips. It's not kind at all I already said I wasn't trying to egg on the snake. So where is Justin?" asked Bella. Ernie and Hannah glared at her for eavesdropping. Bella glared back and Hannah cowered. She reeled back but Ernie looked at her suspiciously.

"What do you want with him?" Ernie asked.

"I'm going to tell him what happened. I know how to control a snake. I have Nagini wrapped around me half the time. She's like a fucking leech. She's always on me and she's never attacked anyone before" Bella pointed out. One of the Hufflepuffs scoffed at the explanation.

"That's because Professor Riddle trained her" she said. Bella hissed under her breath and the blood drained out of all of their voices.

"Professor Riddle's snake is fucking vicious. I've had my fair shares of having to restrain her from attacking various students so piss off. Tell Justin that I've got to talk to him when you see him" Bella sighed in anger. Ernie scoffed.

"Don't count on it, Slytherin!" Ernie snapped. Bella reeled back as if she'd been slapped and she sighed.

"That…that's not even my real name. I'm not even the true Heir of Slytherin. That's Professor Riddle if you weren't aware" Bella said, sadly before walking away. Hannah watched with wide eyes.

"She's right…" Hannah said after the girl. Bella trudged back over to Hermione and Ron who looked at her, sadly.

"How'd it go?" Ron asked. Bella could tell that it he already knew that it hadn't gone well from her grim expression. Bella blinked, slowly before sitting down and glancing at her friends.

"Er…not so well. They have a fucking excuse for everything" Bella snapped. Hermione placed her hand on Bella's arm. Luminescent emerald eyes found dark chocolate brown eyes.

"Temper, temper" Hermione warned with a smile the teasing made Bella giggle. Bella glanced back at the girl she considered as a sister. Hermione could always cheer her up when she was down.

"I'm tired of all this. Can we just go to the Common Room or something?" asked Bella. Ron nodded in agreement.

"There are too many books it's making me tired it's just like Binns' lectures" Ron said. Bella nodded in agreement and looked at Ron in awe.

"I completely agree! The Goblin Wars are so damn boring."

"NO THEY'RE NOT!" Hermione exploded. Everyone turned to glare at Bella before they realized it was Hermione that had disturbed the peace. She seemed to realize as well. The well read Muggleborn blushed to the roots of her hair.

"SHHH! You're going to have to leave" Madam Prince said, crossly. Hermione flushed even darker at the fact that _she, _the bookworm of the school, had been kicked out of the library. She slammed her book closed before walking out in long strides with the books pulled against her chest. Bella and Ron hurried after her.

"Sorry Mione, I didn't mean to get you kicked out" Bella said, sounding innocent. This was disproven by the wide and amused grin on her face. Ron was making regular intervals of letting out snorts.

Hermione suddenly let out a shriek and Bella and Ron looked to where she was looking. Bella let out a bloodcurdling scream that had students bursting from their classrooms. Justin Finch-Fletchley was on the ground. His eyes were wide with terror in his eyes. Words were carved into his chest. Under the words was Grindelwald's mark carved into her skin.

_A connection to the heart of Victory._

_Stolen from souls_

_Fashioned from tree_

_Created by the Claimer._

_What am I?_

"I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" Bella shrieked as she began to hyperventilate. All of the students and teachers felt the air shift and the magic swirl around Bella. Bella's hair swirled around her. An unnatural wind picked up to swirl the hems of some students' robes.

_Anastasia Slytherin…_

_Three down…one to go._

The words had Bella shaking as the magic slammed into her binding the three riddles to her soul. Bella shook as the ancient magic swirled around her, released from Lady Hogwarts. The magic was binding her but…it was still strangely comforting.

Like a mother who had to give her child medicine because they were sick…

She fell to the ground and began to shallow breaths, as if something was choking her.

"Marvolo…Marvolo…" she choked out. Hermione nodded and turned to a pale faced Professor McGonagall.

"Professor! I need to find Professor Riddle. Please watch her" Hermione begged. She didn't wait for a response. She took off running down the halls. She jumped over the banister and slid down the stairwell rails. As she was approaching the first floor, she jumped over it and landed crouched. The students wandering the halls stared at her in surprise as she discarded her robe and ran forward. She wore only her trousers and white shirt.

It was as if she was flying down the hallways. She pushed herself and she could heard the goading in her head. She could hear the voices telling her to go faster if she wanted to save her. And if she couldn't save her, she wasn't the most loyal any more. She reached the hall where the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was located in. As she made her way down she suddenly slid.

She skidded down the hall until she was in the DADA room. She threw the door and it banged into the opposite wall. Shocked eyes found her panting stature. Professor Riddle was teaching a group of sixth years. They stared at her in shock. Professor Riddle stood up, his eyes unfathomable.

"She got the third riddle. The castle bound them to her soul. She…she's been exposed to such ancient magic. I don't think she can take it anymore. The magic is so pure, it's tearing her apart" Hermione cried, hysterically. Everyone shivered as the room went cold and the flat surfaces was suddenly covered in frost. Riddle's eyes shifted to crimson in seconds and he withdrew his wand.

"Miss Granger, I thank you for the alert. It's time that Bella told me what the damn riddles were. Dismissed!" Riddle hissed. He walked with Hermione, quickly and everyone cowered as he strode forward, venomously.

When they reached the area where Bella was, the headmaster was already there and leaning over her. Riddle flicked his wand and Bella flew towards him. She was on her knees about a foot away from him. He walked closer and yanked her to her feet. She was staring down with dark emerald eyes. He grabbed her by the chin and made her look up. Her eyes were blank and she was shivering every other second.

"Anastasia, speak the riddles" Riddle instructed. Bella giggled, softly. She looked up at Riddle with the eyes of Victory.

"I'm becoming obsessed with the riddles. You know I think about them all the time. Now…I'm going to die because of them" Bella whispered. Riddle glared at her and shook his head.

"You won't."

"I will. But I'm fine with that. It should keep me out of your hair, no. And it doesn't matter. You know what must be done to stop all of the attacks. I must fight...or die. Headmaster…I believe you wanted to see me in your office," Bella said, hoarsely. Her eyes were still strangely blank and she wasn't all there. Dumbledore nodded, gravely.

"Yes. Students return to your classes. Tom, please move Justin to the Hospital Wing. Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, return to the Gryffindor common room" Dumbledore said. Hermione scoffed and stepped forward.

"With no disrespect, sir, I go with Bella everywhere and what you say will not change that. Ron will go to the library. Take the book and read it. Find anything that has to do with the riddle. We'll make the first move. Go" Hermione instructed, unfathomably. Her voice held no emotion and Ron shuddered at that. She wasn't being a bossy know-it-all now. She sounded like a general of an army. Ron took the book and walked back to the library. Hermione grabbed Bella's hand.

"Darling, it's going to be fine. I promise" Hermione said, quietly. Bella looked at her with tired eyes and shook her head.

"No it won't. Come on" Bella said, walking towards the Headmaster's office with Dumbledore by the side of the two girls. Dumbledore couldn't understand how they had such a close relationship. Dumbledore had thought that Bella would be closest to Ron since they both shared so many interests. And she seemed to hold some ill feelings for Gideon. That messed up his plans. They were supposed to be together. Gideon was impenetrably Light and would make sure she would never stray. However that didn't seem the case. No matter. That could be changed. They were only eleven and twelve.

Then…Hermione had been so much Darker. Dumbledore knew he was taking a chance in accepting her to Hogwarts. Something was wrong…Dumbledore couldn't exactly put his finger on it but there was something. Hermione looked to Bella as if Bella owned her and it was strange. Yet...she was a bossy know-it-all, that made sure Bella did what she was supposed to.

"Sir, do you enjoy lemon drops?" Bella asked. Dumbledore nodded in surprise. How had she known…

"Lady Hogwarts tells me things" was Bella's mysterious answer. The group turned to the stone gargoyle that guarded the staircase to Dumbledore's office.

"Lemon drops" Hermione said, quietly. The gargoyle jumped from the staircase and they made their way up the stairs. When they got into the office the two students took a seat in front of Dumbledore.

Bella smiled at the phoenix on the stand next to Dumbledore. She stroked it, quietly and it cooed at her.

"Hello there. You gave the feather in my wand, right?" she murmured. Dumbledore's eyes widened even further at her unnatural knowledge. It wasn't like Rowena Ravenclaw's all knowing but it was unnatural all the same. It seemed that she genuinely had a connection to Lady Hogwarts or...an unnatural connection to her wand. Both were dangerous things to have in a war torn world.

Hermione began stroking the phoenix just as Bella sat down with a serious face on.

"Miss Potter, can you tell me what happened?" Dumbledore asked. Bella looked up at Dumbledore with half-dead eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept in years. She looked dead.

"I had been looking for Justin, to explain to him what had happened. I'm not even _related _to Slytherin. Professor Riddle is my magical guardian. The Hufflepuffs I spoke to accused me of giving the beast sacrifices in place of my life. I stormed out, angry, with Ron and Hermione…Mione, you're going to burn yourself" Bella said, without looking from Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked at the Muggleborn just as Fawkes burst into flames. Hermione giggled, manically, her fingers dancing through the flames before she pulled her fingers from it.

The ends of her fingers were charred.

"Did that not hurt?" Dumbledore asked, quietly. Hermione shrugged.

"I have an affinity for fire. I'm very skilled at fire spells."

"As I was saying, Ron, Mione, and I were walking down the stairs and Hermione screamed. She saw Justin body. I screamed as well and I read the last riddle. They are all bound me now and I must answer them before I get the last riddle. I have no idea what the answers are" Bella said, monotonously.

"Bella, is there something you wish to tell me?" Dumbledore asked, coaxingly. He needed to know the riddles. He had to find out if they were what he suspected. But he cou'dn't if she wouldn't even tell him the first riddle.

It was impossible to get inside her now with the iron defense she had around her mind in the form of some version of herself. Something that Tom had told him pulled at his mind but he couldn't quite recall what it was.

Bella's lips spread into a lipless and crazed grin that almost made Dumbledore shudder. It reminded him of Grindelwald's Heir's smirk. That Lord Voldemort.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing at all."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24th of December 1992**

**11:00 PM**

_Tom…did you remember anything about what the beast is?_

**No, I didn't. I don't quite remember anything about it, actually. I've read of the Library of Corvus in passing but didn't look too into it. I was busy.**

_I see…I need help._

**And what do I get if I help you?**

_Stop being an ass…I really need your help. It's life and death._

**Did your boyfriend forget your anniversary or something?**

_You're a total ass! No and I don't have a boyfriend. I was just given three riddles from the Library of Corvus and I don't know what they're about. I'm going to die if I don't figure them out._

**I see…would you like to relay the riddles to me? It's not like I can tell anyone.**

_Sure. The first one:_

_I am cold and hard. I bring those not solid._

_I bring those alive yet their spirits have ascended from this world._

_My heart is cracked in half yet I live not._

_I am the stone of the riverbed._

_What am I?_

**Interesting…I may have some knowledge of what that is but I can't be sure.**

_The second one:_

_Invisible to all._

_Translucent I am._

_I hide from Death and I hide Death._

_What am I?_"

**Continue, Bella. I may have some idea of what you're talking about.**

_That's good. The third one, I just received a couple of weeks ago._

_A connection to the heart of Victory._

_Stolen from souls_

_Fashioned from tree_

_Created by the Claimer._

_What am I?_

**Bella…do you not have any idea what this may be?**

_None at all but something tugging at the back of my mind. I don't understand._

…**Ask your best friend, the Mudblood…start with the third and work your way back. She'll understand.**

_But where…I'm being watched. Everyone thinks it's my fault._

**I see…Bella, you're part Slytherin. Figure it out.**

_I'm not really a Slytherin you know...just in name._

**Part Slytherin, nonetheless. Figure it out.**

**

* * *

**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25th of December 1992**

**8:30 AM**

Bella looked in the mirror as she brushed back her long black hair. It wasn't in wild tangles that day. It was Yule. She would never go outside of the dorm on Yule with messy hair. Her long hair wasn't in a plait but fell down her back in one sleek sheet of black. Bella's crimson robes had to be reworked now that she was taller and it was longer and just as beautiful.

Hermione's bushy hair was pulled into a plait. Her Yule robes were different this year. She was taller as a thirteen-year-old. Her long brown hair was pulled into a beautiful plait. She wore a high collared white robe and a navy jacket with wide sleeves. She slipped her wand up her tight white sleeves.

"I love your necklace, Bella. Who sent it?" Lavender Brown asked. Parvarti nodded in agreement. She was wearing traditional Indian robes. This told Bella that she was a pureblood. However, Bella was surprised that they had decided to speak to her. They had opted to ignore her since the Parseltongue event. She supposed since it was Yule, they were going to be at least conversational. Bella decided to grant them the same.

"My uncle Sirius" Bella smiled as she stroked the necklace she had gotten from last year. She had opened her gifts and had grinned at all of them. They had been so sweet, especially the stuffed dog from Sirius that he had recovered from her vault, but she had stuffed Tom's gift under her bed for the time being.

"That's so sweet!" Parvarti squealed. Bella grinned to herself. At least _some_ people didn't treat her all _too_ different.

"I know. Well, you two have a nice Yule" Bella smiled. They nodded and walked out of the door and down the stairs. Bella turned to Hermione with a sharp look on her face before pulling a gift from underneath the bed.

"What's that?" asked Hermione. Bella glanced at Hermione before deciding to answer Hermione. Before, she hadn't been entirely sure if she could trust Hermione. But after knowing her for more than year, she knew that Hermione wouldn't betray her for anything.

"This is from Marvolo. The dress robes from last year were from him as well. I'm going to open it now" Bella said, quietly. Hermione nodded before Bella carefully unwrapped the parcel.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

Bella pulled from the parcel a locket. A beautiful locket, she noticed. The locket was octagonal and looked amber within. Set in the amber were green emeralds that spelled an 'S'.

And next to was a note.

_Protect this with your life. I only trust you._

_But if you make me repeat that to your face, I'll smack you to the icy pit of Hell._

Bella stared at in shock as she recognized what it was. Hermione didn't.

"What is it?" the Muggleborn asked. Bella glanced up at Hermione with awe on her face.

"Slytherin's locket."

:::

**A/N: **I have finished this chapter. It's not one of my favorites but...I'm pretty sure the next chapter is my favorite. You'll see why.

Next Chapter: Lockhart, a heart to heart, and Valentine's day (Doesn't this sound like a really bad anime title? Doesn't anyone agree that all anime episode titles are really long and give the entire plot away? Cause I think so!)


	18. Chapter XVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Okay, I've done two chapters in one day. I'm really motivated and my muse is currently on the run. I feel so bad for Bella. She's just so…beat up in the chapter. Everyone hates her. Harry Potter was being shunned because they thought he was the Heir of Slytherin. Bella actually _is_. Thus, everyone hates her. And you _have_ to remember, Hermione is 13! She's been 13 for a few months! She has hormones and Zabini is 13 as well.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1992**

**1:00 PM**

Hermione, Ron, and Bella were in the library trying to decipher the riddles, and it was proving difficult. Everything about it was just difficult. She couldn't understand how to go about the riddles.

"This is getting so tedious! We don't have any leads whatsoever!" Bella complained and Ron nodded in agreement.

"I thought there would be a _little_ something to go on! We've got nothing and we've been reading for months now!" Ron sighed. Hermione glanced at her two best friends, carefully. She needed to do something other than nag them, she knew it. They would just get mad at her. So, she'd say a useless fact.

"Did you know Grindelwald's sign wasn't a Rune or anything but a symbol?" Hermione said, matter-of-factly. Bella nodded, absently as she stroked the locket she had gotten for Christmas. She took it off only when she had to and when she did, she placed it in a heavily warded box.

"Yes, It's the symbol for the three gifts" Bella said, reading through the books. She felt the stillness of Hermione and Ron next to her and they were watching her with wide eyes.

"What three gifts, Bella?" Ron asked, quietly. Bella looked at him in shock. She couldn't believe he didn't remember.

"It's not important just that fairytale, the Tale of the Three Brothers. You know they were really people! The Peverells and that symbol was their coat of arms. I think I'm related to them through the Potter line...oh Merlin! Where's the fairytale book?" Bella demanded. Ron passed her the book and Hermione glanced at it.

"I hadn't even bothered to read that one! I can't believe I was so flippant about it. Read it aloud" Hermione commanded. Bella nodded.

"_There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river, too deep to wade through, and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands, and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it, when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure, and Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him_" Bella began. She passed the book to Ron who looked a little put out.

"What's wrong?" Hermione questioned. Ron pointed at one word in the text.

"When Mum used to read it to us, she always said midnight. It gave it a little more suspense, I suppose" Ron said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, for our purposes, its twilight. Now would you read?" Bella snapped before gesturing towards the book. Ron nodded, trying to calm her down a bit. He wasn't in the mood for one of her own moods.

"_So, the oldest brother, Antioch, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. A wand that must always win battles for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death. So, Death had crossed to an Elder Tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that had hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother_" Ron started. Hermione's eyes widened and she pointed down to wear they had written the riddle down.

"_A connection to the heart of Victory._

_Stolen from souls_

_Fashioned from tree_

_Created by the Claimer._

_What am I?_

Don't you see? The Claimer is Death. Death claims people's lives. Bella is the victor over Grindelwald" Hermione said. Bella nodded in agreement though she was a little skeptic over the Victory thing. That didn't seem to be it. But she wasn't going to not accept what was given to her, right there.

"A wand of elder. The Elder Wand!" Bella said, in an excited whisper. As soon as the words left Bella's lips she shuddered. Bella suddenly felt a release as the ancient magic bonding that riddle to her was released. She sighed in content.

"Continue reading" Hermione instructed. Ron nodded.

" _Then the second brother, Cadmus, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So, Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead_" Ron continued. Hermione tilted her head before gasping. Bella nodded in agreement.

"_I am cold and hard. I bring those not solid._

_I bring life yet their spirits have ascended from this world._

_My heart is cracked in half yet I live not._

_I am the stone of the riverbed._

_What am I?_

See! It resurrects people, I expect but not really. It doesn't give them a body or anything but just gives people a spirit form. And Death took it from the riverbank. It's a stone of the riverbed. And stones are cold and hard, right?" Ron pointed out. Bella nodded in agreement and grinned.

"Yes! It's a resurrection stone. Pass the book to Hermione!" Bella said. Hermione got the large book from Ron and shook her head, in amazement. Bella felt the second riddle leave her and she could only feel the last riddle wrapped to her magical core by a rope of ancient magic.

"I can't believe we never looked over this! I feel so stupid" Hermione sighed before she decided to read the book. Bella and Ron exchanged glances. They couldn't understand _why_ she felt stupid. None of them had suspected anything.

"_And then Death asked the third brother and youngest brother, Ignotus, what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest, and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own cloak of invisibility_" Hermione read. Bella gasped and both of the other children looked over to her.

"Uncle Sirius used to tell me that Invisibility Cloaks wear out in only a few years. Mine was my father's! He's had it since he was a kid and it was passed down to him. It must be the Cloak of Invisibility!" Bella said. As Bella spoke the words the ancient magic released that riddle from her. She gasped. Hermione gave Bella an apprehensive look.

"I can understand the Elder Wand but the Cloak of Invisibility? I don't think so, Bell" Hermione said. Bella gave a smug smirk and crossed her arms before leaning back and giving Hermione a knowing look.

"Then you want to tell me why the riddle was just released from the bond that it had to my soul? I answered the riddle. It's real. We solved the three riddles!" Bella said, grinning. Hermione glared at her and sniffed before looking back down at the book. Ron snorted and Hermione gave him a glare that made him flinch.

"_Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder at the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course, the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother travelled for a week or more, and, reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard, with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted of the powerful wand, which he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible. That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother, as he lay wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand, and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat. And so, Death took the first brother for his own_" Hermione continued. Bella gasped and shook her head.

"So, the Elder Wand is passed down from those that have defeated them. That's interesting to know. I would kill for a wand like that" Bella said, quietly. Hermione passed the book to Bella and the girl picked it up.

"_Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here, he took out the stone which had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as though by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there, and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad by hopeless longing, killed himself, so as to truly join her. And so, Death took the second brother for his own_" Bella continued. She closed her eyes and thought about it.

Her dream was to find her new family but she didn't mind seeing and speaking to her parents for only a little while. James, her father, had died defending both her and her mother. But Lily…her mother had died for _her_.

"_But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took of the Cloak of Invisibility, and gave it to his son. And then, he greeted Death as an old friend, went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life_" Bella finished. She closed to book and took the quill from the parchment before clearing her throat.

"The three gifts. The Elder Wand" Bella said, quietly. She drew a vertical line.

"The resurrection stone" Ron said. Bella drew the circle in the middle of the line and they both glanced at Hermione. Hermione pursed her lips. She still didn't think that it was exactly _real_ but with the evidence…

"And the Cloak of Invisibility" Hermione sighed. Bella grinned and she drew the triangle over both.

"You've solved the riddles. Now, all there is to do is…wait" Hermione said, her smile disappearing. Bella's grin left her face as well and she nodded, solemnly. She glanced at the winter day.

"Yes all I can do now is wait. However I think it's time for me to go wish someone a happy birthday. It is his birthday today, isn't it?" Bella said, with a slight smile. Ron frowned in confusion.

"Whose birthday?" Ron asked. The two girls didn't answer him.

"Yes, it is. I read about it. How come you didn't know?" Hermione asked. Bella's smile became mischievous.

"Because he doesn't want me to know how old he is. Do you know?" Bella asked. Hermione's lips curled into a smirk. She did the mental calculation in her head and Bella sighed, impatiently.

"66" Hermione said, quietly. Bella's eyes went wide with glee.

"Heh…old man."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1992**

**1:45 PM**

Tom had been calmly grading the papers for the third years. He wasn't paying any attention to it, of course. He was more concerned with his decision to give Bella his Horcrux. No matter if he had already given her one Horcrux.

But he had given her Slytherin's locket! A time before, he would rather die than be parted with it. Well…no that would be too dramatic. It would defeated the purpose of why he made the damned things anyway.

He could part with one Horcrux, he decided. He had six and that was all good and fine. Nagini was never far from him and she could kill easily. Bella would rather die than part with Slytherin's locket, he knew. His diary…when it came down to it, it was expendable. When the Chamber of Secrets opened it had been fun but he didn't need his old sixteen-year-old self running around and sucking the soul out of Bella.

Not that he hadn't explained to the diary that her soul was not his to suck out.

He sighed to himself. Here he was working when it was his birthday. He hadn't gotten a damn thing for Christmas, not that he cared. Well, that wasn't exactly true. Gellert had given him a book on the prophecy of the Four Horsemen in Elven, where it was originally recorded. That was an interesting read...that he would make sure not to let Bella see. She could be too sharp for her own good. He'd be banking on her partial obliviousness. And Dumbledore had given him a lifetime supply of lemon drops.

He hated lemon drops.

And Lockhart had left a damned letter about how he would be delivering his gift later that day. Tom wondered, constantly, how the fool had found out his freaking birthday…oh, right, Dumbledore!

There was a knocking on the door.

"Enter" Tom said, quietly. The door swung open to reveal a golden haired Lockhart. He was very tight plum colored robes and Tom frowned and his left eye twitched.

"How did you get in here?" demanded Tom. He knew he had just changed the English password…

The Parseltongue password revealed a long corridor that allowed him to get to his rooms and such. The English password allowed them straight into the office, just in case he wished to speak to a student. He'd rather speak to the most annoying student, ex. Longbottom, rather than speak to the moron in front of him.

"The password wasn't too hard to find out, my dear" Lockhart said in what he thought was a seductive tone. Tom only found it demented and that was coming from the Dark Lord.

"I think you should leave. Immediately because, honestly, I wish to spend my birthday alone" Tom said, in an even tone. Lockhart walked, forward, not even listening to him.

The Dark Lord would never admit it but he was actually slightly frightened at Lockhart's behavior. He was strictly heterosexual, not that he had any aversion to the homosexual population. Well...he only had an aversion to them when their affection was directed at him. That happened a lot.

So, now he had an irrational fear of them, at times. Like now.

"But, Tom, I have a gift for you" Lockhart purred. Tom leaned back in his seat and withdrew his wand, slowly. He concealed it as he didn't want Lockhart knowing what he was doing.

"I really don't want your gift. I hate gifts" Tom snapped, flatly. Lockhart was at his desk now and was leaning forward, over it. Tom took a deep breath, centering himself. He couldn't go off shouting Unforgiveables.

"Oh, come now, Tom. We both know that what that damned Potter girl said was wrong. We both know that you find me attractive. I mean, who wouldn't. I have won Witch Weekly's best-smile-award, five years and running" Lockhart said, flashing him his glowing smile. Tom just found it annoying. He was pissed off.

And _no one_ lived when you pissed off Lord Voldemort. The idea of Unforgiveables, namely his signature _Avada Kedavra_, was sounding better and better at the moment...

"_Look_, Lockhart! I'm ready to tear you into a mound of bloody pieces. You will get out before I castrate you and then burn your testicles. So, you're going to want to leave. I'll give you five seconds for you to escape before I turn you into a eunuch, Muggle style. Let us begin the countdown. Five…" Tom warned, his skin pale and his eyes blazing crimson.

The illegitimate Riddle really thought at least the eyes would scare off Lockhart. But apparently, it wasn't his day since Lockhart only seemed to aroused…if the bulge in his pants was anything to go by…Merlin, he wished he hadn't looked there. Now, Lockhart thought he wanted the little blonde ponce...oh, not Malfoy of course btu the golden haired one standing in front of him.

"Come, Tom…"

"Four."

"Tom, you're not going to really kill me. You like me. I know you do."

"Three."

"Just sit down, my love, so I can give you, your present. And it's wrapped in plum purple."

"Two."

"Time to unwrap me!"

"O—" Tom began raising his wand. The tip was already glowing with a sickly green color. He knew the words and he really didn't want to have an unnecessary death on his hands…

That would make everything sticky and mess up his carefully thought up plans.

But of course, that wasn't what stopped him. Because he could make up a perfectly employed alibi on the spot. No, it was that stupid girl that could make him go into a catatonic state every time she did something that could most likely get her killed but never seemed to.

"HAPPY 66th BIRTHDAY…what the hell are you doing here?" demanded Bella Potter. She was glaring at Lockhart, who was basically draped over Tom's desk. Tom couldn't help the quip that was rising in him.

"That's my line to you. And he's leaving…before I end up doing something I wouldn't really regret" Tom warned. Lockhart looked at him with a pout before glaring at Bella in anger and annoyance.

"You interrupted a very intimate moment, little girl!" Lockhart snapped. Bella hissed at Lockhart, her pupils dilated. She walked over before grabbing him by the leg and pulling him. He fell off Tom's desk in a heap and Bella sat on it, primly with her legs crossed and looked down at Lockhart.

"Sir, I believe that you were mistaken. As has been previously stated, Professor Riddle is _not_ homosexual. I'm sorry if you have any misconception but it is true. He doesn't appreciate his birthday gift and would love if you were gone from his private rooms. Thank you" she said formally. Lockhart gaped at her sudden switch in personality and now he only succeeded in looking very confused.

"Wha—" he started. Bella suddenly glared and he flinched back.

"Do you not understand English? Was I fucking speaking Parseltongue? GET THE HELL OUT!" she shrieked. He jumped up and looked at Tom, pleadingly. Tom looked up to the ceiling. He wasn't praying but he was pleading with any higher power out there to get that moron out of his office.

"Lockhart, get the hell out before I get a lifetime sentence to Azkaban" Tom said, almost calmly. But his voice held a tinge of edge and irony.

At this point in time, he had a few hundred lifetime-sentences to Azkaban. You could never get over the classic _Avada Kedavra_. It just made you feel amazing every time. Like that classic muggle book, War and Peace.

Admittedly, he loathed muggles to the point where he would rather commit genocide than ever use a Muggle contraption that they called a microwave. But…that book just held a certain quality to it…

"Fine! Be stubborn!" Lockhart snapped, pouting before stomping out like a child. Bella rolled her eyes as he left before turning slightly to glance at Tom who sat down and began grading papers. Tom could see out of the corner of his eyes the Girl-Who-Lived. She was gaping at him.

"Shut your mouth. You look like a fish" Tom said, bluntly. Bella smirked and tilted her head.

"I could imagine Dumbledore talking something like that…about fish I mean" she said, teasingly. Tom looked up at her, glaring with his charcoal eyes.

"I sound _nothing_ like Dumbledore. He's insane. I'm not" Tom said, sharply. She shrugged and grinned.

"If you say so…but personally, I think you're both off your rocker. As, I was saying when I came in, happy birthday" Bella said, starting off teasing but her voice going softer towards the end. Tom nodded in thanks and they sat in silence like that for a while. The only sound was Tom's quill scratching on various students' essays.

"Why did you give me the locket?"

The question was so simple yet it made Tom falter slightly. He could take the more analytical route or listen to what his _feelings_ were saying.

Eh…no, he decided. Feelings were for the weak.

"I know you would rather die than part with it" Tom said, flatly. His tone was monotonous and he intended to keep it that way. He couldn't have her going around blabbing that she had one of Tom's prized possessions.

"That's not what you said" Bella said, with a grin. Tom looked at her out of the corner of his eye before leaning back and entwining his fingers before leaning his chin on the locked fingers.

"Then what did I say, Anastasia?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella leaned forward as if telling him a great secret. Which Tom didn't understand since they were the only two in the room. Even Nagini wasn't here. She was out searching for mice he assumed…well, that was what she was usually doing.

"That you trust me. And I'm the only one you trust. Do you really?" Bella asked. Tom's eyes narrowed at her genuine curiosity. He didn't take well to curiosity since it led to questions that he really didn't care to answer.

"No. I must've been drunk when I wrote that," Tom snapped before going back to reading Katie Bell's essay.

"You just don't want to admit it! You _truust_ me!" Bella drawled. Tom rolled his eyes and glanced at Bella.

"Would you shut up?" he demanded. She shook her head before sighing and looked up at the high ceiling.

"Does Lady Hogwarts speak to you sometimes too?" Bella asked. Tom glanced at the girl, piercingly. The question had caught him off guard. Nothing was supposed to catch the Dark Lord off guard. Damned girl messing up the status quo...

"Does she speak to you?" he asked.

"It's rude to answer a question with a question. But yes she does speak to me. Not in words but…when the riddles were bound to me, Lady Hogwarts was comforting me. I suppose that's why I find this more like a home than Grimmauld Place. I feel ungrateful that I find my home in my school rather than the home that Uncle Sirius has given me but…Grimmauld Place doesn't have this type of magic. It's so familiar to me and I don't know why…" Bella said, quietly. Tom looked at her, with shock, but not letting it show through his stoic mask.

"I see."

"You must find me a brat. I should be grateful for what I've got. I could've been left with a bunch of muggles but Uncle Sirius took me in because he loved me so much" Bella said. Tom could tell that she was more talking to herself than to him. He should've felt touch that she trusted him enough to just vent in front of him. But mostly, he just found it really annoying.

"If you acknowledge what Black has done for you, that doesn't make you a brat. Shouldn't you be with your Mudblood friend and the Weasley?" asked Tom. Bella shrugged before turning to Tom.

"Where is your home, Marvolo?" asked Bella. Tom froze and glanced at Bella before leaning back and clicked his teeth together.

"Anastasia, I think you should go now. You wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting" Tom said. Bella looked at him through her eyelashes and she was pouting.

"Do you not want to answer the question? I thought you trusted me."

"Anastasia, I trust no one."

"Why not? Didn't you have anyone you could trust when you were a child? I trust _you_."

"I don't trust people. I barely trust Nagini since she tried to strangle me yesterday for not getting her a mouse. Now no more questions. Get out."

Tom's eyes almost widened when Bella rounded on him. She spun around completely so that she was completely on his desk, her legs next to her as she glared at him. She leaned on her arm.

"Why are you such a total jackass? I swear you clam up every time someone asks you to answer a damn question!" she snapped. Tom tilted his head.

"Hmm…" Tom started. Bella looked at him, smugly.

"Do you get it now? Have you considered that what I just said is the truth?"

"Oh, I got it before. That _is_ what I do. It's none of your business. My personal life is my own" Tom countered. Bella looked at him, in earnest and she pulled out Slytherin's locket. Tom could feel it thrumming with his Dark magic and the piece of his soul. He didn't think she could feel it but…

"You trusted this with me. This is Slytherin's locket and I would die to keep it safe, just like you asked. Why can't you just answer that question?" demanded Bella. Tom looked at her with angry eyes. He couldn't believe he was about to give into some little girl's whims…an annoying little girl's whims at that.

"Fine! Will you leave me alone if I answer your stupid question, little girl?" Tom hissed. Bella nodded, wide-eyed. Tom looked at the wall as he contemplated if he should lie or not.

"My home…has always been Hogwarts."

"I…I see."

"Are you going to leave now? I _do_ have work to do. And I have to do that work if I wish to keep my job" Tom said, his tone steely. Bella smiled and slipped off his desk. She looked torn before she just walked backwards to the door. She leaned against it before grinning.

"Happy birthday, Marvolo."

She slipped out of the room, leaving Tom alone once more…

Thank, Merlin!

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 14th of February 1993**

**8:00 AM**

"Oh my God…"

"What the bloody Hell happened in here?"

"**Merlin, just kill me now**."

The Great Hall was covered in a revolting shade of pink. Pink flowers decorated the walls and the heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue sky. Most of the students looked absolutely disgusted.

The trio walked in, disgust on their faces. They sat down and looked at the head table. Tom looked ready to commit suicide. McGonagall had a muscle jumping in her jaw. Snape looked like he had just forced Skele-Gro down his throat. Lockhart was grinning and wearing lurid pink robes.

"Happy Valentine's Day! And may I thank the forty-five people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I took the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all! And it doesn't end here" Lockhart said, with a grin. The crazy bastard clapped his hands and suddenly a dozen little dwarfs marches in with golden wings attached to their backs and harps in hand. They also wore diapers.

Flitwick looked like he was going to have a heart attack. He was half dwarf and to see his brethren looking like total morons must have been a shock to him.

"This is offensive" Hermione murmured to Bella. Bella nodded in agreement.

"My friendly, card–carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart.

"They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! Even though there are no classes today, why don't you ask your teachers to show you how to teach you something in the spirit of the holiday? Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you' re at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog! And I'm sure T—Professor Riddle knows quite a few things as well," Lockhart continued.

Flitwick looked so embarrassed that he buried his face in his hands. Snape looked ready to commit murder if anyone asked him how to make a Love Potion. Tom…looked ready to commit suicide. His hand was clenched tightly around his knife and it angled slightly towards his chest.

Later, that day when Bella was walking in the Entrance Hall she was grabbed by the elbow. She looked down to see a dwarf standing there. Bella's eyes widened and she jerked away, looking up as the dwarf stalked her into the Great Hall.

"Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Leave me alone" Bella said, repeating her mantra. She looked at Ron and Hermione for help but they were just laughing into their hands as the dwarf followed her to her seat. Everyone was looking at her now.

"Bella Potter! I have a singing valentine for you. So would you listen?" a grim-looking dwarf said. Bella shook her head and looked at him wide eyes.

"Please, please, _please_ leave me alone!" she begged. The Slytherins were laughing as she was harassed by the dwarf.

"I have to give it to you if I'm going to be paid! So shut up and listen!" the dwarf snapped. Bella moaned in horror as it began.

_You're tall and fun and stellar_

_I wanted to buy you umbrella_

_Bella!_

_I'm the Beast to your Belle...a_

_I'm the Prince to your Cinderella_

_Bella!_

_I wanna be your fella_

_Take you out to dinner and hope you don't get salmonella_

_Bella!_

_You're cuter than that girl Stella!_

_Want to take you to Larissa!_

_THAT'S IN GREECE!_

_Bella, Bella, Bella Potter_

_Bell, Bell, Sell, Bella Potter!_

"Oh and here's your Red Vines" the dwarf finished, handing her the Muggle candy.

Bella stared at the silent Great Hall with a horrorstruck expression. Draco was laughing so hard that silent tears were running down his face. Tom was shaking. He was trying not to burst out into laughter. Apparently, _he_ felt better from that morning. He hadn't gotten any singing Valentine's. Just a good sixty-five cards that he was planning to use a fuel for his fireplace.

Bella looked around and slid lower in her seat.

There was total silence.

And then it erupted.

Laughter was everywhere and Bella was slamming her head into the table, repeatedly. Hermione was laughing just as hard as everyone else. Ron was choking on his steak-and-kidney pie.

"Merlin! I want to die!" Bella moaned. She looked around as everyone continued to laugh. She groaned in despair when she saw that even _Dumbledore_ was laughing and he was freaking crazy!

"That…that was bloody hilarious!" Ron choked out as the room quieted down, only slightly. Bella moaned and shook her head. Hermione grinned at the girl.

"Well, you've got to admit, whoever sent that has some talent! That was a great song and the word 'Bella' is hard to rhyme with" Hermione said. Bella glared at her before ripping open the packet her candy was in before biting into the licorice.

"I already know who did it! GIDEON! YOU'RE DEAD!" Bella roared. Gideon glanced at the girl before giving her a shy yet mischievous grin. Hermione laughed again and Bella buried her face in her arms.

She spent the rest of dinner hearing renditions of what had been dubbed 'Bella's Song'.

When she reached the door several people who she actually didn't want to see met her. Namely, Tom.

"I'm sure Black will love the song, Anastasia. I have to give Mr. Weasley credit. His rhyming wasn't impeccable but he gets points for imagination. Ten points to Gryffindor" Tom smirked. Bella glared at him in annoyance.

"Go stuff it, old man."

"I am not old!" he shouted in outrage. Everyone looked at him in shock. Professor Riddle never raised his voice…oh, Bella was there. Of course he raised his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Would you do me a favor and _not_ send it to Uncle Sirius? I would never hear the end of it! He'll be singing '_You're tall and fun and stellar, I wanted to buy you an umbrella, Bella!_' for the rest of my days" Bella sighed. Tom smirked and crossed his arms.

"You deserve it for bothering me all the time. Say hello to the West End for the rest of your life" Tom smirked before walking off. Bella growled in frustration when she was met by an unknown fourth-year who was very pretty. She had long red hair and hazel eyes and was glaring at Bella.

"What do _you_ want? I'm not in the mood!" Bella hissed. The unknown fourth-year tossed her hair of her shoulder and sneered. Oh, Lord…she was a Slytherin.

"You are _not _cuter than me, you scrawny little chit!" shrieked the girl. Bella stared in shock when she stormed off. So…that was Stella. Bella turned to walk out when Hermione and Ron caught up to her.

"That was embarrassing…so, so embarrassing" Bella moaned as they walked towards the stairs leading to the common room.

"_Bella ragazza!_"

Hermione and Bella spun around as one. Hermione almost blushed when saw Zabini standing at the end of the staircase with a sullen looking Draco Malfoy. He glared at them in annoyance.

"You better not be talking to me, Malfoy's friend! Cause if you're calling me to sing 'Bella's Song', I'll hurt you…muggle style. I've been told I've got a mean right hook. Maybe I can introduce it to your face" Bella snarled. Zabini looked only amused and rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky you're cute, Potter. And actually, I was talking to your friend" Zabini countered. Bella looked at him with annoyance before her eyes widened in recognition.

He had been speaking in Italian! So _that's_ what Hermione wanted to find out what it meant...Bella smirked to herself. '_Bella_' meant beautiful.

"What do you want, Zabini?" Hermione asked, coldly. Zabini gave her a roguish smile that even Bella could find endearing.

"Yeah, what do you want with Hermione?" Ron snapped, sounding territorial.

"Mind your own business, Weasley. Don't be that way, _bellissima_. I just wish to speak to you" Zabini said, honestly. Hermione walked down the stairs again with a roll of her eyes and she crossed her arms.

"I repeat, what do you want with a poor little Mudblood like me?" Hermione asked. Her tone was chilly but Zabini didn't seem affected by her sudden mood change at all. He leaned in until his lips were right over her ear.

"_Valentines felice giorno, bellissima_" he murmured. Hermione took a step back and crossed her arms.

"Impressive. Too bad I have no idea what it means" Hermione snapped. Zabini's smile turned slightly predatory. Malfoy looked disgusted at the idea that he was flirting with a Mudblood. Ron was red with anger.

"I'm sure you can figure it out. See you later, Granger" Zabini said. Bella scoffed and rolled her eyes before beckoning Hermione forward.

"Doubt it, Zabini. Hermione's got better taste than that. An arrogant little git will not hold her attention. Sorry" Bella hissed. Zabini's grin turned back to friendly and he glanced at Bella.

"Still lucky you're so damn cute, Potter. Like a little sister, of course. I prefer the brainy Muggleborn type" Zabini said, with another wink. Malfoy looked sick at his blatant flirting.

"Malfoy, please take your friend away. He's grating on my nerves" Bella requested, kindly. Malfoy nodded in agreement.

"For once, Princess Potter, I agree with you. Blaise! A Mudblood? Really?" Malfoy chastised as they walked away. Hermione turned back to her friends. Bella looked annoyed with Zabini. Ron looked pissed off.

"Who does that Snake think he is?" demanded Ron. Bella smirked at his jealousy. She doubted he even realized what it was. Hermione shrugged before walking, dutifully with the two to the Common Room.

As soon as they murmured the password and the occupants saw them, they burst into song.

_I'm the Beast to your Belle...a!_

_I'm the Prince to your Cinderel...la!_

_Bella!_

_I wanna be your fella_

_Take you out to dinner and hope you don't get salmonella_

_Bella!_

_You're cu—_

"Would you shut the hell up?" Bella snapped, harshly. They quieted down but the room erupted in laughter.

"Gideon Weasley…" Bella continued in a low voice. The curly-haired eleven-year-old raised his hand and sent her a grin. Bella stormed over to him and he leaned back, confidently.

"How'd you like it?" Gideon asked, cockily. Bella looked at him with a blank expression before glaring, fiercely. Gideon flinched back in surprise.

"That was the single most embarrassing thing I've ever gone through. How could you? What the hell were you thinking? That wasn't appreciated. I mean, I'm flattered but…I can't. Please don't ever do that again" Bella said, quietly. Gideon looked at her with wide eyes before nodding, solemnly.

"I put a lot of work into that. It's hard finding words to rhyme with your name" Gideon said, crestfallen. Bella pulled Gideon from his seat and guided him to a more secluded corner of the common room. The elder Weasley twins let out wolf whistles. Bella rolled her eyes and sat down with Gideon.

"Gideon, I find that all very flattering. But, I really think I should be focusing on trying not to get killed. And plus, you're only eleven. I'm a year older than you. And I'm only twelve. Mione is thirteen so it's okay with her. I don't want to die and I'm not about to endanger you. You understand, don't you?" Bella asked. Gideon nodded, sadly.

"Do you like your Red Vines?" asked Gideon, sounding rather depressed. Bella's eyes lit up and she grinned before withdrawing the pack of candy.

"It's half finished. Thanks for that! You can't find Red Vines in Diagon Alley. Anyway, Marvolo told me to tell you that the rhyming wasn't impeccable but you get ten points for your imagination. He actually awarded Gryffindor ten points. I think he mostly did it because of my humiliation but he _did_ compliment. Which doesn't happen a lot since he kind of hates you," Bella murmured. Gideon chuckled and nodded. He looked up at the girl in earnest.

"I'm really sorry for embarrassing you" Gideon apologized. Bella laughed and hugged Gideon, tightly before backing away with a grin.

"It's all right, Gideon. It was very flattering, like I said. Thanks again for the Vines" Bella said, grinning before sitting back down with Hermione and Ron. Everyone was looking at the two with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me you like my little brother. That'd just be creepy" Ron said. Bella laughed. She knew everyone was paying attention to them. She rolled her eyes and glanced at Gideon before winking.

"Not in this world, Ron. I'm too busy trying not to die anyway. That's kind of a full-time job…"

:::

**A/N: **This was SO fun to write. I had to implement comedy. AVPM FOREVER! I used Ginny's song and changed it around for Bella. It's so funny. Originally I had 'I'm the Edward to your Bella'. And then I realized that Twilight didn't come out until approximately 2003 or something like that. And then I remembered that Beauty and the Beast came out in 1991! So there it is!


	19. Chapter XVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…I'm so in love with this story right now. I'm about finished with this arc. Library of Corvus ends with the next chapter and that'll be absolute fun, I'm sure. You find some very important information about Hermione. Tell me, do the symptoms seem familiar because someone else in the series has it, even though it isn't explicitly stated.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8th of May 1993**

**10:45 AM**

Bella slipped on her top layer Quidditch robes and grabbed her broom. She walked out of the back and over towards Oliver.

"Are you ready for this? This is one of the easiest games of the season! Bella can easily take out that other Seeker. He's rather big for a Seeker and Bella's the best around" Oliver said, confidently. Fred and George exchanged glances.

"Yeah because I want to be…" Fred started out. Bella glared at him.

"We are never mentioning that again, you hear? That was the most embarrassing day of my life" Bella moaned at the reminder of the horrible Valentine's Day that she had gone through.

"But it was so funny! I wonder where he got all of those rhymes" George said, curiously. Bella gave them faux glares and pointed an accusing finger at the twins.

"Obviously, you!" she snapped. The twins laughed, loudly and Oliver silenced them with looks.

"We can do this! We need this match and then the Cup is practically ours. Bella, try to stall as long as possible. We need the score high and then you can swoop in and just steal the Snitch from under Digger's nose. I twill be so incredibly easy. Like taking a toy broom from a baby" Oliver said. He sounded corrupt to the others on the Quidditch team but that was just how he was.

"I'm pretty sure that it's stealing a toy wand from a baby" Angelina put in. Oliver glared at her and turned towards everyone.

"Time to go out men! And women" Oliver added after Katie opened her mouth.

They were facing Hufflepuff and Bella scoffed at the idea. Hufflepuffs were soft. Well…except for that hunky Seeker, Cedric Diggory, but that was beside the point.

"Mount your brooms!" commanded Madam Hooch once all of them were situated. Bella gave Cedric a predatory snarl, a warning. He looked at her in shock. She couldn't understand why. They all knew how competitive she was.

"The match has been cancelled!" McGonagall shouted with a magically amplified voice. There were boos and hisses but it wasn't as bad as Oliver's reaction. He looked like he had just fallen into despair.

"But Professor! We've got to play—the cup—Gryffindor!" Oliver shouted. McGonagall ignored him in favor of turning back to the booing and hissing crowd.

"All students are to make their way back to their House common room, where their Head of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as possible, please!" McGonagall said. She canceled the charm and turned to Bella who froze at the look. She knew something was wrong.

"Miss Potter, I think you'd better come with me" McGonagall said. Bella nodded and followed McGonagall and she could see Ron running down from the stands to meet them at the exit of the Quidditch pitch.

"Yes, perhaps you'd better come as well, Weasley."

They walked into the castle and soon Bella realized that there was an attack. She gasped when she realized Hermione wasn't with them.

"This may come as a shock. Miss Potter, your fourth riddle has been delivered and I fear you might not have your…sister to help you" McGonagall said, almost gently. Bella ran as fast as she could into the hospital wing and gasped when she saw what was supposed to be Hermione.

Hermione's dark hair was pulled back into a plait and her skin was covered with sticky blood. Bella could tell that the darker blood wasn't her own. The sword tattoo on Hermione's arm wasn't there any longer. A long sword was by her side. The blade was black with silver Rune markings on the blade. The hilt was black with gold wrapped around in intricate patterns, building a safeguard around the actual hilt and handle. A sheath was now on Hermione's arm.

"OH GOD! Mórrígan! Oh God!" Bella cried when she saw the large gash going across Hermione's upper chest. From shoulder to shoulder was a jagged tear in her skin that would most likely never heal completely. She ran to Hermione's side, tears running down her alabaster face. Bella's magic went out of control as it swirled around, dangerously. It wasn't tangible but everyone could feel the raging magic.

"Anastasia, don't cry" choked out Hermione. Madam Pomfrey fretted when she spoke.

"She hasn't spoken since she came here. I had feared the cut had messed up her larynx. She can speak! Thank Merlin" Pomfrey said. Ron was frozen near the door when Bella looked up.

"Do you want Apollo, darling? Thanatos? Oh God, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry" Bella sobbed. Hermione coughed and Bella wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"It wasn't your fault. No, I don't need them right now. It's okay, Anastasia. Don't cry. Please don't cry" Hermione whispered. Bella shook her head and brushed the stray hairs from her sister's face. Bella could hear something cracking but she didn't even pay attention. Her sister had been almost killed.

"I knew it! I knew something was going to go wrong! I knew it!" Bella screamed. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened and she grabbed Bella by the wrist. Bella looked up at her, hysterically.

"If you don't calm down I will force a Calming Draught down your throat" Madam Pomfrey warned. Bella sobbed, loudly and she shook with each sob. Her cheeks were turning red from loss of breath. Ron walked, quickly to his best friends and helped the girl sobbing on the floor into the chair beside Hermione's bed.

"Bella…" he said, quietly. Bella bowed her head and let out another cry of anguish.

"It's all my fault! Colin, Justin, Mrs. Norris and now _you_, Mione. I can't do this anymore…" Bella choked out. Hermione snarled and leaned up before grabbing Bella by the chin with surprising strength. Bella looked at her in shock.

"Listen up, Anastasia. This wasn't your fault. I didn't just fight the beast for nothing. I fought it because I was trying to deliver this damned riddle to you beforehand. Why do you think it tried to tear my heart out?" Hermione demanded. McGonagall froze and the infirmary doors slammed open. Dumbledore, Tom, and Lockhart stood in the doorway. Tom looked malevolent and he stormed forward.

"Child, explain to me why I felt your magic destroying Lady Hogwarts' wards?" demanded Tom. Bella's eyes widened.

"I…I didn't mean to. Hermione was attacked by the beast" Bella sniffled. Tom nodded, slowly.

"I am aware of this. That doesn't give you an excuse to let go of your control. Make sure it doesn't happen again. Granger, recount the story" Tom instructed, sharply. Dumbledore stepped forward.

"Tom, now there is no need to be heartless" Dumbledore warned. Tom turned on Dumbledore, sharply.

"I am not being heartless. I am being productive. If that means pushing aside emotions to ensure the safety of everyone else, so be it. She needs to keep more control on her magic. That is the end of the story. Granger, will you please" Tom said, once more. Pomfrey rounded on him.

"You have no right to command my patients" Pomfrey snapped. Tom glared at her in rage.

"I do when it causes _my_ ward to start destroying ancient wards that have been up for more than a thousand years" Tom countered in anger. Pomfrey glared at the man and took a step forward.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, as soon as you cause Miss Granger distress you will be out of here faster than you can see 'I'm sorry'," Pomfrey said. Tom gave her a stressed out smirk but a smirk nonetheless.

"Well, that's good because I don't apologize. Miss Granger, story please" Tom commanded. Pomfrey glared and Hermione turned to Tom and leaned up, slightly. She coughed and Pomfrey shoved a potion in her hand.

"I was in the library. I got a lead on the three riddles. We solved them and they are no longer bound to Bella. I had my mirror with me because what I was reading was written backwards. Like the inscription on the top of the Mirror of Erised. Anyway, while I was reading, two glowing eyes appeared in the mirror. They were yellow. At first, I thought it was a Basilisk" Hermione started. Bella and Tom froze as one and glanced at Hermione.

"Was it?" Ron demanded. Hermione shook her head.

"I looked at the reflection and I wasn't Petrified. The eyes looked too feline. A body formed around the eyes and it was Sphinx! Sphinxes petrify their victims if they get the riddle wrong. Then they tear them apart and eat them. Anyway, I turned around and it was growling at me and then asked me to relay a message to Bella if I got away alive. She told me the riddle and she obviously didn't expect me to fight back. She attacked me and started clawing at me. I hid under the table and then…I switched" Hermione said, her voice going softer at the end. Bella obviously understood what she was saying. But the adults and Ron looked confused.

"Switched into what?" asked McGonagall. Hermione blushed before looking down and looked up through a guarded expression.

"I suffer from partial ASPD. Antisocial Personality Disorder. My parents didn't want anyone to know. I lack any sense of remorse or empathy for most people. For example, if Colin Creevy dropped dead at this very moment, I would feel no remorse. I wouldn't even give my condolences because I wouldn't give a damn. But if Bella died, I would be driven into a depression, most likely. I can't stand sitting around so I read all the time. I cannot tolerate boredom. I am also very aggressive if you annoy me enough. I switched into aggressive" Hermione explained. Dumbledore looked shocked. Ron was frowning. Bella noted the gleam of triumph in Tom's eyes before it was guarded again.

"I see. Continue your story, Miss Granger" Dumbledore said. Hermione nodded and she coughed again. She downed the potion and she looked green for a moment before going back from the pale pallor she was before to a more healthy color.

"Well, when I get aggressive, my magic rages. Kind of like Bella's does when her emotions are out of control. That's why she has to have her wand with her at all times. She has way too much magic. Anyway, my arm started hurting though I don't know why and then it shifted and the sword disappeared and was replaced with a sheath. The sword appeared in my hand and then I just knew…I knew how to fight with it. It was strange. Someone in my head was telling me how to do it. I channeled my magic through it and the blade glowed a bit before I starting slashing. It caught the sphinx on the eye. I think it's blind in one eye now" Hermione said. Bella looked at Hermione with wide eyes.

"So, how'd you get hurt like that?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.

"When I blinded it, it got angry and slashed me across the chest. It tore my clothes but only one claw actually got me. It hurt so bad…" Hermione said, softly. Bella whimpered a bit before steeling herself.

"What was the riddle Hermione?" Bella whispered. Hermione's eyes widened and she leaned in to whisper it to the girl.

"Don't you think everyone should know the riddle, to help Bella?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione glared at the Headmaster.

"No."

"Hermione, the riddle. I need the last riddle" Bella said. Hermione nodded and glanced at Bella.

"The last riddle was…" she trailed off before pointing at Bella's hand. Bella stared in fascination and winced in pain as something was carved onto her hand. The symbol of the three gifts was on her hand.

"That…that was the riddle" Hermione said, pointing at her hand. Bella's eyes widened in shock and she turned to look at everyone who was staring at her hand in wonder.

"_This_ is the riddle! What the bloody hell?" Bella snapped. Hermione nodded, slowly and gave Bella a slight smile.

"That's it. Figure it out. And it's only for _you_ to figure out. We could help during the last ones but this…this is the final one that will tip the balance between your life and your death" Hermione said. Bella nodded and bit her lip.

"I'll solve it. I swear" Bella whispered. Hermione nodded and looked up at the girl.

"Read, Bella. Death, Hall…oh. You will find it" Hermione murmured. She blinked and her eyelids began to slide close. Ron's eyes widened.

"What happened? Did she pass out?" he asked, worriedly. Pomfrey waved her hand and pointed towards the empty potion bottle on her bedside table.

"That potion was supposed to put her to sleep. I suppose it didn't work immediately. Ah, well. You must be going, now! My patient needs her rest" Pomfrey said, ushering them out. Lockhart was babbling as they all walked out.

"I could've been there to save her. I'm quite experienced with Sphinxes and I could've solved the riddle in minutes—" Lockhart said, though no one was paying any attention to the poor fool.

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 24th of May 1993**

**8:00 AM**

When Bella and Ron walked into the Great Hall the next day, Tom was sitting in the giant golden throne-like chair. He was smirking to himself but Bella knew that not everybody could tell. Only those who knew him best and that was narrowed down to Dumbledore and herself…and Hermione, who wasn't close to him at all, but was able to decipher expressions quite easily.

The Great Hall was buzzing, quietly. Everyone was speculating on why Tom was sitting there.

"Do you think Dumbledore was attacked?" Dean asked when they sat down. Bella snorted and everyone turned to look at her in curiosity.

"He's the best wizard on the face of the planet besides Riddle. I really doubt it. But whatever happened, Riddle looks like he really wants to tell everyone" Bella said, looking at Tom from the corner of her eye. Parvarti looked at her in surprise.

"How do you know?" Parvarti demanded. Bella smirked and pointed at Tom who stood up, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"In light of current events, Professor Dumbledore has been removed as Headmaster of Hogwarts" Tom started. He let the students react first. In an instant everyone looked fearful. Except for the Slytherins who were grinning. Only Muggleborns had been attacked so far and they didn't think they had to worry about anything. Zabini looked pained at the moment.

"I have been taken on the role at this moment in time. I urge all of you not to panic. Classes will go on as usual and I will be there to teach my own classes. You will do well to travel in packs. There have been four attacks. To all, it would be most prudent that you do not disturb certain students who have been tasked with solving the riddle that will stop the attacks. Thank you and continue with breakfast" Tom said, smugly. Bella could feel the eyes on her and she looked down before looking back up at her friends' curious gazes.

"Did you find any answers to the riddles?" Seamus asked. Bella knew he was a half-blood so he knew the old story of the Library of Corvus. She nodded and glanced back at Seamus.

"Yes. I've solved three of the four. You know that the last one sums it up so, I've only got that one left. Hermione told me I've got to do it on my own though" Bella said, quietly. Dean leaned forward and looked at her with wide eyes.

"What was the last riddle?" Lavender asked in a hushed tone. Ron pointed at Bella's hand and Bella lifted it to show the carving of the symbol on her hand.

"_That's_ the riddle? In the fairytale it's always in words" Parvarti said, indignantly. Bella shrugged and leaned on her palm to hide the symbol from the other students. They had started to ogle her.

"Yes, well. Unfortunately, now I have Grindelwald's mark carved into my skin and since it was magically induced, Madam Pomfrey can't heal it" Bella said, in annoyance. They nodded in understanding but Bella knew they couldn't possibly understand.

When she later got to DADA, Malfoy was talking since Tom wasn't in the room yet. This didn't surprise her since he now had DADA classes to attend to while being Headmaster.

"I always knew Father would be the one to get rid of that old coot. I told you that Father thinks Dumbledore is the worst Headmaster the school has ever had. Professor Riddle is a good change. It's much more capable. McGonagall wouldn't last a day" Malfoy said. Bella and Ron glared at him but he kept talking to his fellow Slytherins.

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't packed their bags. Bet you five galleons that the next one will die. Pity it wasn't Granger" Malfoy said. Zabini and Bella stood up at one and pointed at him, accusingly.

"YOU DON'T MEAN THAT!" they shouted in unison before glancing at each other. They sat down as Malfoy paled and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, don't embarrass yourself, Princess. I meant what I said. Granger should've died" Malfoy snapped. Potter glared at him and Ron sneered.

"Let me at him. I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with bare hands" Ron threatened before Tom entered the room.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 29th of May 1993**

**8:45 PM**

"Bella Potter!" Tom shouted as his eyes widened. The Great Hall looked towards the entrance. Tom was standing there, wide-eyed. Bella stood up, determinedly. Ron stood along with her wide-eyed.

"Yes, sir!" Bella said, dutifully. She knew he was being completely serious and that something was terribly wrong. She could feel it and she was absolutely terrified…

"It's about time you get going. You've got a message for you. Come along. Weasleys file after me. McGonagall, you're in charge. Lockhart, you're with me! The rest of the faculty will stay in their Houses with their students until she comes back up" Tom commanded, like a general. McGonagall stood up in shock.

"You can expect me to let a student go into the Library!" she shouted.

_ANASTASIA SLYTHERIN WILL GO OR YOU WILL ALL DIE!_

There were screams as the Sphinx's voice rang out in the panicking din. The group that Tom had called stood up before walking out. Bella led them and followed Tom until they reached a plain wall.

_Red headed, Light hearts_

_To be found by the Mistress of the Claimer's Art_

_In you must go into the belly of the beast_

_And find them before they are deceased_

_Your Darkness will lead the way_

_Remember what the Mistress of War, Mórrígan last say_

_From the time of nine, three hours and three hours alone_

_You have to venture into the unknown_

_If you fail and you may not,_

_Their bodies will lie in the Library forever, never to rot_

Bella watched with wide eyes as she read the clue on the wall. Fred and George frowned as they looked around.

"Where's Ginny and Gideon?" Fred asked. Bella's eyes widened and Ron gasped. Bella let out a small whimper.

"They were taken. They were taken into the Library…" Bella whispered. Everyone turned to look at the girl and Tom nodded. He took her wrist and looked down at her with determined eyes.

"You mustn't fail, Anastasia. **Can't have a death on my hands**" Tom said, smirking. Bella couldn't even smirk back. She squeezed her eyes shut, tightly before gripping the locket around her neck, tightly.

"I understand. I won't fail you, Tom. I promise" Bella said. She beckoned Ron forward when Percy grabbed Ron's arm.

"What?" demanded Ron. Tom blinked out of surprise of Bella calling him by his first name.

"Anastasia must go alone."

Lockhart's eyes widened and he shook his head. The girl was immensely annoying and she constantly sabotaged Tom and his relationship but she was still a little girl.

"She's still a child! I will go in her steed" Lockhart said. There was a rumble.

_The girl! The girl alone must go! Anyone else shall be destroyed!_

"The sphinx has spoken. Anastasia must go alone" Tom said, quietly. Bella nodded and turned to Tom before looking at him up and down before hugging him in a tight hug. Tom looked down at her in shock and slight revulsion. He didn't do public displays of affection. Nor did he do private displays of affection. Affection itself was repulsive. Bella pulled away and smirked at the people surrounding her.

"There's no damn way I'm going to go without a fight! I'm going to bring back Gideon and Ginny! I swear!" Bella promised. She jogged out of sight and looked around. She growled as she heard the feline chuckles from the Sphinx. The damned Sphinx was toying her but…someone was controlling the Sphinx.

But who?

"So…let my Darkness lead me. That would be the symbol" Bella muttered to herself. She lifted her hand up with the carved symbol. She watched in amazement as light burst from her hand. The bright light shot forward and hovered in front of her before it turned into a familiar crimson color. It moved forward and stopped as Bella stared in awe.

"Oh! Follow it. Okay" Bella said. She followed the light to the nearest spiral staircase. She walked up it to find a large door with a bronze knocker shaped like an eagle.

"_Which came first, the phoenix, or the flame?_" it asked. Bella tilted her head.

"It's a cycle. A circle and circles have no beginning" Bella answer, slightly unsure. The eagle looked at her curiously before glancing at her hand before it swung open. The light led her inside. It dawned on Bella that she was in the Ravenclaw common room and it was nice. There were tall bookcases and in the middle of two archways that led up to the dormitories was a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Bella saw how beautiful she was and she inspected the statue.

She didn't see how the light floated up to Rowena's diadem before setting in the middle where a stone would be. As soon as the light went there, the entire statue glowed before spinning twice and disappeared into the ground.

"This easier than I thought it would be" Bella said, quietly. She stepped onto the first step when suddenly someone grabbed her arm. She spun around and gasped when she saw Lockhart.

"What are you doing here? You're going to get us killed!" Bella hissed. Lockhart rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to go get the beast myself. You're just a child. You can't do anything against a Sphinx" Lockhart snapped. Bella glared at him in anger.

"And you think you can do better? You're total a fraud!" she shouted. Lockhart growled and withdrew his wand.

"I think we can arrange that I found this place and got the kids myself, don't you agree? You've led me to the entrance" Lockhart said, smirking.

"No, no. Not so fast."

The two looked to where the voice was coming from. Ron was standing there with his wand out and pointing at Lockhart. Bella's eyes widened and she snatched Lockhart's wand from him while he was momentarily distracted before snapping it quickly.

"YOU JUST SNAPPED MY WAND!" Lockhart shouted. Bella shrugged.

"And you're wasting my time. I only have three hours!" Bella countered. Suddenly, Lockhart grabbed Ron's wand and pointed it at Bella.

"The journey ends here children. I know where the Library is and now it is my time to find the ultimate knowledge. I will tell them that the Sphinx ate your brother and sister and you lost your minds at seeing their mangled bodies. Say goodbye to your memories" Lockhart said. Bella opened her mouth to stop him from using the mangled wand before shutting her mouth.

"_Obliviate!_" shouted Lockhart, waving the wand sharply. Ron shouted as Lockhart flew backwards as the white jet shot out at the man. Lockhart hit the bookcase, causing it to topple over and piled up over him. Ron's eyes widened as he looked at his mangled wand that was now in splinters.

"You're going to have to get a new one" Bella said, nonchalantly. Ron nodded before looking at Bella.

"You've got to go. Please save my siblings" Ron said. Bella nodded, determinedly and she knew she looked confident. She was anything but. She was terrified and she had no idea what it was her that had to this.

"I will. Ron, I won't let you down. I promise" Bella swore. Ron nodded as Bella descended down the spiral staircase. Bella lifted her wand to bring light to the dark stairway.

"_Lumos_" whispered Bella. A bright light ignited from her wand and she could see the stone staircase. It looked like it was endless. Bella didn't know for how long she had been walking before she reached the bottom.

When she reached the bottom, it opened up into a large antechamber. Covering one whole wall was a pair of bronze doors. Engraved in the doors was a circle. Standing in front of it was the most majestic creature Bella had ever seen.

It was tall and had fur the color of spun gold. A tawny mane surrounded its humanoid face. Its lean body was one of a lioness. The only thing that disrupted its majestic beauty was a scar running down its right eye. Its right eye was less as bright as the left one. Bella realized that it was blind in that eye. Hermione had done some damage. However, Bella gulped when she saw its razor-sharp claws.

"You have arrived. I am most impressed. Perhaps you shall be worthy of the great Library of Corvus" the sphinx said, passively. Bella cleared her throat and looked at the sphinx, honesty showing in her eyes.

"I don't want the knowledge. That's cheating. If I'm to conquer my enemies, I'll do it on my own terms. I just want to get my friends back" Bella said as calmly as possible. The sphinx looked amused.

"You don't mean that. Your true colors will show once you get closer. Just like that other girl's. Helen, I think he name was. Daughter of Helena…yes, yes. She had a hidden thirst for knowledge. Nonetheless, I believe you have an answer for me.

_I am cold and hard. I bring those not solid._

_I bring life yet their spirits have ascended from this world._

_My heart is cracked in half yet I live not._

_I am the stone of the riverbed._

_What am I?_" the sphinx reiterated. Bella smiled at the easy riddle. Well, it was easy now that she knew the answer.

"The resurrection stone" Bella said, certainly.

"Correct. Follow me, child" the sphinx said. The cracks in the door glowed before swinging open. The next room was cast and just as beautiful. The walls were made of iron and pretty. The door was made of silver. A triangle was carved declicately in the door.

"We are the next door and thus you must answer the next riddle.

_Invisible to all._

_Translucent I am._

_I hide from Death and I hide Death._

_What am I?_"

"The Cloak of Invisibility" Bella countered, smiling. The Sphinx's calm demeanor never broke but she nodded.

"Very good, child. We should continue on if you wish to find your friends" the sphinx said. Bella continued on, with a determined expression on her face. This was just too easy. But she couldn't help but feel scared as she drew closer to the fourth riddle door. That she still hadn't figured out completely.

She would cross that bridge when she finally got there.

They passed through the silver door

"_A connection to the heart of Victory._

_Stolen from souls_

_Fashioned from tree_

_Created by the Claimer._

_What am I?_" asked the sphinx without any conversation now. Bella tilted her head as she looked at the golden door. It was gleaming and large and had a line running through the door.

"The Elder Wand…" murmured Bella. The Sphinx nodded and they passed through that door. Bella could feel her nerves getting to her now as he entered the next room. The walls were made of onyx bricks with a platinum door gleaming in front of her. It had an ornate doorknob and carved into the door was the sign of the three gifts.

"Now, for your final riddle. Give a name that has been passed through time that labels those three gifts. You have forty-five seconds" the sphinx said. Bella froze in horror before her mind went into overdrive.

"The clue…what did it say…_Your Darkness will lead the way_. Yeah, we established that. The next line was…er…_Remember what the Mistress of War, Mórrígan, last say_. That would be Hermione because she just loves her bloodshed" Bella worked out. The sphinx looked at her amused. It didn't believe that she could do this. Bella would prove it wrong.

"She said a lot of things. She said that only I would be able to find it out. Wait! No, she said something else last. She said 'Read, Bella. Death, Hall…oh. You will find it.' I didn't actually have to read anything so she said something else. Death, Hall, oh. Hallow. Three objects means plural! Hallows!" Bella said. The sphinx's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Bella used what supposedly only her sister had.

Intellect.

"Death Hallows. It must be an adjective because that doesn't sound right. Okay…I was good in English. Even if I was only there until Year 5. Right…so…death…deathly. Deathly…Hallows. The Deathly Hallows" Bella worked out, slowly. The sphinx growled internally.

"Correct. With seven seconds to spare. How…lucky of you" the sphinx growled. Bella shuddered. The sphinx sounded angry. She stood there, waiting for the doors to swing open but it did not. The sphinx looked at her, impatiently.

"Touch the door, child" the sphinx instructed. Bella nodded, hesitantly and she lifted the hand with the carved symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Her hand hovered over the door and she bit her lip.

Did she want to find out what was in there? Whatever opened the Library had powerful magic. Powerful Dark magic if it could control a strictly neutral beast like the sphinx. She cringed from the door and turned away.

"So you will leave the knowledge locked away? A good choice. I promise that their bodies will be preserved, never to rot" the sphinx said, coaxingly. Bella's eyes widened as she remembered the two little first years with flaming red hair, lying there…dead.

She slammed her palm to the door and around the cracks a bright light shined through and there was a hiss as the door slid open. Smoke came from the previously closed Library of Corvus.

And Bella stepped inside.


	20. Chapter XVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…I'm so in love with this story right now. OKAY! Here is the last chapter of the Library of Corvus arc. The next chapter will be the Interlude. And I'm pretty sure that, like last time, Bella won't be in it. She won't ever be in _any_ interludes until much later. The next one will feature Hermione and a few other surprise characters though. But we won't be seeing much of Gellert in the next arc. Maybe a little rodent, though…onward with the story!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 29th of May 1993**

**10:10 PM**

As soon as the light cleared, Bella stepped inside. She stared around in awe. The room was wide and open. There was one high back chair that was turned towards the fire but there were mile high bookcases. So many books and they looked brand new. The pages looked freshly cut from what Bella could see. She gasped in wonder when she realized that one person wrote it all.

The Girl-Who-Lived suddenly remembered what she had come down there for. She scanned the area before looking at the fireplace. Lying right in front of the mantle were two children, their hands locked together. Bella sprinted over and looked down at them.

Ginny's hair was spread out in a halo and her face looked relaxed. Gideon was just as pale as his sister, causing his freckles to jump out at her. He didn't look as relaxed as his sister. He looked tormented. Around their necks, linking them together was a gold chain. The symbol of the Deathly Hallows hung from the golden chain.

Bella touched her hand to Gideon's cheek. He was cold and his skin felt slightly waxy. Ginny was slightly warmer than him but only slightly.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one?"

Bella spun around, not recognizing the voice.

Her eyes widened when it found the source. A boy was sitting in the chair across from her. His leg was crossed, primly and he was sitting with his back ramrod straight. He had a large book with leather bindings in his lap.

Piercing navy eyes were rimmed with dark circles and he had an angular face. Light blonde hair sat atop his head and fell to his shoulders in wild curls. However, Bella knew he was a wizard. The boy donned dark grey robes. He looked 17. All in all, he was beautiful.

"Who are you?" Bella asked, in a quiet voice. She positioned herself in front of the twins, ready to block them from any attack.

"A witness, you could call me" the beautiful boy said, off handedly. Bella glared at him in anger.

"Why didn't you do anything?" she demanded. The beautiful boy shrugged.

"I don't have a wand. They're not dead. So…_you_ are the beautiful Bella Potter. What a pleasure to meet you" the boy said. Bella glared at him, even if a light blush covered her cheeks.

"Yes, I'm Bella Potter. What happened here?" Bella asked, turning back to Gideon and Ginny. The Girl-Who-Lived swept a stray curl from Gideon's forehead, tenderly. The boy studied her, closely.

"They paid the price for opening the Library."

"WHAT! _They_ opened the Library? But…but I thought they liked me" Bella said, in shock. The boy's lips curled into a cruel smile as he surveyed Bella's shock. Bella didn't even notice. She looked at the twins with a sense of betrayal filling her.

"Oh, they do. '_Oh, Bella Potter is so nice to me!' _'_Oh! Do you think she'll like my song?_' Do you know how utterly annoying it is to hear two eleven-year-olds going on and on about an insignificant little girl?" the boy snapped. Bella's eyes widened as she detected what he had called her.

This boy…something…

Something was familiar about him.

Her eyes raked over his appearance, taking in every little thing. The boy smirked at her. His posture reflected his amusement and he leaned back, linking his long fingers together.

"Would you like a hint?" asked the boy. Bella's lips pulled back in a snarl and she stood up, her wand out.

"Sure" Bella said, uncertainly. She crouched in front of Gideon and Ginny, ready to protect them if it came to it. The boy stood up and Bella had to look up at him. He was pretty tall. She had to strain her neck to meet his gaze.

He lifted one finger before he began to write in the air with it. White writing of fire was being written.

G.

E.

L.

L.

E.

R.

T.

Bella's eyes widened in recognition and she slid back, slowly and cautiously. She waited for in the inevitable letters to join the rest of the boy's name.

G.

R.

I.

N.

D.

E.

L.

W.

A.

L.

D.

Bella jumped up and held up her wand as Grindelwald began to laugh. His laugh was hearty and cold. It chilled Bella to the bone. This boy was beautiful. She didn't want to associate him with Grindelwald. It just seemed so wrong.

"Gellert Grindelwald" Bella said in an unfathomable tone. Grindelwald gave an enchanting smile.

"Correct, Bella. Good…fitting that you now know that my hand is the hand you will die by tonight" Grindelwald said. Bella nodded before looking down at the twins with soft eyes.

She wasn't giving up. No way in hell was she going to leave them down here because she wasn't ready to die. She was only 12! She decided that if she went down, she'd bring him down with her.

And if she was going to die down there, she was going to go in style.

"I find it curious that you aren't scared. You've met me before, yes?" asked Grindelwald. Bella nodded and tilted her head before standing up straight.

"You've heard the stories. How did you hear it anyway?" asked Bella, curiously. Grindelwald was still only 17, she thought. He'd want to brag. She didn't really think it was the real Grindelwald, anyway. The lines around him were blurry but solidifying with every second.

"These two love to talk. They're voices are one of the things I won't miss, among others" Grindelwald said, smirking.

"I see and Gideon really asked you about that stupid song?" Bella asked. She was trying to distract him and he wasn't really noticing too much. Grindelwald nodded, his cruel and amused smile returning, full force. Bella could see even more that he wasn't handsome. He was just too pretty. It was slightly bewildering to associate the beautiful boy in front of her with the twisted old man that had taken over Quirrell.

"I did. I found it humiliating. Thus, I told him it was excellent. Humiliation is an excellent intimidation tactic" Grindelwald pointed out. Bella nodded in agreement and tilted her head.

"So, what's happening to them?" Bella said, pointing at the twins who hadn't moved an inch since Bella had first seen them.

"They're souls and magical cores are being sucked out of their bodies. And inserted into me. Twenty questions are over. Onnisciente, you may now enjoy your dinner. Goodbye, Bella Potter" Grindelwald said, abruptly. Bella's eyes widened as the sphinx growled before pouncing.

She barely dodged.

"What a rude way to end a conversation!" Bella shouted as she ducked again as the sphinx swiped at her. The sphinx was fierce and a long string of growls erupted from the powerful beast.

"_Stupefy!_" Bella shouted, pointing at the beast. The beast was also quick and intelligent. It quickly ducked the spell and came at Bella from the side. Bella spun as Onnisciente ripped her robes from her. Bella shrugged off the robes before tossing them to the side. She got into a battle stance and the sphinx leaned forward, ready to spring.

"Master, she will be destroyed" Onnisciente said. Bella grinned.

"Is that a threat?" she demanded. Onnisciente shook its head and gave a feral grin.

"No, it's a promise, young one."

The sphinx pounced at Bella. Bella spun from the spot and fell over her fallen robes. She slid over to the high back chair and grasped the side. Grindelwald looked over at her with a calm expression and ran a finger down her face. Bella gasped when she realized it was solid and it burned. She cringed back and glanced at Onnisciente. She swallowed before realizing that she had to bring this animal back to its senses or…kill it.

"Onnisciente…that's your name right? Well, this isn't your master! Rowena Ravenclaw was…remember?" Bella said, gulping. This made Onnisciente pause and looked at her, quizzically.

"Who is Rowena Ravenclaw? I know all but who. Who is she?" Onnisciente asked. Bella glared at Grindelwald, accusingly who was still thumbing through the pages of the book like nothing was wrong.

"You erased its…her…his…whatever, memory! I don't know how but you did!" Bella snapped. Grindelwald shrugged.

"All for the Greater Good" Grindelwald said, liltingly. Bella watched as he brushed a hair behind his ear and turned the page, delicately.

"Man, you are the most flaming homosexual I've ever met. And I've met Dumbledore" Bella said. She was taking a chance to see if he'd react as violently as he had the year before. Bella wasn't disappointed. She jumped back just as Grindelwald lashed out. He glared at her in rage. He stood up, gracefully, proving her point.

"I am not homosexual! You…you bitch!" he shouted, almost childishly. Bella smirked at him and jumped out of the way just as Grindelwald sent flames at her. Bella could see that he was skilled in wandless magic. However he was only sending fire from the fireplace at her. As if he were Summoning it. Bella dodged as she tried to remind Onnisciente of who its Mistress was.

"Onni…can I call you Onni? I think I will! Rowena Ravenclaw had an unnatural knack for knowing things! She was your Mistress! She recorded all these books before she died. She was one of the Founders!" Bella shouted. Onnisciente gave a feline frown and tilted her head.

"The Founders. It rings a bell. Founders of what?" it asked. Bella yelped as a fireball grazed her arm. Grindelwald looked downright furious now.

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID GIRL! YOU'RE RUINING EVERYTHING!" he shouted, angrily. Bella glared at him before running straight at the fireplace. She jumped over Gideon and Ginny and aimed her wand at the fireplace.

"SHOVE IT, YOU MORON! ONNI! The Founders of Lady Hogwarts! _Aguamenti_!" she shrieked. A stream of water came from the end of her wand and put the fire out, quickly. Grindelwald growled, loudly before storming over to Bella. Bella fell backwards into the wet ashes of the fireplace to get away from him. Bella crawled forward, to protect Gideon and Ginny.

She touched their cheeks and could feel all of the heat leaving them. Grindelwald looked almost completely solid.

Correction, he _was_ solid.

"I'm alive…I'M ALIVE!" Grindelwald shouted, happily. Bella gave him a sour look and rolled her eyes. He started walking towards her, slowly. He was drawing out the moment. Bella leaned back and pressed herself into the wall behind the fireplace. Ash sprinkled into her hair and smudged on her cheeks. She could feel the ash, getting into a cut that she hadn't even realized she'd gotten.

"Thank you for the broadcast, Doctor Frankenstein" Bella said in a monotonous tone. She had watched her Muggle movies. Sirius had been obsessed with them for a time.

Sirius…she knew it was over. That she was done. She would never get to see her beloved uncle ever again. She had failed.

She had failed her best friend Ron. He would never forgive her for not bringing back his little brother and sister. She looked down at Ginny and Gideon and knew. She just knew that their life was done and she only had about a minute and a half until they permanently became empty husks that would never rot.

She had failed Thanatos and Apollo. They'd hate her for leaving them, even if they didn't know it.

And Hermione…her sister. Her sister who had helped her so much. Her sister who had scarred for her. She'd be so disappointed in her to know that she had not won. That she had not come out in victory. Bella was disappointed in herself as well.

But, she knew one person would be more than upset and disappointed. He'd hate her. He'd hate her for dying on him. Every time someone would say her name, he'd curse it.

Tom…she couldn't let down Tom. Of all the people she cared for, she couldn't let him down the most. She didn't know why but she couldn't. She grabbed at the locket around her neck for moral support and she froze as it pulsed, like a heartbeat. It was so comforting and so familiar that it gave her a sense of determination.

She sat up and crawled over to Gideon and Ginny just as Grindelwald met them and touched the necklace.

"You're finished Bella Potter. You've lost…" Grindelwald said, quietly. Bella let out a primal scream and grabbed the necklace before snapping it from Gideon and Ginny's neck. She looked up, her eyes glowing an _Avada Kedavra_ green color. She felt three presences behind her.

She turned around and stared in shock at the woman and two men standing behind her. One was the woman from her dreams. The older Hermione. The sword Hermione had wielded against the sphinx was in hand. The sphinx took a step back as it saw the sword.

The other was the Italian man. He was glaring at Grindelwald. In his hand was a spear that looked deadly and dangerous. He was standing behind Older Hermione.

Next to him was another man with pale blonde hair. He had his hood up and was dressed in black with a silver cloak over it, contrary to the other two who had hints of white and grey. If Bella was honest with herself, he looked a bit like a dementor. He had a scythe in one hand and his wand in the other.

They looked translucent and they were solidifying.

"_You have tried to harm the personification of Conquest and Victory. That would devastate the balance_" Older Hermione said, in a ghostly tone. Grindelwald's eyes widened as he looked at Bella. Bella looked around, confused.

"_A price must be paid_" the Italian man said. The pale haired man moved forward, gliding as a dementor and the floor turned to ice under his feet.

"_And a soul must be taken_" he said in a frosty tone. He stood in front of Bella, who handed it without delay, and sucked in a breath with his lips touching the cold metal. Wisps of black and white particles floated from the necklace and into the pale haired man's mouth. He sucked it into his body, giving his face a healthier glow. He let out a rattling laugh of content that should have made Bella shake in fear. But it was a comforting sound.

Grindelwald began screaming pain as the man processed the soul he had just devoured. Bella watched in morbid fascination as Grindelwald exploded into thousands of sparks of magic. They swirled together, forming two balls and slamming into Gideon and Ginny. They jolted and two pieces of white remained hovering in the air. It floated down, serenely to Gideon and Ginny before entering their body through their nose.

Bella turned to see the three people fading.

"DON'T GO! Don't leave me" Bella pleaded, recognizing them as her family.

"_We will see you again. Remember that, mia sorella_" the Italian man said, gently. Older Hermione nodded.

"_We know you have many questions. But they will be answered in time. And we are still here…around. But dormant. Remember that, my sister_" Older Hermione said, kindly. The pale haired man stared at Bella, contemplating.

"_Sister, I love you. I will be bitter and angry and distant from you, now, when I am not who I wish to be. But deep down, I love you. Remember __**that**__, my sister_" he said. Bella nodded, feeling a deep connection with that brother. They faded from existence just as Gideon and Ginny gasped in unison.

They shot up and clawed at their necks as if to remove the necklace but Bella lifted up the tangled remains. The necklace was half melted and looked old. It looked about sixty years old and the age showed.

"Taken care of" she said, with a smile. Gideon and Ginny swallowed before Ginny burst into tears. Gideon was looking at Bella, pleadingly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Bella. Grindelwald made me! I didn't mean to. I'm sorry!" Gideon pleaded. He wrapped one arm around Ginny's shoulders as she sobbed. Bella shook her head and hugged both children.

"It's alright. It's going to be okay. We're going to get out of here. Onni, can you help here? I don't think they can walk" Bella said, quietly. Onnisciente nodded and wandered over.

"Climb on my back, little children" Onnisciente said. Bella helped the heaving Ginny and nerve-ridden Gideon. She swung on behind them and wrapped her arm around Gideon's waist. Gideon wrapped his arms around Ginny's. Onnisciente took off at a gentle run and Bella was so tired and bruised that she couldn't even enjoy it. As they went, the doors slammed closed and Bella's palm burned. When they got to the first door, they slipped off Onnisciente's back.

"Thank you, Lady Victory. You have freed me from oppression and I am very indebted to you. Whatever you need" Onnisciente promised. Bella looked at Onnisciente, tenderly.

"Seal it away forever. Never again should it open. No one should have this type of knowledge. Please seal it away" Bella nodded. Onnisciente glared at the doors and they hissed and turned to stone. Bella smiled.

"Your wish has been granted. Your other half is waiting for you" Onnisciente said. Bella frowned at the cryptic message but nodded. She turned back to the hunched over twins.

"Come along. It's almost midnight. I only have until midnight when the staircase will seal over. Let's go" Bella said. They nodded and they walked up the dark staircase. Bella lifted her wand.

"_Lumos_" Bella said, quietly a bright light erupted from the end of her wand and it illuminated the twins' terrified faces.

"I don't want to go back" Ginny whispered as they began to see a very faint light. Bella turned on the girl, her eyes wide and she looked down at the girl. Ginny cowered back as they cast Bella's eyes in an unnatural light. They looked as green as a certain Unforgiveable.

"Why not?" Bella asked, calmly. Ginny gulped and Gideon had to answer for her.

"We're going to get in trouble. We should've given it in we didn't mean to hurt anyone. We cut them and carved the words into their skin. We didn't mean to" Gideon repeated the words like a mantra. Bella kissed each of their cheeks. Gideon blushed darkly.

"You're going to be fine. You made a mistake. If that were a crime, we'd all be in Azkaban by now. Let's go" Bella murmured. They nodded and walked all the way upstairs. As soon as they emerged there were cheers.

"My babies!" someone shouted before hugging Gideon and Ginny tightly.

Bella blinked when she saw Hermione standing there, looking tired, but her sword in hand and smiling. She looked at the girl, knowingly. Bella tried to smile at the girl.

The entire Weasley family, Mrs. And Mr. Weasley included, stood before her. Ron was grinning stupidly at her. Sirius was giving her a big smile. Dumbledore was staring at her with, twinkling eyes. But she wasn't looking for the rest of them. Bella limped over to Tom. He was staring at her with unfathomable eyes.

"And it is done" she said, solemnly. Tom nodded just as solemnly.

"So it is" Tom said. He extended his hand and Bella let the twisted remains fall into his opened hand. As soon as he caught it, he closed his hand over it before walking towards Dumbledore and placing it in his hand. Dumbledore inspected it before his face fell.

"It was Grindelwald" Hermione piped up. The words silenced everyone. Bella nodded in agreement.

"There was…was a piece of soul, I think, in the necklace" Bella said. Dumbledore froze and turned to the girl. He looked absolutely horrified though he tried to hide it behind a benign façade.

"There is a lot to be discussed. Come alone, Bella" Dumbledore said. Bella shook her head and cleared her throat before looking up at everyone. She smiled at them.

"No. Everyone should hear the tale. But I must say that the soul piece is no more. It was taken…eaten…devoured" Bella said, trailing off. Hermione's lips curled into a grin and took Bella's hand.

"He fed? In front of you? When he fed then, I couldn't see. He had blocked me. He would've never let you unless he really had to. He sounds like a dementor, doesn't he? His voice rattles and where he steps it goes cold…wow!" Hermione said, awestruck. Dumbledore suddenly looked very worried. Sirius stepped forward and pulled his somewhat adopted daughter closer to him in a loose hug.

"Doe, what is she talking about?" Sirius asked in confusion. Bella grinned happily.

"Thanatos. Thanatos devoured a part of Grindelwald's soul. It is a long tale. Full of excitement and despair, I promise to tell you everything because you deserve to hear it. Here it goes…" Bella said, pulling them into a seat. Bella sat curled into Sirius' side.

And she began the story of her and the Library of Corvus. Gideon and Ginny said their put as well, confessing that it was them and that they had done everything. They also said they couldn't quite remember anything. Bella smirked as she got to describing Grindelwald.

"Did you know that Grindelwald was actually quite pretty as a teen?" Bella asked. This caused snorts and gasps of laughter from most. Dumbledore merely looked amused but slightly put on edge. Sirius grinned.

"Don't you mean handsome?" asked Sirius. Bella shook her head with a smirk on her face.

"No…he was very pretty almost insultingly so. I kind of felt ugly next to the boy. My self-esteem rocketed downwards. I've digressed. As I was saying, I had turned around and saw this boy, sitting there. He was leafing through the page of some book. Except, I knew he wasn't truly a boy. He wasn't completely solid. I mean, he could sit and stuff, so I get his arse was solid or whatever, but around the edges he fuzzy. I asked him 'who are you' and he said 'a witness'. I told him that I was Bella Potter. This amused him, I guess" Bella said. Tom groaned and glared at her.

"You don't tell anybody your name if you don't know them and they're the only one there, dumbass. That means they took everyone else out," he snapped. Bella glared at him in outrage. Mrs. Weasley looked ready to say something but glanced at Sirius. Sirius was snickering in his seat.

"I am _not_ a dumbass! And he already knew me. He started whining about Ginny and Gideon opening the Library and how they talked about me and how I was insignificant. Yeah, that's when I noticed something was wrong. I'm pretty sure I remember someone else telling me I was insignificant or stupid or something like that. He looked familiar, only because of his eyes. I've never met anyone with _navy colored_ eyes! It's just one of those weird things you never forget" Bella babbled. Tom's eyes narrowed at her. He could tell she wished to stop speaking. But she wasn't going to stop speaking but she had vowed to continue.

"Bella…" he murmured. Her eyes snapped to him and he gestured vaguely for her to continue. She nodded once in understanding before grabbing at the locket around her neck. Sirius watched, curiously as she closed her eyes for a second. She looked back up and smiled.

"So, then he asked me for a hint and I said go ahead. He wrote in the air with his fingers his name. He was skilled in limited wandless magic I guess. The name wasn't solid and was made only of light. Not fire or some crazy shit…er sorry…like that. I found out that he helped make Bella's Song" Bella began. George and Fred grinned.

"_I'm the Beast to your Belle…a!_

_I'm the Prince to your Cinderella!_

_Bella!_

_I wanna be your fell—_" they began. Tom glared at them, with slightly crimson eyes and they shut up. Tom smirked in triumph before turning back to Bella. She smiled at him, gratefully.

"He set Onnisciente…the sphinx, on me and it seemed to not remember Rowena Ravenclaw. I began fighting it for a while and then it stopped when it decided that it wanted to know who Ravenclaw was. Grindelwald got pissed and I called a flaming homosexual. He called me a bitch and started throwing fireballs at me from the fireplace. I put out the fire just as I said Lady Hogwarts and Onni went back to its senses. Then, he said 'I'M ALIVE, I'M ALIVE'. Apparently, he sucked all the soul and magic out of them" Bella said. Mrs. Weasley gasped and leaned forward, with wide mouth.

"What happened? What happened to my babies?" she demanded.

"I told him, 'Thank you for the broadcast, Doctor Frankenstein'. He was really pissed off. He started coming towards me and I knew that I was going to die. And then…I thought of Sirius and Hermione and Ron and then I knew Marvolo would hate me if I died. I _am_ the only other Parseltongue. So, I got off my ass and tore the necklace from their necks. And then I felt them" Bella said, quietly. Dumbledore looked at her with twinkling eyes. They were twinkling with curiosity.

"Who was there?" Dumbledore asked. Bella smirked.

"Me."

Everyone turned to look at Hermione who still had her sword in hand. Dumbledore's eyes landed on it and he stared at it in curiosity.

"That is the Sword of War from your tattoo, correct?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione nodded, nonchalantly.

"It is. I needed it."

"That's a wicked sword and all but where'd you get it from?" Fred started.

"And how?" George continued.

"And why did you need it?" the elder set of twins finished together. Hermione cleared her throat and lifted the sleeve of her dressing gown along with her nightgown to show her arm. The sheath glistened in a blood color.

"This is the sheath for my sword. I made an oath against Lockhart. That if he ever raised his wand to Bella again, I'd destroy him. This is the mark and I must keep my oath" Hermione said. The Weasleys stared at her in shock and Mrs. Weasley bustled over to her, to comfort her.

"You didn't mean to make the oath…" Mrs. Weasley started. Hermione looked up at her and flinched away from her hug.

"Oh. Yes I did. As I was saying, I came to keep my oath. I was going to kill him with my sword and it would've been perfectly legal since it was witnessed, sealed, and bound by three Dark houses. Just so happens that he destroyed himself. Ron told me he tried to Obliviate Bella and him and it backfired because of Ron's nasty faulty wand. Well, at least I won't have to murder as of yet" Hermione said, almost pleasantly. Fred and George shuddered at her tone and Ron and Bella couldn't help but snicker. Hermione was just playing with them...hopefully.

"As, I was saying, I turned around and there they stood. The family that I wanted from the Mirror of Erised. Well…not _all_ of them. But that's besides the point" Bella started. Sirius looked at her, wide-eyed.

"You saw Lily and James?" he asked. She shook her head, solemnly.

"No. I saw Hermione, and some Italian man, and…a pale haired man. I held a connection with all of them. It was a very deep connection, especially with the pale-haired man. I don't think he's a man now because Hermione looked a lot older and they were all there in spirit. And no, don't get your knickers in a twist Uncle Padfoot. It wasn't a soulmate bond. I'm pretty sure I would've known. The Italian man had a wicked looking spear and the pale man had a scythe. He looked really sickly. The pale man I mean. The Italian man looked healthier than a horse. Ooh…Muggle saying!" Bella said, getting distracted. Tom rolled his eyes. She was delirious with exhaustion.

"Bella…Anastasia, continue" he said, as gently as possible. Apparently, it wasn't as gentle as he thought because Mrs. Weasley glared at him. He sneered at her. Damn blood traitor…

"Right, right. Thank you, Tommy!" Bella giggled. Tom stared at her in shock. The elder twins sniggered. Sirius choked on laughter. Hermione and Ron started coughing and even Dumbledore cracked a smile. The little twins were giggling softly but they still looked somber. Tom sent her a nasty glare but said nothing.

"So, Older Hermione blabbered on about devastating balance because he was threatening the personification of some mumbo jumbo crap and then Italian man said that a price must be paid then the pale haired man said a soul must be taken. I gave him the necklace and he took in a deep breath, sucking out the piece of soul from it. He devoured it and then gave a rattling laugh. It should've sounded horrible to me but it sounded comforting. He looked a lot healthier looking after. I think he feeds on it. Grindelwald sort of blew up then and the residue magic went back into Gideon and Ginny's bodies and formed a magical core. Their souls went back in. May I add, you two, that it is only residue magic. You're not going to be able to do some spells for a while since your core had to build up. Trust me, it happens. Anyway, they woke up and told me _they_ opened the Library, which I already knew" Bella went on. Everyone nodded in understanding. Dumbledore frowned and Sirius seemed to understand as well. He called her on it.

"What happened to that family of yours?" asked Sirius. Bella tilted her head as she stared at him.

"They said some things before Gideon and Ginny woke up. I know I told you that I'd tell you the story as much as I possibly can but…that…that was personal" Bella said, quietly. Hermione looked at Bella, curiously.

"I really don't remember what the others said. I don't even truly remember their faces anymore. I passed out because I felt you calling me and I ended up there with them. You felt a blood bond though? Because I only felt a blood bond with Thanatos. Not Apollo" Hermione said. Bella nodded.

"I felt a blood bond. There was a blood bond between me and Apollo and Thanatos separately from yours too. But it's not fully formed, I think. I think it's the blood bound of our souls and not our physical bodies. We'll fix that once we remember who they are. Their faces are fuzzy now. That may be because I'm about to pass out but…yeah…_anyway_, Onnisciente rode us back and gave me one wish that she'd do anything in its power to grant" Bella said. This caught everyone's interest. Including Dumbledore's.

"And what did you wish for my dear girl?" he asked, carefully. Bella grinned, cheekily.

"A Nimbus 2001."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Bella broke into laughter and shook her head before leaning her face into Sirius' side. She looked up, grinning.

"No! I was joking. I swear. But one would be nice, Uncle Sirius. I asked for it to seal away the Library forever" Bella said. Fred and George frowned at her.

"Why would you do that? There's so many things everyone could've learned" George said. Bella's grin faded until her face was the epitome of seriousness.

"Listen to me and listen well. No one and I mean no one deserves that type of knowledge. Because knowledge is a dangerous weapon. One that would destroy this world in seconds. In that Library, I lost all hope. I thought I was going to die. Out there in the real world…there is hunger, pain, death, and loss. But in that Library, I sealed away one thing…foreboding. And without it, we may not loose hope…good night" Bella said, before her world promptly turned black.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 30th of May 1993**

**3:00 AM**

Bella wandered downstairs in fresh pajamas and feeling as good as new. She had slept for an hour and a half in the hospital wing because of the bruises and cuts and burns but that had been dealt with swiftly. Lucius Malfoy had come to reinstate Dumbledore, rather shallowly and Bella was waiting to confront him. She wouldn't do it here since no one could find out but she would…

"Bella come on. I'm _hungry_" Ron complained. Bella snickered. Hermione slapped him in the arm and he yelped.

"Ronald, you're always hungry!" she snapped. He glared at her, rather disgruntled. They walked into the Great Hall together and Bella was met with cheers from everyone…except the Slytherins. Bella grinned and glanced at the Slytherins. Zabini and Malfoy were staring at her with unfathomable expressions and Malfoy even had a kind of sort of smile on his face. She winked at him and his lips curled into a sneer. Bella only laughed.

She turned to look at the Great Hall to see Dumbledore sitting in his normal chair and Tom staring at it disgruntled.

"Look at Marvolo. He's pissed because he can't sit in the chair anymore" Bella giggled. This caused Hermione and Ron to laugh with her as they sat down. Bella realized how hungry she really was and she attacked a rather large bowl of porridge that had just the right amount of sugar in it.

Hermione looked at her, disapprovingly but she didn't say anything as she delicately ate her eggs and bacon. Gideon and Ginny sat further down with their friends and they weren't speaking much. Hermione could only hope that everyone in that room that had heard what happened wouldn't say anything. The eleven-year-old twins had already been through enough.

Everyone was in his or her pajamas except for most of the faculty. Dumbledore donned a dressing robe and had a stuffed goat underneath his arm. Bella snickered into her porridge.

"Hey, Potter" a voice called. Bella turned around in her seat. She looked up at Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie MacMillan.

"Yes?" she said, coolly. Inwardly, Bella was smirking. They had come to apologize. She knew it!

"Er…um…we're really sorry for accusing you of setting all of the bad luck from the riddles on you. You wouldn't have stopped whoever that did it if you had" Justin said. Ernie still didn't look too convinced.

"How did you do it anyway?" he questioned. Bella looked at him with annoyed eyes before smiling, angelically at Justin. Justin blinked in surprise and he gave a very light blush. Bella swallowed her snigger. Ernie cleared his throat in annoyance and she turned to him, her smile falling off her face.

"Look, I've been out all night, thwarting evil. If you don't believe me ask Dumbledore. I'm dead tired and I was burned, bruised, cut and almost destroyed. I'm really not in the mood. Yes, I may be a magical Heiress to Slytherin House. But that doesn't make me evil, just as Professor Riddle isn't evil" Bella said. For some reason, when she said that Tom wasn't evil, she felt like she was lying through her teeth. She disregarded the feeling.

"Fine, fine. We believe you. I'm sorry" Ernie sighed. Bella smiled and nodded.

"Yes, well. It's okay. And you're welcome" Bella said, shoveling another spoonful of porridge in her mouth. Hermione watched on with a mix of disgust and amusement. Mostly disgust. Bella was eating at the same rate as Ron.

"For what?" Justin asked. Bella looked up and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"I didn't have to go kick ass down there. I could've answered the riddles and went on my merry way. But I didn't. I sealed the Library. For good. You're welcome" Bella said, cheekily. Justin and Ernie wandered away with shocked looks on their faces.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 19th of June 1993**

**9:30 AM**

"See you, Tom."

Tom smirked down at the girl. He was leaning against the doorframe of the door that led outside of Hogwarts. Bella had her trunk in hand and was gripping a crimson robe around her. She was grinning at him.

"So, you can finally say my name? Doesn't scare you, little girl?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I was never afraid to say your name. Fear of a name and all that stuff."

"No, I don't know what 'all that stuff' is. Care to recount the exact words that Dumbledore probably told you?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella grinned.

"How'd you know? See, great minds think alike. Or crazy ones at that" Bella teased. Tom mock glared at her and Bella snickered.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. He said, 'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself'. Pretty profound, I think. So no Tom. I'm not afraid. I never said your name because I respected you enough not to call you by your first name. You don't see me calling Dumbledore, 'Albus', or McGonagall, 'Minerva'" Bella pointed out. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"And what about me? Am I just Tom now?" he asked. Bella shook her head.

"No. You're still Marvolo Riddle. But you're now Tom Marvolo Riddle. And I've pretty much lost all respect for you" Bella added as an afterthought. Tom glared at her and grabbed her by her arm to put her in a chokehold.

"Why you little—" he started. He stopped abruptly and looked down at Bella. She was hugging him fiercely and he was starting to go blue.

"Can't…breathe…" he choked out. Bella let go of him quickly and gave a little laugh. He looked down at what had been the bane of his existence in such a long time. And how she had almost died because _Gellert_ hadn't fucking listened to him.

"Er…sorry…" she said, rubbing the back of her head. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Don't hug me like that again. It was completely unexpected. And I don't do hugs…ever. So don't _ever_ expect me to hug you back if you _do_ hug me. Got it? Good. You need to catch your train" Tom instructed. Bella nodded and looked around at Hogwarts one more time before she'd return to London.

"I'm going to miss it. But I'll see it again in just a little time, I suppose. Goodbye, Lady Hogwarts" Bella murmured. She felt the familiar magic wrap around her in what seemed to be a hug. She smiled and turned back to Tom.

"Goodbye, Tom."

"Goodbye, Anastasia."

"Who can't say my name _now_?"

"Shut up _Bella_ before you miss your train."

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 19th of June 1993**

**11:00 PM**

_I'm still alive. You've helped me so much Tom. Thank you_

**Bella…don't write all grateful. I'm a bad person.**

_What do you mean? I don't understand…you've been helping me all this time. You couldn't possibly be a bad person…_

**Bella. My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle.**

_I kind of gathered that with the constant sarcasm. You're the impression or memory or whatever of the man who continuously saves my life. It's all good that you didn't tell me._

**Do you not know what the real me did…when he was 16?**

_No…what?_

**I killed someone.**

…_what?_

**I killed someone. I opened the Chamber of Secrets and used the basilisk to kill someone.**

_Why are you telling me this?_

**I trust you and so does the real me.**

_I see…_

**He's going to be sentenced to Azkaban. You're going to tell.**

_Never on my life._

**Why?**

_It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago and it's over and done with. No one can ever know._

**Do you not think I'm evil?**

_I don't think I can. This must be one of your deepest darkest secrets. And…it doesn't matter to me. And it never will. Because even if the real you kill me…_

**I never would.**

_I'd still care for you._

:::

**A/N: **And…SCENE! I love the ending. This so much fun to write and now, Bella's a year older and a year wiser. And she's turning thirteen…I started noticing _guys_ when I was thirteen. Maybe Bella will too…


	21. Interlude II

**itle: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Yeah! I finished Library of Corvus. Time for my super sexy interlude that _doesn't_ feature Bella, darling. It will feature two of my favorite characters. My actual favorite characters would be Tom and Bella. But I have six others. I won't list them for you since one is really just introduced but here you go. Not Tom, either. But he'll be dealing with Grindelwald. So here it goes.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude II**

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 20th of July 1993**

**6:00 PM**

"Draco…dear are you going to join us for dinner?" Narcissa Malfoy asked her son. Draco looked up from his perch near the fireplace in the library. His hand froze where it was and he stood up and stepped in front of his little project.

"No, Mother. I may be able to join you a little later but not at the present time" Draco said, rather formally. Narcissa frowned but didn't push her son. Lately, he'd been distant but that was only because he was a teenager. She remembered becoming distant from her parents around that time.

"That is acceptable. Your father will be in here later to speak to you" Narcissa said before sweeping out. Draco turned back to his little project and he surveyed the fearful rat.

"Come here" Draco commanded. The rat cringed back and started squeaking. Draco growled and swiped the rat from the ground and stuffed it into the pocket of his robes. His face showed disgust as he walked down the hallway and into the dungeons.

Draco made sure that no one, not even the house elves, would find him. He couldn't have that happening. No one could know about the unnatural gift he had had since he was six years old. And he was going to keep it that way.

As he walked into the dungeons and walked into a deserted cell, he smirked as he looked around. He knew exactly where he was. This was where they used to house the rebels from the Order of the Phoenix.

"Come out little rat" Draco coaxed in a delightfully cold voice. He smirked in victory as the rat slipped from his pocket into his hand. Draco squeezed lightly and a little giggle slipped from his lips when he heard the faint crack. He could _feel_ the life leaving the vermin in hand. The simple rat fell limp in his hands and Draco dropped it on the floor.

The Malfoy Heir moved his hand and the rat suddenly stood at attention. Draco sighed in ecstasy as he felt the familiar Dark magic rush through him. He waved his hand and the rat began marching around the room. Another giggle escaped Draco and he bit his lip.

Malfoys didn't giggle they cackled.

And so that was what Draco did. Lucius' eyes widened as he heard the wild and crazed cackling. The Lord Malfoy changed his course from the one to the dining room and he walked down the stone steps and into the dungeons.

He stopped in front of the cell his son was in and he watched as Draco directed the rat with one hand. In fascination, he almost took a step closer.

And he knew his son was going to be great. For he was the Claimer's Son.

* * *

**Number 19, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**11:23 AM**

"Mum!"

"Yes, Hermione, dear?" Maya Granger asked as she began to make lunch. Hermione rushed in with an envelope of parchment in hand and an owl flying after her. Maya couldn't help but laugh as she stared at the familiar snowy owl.

"Hedwig just brought this! It's from Bella. She wants to know if she could come over through the Floo, later" Hermione said, excitedly. Maya smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm. Bella was her best friend and they always had fun together. It might be good for Hermione to have a friend over.

But…

"Does she know about your…condition?" Maya asked. Hermione glanced at Maya and nodded, rubbing her arm. Maya's eyes narrowed in disapproval when she was reminded of the tattoo sitting on her daughter's arm.

"She knows. I told her. Ron and Professor Dumbledore know too. And so does my Head of House and Professor Riddle" Hermione said. Maya's cheeks held a light blush as she remembered the charming Professor Riddle. Hermione grinned, cheekily.

"Bella won't take too kindly to you blushing over Professor Riddle" Hermione said, as she sat down and helped herself to leftover bacon. Maya raised an eyebrow and looked over at the girl.

"And why is that? He _is_ her…magical guardian, wasn't it?" Maya asked. Hermione tilted her head and she grinned.

"Yes but that…that expires once she's 17. We're legally adults at 17 and if I think about…I'd say that Bella's got a bit of a crush on Professor Riddle, and…and what makes it better is that she doesn't even know it!" Hermione laughed. Maya chuckled over the fact.

"I can see that. He's a…very attractive man. And quite charming as well" Maya said. Hermione nodded but very pouting her lips in thought.

"He's a bit of an arse, though" Hermione commented. Maya looked at her daughter, sternly, through her urge to burst into laughter.

"Language. So, what do others think of Professor Riddle?" Maya asked, genuinely curious about the mysterious Professor Riddle. Maya always heard about the other professors more than him and she wondered why.

"Well, Gideon Weasley, who has the biggest crush on Bella, used to hate him. But then he gave him ten points for embarrassing Bella. And all the girls think he's handsome. I guess I could see that. But no one's brave enough to actually speak to him or interrupt him when he's speaking. Except Bella. And I, on one occasion" Hermione said. Maya nodded in understanding.

"And that occasion would be the day that Bella got sick off of magic, you said?" Maya asked. Hermione nodded, confirming her mother's question.

"Yeah but, that year's over with and I hope this year will be calmer so I can just focus on my exams but…knowing Bella Potter and her 'luck', probably not."

:::

**A/N: **So..here it is. I had a distinct problem before with uploading but one of my favorite authors showed me how to update again! YAY!


	22. Chapter XIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…starting Prisoners of Azkaban. Yes, that's plural, my darlings. So, Draco will be starring in this partially. And you'll see who has allegiance to our precious Lord Voldemort or our Dark wizard Grindelwald.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XIX**

"_Men are not prisoners of fate,_

_But only prisoners of their mind"_

_Franklin D. Roosevelt_

**Number 19, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**1:00 PM**

"Wow! You're house is nice!"

"BELLA!" Hermione shouted, launching herself at the dusty girl. Bella grinned and hugged her sister back. She smirked as she noticed that she was less than an inch shorter than Hermione now.

"Hi !" Bella smiled. Maya waved at the girl in question. She turned back and looked curiously as the flames turned green again. A head appeared in the fire and Maya watched in fascination. Sirius Black looked up at Bella. Bella turned with wide eyes and she had a slight curl to her lip. Maya noticed how it made her look rather haughty.

"Yes, Uncle Sirius?" Bella asked. Sirius looked at her sternly, which Maya watched in surprise as Hermione and Bella laughed at.

"Be back by 8. If you're not, I'm sending that blasted Riddle after you and he'll chew you out so much, your ears will fall off" Sirius said. Bella snorted.

"You're going to sick Tom on me? I could take him any time. If I see him I'll ask him for my birthday gifts. Bye, Uncle Padfoot" Bella said. Sirius smirked and nodded to himself.

"Make them expensive. He'll get them for you anyway. Moron likes to show off about how much money he's got...one day you should just take it all. Have a good time and hello Mrs. Granger, Hermione. Goodbye!" Sirius said the three women waved before the flames turned back to normal. Hermione dumped water on the fireplace, removing the fire.

"So…what are we going to do today?" asked Bella, breaking the silence. Hermione tilted her head in deep thought before tapping her chin.

"Maybe we could go into London. Mum, can we? We could see a movie in the cinema. We can go out to lunch in the Haven Alley. Mum can come too! It'd be great" Hermione smiled. Maya considered it and couldn't help but grin at her daughter and Bella's hopeful expressions.

"Well…sure! I'd love to see this…Haven Alley was it? What's there?" Maya asked. Hermione shrugged and pointed at Bella.

"I told her about it. Diagon Alley has all the shops. Haven Alley has the pureblood shops and stuff. I know there's a Pleasure Alley. Those are the clubs and stuff. Uncle Sirius has never let me go down there. But we've eaten at Haven Alley plenty of times. I'm of the 'Noble House of Black'. No one will bother you for being a Muggle. I promise. And if not…I'll just threaten them with the 'wrath of Slytherin'" Bella said, her voice turning raspy at the end. She grinned as Hermione broke into giggles.

"Ah, yes. Hermione told me. How long is your name? I can never remember but Hermione seems to" Maya said. Hermione sat up straight as Bella lazed back in the chair she had claimed.

"Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter. My legal name would be much longer if I assumed all my Heir names. I'd prefer not to let people know. It'd be bragging and I could do with a lot less attention" Bella sighed. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Understatement of the year. Before we leave, I'll show you around the neighborhood. Let's go…let me change my shirt" Hermione said, gesturing to her tank top and the scar. Bella winced and nodded before straightening her shirt. Hermione ran upstairs and Maya turned to Bella with a serious expression.

"Now, Bella. Tell me about Hermione at school" Maya said. Bella tilted her head and gave a smile.

"Hermione she's a nagging know-it-all but I love that about her. She always makes sure my head doesn't get too big and I do my homework. Sometimes, she's overbearing but that's just because she cares. She's serious about her studies and it seems like she just mothers everyone, and she's very protective me. Almost as protective as Tom" Bella said. She didn't noticed Hermione standing in the back, leaning on the doorframe.

"When did Professor Riddle become 'Tom'?" Hermione asked. Bella turned with a grin and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. Hermione noticed that it was smoother than usual and fell to her waist.

"Since I lost all respect for him. Or that's what I told him. He still calls me Anastasia though. I don't mind. So, are you going to show me around or what?" Bella asked. Hermione nodded and the two girls walked from the house, waving to Maya as they went.

"So, this is Privet Drive. I've lived here since I was 7. It's nice and quiet and I like it here. The only downer is…" Hermione said as they strolled down the block.

"If it isn't the know-it-all" a voice said. Hermione turned to see a weedy looking boy and two other large boys standing behind a blonde boy. Bella's eyes widened. The blonde boy looked the size of a baby walrus.

"At least I know something. You know nothing at all, Dursley" Hermione said, coolly. The weedy looking boy leered at the two girls.

"Well, Kitten has claws" he said. Bella crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"You think Kitten has claws? I'll show you a snake's fangs. Leave us alone" Bella said, quietly. Dursley turned on Bella and grinned.

"Piers, it seems Kitten's got a friend. Who are you, girl?" Dursley asked. Bella raised an eyebrow and then glared, fiercely. She crossed her arms and bared her teeth.

"Your worssst nightmare" she hissed, dangerously. Dursley took a step back and his eyes widened. He squared his shoulders.

"What's a bunch of girls going to do to us?" the weedy boy asked. Bella got into a loose dueling stance before centering herself. She threw out with one hand, as if casting a spell. Instead, her fist connected with Dursley's fleshy stomach. Dursley gasped in pain and looked down, just for an uppercut to slam into his eye.

"What the hell?" the weedy boy got out in shock. He was too busy watching Bella slammed Dursley into the ground. Hermione delivered a spin kick to the weedy boy's middle, causing him to fall to the ground. Hermione stumbled back from the sheer momentum in the kick and looked genuinely surprised and pleased with herself.

Bella was a little more into her fighting. Hermione watched in fascination as the girl gracefully yet harshly dealt punishment to Dursley. Bella finished off the blows by thrusting her leg out straight into Dursley's chest, making him fall onto his back and let out a loud shout.

Bella turned as a door slammed open down the street and a blonde and horsey looking woman ran out.

"Duddy! My Dinky Duddydums!" she shouted. Bella snickered, loudly and the gang backed away as the woman rushed up.

"Mrs. Dursley! These girls beat me and Dudley up!" the weedy boy complained. The woman crouched next to her son and patted the weedy boy's leg.

"I know Piers, I know…Lily?" the woman asked as soon as she looked up at the two girls. Bella lifted an eyebrow as the woman suddenly stood up completely.

"That was my mother's name. Lily Potter. Know her?" Bella asked, pressing her lips together in amusement. The woman's eyes widened and she paled, rapidly.

"Your mother…was Lily Potter? Your mother…was my sister? _You're_ Bella Potter?" the woman said. Bella's eyes widened as she realized who the woman was. Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion. Bella groaned loudly.

"Oh don't tell me! _You're_ Petunia Evans? God today was _not_ a good day to swing by here! I should've just spent the day planning pranks. Hermione…this is my Aunt Petunia" Bella sighed. Dudley and his gang gaped.

"Mummy…I mean, Mum, you never told me you had a sister" Dudley said. Petunia looked miffed. She shrugged and beckoned turned towards the gang.

"Dudley can't play today. I believe it is time I introduce my niece to him. Run along" Petunia said. The gang nodded, dutifully before walking off. Piers sauntered off after him. Petunia glared at Bella. Bella gave her a perfectly innocent look that Hermione knew to immediately distrust.

"Duddy, you didn't know because she was a freak. Everything about her was…freakish" Petunia said. Bella's lip curled into a malicious smirk.

"You mean magical? Because my mum was a witch? Well, guess what, my mum was a witch and she was a damned good one" Bella said. Petunia looked around and hushed Bella, violently before glancing at Hermione, worriedly.

"Oh don't worry. I'm a Muggleborn like your sister" Hermione said. Petunia gasped, scandalized and Hermione looked pleased at the distress she was calling the horsey woman.

"Mum, I don't understand. What's going? Why are they talking about witches and magic?" Dudley asked. Petunia hushed her son.

"You might as well come in, girl. And you might as well bring your friend, too" she spat. Bella grinned and followed the woman and her son up the street with Hermione next to her.

"I've just found a magic-hater. I bet Tom would murder her if she ever called him a freak" Bella commented. Hermione glanced at her best friend with a slight grin on her face. Bella looked at her confused.

"Someone fancies Riddle" Hermione said in a sing-song way. Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Screw you Mione. No one fancies anyone. Now, come on. If we walk any slower, it'll be my birthday until we get to this woman's house" Bella said. They crossed the threshold of the house and walked into a gleaming kitchen. Petunia sat her son down before turning to the two girls who sat down, quickly.

"Now, Dudders, I'd like to tell you that there _is_ magic and witches and wizards. And I am one of them. Your mother's jealous of my mum because she's a witch" Bella summed up nicely. Dudley glared at her before looking at his mother's sour face in shock.

"She's lying! Right, Mum? She _must _be lying. You and Dad always say magic isn't real. It isn't…is it?" Dudley asked, confusedly. Hermione flicked her wrist and her wand fell from her sleeve and into her hand. Dudley gasped. Petunia reeled back from the offending object.

"Oh, yes it is. I'd do magic but I'd get in trouble. You wished to speak with Bella. We've got stuff to do and her sugar daddy's going to come and find you and kill you" Hermione said with a straight face. Dudley and Petunia's eyes went wide. Petunia eyed Bella with disgust. Bella glared at her best friend.

"Tom is my teacher and my guardian. Nothing more and nothing less stop being annoying. I'm probably _related_ to him. Even if I can access to his bank accounts it's because I'm his Heir, dimwit" Bella snapped. Petunia looked slightly relieved at Bella's proclamation.

"I've brought you here to tell you that you're not to come anywhere near my family ever again!" Petunia shouted, suddenly. Bella turned a bored gazed onto Petunia. She looked at her with disdain and her eyes bled crimson as the locket around her neck suddenly felt heavy.

"Why would I want to talk to filthy Muggles like you?" she spat in a voice not all her own. Hermione's eyes widened and she gazed at Bella, uncertainly. Bella seemed to sense it and turned to Hermione with a slight smile.

"Oh not you, darling. Never you, my sister, nor your mother or your father. They were strong willed enough to birth a magical child. But all other Muggles are slime under my boot. That includes _you_, Petunia Dursley."

* * *

**Haven Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**2:45 PM**

"_Bellisima_."

Hermione didn't bother turning around. Bella snorted and Maya seemed to understand that the call was directed at her daughter. Her lips curled into a smile as Hermione turned around sharply. She was finally going to see her daughter in action. In her element.

"Zabini."

"Oh, don't be so cold. That's no way to speak to a friend. No way to speak to a very good friend at that" Zabini said, with a slight and teasing grin. Maya couldn't help but notice that he was good-looking for a thirteen-year-old boy. And he knew it well.

"You're no friend of mine. I thought I told you to leave me alone," Hermione spat. Maya's eyes widened at her daughter's cold behavior. Hermione never acted that way and it was a surprise to Maya that the two other students acted as if it were normal. Hermione channeled her disorder and actually _used_ it.

"I don't believe that's what you said. You said 'what would you want with a poor little Mudblood like me?' Those words ring a bell?" Zabini said, mimicking her voice, perfectly. Bella laughed, quietly. Maya noted that this laugh was different from her normal and happy laugh. It was a hiss. It was high and cold and very unpleasant sounding.

"You're pathetic aren't you, Zabini? Where's Dragon? He must be around _somewhere_. I so wished to see how the Mummy's little lizard was doing" Bella said. Zabini waved his hand, vaguely behind him at one of the expensive stores.

"I don't see why it matters. I repeat, you're adorable, Princess. Once again, as a little sister. Nothing more."

"Call me 'Princess' one more time and I'll castrate you" Bella snapped. Zabini smirked as he felt a familiar prescence.

"Well if it isn't Princess Potter and her Mudblood lady-in-waiting" Maya heard a voice drawl rather snottily. Bella growled and Hermione turned appraising eyes on the white blonde headed boy.

"Mudblood and proud of it, Malfoy. Never forget that. I'm Hogwarts' resident Mudblood and it's going to stay that way" Hermione said, haughtily. Malfoy looked half amused and half disgusted with her daughter. It unsettled Maya to know that someone looked at her beloved daughter with such intense dislike, bordering on hatred.

"It doesn't seem like you understand what a Mudblood is. Dirty blood, Disgusting blood. Blood of mud. You're not fit to be a witch" Malfoy spat. Zabini, Bella, and Hermione froze. Maya was suddenly angry. _No one_ spoke to her child like that.

"Excuse me, young man, but I don't think you have any right—" Maya started. Bella had already grabbed Malfoy by his wrists and was leaning in with her other hand at his jugular, her wand poking into it.

"Would you like to challenge me, right here, Thanatos? That could be arranged. How dare you? Apologize! Or by Merlin, I will kill you. I will smite you where you stand" Bella threatened. Malfoy looked at her, defiantly.

"What will you do, Anastasia? Will you sic your precious Riddle on me? Well, he's not bloody here right now. So, answer me! What will you do?" he retorted. He was baiting her and Maya didn't know what to do. Even more so that they were addressing each other by different names.

"I don't bloody need him right now! I could kill you right here, myself. I know the words" Bella snapped. Malfoy glared at her before sticking his nose up, just as rebellious as before. His eyes weren't grey anymore. They were a frozen steel color. Maya watched as Hermione's eyes darkened. Bella's turned to a sickly green color. Zabini's eyes lightened from hazel to a molten gold.

"Then do it. Kill me. Or is Anastasia too scared? She always has someone fight for her. Mórrígan took the scar for you. Apollo's been watching over you since we first step foot in the damn school. And me" Malfoy started. Zabini looked stricken. Hermione, her precious daughter, looked upset. But Bella…Bella looked distraught.

Maya didn't understand. They had seemed like enemies at first. But then…now everything was twisted and very weird.

"S-stop" Bella whispered, her voice twisted in anguish. Malfoy laughed, heartlessly.

"You've got nobody to protect you from the truth. I'm not going to tell the truth, nicely, like Riddle. I'm going to tell you straight out. _I_ devoured a torn soul for you. Do you know how sick that twisted piece of magic made me? You have everyone else taking care of you because you won't grow up! You always jumped headfirst into things. You're turning into a Gryffindor, Anastasia! It's absolutely disgusting. _You_ are disgusting. You don't deserve to be the leader, any longer. You're a nonentity, Anastasia Slytherin. You're zero. You're a no-name. You're NOTHING!" Malfoy shouted at her, his face flushed in anger. Everyone in the alley turned to stare at the two teens.

"Thanatos!" Zabini shouted. Bella was shaking and she lowered her wand.

"No…no he's right. I'm…I'm nothing. I'm not fit to be Victory. Not when I haven't won anything" Bella muttered to herself. Hermione and Maya watched wide-eyed as Bella held out her wand at arms length and began sinking to her knees in an act of submission. Hermione darted forward and grabbed Bella by her arm and yanked her up.

"That is enough! Do you want Riddle here? He knows when Anastasia's upset. You don't think just as much as Anastasia. Enough is enough" Hermione snapped. Malfoy pulled back and blinked and his eyes turning back to its normal grey. Hermione's eyes lightened to chocolate. Bella's eyes lost the sickly look. Zabini's eyes returned to hazel. They blinked in confusion.

"Er…what happened?" Bella murmured. Zabini seemed to understand what had happened but the other three looked around confused. Malfoy jerked back from his close proximity with Hermione.

"Eww…Mudblood."

"Shut it, you little ponce."

"Blaise, Draco, I've been looking all over for you" a woman said. Maya turned from the confusing scene to see a beautiful Mediterranean woman. She was obviously Zabini's mother.

"Mother I was just having a chat with a few schoolmates. This is Bella Potter…and her friend, Hermione Granger" Zabini said, introducing Hermione rather reluctantly. Maya raised an eyebrow. The boy had been intent on flirting with his daughter in front of her but couldn't introduce Hermione to his mother.

"Ah, Bella Potter. The Girl-Who-Lived. The Slytherin Heiress. The Golden Girl. What a _pleasure_ it is to meet you?" Mrs. Zabini said, nastily. She was beautiful. Long dark hair spilled over her shoulders and she had unmarred and tan skin.

"I'm no one's Golden Girl" Bella said, quietly. Maya watched as Malfoy unconsciously positioned himself into a protecting stance in front of Bella.

"Ah. And…Hermione Granger was it? I've never heard of that name. You are not pureblood. Maybe, half-blood?" Mrs. Zabini said. Zabini's eyes widened as he saw what his mother was getting at.

"It doesn't matter, Mother. Let's just leave. Draco must…finish his summer work" Zabini said, quickly. Malfoy, Bella, and Hermione glanced at the boy in surprise. Draco looked more outraged than surprised.

"Hey, I fin—ow!" he shouted. Bella had stomped on his foot and he glared down at the smaller girl. She gave him a cheeky smirk. Mrs. Zabini's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her eyes went to Maya. Maya had to stop herself from taking a step back from the penetrating gaze that the woman gave her.

"You must be the girl's mother. Are you a witch?" Mrs. Zabini asked. Maya opened her mouth and closed it. She felt like a fish.

"Er…no. That…that would be her father" Maya lied. Mrs. Zabini nodded before turning on Hermione who had looked at her mother in surprise.

"Mum…you didn't have to lie and neither did you, Zabini. Mrs. Zabini, I am a Mudblood. I am proud of being a Mudblood and I'm sure you're proud for being half-veela. Isn't that correct?" countered Hermione. Mrs. Zabini's eyes widened and Malfoy snorted in amusement.

"I…I beg your pardon? I don't have any disgusting creature blood in my bloodline! Leave that to the French. If you will excuse me Mudblood. Draco! Blaise, let's go!" Mrs. Zabini said. Maya watched as the boy's mother walked off, briskly into another shop. She didn't even check if the two boys were behind her. Zabini whispered something in Malfoy's ear before poking him in the back.

"Er…what I said before. You're…you don't have both wands so you couldn't exactly do much. So…yeah" Malfoy said, reluctantly. Bella smirked.

"Is the Dragon _apologizing_? Oh Merlin! Call the Daily Prophet!" Bella teased. Malfoy sneered at the girl before turning away, arrogantly.

"Malfoys don't apologize, Princess. Now, I'm leaving before your sugar daddy shows up" Malfoy snipped at her. Bella glared at him.

"Listen up, Malfoy! I get stuff from Riddle because I fucking deserve it. You're such a git!" Bella hissed. Malfoy smirked.

"I never said it was Riddle. I could've been talking about Black."

"Would you shut _up_? I suppose I should thank you, Zabini. You lied to your mother. Doesn't mean I liked it. I'm proud that I'm a Mudblood and I'll announce it to any pureblood here that has a stick up their arse like your mother" Hermione said. Maya fought the urge to remind her about her language. Zabini shrugged.

"Just showing some citizenship. Come on, Draco. Before my mum starts throwing fireballs" Zabini said. Bella grinned.

"So she _is_ a veela! I can't wait to tell Uncle Sirius!" Bella said, pumping her fist up. Malfoy rolled his eyes before the two walked away together. Maya couldn't help but notice that Bella now seemed lost without the two with her.

* * *

**Divine Garden, Haven Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**3:10 PM**

"Table for three" Bella said before Maya could even talk. Maya watched as Bella suddenly looked arrogant as the man in front of her peered down at her. Bella had smoothed her hair over her bangs.

"And whom is asking, little girl?" he asked. Bella looked up at him with piercing green eyes and his eyes widened in recognition.

"The future Lady Black."

"Right this way, Miss Potter" he said, quickly. He rushed them to the nicest table he could find. It was outside in a beautiful garden, right underneath a large tree that seemed to be growing solid gold pears. As soon as he presented them with the menus, he was off.

"So…who were those two boys? Do you fancy them? The two best friends fancy two other best friends?" asked Maya. Bella looked up sharply and gagged. Hermione bit her lip and a blush appeared on her lips.

"Me? Like Draco? That'd be like…incest. We're not close but it feels like we're brother and sister. Though we absolutely despise each other. Zabini fancies Hermione, I think. Even if he is a narcissistic little prat" Bella said, smirking. Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the menu before looking at Bella.

"Are you paying?" she asked. Maya shook her head but once again Bella interrupted her.

"Yes, I'll pay and Mrs. Granger, don't even try. I've got enough money as it is. Uncle Sirius won't notice a couple of galleons missing. Order anything you like. Black tea, please sugar and cream on the side" Bella said to the menu. The refreshment appeared in front of her. Maya looked in shock.

"Mum, try the butterbeer" Hermione dictated. Maya followed her example and her eyes widened when she took in the drink that popped up there. Bella placed a lump of sugar in her tea before taking a sip. She gagged.

"Merlin! This is disgusting. Oh, well. Mrs. Granger, maybe we can go visit my vault at Gringotts after. Hermione can take out a few more books. You know…I might as well make her another key so she can just come and go. Are you all right about that?" Bella asked. Maya shrugged as Hermione nodded, enthusiastically. Seeing her Hermione different from how she was about 20 minutes ago.

"Hermione, do you act that way at school? How you did in the Alley? You disrespected an adult and you used profanity like it was nothing. You would have never done that before. Could you explain that to me?" Maya asked, patiently. Hermione froze and looked down at her menu.

"Steak-and-kidney pie and mashed potatoes" Hermione dictated. It appeared in front of her and she glanced up at her mother.

"At Hogwarts, there is a hierarchy" Bella started, to explain. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"There are four houses and Gryffindors and Slytherins are always fighting to be on top. Most Slytherins hate me because I took down their precious Grindelwald and…his Heir hasn't been seen in a long time. There is also the problem of blood status—" Bella continude. Hermione interrupted her.

"What do you mean Grindelwald's Heir? He had an Heir?" demanded Hermione. Bella bit her lip and glanced at Hermione.

"His name was Voldemort. Grindelwald was supposedly the power and Voldemort the charisma. But everyone knew that wasn't the case. Voldemort was Dark, Hermione. So very Dark he had more power than anyone the battlefield. That's what Uncle Sirius said. He was on par with Dumbledore and Grindelwald and supposedly feared nothing. Sometimes he even took to hand to hand combat. Most of Grindelwald's followers were really _Voldemort's_ followers. After Grindelwald…died…his Heir to just…disappeared. No one knows what happened to him" Bella explained. Maya nodded and Hermione bit her lip before looking around the garden once again.

"Please continue explaining about…blood status" Maya requested. Bella cleared her throat to begin.

"ESCAPE! THEY'VE ESCAPED FROM AZAKBAN!"

As soon as the shout was out people screamed and the host from before ran into the garden with a panicked look. Bella stood up with wide eyes.

"What? What is i?" she asked, quickly.

"The Lestranges…all three of them escaped! They've escaped Azkaban. With…with…Peter Pettigrew" he stuttered before he fainted.

Bella willed her eyes not to roll into the back of her head.

"He's free. The traitor is free…"

* * *

**Leaky Cauldron, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**3:17 PM**

Tom Marvolo Riddle looked around with a stoic expression at the panicking crowd. The Lestranges, some of his most loyal followers, and Pettigrew, the traitor was free. And they were looking for him and Bella Potter.

"Merlin!"

"Let's go home, darling! It's not safe."

"Maya, Hermione, come on!"

Tom turned at this voice. He watched in worry as Bella Potter pushed forward towards the Floo. She looked absolutely terrified even though her voice had been steady. Someone pushed past her as she just about passed him, not even seeing him and she tripped forward on another person. Tom was the unfortunate person she fell on.

"Oh Lord! I'm so sorry…" Bella said, loudly. Tom blinked and looked at the girl who had pushed him over. She was kneeling by his side. She hadn't even looked at him.

"I don't accept your apology, brat" Tom snapped. Bella looked up and hugged him, tightly. He lay their stiffly and glanced at Hermione who was standing there amused and Mrs. Granger who was watching curiously.

Maya watched with open curiosity. If memory served correct, this was the infamous Professor Riddle. He looked rather annoyed with lying on the ground as Bella hugged him. He also looked very awkward, which amused Maya quite a bit.

"May I get up now, Anastasia?" Professor Riddle asked, carefully. Bella let go of him as if she had been shocked and snickered, despite the situation.

"Sorry. I…I got to make sure Uncle Sirius is still at home. He's going to go after Pettigrew. I know it. Please…please help me" Bella pleaded. Professor Riddle glanced at her with an unfathomable expression. Maya fully expected him to deny her.

"Why should I help you? Do you wish to bargain with Lord Slytherin?" Riddle said, carefully. Maya's eyes widened. He was going to bargain with a child? A child that wasn't even thirteen yet, even if her birthday was the next day.

"Anything. I'll do _anything_" Bella swore. Riddle smirked and stood fluidly before turning to Maya and Hermione.

"I'll tell you the terms as soon as we get to your mongrel godfather. Mrs. Granger, Miss Granger, would you like to accompany us to Grimmauld Place?" Riddle asked. Maya nodded and Bella grabbed Hermione's arm and Hermione grabbed onto her mother.

Suddenly, everything around Maya was dark and she felt like she was being squeezed through a tube. It wasn't incredibly painful but it wasn't the most comfortable situation to be in. Suddenly, there was bright light that was almost painful to her eyes and she glanced around.

She was in a dining room with a long ebony table. There was a fireplace behind the head of the table. Bella was walking around, quickly and Riddle had sat down on a chair, unconcerned and a book in hand.

"Uncle Sirius! Uncle Sirius! UNCLE SIRIUS!" Bella shrieked. There was the pounding of feet on stairs and suddenly, Sirius Black burst into the room. He was looking around frantically before he sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around Bella, tightly.

"Uncle Sirius…I was so scared. I was so scared that you went after him. You can't. Bellatrix will kill you" Bella muttered in his chest. Sirius pulled away from her and frowned.

"It seems your own surrogate daughter doesn't trust you to be impulsive, Black. not a surprise" Professor Riddle said, easily. Maya's eyes widened at the baiting and how easily it seemed to come to him. He was manipulating Sirius into fighting against him. Maya could see what he was doing.

"What are you doing my house, Riddle?" Sirius spat. Bella sighed and almost face palmed. Maya watched as Hermione snickered.

"I transported Anastasia back here instead of leaving her to die because of the Lestranges and Pettigrew. I sensed her distress. You should be thanking me" Riddle said, smugly. He was smug because he had been able to help Bella and Sirius couldn't. Maya didn't know if the two teenagers could see it but she certainly could.

The two men were fighting over _Bella_. They wanted to be the sole guardian over her but they didn't have the guts to just out and say it.

"Yeah, thanks. How did you sense her distress I wonder?" Sirius asked.

The question had seemed simple but Maya knew that it had cause Riddle distress. He had shifted in his seat. Even if Maya was just a Muggle, as a dentist she need to see if a patient was in pain or anxious. Riddle didn't seem that at all. He just seemed…cautious.

"Twin cores I'm assuming that after three years, Ollivander's advanced explanation finally made sense. You definitely haven't inherited any Slytherin cunning from either of your parents" Riddle said, coldly. Sirius glared at him and Bella sighed before turning to Maya and Hermione.

"This should be stopped. But it's entirely too amusing…" Bella smirked. Maya and Hermione giggled.

"Shut up, Riddle. You probably _knew_ my parents!" Sirius snapped. This really caused everyone to freeze and Bella whimpered in fear for her godfather. Maya's mind was whirling. But Professor Riddle looked so young…younger than _her_! Only about 26! And Sirius looked around 34…wouldn't Riddle be younger?

"_What_ are you insinuating?"

The tone it was asked in sent chills down Maya's spine. Professor Riddle's eyes were crimson now and he was glaring Sirius down. She was surprised that Sirius wasn't backing down. Maybe it was that Gryffindor courage Hermione was always telling her about.

"You probably knew my parents. You're pretty old 66, going by what Bella's told me. You Are An. Old Man" Sirius said carefully, as if speaking to a child. Suddenly, Riddle's wand was in hand and he was flicking it. Sirius was sent flying back into the table and Riddle's wand was pointed in between his eyes.

"Listen up, Black. I hope your pea-sized Gryffindor brain can understand this because if it doesn't, I'll be sent to Azkaban. Under _no_ circumstances are you allowed to bring up my age or_ever_ call me old. _Dumbledore_ is old. Nicholas Flamel is old. Grindelwald is old. I. AM. NOT. OLD!" Riddle raged. Sirius grinned and glared at the man, apparently not getting it.

"You're old."

"_Sectu—_" Riddle got out. Suddenly, Bella was between them, her arms out towards both men and she looked rather annoyed. Maya watched in amusement. Hermione was giggling.

"They've never got into a physical altercation. But it was bound to happen…especially with what he said" Hermione said. Maya looked at her daughter in confusion.

"What do you mean? It's just age and he looks…fit for his age" Maya said. As the words left her mouth, Riddle looked at her and shot her a smug smile. Maya looked down and flushed.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mrs. Granger. _Someone_ appreciates my attractiveness" Riddle said, charmingly. Maya flushed even more. Hermione snickered. Bella smirked. She grabbed Riddle by the arm and pushed him back into his chair. She sat down on the arm of his chair.

"A lot of people appreciate that. You have several fans in my year. Oh, yeah. Look out for love potions in the next four years. Lavender Brown and Parvarti Patil,…scary. Well, that's beside the point. _I_ can see what's behind the quote 'devilishly attractive' unquote façade" Bella said. Sirius was watching with narrowed eyes and he looked awfully suspicious. Riddle looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"And what is that, little girl?" he challenged.

"An annoying, pompous, self-righteous, slimy, and bitter Slytherin" Bella teased. Riddle glared at her and stood up as Sirius snorted and the suspicion slid off almost completely. But his eyes were still locked on Bella who had burst out laughing and fell into the seat Riddle had previously occupied.

"Little brat. I think it's time I take my leave. Maybe, you should tell your husband where you are Mrs. Granger. It wouldn't be prudent to leave now" Riddle said, coldly.

"He's on a business trip" Hermione said. Bella had stopped laughing. She was watching Riddle, curiously. Maya confirmed Hermione's statement.

"Very well. I'll take my leave. Goodbye" Riddle said, just as coolly as before. He didn't storm out but he walked out rather stiffly. Bella groaned and stood up.

"I've done it now he just takes everything so damn personal" Bella muttered before running after the man.

Sirius stood as well and slid off the table. He definitely looked suspicious again.

"I think…I think I'm going to go spy. For Bella's own good" he decided. Maya and Hermione exchanged looks.

"I…I think I will too!" Hermione decided.

"I second…or third that" Maya smiled. Sirius gave her a slight grin and Maya couldn't help but blush and look away…

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30th of July 1993**

**3:50 PM**

"You know I'm sorry" Bella said, earnestly. She was holding Tom by the hand and looking up at him with honest eyes. He hadn't even turned to look at her and he was still staring at the door.

"I don't forgive. You were extremely rude" Tom said, coldly. Bella glared at him and crossed her arms.

"And you were being arrogant and just plain mean to my uncle. You were just _as_ rude. This is my home and that is my only family. And you had the damn nerve to come in here and threaten him with your wand? Really, Tom? Really?" Bella snapped. Tom glared at her.

"Don't speak to me that way, child. I may do what I want _when_ I want. Who are you, a child, to tell me what to do as if you were my mother?" he demanded. Bella crossed her arms.

"Well, you obviously need someone to teach you some Goddamn manners! I may be a child but I've got ten times the manners you do. Merlin, you're such a git!" Bella snapped. Sirius watched from the crack in the door wide-eyed and tried not to gasp. Bella _never_ yelled at her precious Riddle.

"Excuse me? He made a crack about my age!"

"And so do I! It's a _number_, Tom! Everyone grows old! It's how humans work! Deal with it!" Bella shrieked, sounding hysterical. Tom had suddenly turned around and glared at her with crimson eyes. Bella looked just as angry.

"I don't. I refuse to grow older. I am _truly _undying" he murmured, almost to himself. Bella growled under her breath.

"You're just afraid! You're frightened. And because someone pointed out that the 'great' Tom Riddle is afraid you're angry!" Bella snapped. Tom hissed at her before pulling away and walking towards the door. He flung it open so hard the curtains to Walburga's portrait flew open. Walburga didn't even start screaming. She just stared.

"Leave! GET OUT! AND DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK! Don't come back tomorrow! I fucking _hate_ you! Just fucking LEAVE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Bella screamed. Tom glared at her but didn't say anything. He turned and flicked his wand once. He stormed out of the door, slamming it so hard that the doorframe and that wall of the house shook, violently.

Bella turned around with a stony expression and threw open the door. Hermione, Maya, and Sirius backed away with shocked expressions.

"Hope you enjoyed the show."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31st of July 1993**

**1:06 AM**

Hermione crept out of the room she shared with her mother as she felt inside someone crying. As she got to a door, she cracked it open and she could hear the quiet sobs. Hermione walked inside and looked down at the bed. Bella was curled up in it, her black hair spread across the bed. Hermione slid into bed next to her and Bella turned into her.

"Shh…shh, Bella. It's okay" Hermione murmured. Bella quieted her sobs and fell into a deep and slightly troubled sleep.

:::

**A/N: **This chapter is sad. Well, the last part. Tom and Bella won't be making up any time soon. Just want to give you a heads up. And DADA classes will be tense and full of snarks and snipes.

Next Chapter: Birthday wishes


	23. Chapter XX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Birthday Party! With a depressed Bella and no time…oh no!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XX**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31st of July 1993**

**9:00 AM**

"Good morning!"

Sirius turned from the oven and stared with wide eyes at Maya Granger. Maya stood with a smile directed at the Lord Black. He turned around to avoid staring at her anymore.

She was beautiful. Her hair was a light brown, the same color as her daughter's but she didn't have brown eyes. She had beautiful crystal blue eyes that seemed to read his soul.

"Morning" Sirius said when he realized he hadn't responded. He watched from the corner of his eye as Maya tightened the grey silk dressing gown around her. He tried not to admire how much it complimented her slim figure.

"Do you have any coffee? I typically drink that in the morning" Maya said. Sirius poured her the coffee and decided to pour himself his own cup before sitting down across from Maya. Sirius noted another characteristic of Maya. Her hair was natural curls and they were big and loose and fell to her shoulders.

"Where did you guys go yesterday?" Sirius asked, curiously. Maya smiled to herself. Sirius decided that she had a beautiful smile.

"We went into Haven Alley and had lunch. It was very nice. Until someone yelled that someone escaped from Azkaban…I think it's a wizarding prison from what I gathered" Maya commented. Sirius grinned.

"You're a smart one. So, where's your…husband?" Sirius got out. Maya's easy smile dimmed a little.

"He's…he's on a business trip. At a convention. At least, that's what he told me. Anyway, do you know where Hermione is? She wasn't in the room when I woke up" Maya said, sounding slightly worried. Sirius waved his hand and cleared his throat.

"She's still in the house. I would've felt the wards warp if she left. She's probably in Bella's room" Sirius said. Thinking about Bella brought back the events from yesterday and he frowned in frustration.

"What is it? Is there something wrong?"

The questions snapped Sirius out of it and he looked up at Maya. She looked slightly worried about him. This almost made him blush but he refused to, because he was Sirius Black and he made women blush. Most definitely not the other way around.

"Just…this connection Bella's got with Riddle goes much farther than names and guardianship and wand cores. It's unnerving and I'm pretty sure she fancies him. Even if she doesn't know it in actuality I would've thought she'd defend Riddle instead of me" Sirius confessed. Maya laughed, loudly and shook her head.

"What? What's so funny?" Sirius asked, annoyed. Maya's laughter dimmed a little but she continued to giggle.

"I know for a fact that Bella fancies Professor Riddle. But, of course she'd defend _you_. You're her uncle and she was right. It was just age and age is but a number. You're probably 32" Maya half asked.

"Er…33 but yeah so what?" Sirius asked, curiously. Maya nodded.

"You look very good for your age. I'm 34. I look fine for my age. Bella knew that he was being absolutely ridiculous and extremely violent just because you mentioned Professor Riddle's age. He's 66 big deal. He's still beyond attractive" Maya said. Sirius felt an irrational stab of jealousy at the words.

"Yeah, but the connection between them is weird. Beyond weird like they're two halves of a whole or something. Do you know that when Bella gets mad, her eyes turn just as red as his does when he's angry. They share power. Even in the wizarding world…that's just not normal. And they both talk to snakes and stuff. I don't know what to make of it" Sirius said, quietly as Maya took a sip of her coffee.

"I admit that's strange but maybe…sharing his power will help her someday. Divine destiny and stuff you shouldn't look too into it now. So, what are we going to do today?" Maya asked. Sirius sighed and looked up.

"I was going to take her, Hermione, and her best mate, Ron, to a Quidditch match sometime this week. I didn't tell her. It was supposed to be a surprise. That's out of the question, now that the Lestranges are after her. So, I guess we'll be staying here for the rest of the summer. Maybe, we'll go to our villa in France or something" Sirius sighed. Maya perked up at the mention of France and her face suddenly turned wistful.

"I've always wanted to go to France. I was in school until I was 21. Then I had Hermione. I did school part-time to become a dentist. I just got my authorization when I was 29. I took me longer than my husband since he went to school full-time. I learned French in secondary school, thinking I was going to go travel after" Maya said, reminiscing. She sighed and Sirius leaned forward.

"What happened then?" he asked before taking a sip of his coffee. Maya looked genuinely surprised before answering easily.

"Clark…my husband, asked me to marry him. My mum told me it'd be a great thing since she didn't think I'd ever get a chance to get married again with my chosen profession and my…lack of looks" Maya said, looking away. Sirius stared in shock.

"But…what? You're beautiful!" he blurted out. Maya blushed and looked away before clearing her throat.

"Thank you. My mother then bullied me into marrying him. It wasn't necessary. I really did love Clark. I married him. He's a great man but, after I got married, I couldn't travel anymore" Maya said. Sirius nodded in understanding even if his heart was burning with jealousy.

Which didn't make sense, since she was a married woman and he was fine with bachelorhood. He didn't want a change and he was fine with just Bella but…Bella needed a mother figure in her life…

"My mother tried to disown me. My father stopped her though but she still calls me a blood traitor. I'm a pureblood and I didn't support Grindelwald. My mother was angry and told me that I was a disgrace and to get out of her house. My father just managed to stop her from blasting me off the family tree, effectively disowning me" Sirius said. Maya gaped and nodded in understanding.

"So, today…I think after Bella's party we'll just go home" Maya sighed. Sirius' eyes widened.

"NO! I mean…that's not necessary. Why don't you join us in France? It'd be fun for the girls and they'd love it. Bella hasn't been to France since she was 8" Sirius said. Maya smiled.

"We'd love to."

"You bet we would!"

The two turned to Hermione and Bella. Bella's eyes were slightly red from tears but she was still smiling. Hermione was smiling brightly and her arm was around Bella's shoulders.

"You all right, Doe?" Sirius asked, carefully. Bella shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Of course I am. What kind of stupid question is that?" Bella countered. Sirius looked at her with a look of disbelief. Bella sat down and tilted her head.

"So, what are we doing for my birthday?" Bella asked, curiously. She looked over at Maya who seemed completely comfortable, sitting in a room with two witches and a wizard.

"We can invite the Weasleys over. But we can just have a private breakfast if you want" Sirius said. Bella nodded in agreement.

"Sure. Mrs. Granger…" Bella started. Maya held up a hand for her to stop and smiled.

"You and Hermione are close enough to be sisters. Just call me Maya" Maya stated. Bella nodded and she and Hermione exchanged a strange glance. Hermione looked a little apprehensive. Bella looked ecstatic.

"Kreacher!" Bella called. There was a sharp crack. Maya shrieked and fell back from her chair and into Sirius' lap. She stared in shock at the ugly gray creature sitting there. Sirius looked much more uncomfortable than her. He watched as Bella grinned at him while he scowled.

"Yes, Mistress. Is there anything you be wanting, Mistress Bella?" Kreacher asked. Bella nodded.

"A full English breakfast please Kreacher" Bella said. Kreacher nodded before disappearing again. Maya looked at Sirius and blushed darkly before quickly getting to her own seat.

"_What_ was _that_?" demanded Maya, her face depicting horror. Hermione looked just as confused as her mother.

"And _why_ was it wearing a _loincloth_?" Hermione demanded. Sirius looked at her in surprise.

"That's my house-elf. A servant to the household" Sirius explained. He continued to explain to Hermione and Maya and Bella thought over the previous events from the day before.

She couldn't believe Tom had made such a big deal about everything. So, she would make him feel his stupid in other ways. She smirked to herself and her eyes filled with a wicked mischief.

She'd be what he was. An arrogant jerkwad. But only to him of course.

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31st of July 1993**

**2:00 PM**

Gideon sat in the dining room of Grimmauld Place, rather excited. His birthday had just passed and he was now 12, old enough, he thought, for Bella. He couldn't wait to see her. He hadn't seen her since the incident of his first year.

"Where's Bella?" Gideon sighed to Ginny. Ginny shrugged and they watched as Mrs. Granger chuckled at them. They looked at her confused.

"Oh, nothing" she said, rather innocently. Gideon shrugged and turned towards the doorway. He almost choked on the French fry he was eating. Everyone turned to see what he was looking at. Gideon almost passed out.

Bella stood with Hermione in the doorway. He watched the girl that he fancied and was amazed. She was beautiful. Of course, she had been beautiful before but now…

She wore a dark cloak of bottle green. Underneath she wore crimson robes. Her hair fell straight to her waist and her eyes were strange. They were almost a sickly green.

"Hello everybody" Bella said, with a slight and twisted smile on. She discarded her cloak and he could now see that her robes were open and revealed dark slacks that were rather tight, her typical black combat boots, and a black shirt. Two necklaces hung from her. One was a simple locket. The other looked more ornate.

"Hey, Bella!" Ron said. Bella waved and turned sharply to Hermione. Hermione glanced at her.

"Hi, Ron. What?" Hermione asked. Bella twirled her wand in her hand and didn't even look at Gideon who was still staring at her in shock.

"You know…Apollo misses you too" Bella murmured. Hermione sneered at her best friend before turning around and going to Ginny and giving her a hug. Gideon watched as Bella greeted everyone, even his twin sister, but did not greet him. Suddenly, she came to him after ten minutes. She stood in front of him with a careful look.

"Hello, Gideon" Bella said, quietly. Gideon waved to her and presented her a pack of Red Vines. He looked at her strangely. Her voice sounded so forced.

"Hey Bella. I know you like Red Vines so…" Gideon trailed off. Bella tried to give him a genuine smile but it only looked fake. She accepted the Red Vines. She ripped into it easily and stuck a Red Vine in her mouth. She sat next to Gideon and Ginny and tilted her head.

"How are you guys? I mean since the…incident" Bella asked. Gideon shifted, almost uncomfortable. Ginny was decidedly uncomfortable with the question. Her gaze shifted to the floor.

"It was…it was fine. I'm okay. We're okay" Ginny said. Bella nodded in understanding and she looked at both children.

"That's good. Shit" Bella snapped. She looked down at the locket that had burned her and growled just looking at it. Gideon leaned forward to look at it. Bella jerked back and looked away.

"That locket…it hurt you didn't it?" Gideon asked. Ginny's eyes widened at that and she looked at her idol.

"Er…yes. And it won't come off."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britian**

**Saturday the 31st of July 1993**

**4:00 PM**

"Blaise…can you feel it?" Draco asked his best friend. Blaise looked up from his summer work and cleared his throat.

"Feel what, exactly?" the pureblood Italian asked. Draco froze and looked around before looking back down at his potion essay and he sighed. He tilted his head.

"I guess you wouldn't be able to. I feel like…someone's crying. Someone's broken in half" Draco said, quietly. Blaise looked up at his blood brother with dark eyes and nodded.

"Ah…that I do feel" Blaise said, quietly. Draco closed his eyes as he felt the person but couldn't sense who it was.

"It's so intense. The person isn't physically crying but…the person is in so much pain and I don't think the person realizes it. And it isn't physical pain. It's emotional pain" murmured Draco. He tried to distance himself from the pain and he cleared his throat.

"Put it out of your mind for now. It'd be better to do so…" commented Blaise. Draco looked up at the ceiling before adding another sentence to potions essay.

"If you say so. But…I feel obligated to help this person. I don't help people."

"That may be but you can't help them now…"

* * *

**Number 19, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1st of August 1993**

**8:30 AM**

Clark Granger sat at the kitchen table right near the fireplace. He was beyond annoyed. He was angry and exceptionally worried. The dentist had come back the 31st, expecting to see his wife and daughter. However they had disappeared and hadn't come back. They hadn't even left a note.

He watched as the flames turned green and Hermione and Maya stepped from the fireplace. They didn't spot him sitting there with a newspaper clutched in his hand.

"Come on, Hermione. They're waiting for us and apparently we still need identification. Do you have your wand?" Maya asked. Hermione rolled up her sleeve and expose the armband that held her wand. It was on the same arm as her tattoo. Clark looked at it with distaste.

"Yes. I have it. How long should I pack for Mum?" Hermione asked. Maya tilted her head and looked down at the green flames. She stuck her head in and cleared her throat.

"Bella! Sirius!" Maya said. Clark couldn't tell if the second thing she said was a name or a codename or something. Maya pulled back as someone came through the fire. Clark watched as it appeared to be Bella. But…her eyes were wrong. Very wrong. They were a weird green color.

"Pack for two weeks. That'll be enough. Oh…hello, Dr. Granger" Bella said, her tone flat. Clark didn't miss the worried look his wife and daughter cast her before looking at him in surprise.

"Oh, Clark! I didn't see you" Maya breathed out. Clark stood up with narrowed eyes.

"Obviously" was his clipped voice. Maya turned to her daughter and her eyes narrowed. Hermione's face wasn't what she had expected it to be. Her daughter had dark and cold eyes as she surveyed her father. Bella glanced at Hermione.

"Hermione go and pack" Maya instructed. Hermione left rather reluctantly and Bella stood by the green fire. Clark was staring at his wife.

"Where are we going?" asked Clark. Maya cleared her throat.

"Hermione and I are taking a trip to France. I didn't expect for you to be back from your convention so soon. You said you wouldn't be back until two weeks into August. So, I made arrangements. We're staying with Bella at her uncle's villa" Maya said, quietly. Clark stood up with his eyes narrowed. Bella's uncle?

"Will it just be you three or will Bella's uncle be there?" Clark asked, carefully. Bella stepped forward.

"My Uncle Sirius will be there. Is that a problem?" Bella asked, her tone monotonous. Clark's eyes widened. He had never heard a child with such an expressionless voice before. It was unnerving.

"Yes. Maya, you expect me to be comfortable with you being in a house with another man without me being there?" demanded Clark. He preferred not to look at the bored girl standing near the fire.

"You should just trust me. He won't take advantage of me. Sirius wouldn't do that. He's too honorable for that. He probably has a girlfriend anyway and he knows that I'm married. So stop worrying. Bella needs to get out of the country for a while and they invited us" Maya said. Clark looked at the girl in suspicion.

"And why does she need to get out of the country? Is she in trouble?"

"Four escapees of the most inescapable prison fortress escaped and are after me. I can't feel many cheerful emotions right now. I'm distraught. I have a necklace around my neck that won't come off. I need to get out of the country" Bella said, sharply. Clark's eyebrows rose and he glared at her.

"Then why put my daughter in danger? And, Maya, her _condition_" Clark warned. Bella cleared her throat.

"Your daughter has protected me on several occasions already. She's scarred across her shoulders because she had to deliver a message to me to keep me and two other students from dying. I am aware of her ASPD and I'm fine with it. Miss Maya you should go and pack" Bella suggested. Clark watched in surprise as his wife rushed off at the suggestion (or command) of a child.

"How dare you? How dare you come in my house, you demon? I know that's what you are. No child is as expressionless as you are. It unnatural" Clark spat. Bella gave a twisted and lipless smirk. She laughed and it was cold, hard, and high. Demonic sounding. A distortion of what it might have been if her personality matched her angelic appearance.

"You know, Dr. Granger, people probably would call me a demon. I might be. And as a demon, I don't take well to commands. I'm expressionless because I'm not able to feel emotions right now. I told off someone who…could be the devil himself. Who knows but, he didn't like it. So, I'm unable to take off this necklace, and this necklace is siphoning my emotions until I apologize. I'm not going to apologize. One of the reasons why I'm leaving the country is to get far enough so I can break the hold the locket has on me" Bella said. She turned towards the doors where Maya and Hermione had disappeared through.

"You're lying. Take off the necklace. Try" Clark instructed. Bella blinked, slowly and cleared her throat.

"It hurts to try and take it off" she said, quietly. Clark glared at her.

"You're lying! Take it off!" he shouted. Bella placed her hand on her locket and jerked. Clark slapped his hands over his ears as she let out a hair-raising scream. Maya and Hermione ran down the stairs and watched as Bella's eyes turned crimson and she fell to the ground limp. Her back arched as black shadows warped around the locket. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw that the inky black slimy magic was wrapped around Bella in a choke hold. The vision disappeared as Bella sat up. She winced in pain. She looked at Clark.

"Told you I wasn't lying."

"Who did _that_ to you? Why were you in so much pain?" Maya demanded. Bella smiled, like a broken doll.

"Tom. Tom did this to me."

* * *

**Black Farmhouse, Millemont, Yvelines, North Versailles, France**

**Sunday the 1st of August 1993**

**9:15 AM**

"How dare he? I'm going to _kill_ Riddle!" Sirius shouted in the main hall of the Black Farmhouse. In Maya's opinion, this wasn't a farmhouse. No farmhouse had about 4 bedrooms and three bathrooms.

"No. You're not. It's not a big deal. I'm here in France. His magic _should_ be less powerful right now. And thus, I can get off the locket" Bella said, calmly. Inside, she was raging but she hated how she couldn't express herself. Bella watched her uncle as he paced back and forth. Maya and Hermione were upstairs, picking bedrooms. Bella knew that Hermione would most likely end up staying in her loft bedroom.

"What do you mean? How?" demanded Sirius.

"A ritual. A blood ritual" Bella answered. Sirius gaped at her and shook his head, fiercely.

"No. Those are Dark Arts. I refuse to let you use blood magic" Sirius said. Bella glared up at her uncle.

"Then I won't ever be able to express happy emotions ever again. Do you really think he's going to forgive me? And for that manner, do you really think _I'm _going to apologize? If you think I will, you're sadly mistaken. Uncle Sirius…I'm not Mum. I'm not Lily. I'm not the female version of James. I can't bottle my emotions. And if I have to do the Dark Arts to do this than I am" Bella said, carefully. Sirius looked at her in shock and cleared his throat.

"I can't Bella. You know how against the Dark Arts I am. It ruined my family, my life, and _yours_!" Sirius started. Bella shook her head.

"Save it! I'm doing it anyway and you can't stop me!" she shouted. Sirius sighed and watched as she ran up the stairs and to the library. Sirius felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and gave a half-hearted smile at Sirius.

"I heard raised voices. What's wrong?" Maya asked. Sirius looked up at the staircase with darkened grey eyes. Maya frowned at the dark expression.

"Bella. She's trying to use blood magic to get rid of the locket. It's illegal and Dark Arts. It's wrong" Sirius stated. Maya bit her lip and tried to see what side she should choose. She decided.

"Is it really wrong and evil if the intent is good?"

"That's the thing. I don't know if the intent really _is_ good."

:::

**A/N**: I am very happy with this chapter and the next one. I hope you're happy with it to.

Next Chapter: Blood rituals


	24. Chapter XXI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I've got some hardcore blood in this chapter. And my favorite enigma gets to be seen in this chapter. In one form or another.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXI**

**Black Farmhouse, Millemont, Yvelines, North Versailles, France**

**Wednesday the 4th of August 1993**

**11:57 PM**

"Do you know what you're doing, Bella?" Hermione asked. Bella glanced at her best friend. She nodded, slowly.

"I think I do I mean it's not much. Just carve the Runes in my skin and I'll do the magic, okay?" Bella said. Hermione bit her lip and took the knife from the middle of the circle they'd created in the library. There were candles set around Bella's ceremonial circle.

"I guess…should I start now?" Hermione asked, unsure. Bella nodded and she shrugged off her dressing gown, exposing the necklace around her neck and a tank top. She wore shorts and she was barefoot. She kneeled down and Hermione stood in front of her before she looked down at the book next to her. She began carving into Bella's back, creating red marks and carvings. Bella hissed in pain and tried to keep her screams of pain inside.

For the next three minutes Hermione winced as she carved the markings into Bella's skin. She could smell the blood and the scent was heavy in the air. Bella bit her lip and took out an incantation with a shaky hand before holding out her wand.

"_Conjuro te_

_Qui eripiet_

_Det mihi posse_

_Delendi huius cantus_

_Eaque compedibus_

_Conjuro te_" Bella murmured to herself, her wand glowing brightly. The magic suddenly interfered with the wards and Bella cursed to herself as she realized that it would wake Sirius and Maya. The alarms were sounding rather loudly. She could hear them running as her power swirled, summoning the Claimer's Son.

She watched as the room iced over and the door slammed open, revealing a heavily breathing Sirius and Maya. They watched in shock as an icy wind swirled and then their breath froze.

Standing in front of Bella was a pale blond man with silver eyes. He was looking down at Bella with a careful expression. He kneeled down next to Bella and tilted up her head.

"Anastasia, my sister" he said, quietly. Hermione squealed and ran up to the man and hugged him, tightly. He caught her and smiled at her. He hugged her just as tight and Bella looked up at him with shock written on her face. Sirius and Maya looked just as shocked.

"Mórrígan, a pleasure to see you always. Apollo sends his love" the man said, quietly. He tilted Hermione's head up and she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. She grinned happily.

"I haven't seen you since last year! I mean _really_ seen you" Hermione said. The man gave a small smile.

"Yes well. My prescence wasn't needed. Now, Mórrígan, I have business to attend to with _darling Ana_" he said, spitting out the nickname. Bella glared defiantly at the man and Hermione backed out of the circle. As soon as she stepped out, a barrier intensified around the two to ensure that no one would interfere.

"Thanatos."

"Anastasia. Never could do anything on your own, now could you?" Thanatos asked, his long finger tilting her head up. Bella gathered enough strength to slap his hand away.

"I don't want help from you, brother!" she shouted. Thanatos tutted and held out his hand. A scythe came into his hand. Bella glared at him.

"You obviously do, darling sister. You summoned me because that locket is stuck to you. You want out. Don't you? Maybe you shouldn't have severed your soul from the damaged one!" he reprimanded. Bella glared at him.

"Says the man stuck between three!"

"Do _not_ bring them into this!" Thanatos shouted. Bella looked at him with blatant defiance.

"Fine what do I do?" asked Bella. Thanatos looked at her with a lighter expression.

"Speak to it. Command it to open" Thanatos said. Bella looked at him with a careful expression.

"How do I know you're not lying to me? You've prone to doing so and trying to get me in trouble a lot" Bella countered, suspiciously. Thanatos gave a smiled and kissed her forehead. Bella looked at him stunned.

"_You_ are my favorite sister. No offense, Mórrígan" Thanatos commented. Hermione grinned, lecherously. Maya gaped at seeing the expression on her thirteen-year-old daughter.

"No offense taken. Apollo's _my_ favorite brother" Hermione commented, off handedly. The comment in itself seemed innocent but Thanatos and Bella looked appalled.

"Incest."

"Tease" Hermione countered.

"Bitch."

"At least _I_ can choose my sexuality. Shut up, Mr. Indecisive" Hermione said, sticking her tongue out. Bella couldn't even smile. She couldn't express her happy emotions at seeing her brother and sister like this.

"Yes, yes. You summoned me because as the Claimer's Son, I can act on summons. I felt like I should come instead of a demon. So, here I am. Follow my instructions. I will help you if you need it. Begin" Thanatos dictated. Bella hated being in a place of submission and she knew Thanatos knew that. He was probably reveling in the moment. Bella looked down at the necklace.

"**Get off. And open, while you're at it**" Bella murmured. The necklace slid off her neck and in front of her. It flipped open and a teenaged boy who looked about 17 came out. He had short black hair and was bone white. His eyes were slitted and crimson. He was handsome and only Bella could see his face. He was smirking at her.

"Hello, lovely" he said, smoothly. Bella looked at him in surprise. She kind of recognized the voice. It was Tom, she suddenly realized. The Girl-Who-Lived mentally smacked herself for not realizing.

"Hello. Unblock my emotions. **Are you the real Tom or a construct**?" Bella asked. Younger-Tom smirked at her before leaning down.

"I'm neither. I am much more and much less. I am magic. I am a younger Tom, except I actually _have_ hormones" Younger-Tom said, quietly. Bella snorted with laughter. Tom looked at Thanatos and looked him up and down. He suddenly spun and pulled Hermione in before swirling in a circle, his hand up. The barrier turned solid and Bella heard Sirius' shocked shout and Maya's shriek as the barrier turned black and sealed them inside.

"Now, lovely, if you want the block gone, you're going to have fulfill a few tasks for me. That's how it works. Nothing's free in life. Especially when you insult the great Tom Riddle" Younger-Tom said, coldly. Bella nodded.

"Now, first thing in order. Say the first thing that comes to your mind here. That includes you too, Mudblood" Younger-Tom spat at Hermione. Hermione's eyes widened before she nodded in shock.

"You're so insane. It's hypnotizing. Could you be the devil?" Bella asked, carefully. Younger Tom's smirk grew wider.

"Could I be an angel?"

"Probably not. You're too evil. I'll stick by saying you're the devil. What else do you want?" Bella demanded. Younger-Tom tilted his head before his eyes lit with insane glee.

"The promise that you'll never destroy me. The locket, I mean. Even if your life depends on it, you won't destroy it. Give me your word" Younger-Tom demanded. Bella cleared her throat and glanced at Thanatos.

"Do it. You'll be fine" Thanatos said. Younger-Tom glared at him but said nothing. Bella tilted her head.

"I swear to never destroy you as long as I shall live, even if my life depends on it" Bella swore, lazily. Younger-Tom smirked in victory and glanced at the barrier and it became clear again. Sirius and Maya were right up to it and apparently had been banging on it.

"Thank you, lovely" he said before promptly shifting to place as chaste kiss on her lips. Bella was frozen as she felt him bite her lip slightly and take in the blood. And he pulled back with that lovely smirk on his face. Sirius was frozen.

"What? Why…" Bella said, her mouth wide open. She knew she should've felt positively violated but she didn't. But her mind said otherwise.

_You are mine_.

The words swirled in her head as if he had said it out loud. She stared at him in shock and he gave a wicked grin. It was crazed, insane, and it scared her.

"Yours?" she whispered. He nodded.

_Mine. Say it. If you want your emotions back, say it._

"Yours. Only yours" she whispered, so quietly that only he could hear. She was fascinated with the boy in front of her now. He was so much like Tom but…so _not_. She decided she liked this version of Tom so much more than the real one. Well, if the façade Tom put up _was_ the real Tom.

"Good that you realize it."

He shimmered, becoming less solid before flowing back into the necklace and the air went less still. Sirius looked like he was about to say something but Bella swooned. Thanatos caught her easily.

"Anastasia…can you stay awake for a little while longer? Apollo really wants to say hello. Hermione's going to need to apply a Rune to you and you need to show her which one" Thanatos murmured. Hermione's eyes widened and she knelt next to Bella.

"Please Bella! Tell me which one" Hermione begged. Maya and Sirius couldn't even respond to the desperation in Hermione's voice. Bella weakly pointed towards the Rune in the book before turning to Thanatos.

"Thanatos, put the locket around my neck."

"No! Bella don't put it back on!" Sirius shouted. Bella glared at him so fiercely and Sirius' eyes widened when he realized that her eyes were back to normal.

"I have to. I swore to it."

Maya watched in horror as Hermione drew the Rune on Bella's arm quickly. As soon as it was finished it glowed and Thanatos smirked. A bright light appeared and the tall Italian man called Apollo appeared.

"…Apollo" Hermione murmured. Apollo turned towards Hermione and frowned. He took a step forward.

"Mórrígan."

And then he kissed her. Maya couldn't understand whether she should be disgusted or infuriated. This was pedophilia and she couldn't stand that she had to stand there and watch her daughter go through it. But…her daughter was kissing him back and she was just a little less disgusted. She wondered if this happened to all magical children and if that was the case, she didn't think she wanted her daughter apart of that.

She glanced at Sirius but he looked just as horrified.

"I'm about to pass out from blood loss. I think it'd be prudent for you to stop snogging" Bella whispered, hoarsely. She sounded very annoyed but looked happy. Apollo turned and glanced at Bella though he didn't let go of the much shorter girl.

"Shut up, foolish little sister. You severed your soul from a torn and bitter one. You deserve to pass out" he snapped. He turned back to Hermione and Maya almost gasped at the love in his eyes.

"Hey there, stranger. Long time, no see" Hermione whispered. Apollo gave a wry grin and tilted his head.

"I saw you. In June, remember?" Apollo said. Hermione laughed, quietly and she glanced at her swooning sister.

"I do. You didn't kiss me. We had to leave right after" Hermione said, almost as if she were pouting. Bella rolled her eyes at the two.

"Um, I'm about to die of blood loss and I was just claimed like property. It's nice that you two are having a good time but I'm having a shitty shit day. Could you hurry the reunion up?" Bella asked, sardonically. Thanatos slapped his hand over her mouth as the two others glared at her.

"She's, unfortunately, right. Apollo and I are quickly running out of energy. And _you_ are quickly running out of blood. I suggest we cut the reunion short and come back together like this when we're _all_ able to project ourselves accordingly. And, Bella, you'd do well to fetch your wand. You're the last one without a weapon" Thanatos said. Bella nodded in agreement.

"I understand. You're still a jackass" Bella added as an afterthought. Thanatos glared at her.

"Bitch."

"Tease."

"Says the one with UST with a certain severed soul…" Thanatos commented. Bella gave him a flat look and rolled her eyes.

"Drop dead."

"Too late, sister. You're going to pass out in 5, 4, 3, 2…"

* * *

**Black Farmhouse, Millemont, Yvelines, North Versailles, France**

**Thursday the 5th of August 1993**

**7:57 AM**

_Bella was sitting in an empty void. She looked around and everything was white and then black. She watched in fascination as it switched back and forth between the two colors. Finally, it settled at a grey. She frowned when she noticed that it didn't switch back._

"_Interesting? And I was hoping so much that you'd find me so much more."_

_The voice made Bella look around and she stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of her. It was Younger-Tom. Except he looked slightly older, if only slightly. His hair was a little longer but only by a millimeter._

"_You. How dare you show up here? After what you and your future self did to me?" demanded Bella. Younger-Tom smiled and walked up to her before tilting her head up and inspecting her._

"_Don't be like that, Ana. And I only did what was the right thing to do."_

"_Don't call me that! And claiming me as if I were property is __**not**__ the 'right thing to do'. It's absolutely sickening!" Bella spat at him. His smiled disappeared and he glared at her with a fierce intensity._

"_Listen here, little girl. You are __**mine**__! And only mine! Do you understand me?" he roared. Bella clapped her hands over her ears and shook her head._

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

_The scream ripped the endless void apart and Bella was standing on the familiar battlefield. She watched with wide eyes as the familiar for people on horseback ripped through each other._

_She knew three of the four but she couldn't figure out the last and ferocious woman. She watched carefully the woman who had kissed the red-eyed man. She was breaking people's necks with her bare hands while shooting Killing Curses at others._

"_Stop."_

_Bella looked up to see the woman stop and look at the person who had called her name. Bella could only see an older Ginny. Her face was just as lovely as it had been when she was a child but now she looked hardened by war. She looked only 19. Her robes were tattered and burned from the fighting around her._

"_If it isn't my little protégé? Taught you everything you knew didn't I, lovey?" the woman cackled. Ginny nodded, slowly._

"_I looked up to you. You were my idol. When I asked you to teach my fourth year, you obliged. I didn't see the Darkness growing in you but I should have. I didn't think anything of it when you used to sneak off in the middle of the night and I'd see you coming back early in the morning. I should've. I should've believed Gideon about what you and Lord Voldemort did in the Department of Mysteries" she said, sounding not disappointed in the woman but disappointed in yourself._

"_That…Gideon shouldn't have said anything. I didn't decide then you know" the woman said, sounding much more insane than she had a minute ago. Ginny looked up with wide and angry eyes._

"_When then? When did you make the decision to betray us? Was it when they threw Hermione into Azkaban? Was it when Umbridge tortured you? Was it when you realized you couldn't stand Gideon? WHEN? WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO ABANDON US? WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO DAMN US?" Ginny asked. The woman bit her lip. She looked down at her left hand and flashed her ring finger._

"_When…when he said 'Marry me'."_

"_He doesn't love you! He doesn't! He married you for power—" Ginny shouted, hysterically. The woman's wand was in hand and pointed at Ginny. Ginny's own wand was now pointed at the woman._

"_Take that back! He does love me! And you can tell yourself that all you want. You think I didn't see those looks that you gave him at my birthday parties! You think I didn't see you?" demanded the woman. Ginny froze and glared at the woman._

"_Remember what he did to you the summer before my second year? That's not love! He was never nice to you when we were in school. He called you brat and little girl. I don't even think he ever called you by your __**name**__! He didn't love you!" Ginny spat. The woman froze and glared at Ginny._

"_Now you, just wait a moment. I know it may be hard for that blissful blood traitor brain to comprehend that someone like him could love someone like me. But it happened. It's real! And you can try to duel me to the death all you want. You can't change it! He never belonged to you, he never loved you, and he never did! He loves me!" she shouted in rage. Ginny bared her teeth and pointed her wand._

"_Avada—" Ginny started. The woman flicked her wand and gave Ginny a vicious grin._

"_No, no, Ginevra, dear. The master will always win. I taught you everything you know" the woman taunted. Ginny gritted her teeth._

"_Well, I guess it is time that the student surpass the master" Ginny countered. The woman looked behind her at the Death Eaters, waiting for her command. She spun in a circle extending her two wands into the air. Two identical bolts of purple lightening shot out, forming a protective circle. She tucked the Elder Wand in her cloak._

"_No one will interfere! This is my fight!" the woman shrieked with an amplified voice. There were cheers and the woman grinned at the shout of a man's voice in horror._

"_Now, we bow. Bow to Death's sister, Ginny, dear" the woman said. Ginny glared at her defiantly._

"_BOW! I SAID BOW!" the woman shrieked. She pointed a familiar holly wand at Ginny. Ginny's spine curved forward and she screamed in pain. She straightened as the woman lifted the spell._

"_And now, we duel! Confringo!" Ginny shouted. The woman flicked her wand and the spell was deflected and she cackled._

"_Is that the best you've got? Now, dear, just because I taught you everything __**you**__ know doesn't mean I taught you everything __**I**__ know!" the woman shouted before discarding her cloak. Bella could only see the back of her. The woman slim and curvy and from the back she looked like a regular woman._

_But Bella knew she was a warrior._

"_Make it stop…make it stop" Bella whispered._

Bella gasped loudly and shot up from her bed, sweat pouring down her face. She looked down and saw the faint, faint scars on her arm. She heard someone clear their throat. Sitting next to her bed was Sirius and Maya. Hermione sat, looking down at her lap next to Maya. She looked exceptionally apprehensive.

"What did you think you were doing? Summoning…whoever that was! He could've killed you" Sirius spat. Bella's eyes narrowed. She glared at him in anger.

"Listen, Uncle Sirius! He wouldn't hurt me. Thanatos would _never_ hurt me. He may try to but he never could" Bella said, in annoyance. Hermione nodded sharply in agreement.

"And, Apollo would never hurt her, either. Mum, he didn't hurt me" Hermione added, angrily. Maya shrieked in indignation and glared at her daughter in anger. But behind the anger was worry.

"He was a grown adult! That's pedophilia, Hermione" Maya reminded her. Bella cleared her throat and shook her head.

"I…I can't remember what he looked like exactly…it's fuzzy but…I don't think he's really _that_ old. He wasn't really _there_. I mean he was a construct of magic. That's not his true age. He's younger than that. I'm getting a headache" Bella murmured. She looked down at her palm and saw the scar that formed the symbol of the Deathly Hallows and she ran her hand down the middle line.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked, shocked out of her anger. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"It's…his name is…I can't remember. It _hurts_. It hurts so much" Hermione moaned as she thought. She knew that she knew who it was but she couldn't put a name to face that she loved.

"She can't remember…her memory is blocked. That's why they're getting headaches. Tell me, what do you remember about the locket and why can't you destroy it?" demanded Sirius. Bella looked up and her eyes darkened.

"The locket is a Slytherin heirloom. I can't destroy it. It wasn't the locket. It was the spell that was implanted within. The spell merely took a corporal appearance in the form of a boy. He kissed me to seal the deal we made" Bella lied. Sirius didn't seem to completely believe her.

"And what was a kiss supposed to do?" Maya asked. Bella cleared her throat.

"He…er…drew blood. That's all I'm saying. Even Hermione doesn't know the entire deal. That's how it's going to stay."

"Fine. But you're grounded. For the rest of the summer" Sirius said, resigning. Bella gave a slight smile and Sirius looked shocked that she actually could feel and express emotion again.

"How did I guess?"


	25. Chapter XXII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, HG/BZ

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **This has been fun to write so far. I think this will be the last chapter before Hogwarts. They'll be on the Hogwarts Express. I miss Tom a tons and I need some sexual tension. Yes, that's right. Bella's thirteen. It calls for sexual tension.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXII**

**Platform 9 3/4,King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1993**

**10:45 AM**

"Bella, may I talk to you."

Bella turned wide-eyed to Mr. Weasley. She nodded and walked towards the man. She didn't know him all too well but she knew he was trustworthy and he was always kind to her.

"Yes, sir?"

"I have something to tell you—" he started. Bella held up her hand and Mr. Weasley flinched as he saw that it was the palm marked with 'Grindelwald's' symbol. Bella tried not to smile at his reaction and shook her head.

"Mr. Weasley, did you really think Uncle Sirius would keep me uninformed? I already know" Bella commented. Mr. Weasley sighed and nodded, helplessly and he looked at his pocket watch.

"I know but I'm just making sure. You must be terrified with those people after you" Mr. Weasley sighed. He watched in surprise as Bella began to laugh. And he almost shuddered. It was a very heartless laugh, covered with a cherubic sound.

"I'm not. I'm not afraid. Did you know that Grindelwald slapped me in my first year? And I flew back so hard that I slammed my head into the metal edge of a mirror. Did you know that I fought him and a sphinx last year? Bellatrix has a mental disorder and it is the same as Hermione's. I know how to deal with it. Wormtail is a rat. He'll be easy. Rabastan and Rodolphus…I might know two people who could take care of them. I definitely not afraid" Bella said. Mr. Weasley's eyes widened.

It sounded as if she were planning to kill them.

"Now, Bella, don't go looking for trouble" Mr. Weasley warned. Bella tilted her head and put her hand on her hips.

"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me and from now on, I'm going to be ready."

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, Somewhere in England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1993**

**11:15 AM**

"So, how was your summer?" Ron asked. He had just shared his little adventure in Egypt with a smile on his face. Bella and Hermione had elected not to tell of their adventure delving into the Blood Arts. That wouldn't go over well with the strictly Light wizard. Personally, the two were leaning towards Neutral. It was much easier to accomplish Neutral spells but still, took effort.

"To…Riddle and I are not speaking, so my wand is being a bitch" Bella finally said. It was the truth. Her wand continued to jerk every time she even _tried _to do a spell. It did the spell, of course, but rather reluctantly.

"Wait…what? Why?" Ron asked in confusion. Hermione took the time to fill him in. Ron nodded in understanding. Hermione finally smirked.

"And, Bella's been in a foul mood since then. She _fancies_ Riddle" Hermione teased. Ron choked over his own spittle. Bella glared at Hermione.

"I'd sooner have a crush on Thanatos, Hermione. Anyway, Ron, Hermione's mum, Maya, fancies my Uncle Sirius!" Bella announced. Hermione's expression became totally neutral at the words and she looked out the window. She didn't know how to truly respond. Ron's ears turned red.

"But…what? Isn't your mum…_married_? That makes her…a scarlet woman!" Ron shouted. Hermione glared at Ron, viciously.

"My mum is _not_ a scarlet woman! You don't know what you're talking about. Sirius and Mum are just friends. Mum finds him…attractive. Just like your mum finds Gilderoy Lockhart attractive" Hermione snapped. Ron was silenced immediately and looked down at his lap. They made small talk before they were joined by Ginny and Gideon.

"Wait…who is that?" Ginny said, pointing to the corner. Bella's eyes widened in surprise as she saw a person covered in a shabby cloak. He didn't look too dressed. Hermione crossed her arms.

"He must be the new Assisstant Defense teacher. It _is_ the only spot open…hmm…R.J. Lupin" Hermione said, reading off of his old trunk. Bella shrieked in surprise and the man suddenly jolted but didn't awake. Everyone turned towards her and saw her bouncing in her seat with a grin.

"Uncle Moony. That's my Uncle Moony. Last time I checked, he was travelling Greece. He's Uncle Sirius' best friend in the entire world. I can't believe it! He's teaching us!" Bella grinned. Hermione laughed, quietly. Gideon decided to tease the excited girl.

"Simmer down, Bell. Simmer down" he said, grinning. He earned a smack in the back of his head.

**Hogwarts Express, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1993**

**6:45 PM**

"Shut up!" a hoarse voice said. Everyone turned to see Remus Lupin holding a fistful of flames. There was a rattling sound and Bella squeezed into the side of Hermione. Everything was so dark and cold.

It wasn't like Thanatos' chilly disposition. It was frightening.

"Stay where you are. Don't move…" Remus said in a tired voice. He stood and started to make his way to the door. It slid open before he could reach it.

"Dementor…" Ginny whispered as they saw what was outside. Hermione cringed as she saw the long scabby and grey hand. It was floating off the ground, ragged black robes hanging from it.

It took a long rattling breath as if trying to suck something from the air that _wasn't_ oxygen.

Bella felt all of the happiness sucked out of her. She closed her eyes, tightly. It was just like when she had her emotions locked in her but worst. She _didn't_ have those happy emotions. They weren't just locked inside. They were _gone_.

"Thanatos…Thanatos…" she whispered. Hermione joined her quiet chanting. The dementor looked at them and glided into the compartment.

A loud rattling voice was heard and everyone was staring wide-eyed at the figure that appeared in front of them. He had a scythe in hand and a silver cloak was draped over him. He glanced back and they could only see silver steel eyes.

"I'm here, dear sisters" he said, quietly. He turned back to the dementor and held out the scythe like a weapon and slashed down. The dementor gave another defiant rattling suck. Bella began slipping away from the present scene.

"Leave. Now!" commanded Thanatos. Lupin watched wide-eyed as the dementor fell abck slightly.

"_I COMMAND YOU!_" Thanatos shouted. The dementor began gliding away as Thanatos slashed down his scythe and slammed his hand into the glass, shattering it. The dementor sucked one more time.

Bella heard screams and pressure was building around her. She was being dragged through the bitter cold and dark. Everything…she was drowning in despair. And then she heard pleading screams. And everything was dark.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1993**

**7:00 PM**

"Bella! Bella! Wake up!"

Bella shook her head and sat up, groggily. Hermione looked frightened yet relieved. Gideon, Ginny, and Ron still looked horrified. Remus had a slightly knowing look in his eyes. Bella sat straight up as the memories flooded back to her.

"Thanatos! Where is he? Where's my brother? Tell me!" Bella said, grabbing Hermione by the shoulder. Hermione removed the hand, gingerly though the other girl had been squeezing rather hard.

"He's very angry. Oh so angry…" Hermione whispered. Bella turned to see Remus staring at her and she hugged him tightly.

"Who screamed?" Bella whispered as she hugged him. He hugged her back just as tightly. Ron frowned and shook his head.

"No one screamed, Bella" he said. Ginny tilted her head at her brother and confusion and crossed her arms.

"Not true. That…man. Thanatos? He screamed" Ginny said. Bella sighed and suddenly a piece of chocolate was shoved under her nose. Remus held it out to her silently. She ate it, carefully.

"What happened, Hermione?" Bella murmured. Hermione cleared her throat and looked around, almost nervous like.

"Well…after you passed out, Thanatos got very angry. He went cold and he grabbed the dementor. He said something to it in their language before slamming it into the wall across the corridor. Those people in the compartment across from ours screamed. And then he…he _fed_. Oh, he fed in front of everyone! And from the dementor! He was so angry and I-I couldn't stop him" Hermione sobbed grabbing Bella in a hug. Bella sat rigid and looked at Hermione with wide eyes. She couldn't move.

Her brother…her _brother_. Had fed in front of _children_?

"He…fed…in front of children? FUCKING MORON!" Bella shrieked. She stood up and began to pace up and down the compartment. She didn't see the freaked out looks her friends and soon to be professor was giving her.

"Who…who was that, Bell?" asked a voice. Bella turned to Gideon who was looking at her with a careful expression. Bella gave a twisted and thin smile. Remus jolted in recognition.

"That. That was a person who I consider as my brother. I don't know why but he is my brother. That was Thanatos. The Claimer's Son."

"Wait…you called the _Claimer's Son_ here?" Remus asked. Bella nodded slowly and she looked out the window. They were moving again and in the very, very, very faint distance she could see an outline of a village.

"I've summoned him before. And it wasn't only me. Hermione helped. I'm his favorite sister. He said it when I summoned him before" Bella said, grinning. Remus decided not to speak about the first time. By the darkening of her eyes and how she gripped the necklace around her neck, he decided it was dangerous territory.

"What was he doing to the dementor?" asked Ginny. Bella growled at the reminder and glanced at Hermione. Hermione looked on edge and she was gripping the arm with the tattoo on it as if she wanted to rip it off.

"The idiot fed. He sucked out every bastard soul the dementor had ever taken. He Kissed the dementor. Seeing him Kiss a dementor is different from him sucking the soul out of something else…it's much more gruesome" Bella said. Ginny frowned and grabbed Gideon. Gideon hugged his twin sister.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked. Remus nodded.

"Have you seen it done before?" Remus asked, wanting to help his pseudo-goddaughter.

"No…last year…I saw him suck out a soul from an object. But from a dementor…I just know. Don't ask me how but I just _do_" Bella said, with a sigh. She sat down and ran a hand through her hair before it froze. She turned with a sly smile to Remus.

"So…you're helping T…Riddle teach Defense?" Bella asked. Remus frowned in confusion and nodded. Sirius had been rather…vague about Bella's connection with Tom Riddle.

"I am. What's wrong?" Remus asked, curiously. Ginny and Gideon looked uneasy. Ron was snorting. Hermione looked rather amused. Bella looked mischievous.

"Please…I beg of you, Uncle Moony. Make. His. Life. _Hell._"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1993**

**8:30 PM**

"Listen well, it is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore inform you not to give them any reason to harm you. They are deterred by tricks or disguises. Even Invisibility Cloaks cannot stop them. On a happier note, I'd like to welcome two addition to our staff" Dumbledore started.

Bella stared up at the old man with a look of determination in her eyes. She could feel the piercing gaze on her and she refused to even look at him. She would _not_ give that son of a bitch the satisfaction of seeing her.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of the Assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Bella clapped hard and most of the Gryffindors followed after her. Bella glanced at the Slytherins and Draco was clapping, enthusiastically. Well, he was giving a slow clap, which was enthusiastic for the pureblood ponce.

"Look at Snape" Ron said over the claps.

Bella closed her eyes, to avoid looking at Riddle, and glanced at Snape who was sitting next to Riddle. He looked furious and loathing was clear in his eyes. Bella sighed and hoped to Merlin that he'd keep his mouth shut about Remus'…condition.

"Also, Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has retired. I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Bella roared in delight with the rest of the Gryffindor House. She was just as stunned as Hermione and Ron looked. Hermione smiled.

"We should've known! Who else would've assigned a biting book?" Ron asked as Dumbledore let the feast begin. Bella scooped steak and kidney pie onto her plates and tasted every morsel of it. She sighed in delight.

The house elves always made the best food in all of Britain.

"Yes, well. What classes are you taking? I need to know if I'm going to make a suitable studying schedule" Hermione said. Bella groaned and glanced at her best friend.

Over the summer, Hermione wasn't as strict about studying. She made sure they did their homework and skimmed through the coming schoolbooks but that was about it. But, now that they were back at school…

And in addition, Bella hadn't kept on top of learning Druhir. Instead of getting detentions in second year, she'd been focusing on solving the riddles. And she refused to get detention just to finish learning.

She'd have to either sneak into his office or go to Restricted Section.

She'd rather take her chances with the Restricted Section. She glanced at Hermione and leaned back.

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. I let Ron pick for me. You can just teach me Arithmancy. And, I know Ancient Runes. Damn Black tradition…" Bella sighed. Hermione gave them cautious looks and shrugged.

"All right. I'll get on those as soon as I can. Expect them the day after tomorrow. We'll be spending plenty of time in the Library. We can't exactly go out anymore because of the dementors. They have such a bad effect on you, Anastasia" Hermione sighed. Bella shrugged and almost glanced at the head table when she felt the gaze intensify.

"He's staring at me. And it's making me very uncomfortable" Bella whispered to Ron and Hermione. Ron looked up from his plate.

"Oo iz 'ookin a' oo?" he asked through his mouthful. Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"_Honestly_, Ronald. Swallow your food! Maybe you should tell him that and solve this issue" Hermione said. Ron swallowed his food and glanced at the two with a frown.

"Who's looking at you?" Ron asked. Hermione glanced at the head table and turned around immediately.

"Oh Merlin…his eyes are crimson. And I don't think they're going to turn back any time soon. Dumbledore is talking to him…" Hermione said, glancing over Bella's shoulder again.

"Oh…Riddle. Does this have to do with the fight you had? What's got his knickers in a twist?" Ron asked before taking in the mashed potatoes.

"Uncle Sirius made a crack about his age. He's very…weird about his age. I think he's just afraid to grow old. But don't go around telling people that because that'd be really…_bad_. For you, I mean. So keep your mouth shut" Bella warned. Ron shrugged and glanced down the table. Gideon was sitting with his friends and Ginny had to sit with her own House. She was sitting with Luna.

"I was wondering why Ginny's always sitting over here when she's a Ravenclaw" Bella said. Ron shrugged and Hermione sat up ramrod.

"In _Hogwarts, A History_ it says nothing about students sitting at their own respective tables. Inter-house relations were actually encouraged. Before, it wasn't as segregated as it is now. She's not breaking the rules or anything" Hermione said, lecturing. Ron sighed.

"Could you _not_ speak about a book for _once_?" he asked. Hermione glared at him, reproachfully.

"Fine!" she snapped. They continued to talk until the feast came to a reluctant end. Bella stayed behind with Ron and Hermione to say hello to a few people and they were one of the last to leave.

"Miss Potter."

"Professor Riddle."

The words were spat at the other like they were the cruelest insults. Bella turned to her newly instated archenemy. They faced each other and began glaring at each other. Hermione placed a hand on Bella's shoulder when she felt that the glaring contest had went on long enough. Bella's eyes had begun to turn crimson.

"Bella…" Hermione murmured. Bella smiled at Hermione and felt satisfaction when Riddle's eyes widened, marginally.

"Yeah, that's right. Your spell was broken" Bella said, coldly. Riddle's hand shot out to grab the locket. Bella jerked forward, ready for it to snap off. Riddle felt it and then grinned, wickedly. The grin was there for two seconds but Bella could see that it was unhinged and devastatingly attractive.

"But…the deal is quite interesting. Property…of _my '_spell'. Property of my property, thus my property. You follow?" Riddle asked. Bella glared at him in rage. He had a point. She belonged to _him_.

"You disgust me" Bella hissed. Riddle smirked and looked down at Bella with a look of pure arrogance on his face.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Miss Potter. Goodnight" Riddle said. Bella hissed in anger and Riddle didn't reveal his surprise when her face went slightly serpentine for a second.

"Go to hell" Bella whispered. Riddle continued to walk on with a satisfied smirk on his face. Bella stormed up the stairs with Ron and Hermione running after her. They just caught up with Percy who looked at them in surprise. They were out of breath.

"No running in the halls, you three. And the password is _Fortuna Major_" Percy added as an afterthought. Bella nodded, shortly. Bella walked into the mostly deserted common room. Everyone had gone upstairs to settle in their dorms.

"I hate him. I hate him so _much_" Bella hissed in anger. Ron nodded in agreement and crossed his arms.

"Riddle is a complete git! Almost as bad as the great Greasy Git himself" Ron snapped. Bella nodded and started to pace back and forth in front of the roaring fire.

"And he found it amusing! Everything. He likes having power over me. That's it! I quit! I'm going to make him regret everything he's ever said. I'm tired of this and it's my first day back. Well, he's going to get it…" Bella hissed. Hermione touched Bella's shoulder to calm her down.

"Anastasia…"

Bella jerked away from her and gave her a hard look before grinning.

"I got this, Hermione. You focus on your studies. Riddle…he's going down."

:::

**A/N: **So, I have this chapter!

Next Chapter: Bitches and Boggarts


	26. Chapter XXIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/LL, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC,

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Bella is on a rampage. We get to see her being pissed off and rude to almost _everyone_. Or PMSing…whichever. And, we get to see a DADA class. Fun! Fun! FUN! And…if you check the pairings, you'll see a few new ones were added. It will be a battle and the battle commences…_next year_! I've decided to give Draco a particularly hard time since he's such an asshole. Now he's caught between 4!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2nd of September 1993**

**8:15 AM**

"Woooooo! The dementors are coming!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked across the Great Hall as Bella walked in with her head held high. Hermione and Ron were on each side of her. Bella snickered as Ron sent a rude hand gesture towards the Slytherins. Bella glanced at the head table and saw Tom and Snape smirking at her.

"It seems that Riddle's eyes are going back to normal…I should change that…" Bella murmured under her breath. Bella glided forward. She trailed a finger across Gideon's back, from shoulder to shoulder. Christine gaped and Michael reared back. Ginny's eyes were wide as she glanced at Bella.

"Shh…it's all for show all for show, Gideon. Means nothing just…play along" Bella hissed at them. They relaxed and Christine snorted as Gideon's face visibly fell. Bella sat down next to them and Ron raised an eyebrow but didn't object and he sat across from his two best friends.

"Here are the timetables" George called from half way down the table. He passed them up and Bella glanced down at it. Ron looked over her shoulder and inspected it.

"So, Hermione and me have Divination first…wait…" Bella said, inspecting Hermione's timetable.

"Hermione…you've got Muggle Studies at nine o' clock too! _And_ you've got Arithmancy. You're good but _no one_ is that good. How can you be in three classes at once?" asked Ron incredulously. Hermione gave him a bland look.

"That's impossible. I can't be in three places at once" Hermione said, shortly. Ron opened his mouth to argue again and Bella held up a hand.

"Don't argue with her she's just going to end up making you look stupid. Hey, you lot. Look at Riddle are his eyes red?" Bella asked. Christine looked up and then flinched, violently before looking back down.

"If looks could kill…I think you and Gideon would've dropped dead" Michael said, shuddering. Bella's grin widened and she nodded.

"That's good very good. He's pissed" Bella smirked. Christine leaned on her hand and glanced at the older girl curiously.

"What are you trying to prove here?" Christine asked.

"That he's an arrogant jerkwad that _doesn't_ own me. It won't get through his massive head" Bella said, with a wry smile. Michael snorted and shook his head before leaning back.

"I don't know if that's possible. To prove it to him, I mean."

"Oh, it better be or his life is going to be hell" Hermione laughed. Ron snorted through his food and Hermione gave him a severely disgusted look.

"_Honestly_, Ronald! That's _disgusting_" Hermione snapped. Ron swallowed, thickly and glared at her.

"Well, I'm sorry for finding something amusing!" he barked. Bella sighed as they got into another argument.

"That…that right there is UST, children. Unresolved sexual tension" Bella said, loudly enough for them to hear. They stopped immediately and Ron's ears turned pink. Hermione just glared.

"It seems that you missed my reunion with Apollo."

"Oh…I was half dead. It was one of the last things I might've seen. Calm down Hermione I never said that sexual tension was on _your_ behalf. Now…where's my porridge?" Bella demanded. She poured herself a cup of coffee and dodged Hermione as the girl tried to take it away.

"That's going to stunt your growth, yellow your teeth, and you can get addicted to caffeine!" Hermione ranted. Bella sighed and leaned back.

"Sorry, _Maya_" Bella teased. Hermione stopped in her ranting as the girl took a sip of the coffee before taking the bowl of porridge passed to her by an enthusiastic Gideon.

"I do _not_ sound like my mum" Hermione snapped. Bella nodded.

"You sound exactly how she did when she yelled at Uncle Sirius for trying to steal the Mona Lisa. _That_ was one of the funniest things ever. She yelled at him right in the middle of Louvre. and then he got taken out by security and shipped to the police station…Maya had to do all the talking because he had no idea what handcuffs were…" Bella sighed with a grin. Hermione giggled, quietly and shrugged.

"Sorry…I'm just a little tired."

"_You_ tired? Classes haven't even _started_ yet" Ginny said in shock. Hermione shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. Luna leaned forward.

"Maybe it's because of the Runes you put on" Luna said. Hermione and Bella froze and cleared their throats. The group sitting immediately next to them looked at them.

"Er…Luna…Thanatos said hi…" Bella said, biting her lip. Luna frowned and tilted her head in confusion before a slight smile spread across her face.

"I Saw. Very attractive, yes he is…a little indecisive though" Luna sighed. Hermione snickered.

"_What_ are you talking about?" Michael sighed. Ron shook his head and went on to digging into eggs before answering.

"Don't ask. They talk about nonsense all the time. I think it's just how girls talk."

That earned him a slap on the back of the head.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2nd of September 1993**

**9:00 AM**

Bella sat bored in the North Tower as the insect lady flitted about. Hermione was sitting next to her with a doubtful look on her face and Ron looked just as bored as Bella.

"Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye" she said, mystically. Bella sighed and shook her head.

She doubted this lady _had_ a brain, let alone an Inner Eye. _Luna_ was a Seer. This lady was just a fraud.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, and then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Unfogging the Future_. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," — she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Bella sighed and shook her head. Bella turned to Hermione and Ron. The class was uneven and they stared into the cups they had just fetched.

"So…there looks like there's a bird in your cup…" Ron said, uncertainly. Trelawney descended on them like a killer bird.

"Let me see, my dears. Ah…the falcon. My dear, you have a great enemy" Trelawney said. Bella snorted and everyone turned to look at her.

"Well, of course. I mean, that's obvious. Grindelwald has been out for her blood since she was one. There are four dangerous Azkaban escapees after her. And not to mention…" Hermione said, trailing off but giving Bella a meaningful look.

"The club…an attack…the skull…danger is in your path…" Trelawney said, mysteriously. She turned the teacup one more time before giving a hair-raising scream and almost dropping it.

The ceramic teacup Neville dropped shattered into millions of pieces.

"Oh, poor child. My dear girl…" Trelawney whispered. Bella rolled her eyes as everyone looked at each other, shocked.

"What is it, Professor? Is something wrong?" Dean Thomas asked. Trelawney clutched her chest.

"My dear, you have…the _Grim_" Trelawney said. Bella froze. Only Lavender Brown and Dean Thomas continued to look confused. Bella slipped on a neutral expression.

"Really, Professor? Predicting my death? How uplifting on my first day to this class" Bella said, dryly. Ron was looking at her in horror.

"But…_Bella_. You know what this means! You're going…going to…_die_!" Ron said, loudly. Lavender almost passed out on the spot.

"Yeah. Well, that's disappointing isn't it? At least I get to say goodbye to Grindelwald before I snuff it, eh?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2nd of September 1993**

**1:00 PM**

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, Bella thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest.

Bella had low tolerance for the creepiness and the darkness within the towering forest.

However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"

"How?" drawled the cold voice of the Malfoy Heir.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated, slowly, as if speaking to a stupid child. He took out his copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters_, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Bella, had spelled their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. Bella tried her best not to roll her eyes. It was a stupid question but, she knew he was truly excited about his new position.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em" Hagrid said, giving a hand wave. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Bella and leaned over.

"As if that's most obvious thing in the world…" Hermione whispered. She had spelled her book shut also but the two girls were going with a cover story. _Sirius_ had spelled their books shut…which was a complete lie but they'd rather _not_ get expelled for underage magic.

"Hermione, pass yer book ter me" Hagrid said. Hermione looked affronted at not actually being asked but she tapped her book lightly with her wand and it became a savage beast. It might've tried to eat her face if Hermione hadn't raised her leg to kick it away. It fell at Hagrid's feet and the half-giant picked it up and gave a long stroke to the spine. The book shuddered and fell open.

"Oh, how silly I've been. I should have _stroked_ the book. Why didn't I guess? Do you hear that Blaise? We've got to _stroke_ it as if it were a pet" Draco said, sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. Hagrid frowned.

"Shut up, Malfoy" Bella hissed. Draco sneered at her and Hagrid looked discouraged by it all.

"I…I thought they were funny" Hagrid said, to Ron and Hermione. Hermione gave a weak smile while Ron only succeeded in looking slightly constipated.

"Oh, how tremendously funny real funny, trying to give us books that try to rip our heads off" Draco snapped, scathingly. Bella glared at him.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

Draco seemed a little put off that she wasn't using his hated nickname but that didn't seem to stop him from rising to the bait. Just as he was about to say something, Hagrid interrupted.

"Righ' then. So yeh've got yer books an' now all yeh'd need are the Magical Creatures. I'll go an' get 'em" Hagrid said, slowly. He walked away to the paddock, which was little away. Pansy Parkinson was hanging off Draco's arm again and he looked a little more than annoyed.

"God, this place has gone to the dogs. The oaf is teaching classes? The only thing making up for it is Professor Snape and Professor Riddle" Draco sighed to Pansy. Bella clenched her teeth together.

"Shut _up_, Malfoy. Snape _and_ Riddle are both abysmal teachers with even worse personalities. I'd trust you to shut up about it now and try to _learn_. Like any other normal student who_doesn't_ want me to kick their arse" Bella snapped. Pansy's eyes narrowed in suspicion and she cleared her throat.

"Oh, so you _don't_ fancy Riddle anymore? Aww, did he call you a vicious blood traitor and break your heart?" Pansy taunted. Bella began to shake with anger and Draco seemed not to see it.

"So _that_'s what's going on" Draco said, coolly and a smirk on his face. Bella glared him with rage filled eyes.

"You don't know _anything_ about me" Bella whispered. Pansy shrieked with laughter and all the dimwitted Slytherins followed their princess' lead. Blaise frowned with disapproval. Ron and Hermione began walking back when they saw Bella being harassed.

"Yeah, capable of passing out in front of a bunch of dementors" Pansy snorted. Ron opened his mouth to retaliate when Draco turned to the Slytherins with a hard glint in his eyes.

"_Enough_. No bringing up the dementors…_ever_" Draco whispered. The Slytherins flinched at his chilly tone and Draco turned towards Bella. Bella stared at the enigma in surprise and he flicked her in the head. Ron glared at him. Draco bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Stay away from the dementors, Princess. I didn't stop them for nothing."

He pulled away and sneered at her before pushing past Ron and stalking towards the paddock. Ron glared at the back of the Malfoy.

"What did he say to you? Did he threaten you?" demanded Ron. Bella shook her head, a little dazed. Hermione glanced at her curiously.

"Nothing…nothing he was just being an arse again" Bella said, after a moment of hesitation. Ron still looked suspicious but he let it go. They walked towards the paddock and watched as Lavender Brown gave a deafening squeal.

Bella watched as Hagrid led hippogriffs to their side of the paddock. They were fierce looking and beautiful creatures, if a little prouder than some.

"Hippogriffs! Beau'iful aren' they?" asked Hagrid, enthusiastically. Bella watched as Draco's nose wrinkled. Bella watched the steely grey one with curiosity written all over her face.

"So, if yeh wan' ter come nearer…" Hagrid started. Bella took a step towards the grey one and Hermione looked a bit mesmerized with an inky black one. Ron tried to grab one of the two girls before cringing back as the steel grey hippogriff turned its fiery eyes on him.

Bella stared as Hagrid began to explain how to approach a hippogriff.

"Who wants ter go first?" Hagrid asked. Bella looked around her as everyone, even Hermione, took a step back. She was the only one standing forward and Bella groaned in the back of her throat.

"I'll do it" she sighed. Hagrid beamed at her and Bella approached the grey hippogriff.

"This is Buckbeak. We'll see how yeh get along" Hagrid said. Bella nodded and the hippogriff took a step back. Bella's eyes narrowed and stared at it as it sunk into a bow before she could. Bella gaped and most of the class gaped. Hermione hopped the fence and walked forward, curiously. Zabini wasn't far behind. Most of the students walked forward. The hippogriff squawked at them, making most, except for Bella, Hermione, and Zabini, to jump back. It bowed to Hermione and Zabini before they even tried to bow.

"Er…tha'…tha' isn' normal" Hagrid said, confused. Draco sighed and sneered in disgust. He grabbed the paddock fence and did a hand stand on it before flipping back into place on the other side. Bella cringed at Pansy's excited and impressed squeal.

"I bet it isn't dangerous at all. The great ugly brute" Draco drawled. The hippogriff turned its eyes on him and raised its talons to strike at him.

"I dare you. Try it" Draco hissed as if the hippogriff could understand him. The air around them got cooler and Buckbeak made a whining sound in the back of his throat.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" demanded Ron as Draco stalked forward. Draco glared at the hippogriff with a hard face. It took another step back.

"Come here you, animal" Draco snapped. Hagrid opened his mouth to say something when the hippogriff walked forward, carefully. Bella grabbed Draco's arm and Pansy and Millicent gasped.

"What are you doing, Draco? You're scaring him. Leave the poor beast alone" Bella snapped. Draco flicked Bella's forehead and pulled away from her.

"Stop telling me what to do, Princess. I'm tired of you trying one up me" Draco hissed. Bella sighed and shook her head and Draco grabbed a hold of the hippogriff. At his touch, the hippogriff bucked and knocked him back with a flash of its talons. Draco hissed in pain as blood flowed from his wounds. Everyone started screaming as the hippogriff backed away. Blaise helped his brother up and glanced at the creature with wide eyes.

"What did you do, Malfoy? You're a complete idiot!" shouted Ron as everyone began to scream. Bella looked around at the chaos. The other hippogriffs were freaking out and everything…

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone looked wide-eyed at the average height Muggleborn. Bella glanced at Hermione. Her face was hard and she looked every bit of the Lady she was. She looked around, impassively.

"Everyone, calm down. This was a freak accident. Malfoy didn't do it on purpose. The hippogriff is afraid of him. Because of…who he is. Now, I want two Slytherins to escort Malfoy to the Hospital Wing. Everyone else, clear out and wait outside the paddock and wait for further instruction" Hermione commanded. Hagrid watched in shock as the thirteen-year-old took control. Bella bit her lip and turned to Buckbeak who was going around, frantically.

"I'll do it!" Pansy and Millicent shouted. Bella glared at them and they silenced almost immediately. Hermione nodded, sharply.

"Ana, calm down the hippogriffs. Malfoy, can you stand up?" Hermione asked, beginning to pace. Her eyes were dark and she was basking in the power that she had.

"Yes, I can stand. But it got me deep" Malfoy said, coolly. Blaise looked at the deep scratches and nodded in confirmation.

"I'll escort him to the Hospital Wing" Zabini said. Hermione nodded and pointed at Goyle and the three made their way to the Hospital Wing. Hermione glanced at them when Draco suddenly stopped and turned around. He glanced at Bella.

"Princess, they were afraid of death. They were afraid of what I represent. They _respect_ you three. But they _fear_ me. Thus, you must calm them, showing light. Got it, Princess?" Malfoy asked. Bella nodded once and turned to Hagrid who looked shocked.

"What are you looking at? Go!" Hermione commanded. Bella smiled at her sister taking charge.

She was every bit of the general she was supposed to be.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**11:00 AM**

Bella watched as Malfoy sauntered in with his arm in a cast. She knew that it wasn't _that_ deep. He hadn't even broken a bone! He was being overdramatic and exploiting the Slytherin bimbos' sympathy.

"How are you, Draco? Does it hurt?" simpered Pansy. Malfoy shook his head. Bella sighed as he gave her a brave heroic look.

"Yeah, but I can brave this" he said, with an odd looking grimace. He cast Blaise a smug smirk. Zabini rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics.

"Settle down, settle down" Snape said. Bella sighed at the man's blatant favoritism. If she had walked in late, she would've been hung up by her toes or something equally gruesome. He hated her for not only being James' daughter but because she looked a lot like Lily. Didn't want to be reminded on how he didn't get the girl…bastard.

Malfoy crossed over to sit next to Blaise, Hermione and Bella.

Or course, Hermione was sitting next to Bella and not Blaise because she despised his very being or some rot like that.

"Sir. Sir, I'll need help cutting up my ingredients because of my arm" Malfoy said as Snape finished writing the instructions to finding the Shrinking Solution in their books.

"Granger, cut up Malfoy's roots for him" Snape said. Hermione sighed and looked at Malfoy.

"You're so lucky that you helped us on the train. Otherwise, I'd shove these roots up your arse" Hermione hissed, quietly. Zabini and Bella began to snicker.

"Testy, Granger just be a good Mudblood and cut those up for me" Draco dictated. Hermione rolled her eyes and passed her own daisy roots to him and took his own. Ron gaped at her.

"Hermione! What are you doing? Those were perfect" he said, rather loudly. Snape looked up with cold and alert eyes.

"Mr. Weasley! Why do you feel the need to interrupt my class? And Granger, what did you do?" demanded Snape. Hermione looked at him with a shrew expression and raised one eyebrow in a perfect imitation of the man. Snape glared at her and she didn't look intimidated in the least.

"Granger gave me her roots. She already cut them. I don't know what Weasley's problem is, sir" Malfoy spoke up. All the Gryffindors looked at him in shock. Hermione smiled at him, softly. Malfoy gave a faux sneer and Bella snickered.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Weasley. Do not interrupt again" snapped Snape. He looked slightly surprised at Malfoy's confession. He went back to his own cauldron and added another ingredient.

"Malfoy, you need me to skin your shrivelfig?" Bella asked, generously. He really _was_ hurt. She had been able to see bone after the hippogriff had slashed at him. Ron looked at her in complete shock.

"Yes. Thank you, Princess" Malfoy said, flicking her forehead. Snape looked at his favorite student, incredulously.

"Would you stop calling me that? I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart" Bella snapped. Malfoy snickered and handed over the shrivelfig. Bella skinned it delicately. Ron shook his head in shock.

"Here, Malfoy" she murmured. He flicked her ear this time and nodded his thanks.

"Did you hear, Bella? _Daily Prophet_ reckons that the four escapees have been seen not too far from here" Seamus Finnigan said. Bella looked up, sharply. Malfoy's eyes narrowed. Ron glared at him.

"Did you need something else done?" Ron demanded. Malfoy hushed him and grabbed Bella's ear and pulled her closer to him to whisper in her ear.

"Don't think about finding them, Princess. I may be able to control dementors but I can't control those crazy bastards. Find your wand before you try to duel someone, understood?" Malfoy hissed. Bella glared at him in disgust and finished up her potion just as Hermione and Zabini did.

"I'm not stupid. I know, I know. Find the wand. Would you suggest a place where I should look first?" demanded Bella, in a quiet voice. She didn't want to speak too loudly. Snape looked way too interested.

"Godric's Hollow. Now, continue your conversation with weasel, Princess. He looks like a tomato" Malfoy snapped. Bella nodded and turned to Ron. She held up her hand to get him to calm down.

"No big deal. Just got some well meaning advice so, they're around. Pettigrew is mine" Bella said, calling dibs. Hermione smirked.

"Bellatrix. I've always wanted to meet someone with my condition" Hermione said, proudly. Malfoy snorted and Zabini rolled his eyes.

"Because we all know how insane you are. You'd give Auntie Bellatrix a run for her galleons, Mudblood" Malfoy said. Zabini sighed and glared at Malfoy. Ron's glare was almost as intense.

"Draco, I thought we talked about calling people names…" Zabini sighed. Ron sneered and cleared his throat.

"I call one of the Lestrange brothers" he said. Bella shook her head.

"No…we shouldn't think about this. I just…Rodolphus is mine if I ever do face him. He's a dueling master. Pettigrew will be easy. Rodolphus and I are going to duel" Bella said, smirking dangerously.

Snape watched the four carefully. They were being much more friendly than they usually were and it was disturbing not only him but also most of the Gryffindors, especially the Weasley boy.

He tried to penetrate the Potter girl's mind but he hit an iron hard wall that almost hurt. He tried it on the other three and came with the same results. He had never had that done to him and he knew something was wrong.

There was something strange going on…

He began to pay attention to what they were saying again.

"You're going to duel? Princess, you're going to do much more than that. You're going to dance with that bastard" Malfoy encouraged. Snape's eyes widened, minutely. Zabini nodded.

"_Bellissima, _you wish to fight Bellatrix Lestrange? She has a _malvagio_ Cruciatus, fueled by her…condition" Zabini said. Hermione quirked a slight grin before glancing at him, cautiously.

"I'll be perfectly fine, and, I think I can take her on. I may be a third year named Hermione Granger but I'm Mórrígan, first and foremost, and I wield the Sword of War. I've got it covered" Granger said, firmly. Snape's eyes widened as she rolled up her sleeve and the bright red of the tattoo flashed like blood. Bella's eyes were drawn to it.

"Malfoy, leave them alone. You slimy Slytherins are trying to poison their minds" Weasley snapped. Snape rolled his eyes at the student's antics. He was a pureblooded, narrow-minded Light wizard, through and through.

"Shut up, Weasley. We're having a discussion with two important people. I'd appreciate if you'd keep your mouth shut" Potter snapped. Weasley reeled back in shock and Snape watched as Potter's demeanor changed.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean that. I don't know what…came…over…me…" Potter whispered. Malfoy grabbed her arm and looked at her with cold eyes.

"Princess, don't succumb to your needs now. You severed your soul and your soul paid the price. You almost devastated the balance. Your fault so don't go and muck it up now. A soul could've been taken. I could've taken it but I was too nice to do so. So, snap out of it" Malfoy sneered. Snape watched as Potter blinked and her eyes looked like the familiar Killing Curse. She breathed in a shallow breath before gripping the table so tight that her knuckles turned paper white.

"Can't…can't concentrate without a lot of effort. My soul…feels like it's ripped apart. You try living like that" Potter snapped. Snape watched in surprise as Malfoy chuckled, darkly.

"Princess, your soul _is_ ripped apart. And oh, don't worry, Princess. I don't even have one."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**12:10 PM**

"What were you doing? Talking to Malfoy?" demanded Ron when they were sitting at the Gryffindor table. Gideon stared at his brother in shock. Ginny bit her lip and frowned.

"You were talking to Malfoy? About what?" she asked. Bella crossed her arms and shrugged.

"Do I need to have a reason? He's a Slytherin. I'm a Slytherin, by…magic or whatever. Is there really a reason? He's decent to me. Not to you guys but your parents are mortal enemies" Bella said. Ron shook his head and looked at Hermione in shock, expecting a lecture from her. She was reading her Arithmancy book.

"Do you…do you _fancy_ Malfoy?" asked Christine, carefully as Gideon froze in horror. She couldn't like that…

"WHAT? NO! Incest…incest! Nasty incest. That's Hermione, not me. Incest…oh dear Mordred. Morgana! Merlin! Mordred, help me" Bella shouted. Ron's eyes widened as Bella froze and clutched her head. She was feeling what she felt in Potions again. As if she were being ripped apart.

"Oh…it hurts. Mione, my soul…it hurts so…so bad. I'm being ripped apart" Bella whispered. Ginny frowned. She had read about this in one of her wizarding romance novels. One of the heroines had complained about this.

"Bella, do you feel as if you're being torn apart?" Ginny asked. Bella hissed in pain and nodded. Hermione put down her book and grabbed Bella's wrist.

"Where's your locket?" she asked.

"I…I forgot. Shit…it owns me. He owns me and I…Lord, it hurts" Bella wheezed. Hermione stood up and cleared her throat. The group looked at her in surprise as she kissed Bella's cheek.

"I'm going to get your demon locket and, then we'll see if your pain stops. M'kay?" asked Hermione. Bella nodded, sharply. Ginny cleared her throat.

"Bella, are you okay?" Ginny asked. Bella shook her head and turned to the head table. Riddle was looking at her with an unfathomable expression. Bella glared at him before feeling the pang once again. Hermione was gone. She had taken off when Bella had hissed in pain.

"No…I…I need…I need my locket. I need my brothers. I need…" Bella whispered. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Ron looked pissed off.

"Malfoy! Zabini!" he snapped. Bella turned to see Malfoy standing behind her with a cold expression.

"Hey…" she murmured. He looked absolutely murderous.

"You're a moron. You didn't have your _locket_? Did you not make the deal? Was it not sealed with blood?" demanded Malfoy. Bella bit her lip and nodded. Zabini sighed and shook his head.

"Foolish girl. Fool. _Mia sorella sciocco. Tu non ascolti e ti auguro di fatto_" snapped Zabini. Bella looked down just as Hermione returned, holding the locket arms length from her. Malfoy snatched it from her and pulled Bella's hair back before fastening the locket.

"You're a dumbass, girl. I hope you know that. You hurting hurts me. You got that? It's all in the blood and I'm more bound to you than any other child here. So, don't screw it up. Got it?" demanded Malfoy. Bella turned and glared at him.

"Maybe next time you shouldn't try to assist in my rituals. You accepted the blood. You never gave me any back" Bella snapped, quietly. Malfoy sneered and slashed his hand before dripping the blood in her goblet. The others stared in horror as Bella smirked and brought it to her lips.

"Cheers."

And then she downed the bloody liquid.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**12:30 PM**

Albus Dumbledore was an old man. He was old yet powerful and he'd seen his fair share of the world. Not as much as he once wished to but he had seen much. He had seen power in its truest form.

So, he was surprised when he felt the powerful burst of magic from the Gryffindor table. He watched as magic swirled from two completely opposite individuals. That pawns that were supposed to be on two opposite sides of the chessboard.

Bella Potter's lips were dripping with blood that wasn't her own. Draco Malfoy was clutching her shoulder, tightly as they sealed whatever they'd been doing. Albus watched as Tom froze and stared in shock.

"What…what was that?" asked Minerva in the silence of the Great Hall. Bella grinned and Draco grimaced in pain. Bella snickered and then glanced at the shocked Great Hall.

"Completed."

"Witnessed" the Blaise sighed. Hermione rolled her eyes and bit her lip.

"Sealed" she whispered. Bella smirked, knowingly at the disgusted grimace on Draco's face. He looked ready to die at the moment. Usually, he was basking in attention. Apparently, this wasn't the case.

Albus stared in shock at the group. Draco gagged.

"I'm stuck with you. This makes my soul cry out in pain" he said, flatly. He flicked Bella's forehead before walking away to the Slytherin table. Albus stood up and glanced around the silent Great Hall.

"What happened?" he demanded. Bella cleared her throat before pointing at Draco and then back to her.

"Blood brother. He's my blood brother. Living with an incomplete blood bond stunts magical growth. Wouldn't want that for your Golden Girl, would you?" Bella asked, her eyes narrowing and making Albus feel rather uncomfortable. It was as if she _knew_ that she was simply a pawn for the Greater Good. But she couldn't know that...

Could she?

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**1:00 PM**

"Well, after that display from Mr. Malfoy and Miss Potter, I hope you're ready to work" Riddle said, coldly. Bella smirked and stroked Nagini's head, slowly. Riddle was glaring at her. Bella grabbed a hold of her exposed locket.

"**What? Jealous?**" Bella hissed. The students jumped but not as violently as they once would have. Riddle sneered at her.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek.** And why should I? You're _my _property.**"

"That's what you think" Bella snapped. Lupin looked a little shocked that the girl was arguing with her professor. He was even more shocked when the snake licked Bella's face and she didn't object. He knew that the snake belonged to Riddle but he was shocked that it had taken to her.

The snake hissed something and Riddle smirked at whatever it had said. Bella looked pissed off.

"Shut up, Nagini."

"As I was saying, Professor Lupin will be teaching today. I am merely here as an observer for today. However, rest assured, I will be teaching tomorrow. We will continue on from this practical lesson into the more theoretical aspects" Riddle said, coldly. Bella rolled her eyes at his attitude.

If he wanted to be a bastard, whatever. That was his own fault. He could do whatever he fucking…

"Ah…" she whispered, hissing in pain again. Riddle had stopped short as well, his eyes widening but that was the only expression he revealed. She closed her eyes, tightly before sighing as the pain passed.

"Okay. Today we'll be experimenting with a Boggart. I'd like everyone to form a line at the front of the classroom" Lupin said. He was standing in a large empty space to the side of the classroom with a large wardrobe. The group formed a line in front of the rocking wardrobe.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?" Lupin asked. Hermione's hand was in the air before anyone else. Lupin pointed at her.

"It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it think will frighten us most" Hermione said, as if repeating something from a textbook.

Which she probably was doing.

"Correct! I couldn't have said it better myself" Lupin praised. Hermione beamed at him and glanced back at Zabini. He gave her a slight smile. She returned it with a shy smile. Draco still looked pissed off.

"The Boggart is sitting in the darkness alone, so it has not yet assumed a form yet. As soon as it is out, it will assume the form of what the person fears most. Can anyone point out the advantage we have over it with that? Bella?"

"Er…there are so many of us. It wouldn't know what shape to take" Bella said. Lupin nodded, confirming what she had said. She felt _his_ red eyes on her back and it took everything in her to not turn around and say sorry.

She wasn't sorry. She never would be because she didn't do anything wrong.

"Precisely! Now, I'd like a volunteer. Mr. Malfoy, please come up here. What do you fear most?" asked Lupin. Draco looked at him with dark eyes.

"My brother and sisters dying, what I will become when I am older, what I have to do to survive. I have a lot of fears, and I'm open to sharing with you, what they are" Draco said, coldly. Lupin's eyes widened.

"I didn't know you had a brother and sisters" Lupin said. Draco crossed his arms and sighed.

"They are my soul brother and sisters. Not by blood…well, except for _her_. But…I don't think she counts much. I was forced against my will." Malfoy said, sneering at Bella. She glared at him. Lupin nodded, slowly.

"You were not! You took my blood and didn't offer any back! I wasn't going to stunt _my_ magical growth. You're being ridiculous" Bella snapped. Malfoy sneered at her.

"You're being _loud_."

"You're being an arse."

"You're being a bitch!"

"Tease!"

"Soulless!"

"I am not!"

"You could've fooled _me_!"

"That shows how incompetent you are!" Bella snarled. Tom glared at the two.

"Enough!" he snapped. The two quieted down before offering each other glares and Bella sat back down.

"I'm going open the wardrobe. All you must do is point your wand at it and say, _Riddikulus_. Understood?" asked Lupin. Malfoy nodded. Lupin flicked his wand and the boggart flew out. Everyone watched wide-eyed as a taller version of Draco walked out.

His hair was silvery blond and he was still lean and tall. His eyes were the color of steel and he was wearing the silver cloak. Lupin's eyes widened in recognition.

"Draco…do it. Before he feeds" murmured Bella. Draco nodded and pointed his wand at the Thanatos-Boggart. Thanatos gave a slight smile.

"Do it, Draco…become _me_. Always denying yourself what you need to survive" he said in that raspy cold voice of his. Draco looked away and before glaring.

"_Riddikulus._"

The Thanatos-Boggart fell back and turned into a fallen scythe. Nobody was laughing. Everyone was quiet. Draco looked at Lupin, patiently.

"What was that?" Lupin asked, astonished. Draco sighed before picking up the scythe. He threw it with skill and it whirled in a circle before embedding itself in the wood of the wardrobe.

"What I fear most. I thought I would've feared something more devastating. I already accepted that. I know that is what I need" Draco said, coolly. Bella glanced at him with a dark look.

"Obviously, you haven't."

"Shut it, Princess. I…I think I need to go the Hospital Wing or something. Professor Riddle, may I go and…feed?" asked Draco, looking rather awkward. Bella was surprised that Riddle understood what the boy needed. He nodded and Draco walked out, the room in silence.

"Um…next."

The line went in a blur and the class came to face with a giant spider, on the behalf of Ron, a banshee, a mummy, a giant snake and more. Hermione was next. Then it was Pansy and then Zabini. Bella was one of the last in the line.

The Boggart shifted into the dead body of Apollo. Hermione screamed before stumbling backwards. Standing behind the dead body was the Adult-Hermione with her sword in hand. It was coated in Apollo's blood. It appeared that Hermione feared giving in to her mind disease.

"It's not real, _bellissima_. It's not real" Zabini murmured as quietly as possible. Hermione shuddered violently as the Adult-Hermione cackled and started skipping around the dead body. Everyone took another step back.

"I…I didn't do it. I didn't kill him. I didn't. I swear" Hermione murmured. Bella nodded and squeezed Hermione's hand. Hermione raised her wand just as Adult-Hermione looked at her.

"_R-Riddikulus_" stuttered Hermione. The two changed to a sword and spear. They clattered to the ground. Hermione walked shakily to the desk, gripping it for support.

Pansy was afraid of looking like herself…ugly. Everyone had laughed at her for ages before it was Zabini's turn. He stared at the Boggart as it shifted into his own fear.

The Boggart turned into something that no one had expected. It had turned into a bottle. A simple bottle that no label. Except everyone knew it was a potion bottle. And for some reason Zabini, Blaise, feared it. He took a step back and Riddle seemed to understand, once more.

"_Riddikulus_" he said, quietly. The bottle shattered and Bella stepped forward and looked at the whirring Boggart.

It continued to change shape. One minute it looked like Grindelwald. Another minute it looked like Thanatos sucking a soul out of the dementor. Everyone screamed at that one. Another looked like Adult-Hermione in Azkaban robes. Another looked like Apollo laughing while Adult-Hermione tortured that black man that she had requested from the first dream. Lupin looked pale at that.

Then it looked like a locket. The locket around her neck. A black shadow rose from it with red eyes and it grinned eerily at her. It shifted once more until it looked like the sign of the Deathly Hallows. It shifted once more and Bella froze.

And then she screamed. Everyone screamed except for the adults. Lupin backed away at the sight.

Thanatos was on the ground. His throat was slit open and red blood slipped from his neck, easily. Apollo was lying on top of Mórrígan's dead body. Morrigan was impaled with her own sword. Thanatos' scythe was coated in his blood. Apollo spear went straight through his body. Blood was no longer flowing from any of them. They were dead. Grindelwald, the 17-year-old, stood behind the group. He was laughing, wildly. Standing next to him was a man.

A twisted looking man with a flat face. He had slitted red eyes and instead of a nose he had two slits in his face. He didn't have lips and he had a twisted smile. His teeth were sharp like a snake's. He was tall and had a long neck. He was a hairless monster with scaly pale skin.

"Voldemort…" Lupin whispered. Bella stared with horrified eyes.

"You did thisss" hissed Voldemort. Bella fell to her knees and stared at the dead people on the ground.

"You see, Bella? See what you did? You killed them. You killed them" Grindelwald laughed. Bella glared at him, forgetting that it wasn't really him.

"You're still a flaming homosexual."

Grindelwald sneered at her and glared in rage, making his way to her. Lupin darted in front of her and a white orb hovered in front of him.

"_Riddikulus_" he said, firmly. It turned into a balloon before floating away. Bella stared at the spot where they were with determination.

"We're not dead. You know that."

Bella turned to see Hermione and Zabini. They were giving her grim smiles. She shook her head.

"Sir…**Marvolo, may I be excused?**" she whispered. Her voice sounded hoarse and harsh even in Parseltongue. Riddle looked at her, hesitantly.

"_Please_. Please…" Bella all but begged. Riddle blinked.

"**Go, Ana.**"

And she was gone.

:::

**A/N: **Way to go me! Too chapters in a row! It was actually supposed to be about three but...I got too lazy and didn't want to do a read through of the next one. Oh, well. This isn't one of my favorite chapters. I find this chapter immensely boring but, oh well.

Next Chapter: Tom's weird mind, Fears, and Percy


	27. Chapter XXIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/LL, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…Bella knows what her worst fear is. And one of them is Voldemort. So does the rest of the crew. This chapter is a lot of info and character development. They just faced their worst fears. _AND_ as bonus, Tom is going to be his crazy self. We get another look into his really weird mind…and I might decide to give Tom and Bella some talking time…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXIV**

**Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts Grounds, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**1:40 PM**

"Stupid soul-feeding. Damn unnatural…" hissed the Malfoy Heir. He kicked the nearest tree and sighed as he wandered the Forbidden Forest, searching for a dementor. He had left class ten minutes earlier and he wasn't in the mood to go back. Not after they had seen that he feared himself.

Not after Weasley had seen that it had been _him_ who had saved those in their compartment from the beginning of the year.

"No…I doubt that Weasley realizes that it was me. I didn't even really look at him so I don't think he got a good look at my face. Ah, that's good. Very good. I wonder how Princess is holding up" Draco said to himself. He knew deep down that talking to oneself was considered a trait of the insane but he was okay with that.

He was crazy and that was all good and all that rot.

Draco let out a rattling call before pulling up his silver dementor cloak. He was going to suck one of those with a lot of souls dry. He didn't want to have to feed for another few months. But he knew that wouldn't be the case.

The Malfoy Heir knew that he was going to have to feed everyday in a few years. Because the growing necromancy power inside him was calling for more and more souls. It had to keep growing until he reached maturity. It would destroy him if he didn't and he needed to feed to maintain all that stupid growth. But he would tell himself that he's going to be okay and tha the wouldn't have to feed so he could make everything seem less real to him.

He hated this. And he always would.

"Here, dementor. Draco needs food…" Draco sighed. There was answering rattle and then all of a sudden a dementor was all up in his face, trying to scare him.

Draco didn't even flinch. The junior necromancer was just highly bored. The dementor tried to grab him by the face to suck out a soul.

Draco answered with a rattling sound that meant 'back the hell off'.

This surprised the dementor and actually got it to listen to him. He actually took the time to look at him, even if it didn't have eyes. It felt his emotions that he had carefully put in check. He wanted to be less human when approaching dementors. He didn't fancy getting his twisted soul sucked out. It'd probably destroy the dementor who sucked it out. It was so tainted that it had 'rewarded' him with the use of the Blackest Art. Well one of them. There were really Five Black Arts but it didn't really matter to him. Only one.

Necromancy.

Draco pulled back the hood of the dementor and pulled it to him in one swift movement and then all but latched his mouth onto it. He never would. I was way below him and way too gross to do. He would _not_ Kiss this dementor.

"The souls you have…they're mine" Draco said, quietly. The dementor seemed to understand as it started to squirm. Draco took in a rattling breath and suddenly the dementor withered underneath him. Draco watched as the souls floated out slowly. Draco latched his mouth onto the disgusting dementor's mouth, sucking the souls out much quicker.

The dementor was dust when he was finished.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**2:10 PM**

Hermione licked her lips as Lupin began to talk about other Dark creatures besides Boggarts. That was out of the window. Bella had destroyed the Boggart and now they were talking about grindylows.

"Miss Granger?" Lupin asked. Hermione stood and glared at Riddle. The dumbass was relaxing, reading a book while Bella was probably destroying herself. The girl was probably going to self-mutilate or do something stupid.

"Bella's going to do something stupid. I feel it. May I go find her?" Hermione asked. Lupin looked rather nervous. He glanced at Riddle. Riddle looked up at Hermione. She fixed him with a harsh look. He didn't look intimidated at all. She had given him the glare that had once made even Snape flinch.

"Professor Riddle, may she go?" Lupin asked. Riddle inspected his nails before buffing them against his robes.

"No. Listen to the lecture and take notes."

"But, sir…her magic is going to get out of control. She's going to destroy the wards on the castle. Like she almost did before" Hermione protested. It had made him worked up last year. Maybe it would work this…

"No."

No such luck then. Hermione sighed and gritted her teeth. She couldn't just let her best friend do something stupid.

"Sir, has it come to your attention that one of the reasons that she's so angry is because you're an arrogant prick?"

The words silenced the entire class. Everyone was looking at her in a new light. Ron looked ready to worship her and make a gold statue in her image. Hermione looked at the man in front of her with a brave grimace. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her.

He looked up at her, lazily. He didn't look affected at her insult at all.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor for language, and a detention with Snape. I've been told that I'm an arrogant prick. Miss Potter has told me on numerous occassions. Black wrote me a letter saying as much…your mother contributed as well. That isn't my problem. She could bring all of Wizarding Britain down and I could care less. Pay attention" Riddle said, not even looking up. He turned the page of his book and Hermione gritted her teeth. She wouldn't give up.

"She's probably self-mutilating."

Tom looked up with a harsh look. She wouldn't…but she _would_. Just to be stupid…

"Go find the girl and make sure she's not carving herself like a turkey."

"Yes, sir!" the girl said before running off. Weasley raised his hand, tentatively. Tom gave him a look.

"Don't even think about it."

Tom couldn't understand. That Boggart had driven him insane. Voldemort, his other face, frightened her. He hadn't even been aware that she _knew_ what Voldemort looked like. He had searched her memories before but hadn't seen anything that might've been related to Voldemort. If she knew that was him…this wasn't good at all…

She'd hate him now.

And that wasn't necessarily _okay_ with Tom. He didn't like when she hated him but he could deal with it. He wasn't going to apologize for his reaction to being called old. He could hold a grudge. He hated when people pointed out that he was growing old. It meant he was getting closer to death.

Death was bad.

And so was that bird trying to kill herself or something equally stupid…did he just refer to Bella Potter as a _bird_?

"I must be going crazy…" he muttered to himself.

He wouldn't be surprised. All those Horcruxes really addled the brains.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of September 1993**

**2:15 PM**

"You okay?" Hermione asked the girl lying on the bed. Bella was lying on her back, looking at the canopy of the bed.

"Yeah. What did I think I was going to do? Cut myself?" Bella asked. Hermione cleared her throat, awkwardly. Bella shot up and stared at Hermione with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"You really thought I was going to sink so low as to self-mutilate myself. You're insane, Mione" Bella laughed. She didn't feel like laughing. But she just had to.

"Well, you tend to go right off the deep end and are overly dramatic. I was worried. I got a detention with Snape, called Riddle an arrogant prick, got thirty points taken away and the worst part of it is, I missed the rest of the lesson!" Hermione complained. Bella stared at the girl in shock. She had called…

"MIONE! You're my hero! You really called Riddle an arrogant prick? Merlin, I love you!" Bella said, grinning. Hermione laughed in amusement. Bella wasn't as bad as she thought…but she could still see the shadow in Bella's eyes.

"What's got you down?" Hermione asked, cutting through all of the jokes and laughter. Bella froze and sighed.

"I couldn't bare to lose you all."

"You'd never lose us. We're a family, Bella" Hermione promised. Bella gave a sad smile. She hugged her best friend, tightly. Hermione rubbed her back as the girl began to shake with sobs.

"I-I a-am g-go-going t-to lose y-you. I-I l-lo-lost m-my m-mum. I l-lo-lost my d-dad. I l-lo-lost T-Tom. I-I c-can't l-lose y-yo-you g-guys" Bella hiccupped. Hermione cradled her younger sister against her side and looked down at her with a small smile.

"That wasn't your fault. Grindelwald was evil. He just decided to kill you parents because he was crazy. Riddle…he's the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. He's barmy if he doesn't realize that _he's_ in the wrong" Hermione promised. Bella smiled, tentatively at Hermione.

"Hermione…you're a really good friend."

"Correction, Ana. I'm a really good _sister_."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31st of October 1993**

**8:00 AM**

"Zabini?"

"_Bella ragazza_."

Hermione had been making her way from the bathroom to see Zabini standing there with a bottle that looked vaguely familiar in his hand.

"Would it kill you to call me by my name?" demanded Hermione, annoyed. Zabini gave her a sly smile that made her heart stop before doubling and going overtime. Zabini downed the potion before leaning against the wall that was right next to the door to the Hospital Wing.

"Hermione, then. What are you doing up here? Isn't today the first Hogsmeade trip?" asked Zabini. Hermione nodded, slowly before crossing her arms.

"I was just…doing some stuff. Why aren't _you _downstairs? I think Malfoy's waiting downstairs and he's growing tired of Bella harassing him" Hermione said. She couldn't help but smirk at that. Zabini returned the smirk with a genuine grin.

"I needed to get a potion for my…illness" Zabini said, his grin slipping at the mention of his illness. Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Oh. I hope you feel better" Hermione said. She was surprised that she was being very genuine in her well wishes.

"Yes, thank you. I'll walk down with you. I'm sure Draco _is_ tired of _mia sorella_. She's quite annoying sometimes. But, you can't deny that Draco doesn't take care of her in his own way" Zabini said. Hermione nodded as they walked down the stairs together.

She remembered the day after they had finished bonding themselves as blood siblings. Snape had been a right git to her, enough to almost make her attack him. Malfoy had berated him and called him a 'calloused, bitter prat who couldn't see the difference between James Potter and Bella Potter even though Bella was missing a very big part of the male anatomy'.

That had actually earned him points off!

"Yes, you're right. He's all right. I suppose. And I don't mind him calling me Mudblood…it's sort of a term of endearment for him now" Hermione said, frowning slightly. Zabini glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and sighed. He ran a hand threw his silky hair. Hermione realized how adorable she thought he looked.

Those were dangerous thoughts…

"I don't think it's okay to call you that. It's incredibly rude. My mother is a pureblood supremacist but she'd never call someone a Mudblood" Zabini said. Hermione smirked and looked up at him, mischievously.

"I love how you're playing advocate for your mother. It's absolutely adorable" Hermione said, snickering slightly. Zabini gave her another smothering look that almost Hermione stop in her tracks.

Instead, it just made her choke on her laughter.

"_Ti trovo adorabile_" he said.

Hermione had taken herself to know a tiny bit of Italian ever since she'd met him. So she understood enough and had a reasonable amount of deductive skills to understood what he said. She choked on her own spit.

"_Scusami?_" Hermione almost stuttered. Zabini gave her a sly smile before tugging one of her bushy curls.

"You know Italian? Or are you learning for my benefit?" Zabini teased. Hermione glared at him, despite the blush spreading on her cheeks. They were almost in the Entrance Hall.

"Neither. If you'll excuse me" Hermione said, trying to walk faster to get away from the embarrassment written all over her face. He grabbed her wrist and turned her around. She stared at him in shock as he looked at her with a blank expression.

"You're adorable. See you later, Hermione" he said before walking past her. Hermione stood, staring with her mouth open at the spot he was at.

"There you are, Blaise!"

Hermione turned to see Draco with Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass. Daphne was all but draped over Zabini. Hermione glared at the two. Daphne didn't even seem to notice. Hermione sighed and walked past the group and she could feel Zabini's eyes on her.

"Granger!"

Hermione turned around immediately. She glanced at Draco and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Malfoy?" she asked, curiously.

"Tell the Princess Potter that she better fix her soul and soon."

"I've tried. She's one of the most stubborn people I've ever met. I'm not going to. I'll leave her to it" Hermione said, plainly.

"But…it hurts _me_" Draco whined.

"Tough."

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31st of October 1993**

**8:15 AM**

"So, what are we going to do first?" Bella asked her two best friends. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Let's visit The Three Broomsticks. It's a little chilly out here" Hermione suggested. Bella nodded in agreement and the three teens wandered over to the Three Broomsticks. As soon as they were seated, Ron was making moon eyes at the barmaid.

"I…I'll order some butterbeer? Yes" Ron said, not even waiting for an answer. Bella giggled as they watched him go and try to chat up Rosemerta.

"So, why were you late?" asked Bella, slyly. Hermione looked up sharply at the curious green-eyed girl.

"I…I was caught up with something. Nothing important" Hermione said, quietly. Bella laughed, quietly. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sound. It wasn't as cold and cruel as it had been during the summer. It was a breathy and angelic sound. Like bells.

"Oh look, it's dear brother and his best friend" Bella said, glancing at the door. Hermione looked up, quickly. There was no one there. She glared at Bella, as the girl's laughter grew more pronounced.

"That wasn't funny at all" Hermione snapped. Bella nodded with her eyes bright.

"It was. It truly was" Bella countered. Hermione sighed and turned to look at Ron. He was now talking to Seamus and Dean about boy stuff, like chess or something.

"So, you want to tell me why you blushed at the mention of Zabini?" asked Bella. Hermione glared at her. She was entirely too nosy and entirely too not in her own business…

"Want to tell me why you're so affected by Riddle?" Hermione countered. Bella tilted her head and Hermione knew she had gone too far. She shouldn't have brought up Riddle…

"Sure. If you tell me about Zabini."

Hermione gaped at Bella in shock. She nodded, slowly.

"He…I met him upstairs near the Hospital Wing. He was taking that potion he seemed to fear in DADA. He said it was for an illness he has. I understood and didn't ask about it. We started walking and we started talking about Draco and you. I mentioned how you harassed him and that he was being decent to me even if he did call me a Mudblood" Hermione said. Bella straightened and looked at her sister with wide eyes.

"Ooh. Tell me more. Tell me more. I may be the Girl-Who-Lived but I'm still a girl. I need gossip to live!" Bella said, excitedly. Hermione laughed and shook her head at her antics.

"Okay. And then he said that his mother never called anyone a Mudblood. I said it was adorable that he was being his mother's advocate. And then…he said that _I _was adorable" Hermione said, blushing towards the end of the sentence. Bella's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh…whoa. Wow!" she said, grinning. Hermione shrugged.

"Well…what about you?"

"Tom and I…I don't know what I've done. I wish I could just…run away from him sometimes. I was just trying to help Sirius and, I just can't understand why he's so mean all the time. I want to help him" Bella said, earnestly. Hermione looked her in the eye.

"It's not your responsibility to help a grown man, Bella" Hermione said, firmly. Bella stood up and slammed her hand down on the table and she glared down at the bushy haired girl.

"That's just it, Hermione. It _is_ my responsibility. Don't ask me how but it is. And I can't change that. I also can't help him if he doesn't try to tell me how to help. What can you do when your good isn't good enough? Tell me, Hermione. My best intentions keep making a mess of things. I just want to fix it" Bella murmured. She sat down and stared at the shocked Hermione.

"I…I don't understand. What do you want it to be?" Hermione asked. Bella sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I want to have my lessons when I got to detention. He was teaching me Elvish. Druhir, actually. I want to have a conversation with someone who feels just as strongly about Hogwarts. I want someone to care. I just want someone to care…" Bella said, burying her face in her hands. Hermione glanced at Ron who was wandering back now.

"I care, Bella" Hermione promised. Bella looked up and shook her head. She smiled sadly at the girl.

"I know. But…I don't just want anyone to care. I want _him_, Tom, to care. It's so much different than just someone caring. I don't' know how or why. But I do."

"Here are the butterbeers" Ron said, passing out the three bottles. Bella popped hers open and gulped it all in one go. Hermione grabbed Bella's arm.

"You know people can't get drunk off of butterbeer" Hermione said, softly. Bella glared at her and jerked her arm away before raising her hand for another butterbeer.

"Well, I can bloody well try."

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31st of October 1993**

**9:15 AM**

"I love how there's a Flourish & Blotts in Hogsmeade" Hermione sighed with a grin. Ron looked a little put out and murmured how he was going to the Quidditch section. Bella looked around with wide eyes.

"I'm going to look for a book on that language I was learning" Bella said. Hermione all but ignored her. Bella had to go the slightly Darker side to find her book.

"Miss Potter, what are you doing in the Dark?"

"Looking for a book" Bella said, firmly, looking at Rid…oh Merlin, Tom.

"But aren't you the Golden Girl? Books on angels and flowers and all things Light are on the other side of the shop" Tom said, coldly. Bella leaned against the bookcase, cornered. There was no one over here to save her if he wanted to kill her.

"I'm not the Golden Girl. I'm no one's Golden Girl. I don't believe in angels and I'm more Grey than Light. I have a question" Bella said, deciding that she was done with the moping.

"And I don't have time to answer it" Tom snapped. He turned on his heel. Bella sighed and grabbed his wrist.

She suddenly felt déjà vu. This was so familiar to the first time she had let Tom walk. And she wasn't going to do it again. She couldn't do that to herself again.

"Please don't leave. I just have a question" Bella whispered. Tom turned on his heel. Bella saw that she still had to look up. She was looking at his chest and his chest was probably just as hot as his face…bad thoughts!

"Fine. If this will make you leave me alone" Tom whispered. Bella almost melted in his voice. She had to lean against the bookcase.

She didn't understand why he suddenly had this affect on her.

"Why…why were you so angry at Sirius for calling you old?"

"Because it's a lie. I'm _not_ old" Tom snapped. Bella brushed her fingertips against his wrist. He looked down at her in surprise and saw that her eyes were slightly unfocused.

"I think…you're afraid, Tom. You're afraid of growing older…of death. Why do you fear death so much?" she whispered. Her hand was on his left forearm. She looked very fascinated with the forearm at that point. It was enough to make him a little more than uncomfortable. If she lifted his sleeve...

It was one thing for a silly third-year to have a crush on him. It was an entirely other thing if that third-year happened to be Bella Potter who was _always_ intense about her emotions.

She was all or nothing. She expected all or nothing. There was no in-between for her.

"I don't fear death" he said, in a quiet voice. Bella let out a large breath and she looked up at him with those Goddamned eyes and looked at him with innocence. It was completely unnatural. No one was _that_ innocent.

"Don't lie to me…I know you do. And I won't tell anyone. I promise. Just tell me why" Bella said in a soft voice.

Tom looked at her and she was looking at him with a pleading expression, and he _hated _the look. It sparked a burning sensation in him so hot that he couldn't even look at her anymore.

"Go find your friends, Miss Potter. Have a good day" he snapped. Bella looked after him with a hurt expression. She shook her head at him and bit her lip before brushing her fingertips over the palm of his left hand. He knew she still was unfocused and he took a step away from the girl.

"You wound me, Tom" she whispered. Tom looked down at her with charcoal eyes. He wasn't angry with her anymore. He _didn't_ hate her anymore. Only when she had that damned kicked-puppy look on her face did he hate her. She looked mocking now. She was sneering at him, like she normally would.

"I did nothing to you" he spat at her. Bella gave an acidic laugh.

"You think it's all about you all the time. You're moody, resentful, and you think everything around you is property. Newsflash, I don't belong to you" Bella snapped. Tom glared at her and rolled his eyes at her antics.

"_I_ think it's all about myself? Anastasia, I'm not the Girl-Who-Lived who just _has_ to put herself in harms away. I'm not the Golden Girl who continuously tries to martyr herself before it's her time. You're the one who can do no wrong."

"Well, I still have trouble. I trip and stumble, trying to make sense of things sometimes. I'm just a teenager. And I do not try to martyr myself" Bella protested. Tom snorted and rolled his eyes. The girl actually believed that?

"Right. You think _you_ have troubles. I've been alone surrounded by Darkness. I've seen how heartless the world can be. Everything you're supposedly going through is trivial and stupid" Tom shot back at her. Bella glared at him. Tom couldn't understand what _she_ was mad about. She was the one who…

"When did this become about _my_ problems? This doesn't have to do with me at all! It's about you being a massive prat" Bella snarled.

"I can't believe I'm arguing with a thirteen-year-old. I'm leaving" Tom said. Bella froze at the words as he turned away to walk out.

"Yeah, well…fine. I don't care anymore" she said, uncertainly. Tom picked up his 'Neutral' books and stormed away from her. He stopped around the corner and watched as she slid down to the bookcase and buried her face in hands.

"I can't believe I saw that prick in the Mirror of Erised. It's obviously broken…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31st of October 1993**

**9:30 PM**

"Why isn't anyone going in?"

There was a large jam in front of the Gryffindor Tower portrait. No one was going in and no one was coming out. It seemed that it was sealed.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy —"

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor.

They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" asked Gideon who had just arrived.

Not a moment later, Dumbledore came through. Hermione, Bella, and Ron pushed forward and Bella gasped at the sight.

The portrait was burned where the Fat Lady should've been. There were large cuts in the canvas spelling words.

_DIE, MUDBLOODS_

Dumbledore looked shocked and he turned with a somber look in his eyes. Lupin, Snape, Tom, and McGonagall were rushing to him. They took one look at the portrait.

"We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, please find Mr. Filch and tell him to search every painting in castle for the Fat Lady" Dumbledore said. Bella shuddered as she stared at the message.

"You'll be lucky to find her! She keeps moving. She's such a mess right now" Peeves the Poltergeist said. He looked excited at the worry and chaos going around him. It was like he was feeding on it.

"Did she say who did it?" Tom asked, sharply. Peeves nodded. He was just as afraid of Tom as he was of the Bloody Baron.

"Yes, Bellatrix Lestrange."

Hermione looked up sharply and her eyes narrowed. She was looking forward to meeting this Bellatrix. She wanted to have a thorough conversation with the woman…

"Was there no one else with her?" asked Dumbledore. Peeves tilted his head.

"None but her and…a rat, your Professorhead."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31st of October 1993**

**9:45 PM**

"Everyone into their sleeping bags! Come on, now, no more talking! Light's out is in ten minutes!" Percy said. He was basking in his power. He was Head Boy so Dumbledore had left him in charge.

"Bellatrix Lestrange was in the castle…I wonder how she got in" Dean Thomas whispered. Hermione still looked fascinated. Bella and Hermione were right next to each other and Bella was gripping the locket as if it were a lifeline.

"You all right, Bella?" asked Seamus. Everyone seemed to realize what Bellatrix had been truly looking for. She'd been after Bella. She wanted Bella…

"Do you know how she got in?"

"Why is she after you?"

"You must be so frightened!"

"Look at her! She must be."

"Leave her alone" snapped a voice. The Gryffindors turned to see Draco leaning against the wall. He had shrugged off his cloak and rolled up his white sleeves. His tie was undone and Lavender and Parvati were staring at him as if he were a piece of meat.

"What are you doing over here, Malfoy?" Gideon asked, eyeing the Malfoy Heir with disgust. Draco all but ignored him. He kneeled in front of the glassy-eyed Potter.

"Hey, Princess, wake up. She's not here. And the Mudblood's here to take her on if she tries to hurt you. And if you hold that locket any tighter, you're going to break your hand. I don't want to feel that kind of pain. So, stop being a bloody girl" Draco said to her harshly. Ginny glared at him.

"She _is _a girl and you should leave her—" she started. Luna grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"This is between a brother and his sister. Leave it be" Luna said, calmly. She was looking at Draco as if he were dinner. A very delicious dinner.

"Lovegood is correct. Come on, Princess. Stop being a baby and all that rot and be the Lady Slytherin you're supposed to be. I won't be blood related to a bloody daffodil" Draco hissed. Bella's eyes focused and she punched Draco's shoulder. He groaned in pain.

"Fuck you, Draco."

"Glad to know you're back. Hey, Mudblood" Draco said, suddenly looking rather disgusted. Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"Yes?"

"He likes your laugh. Finds it sexy apparently. I find it on the nasally side" Draco said, nonchalantly. Hermione blushed and then frowned when everyone was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're an arrogant wanker?" Hermione asked, sweetly. Draco sneered and nodded.

"Yeah, you just did."

He sauntered away, smoothly, Luna's eyes following him as he went. Ginny gaped at her friend as she licked her lips.

"He's very…his power is delicious" Luna said, smoothly. Bella giggled and rolled her eyes at Luna's predatory gaze. Hermione glanced at Bella as she held the locket tight to her.

"Why are you so attached to that locket? Didn't it hurt you over the summer?" Gideon asked. He noticed her strange behavior and he wanted her to get rid of the locket. He was worried. He thought the locket had changed her behavior. Bella smiled and rubbed the necklace.

"This necklace…it was gift. And I promised to protect it with my life. That is what I will do. If it was my life or the locket, I'd choose the locket because I keep my promises" Bella said, firmly. Gideon nodded and watched as she glanced at Draco. He was staring at her with cold eyes and she offered him a slight smile.

"Are you _sure_ you don't fancy Malfoy?" asked Christine. Bella laughed and nodded.

"That's called incest. Incest is disgusting. Remember that, Hermione" Bella said, smirking at the bushy-haired girl. Hermione sneered at her before turning to Ron who looked a little put out.

"The lights are going out now! I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" Percy shouted.

And then the Great Hall was bathed in darkness. The only light came from the pearly sheen of the ghosts floating around and the stars in the ceiling.

Around three o' clock, most of the students had fallen asleep. The few awake were waiting for news. Hermione shook Ron from his half asleep daze.

"Look" she whispered, pointing to the Great Hall's doors opening. Tom stood and he walked up to Percy who was standing only a little way from the trio. Bella watched as he looked straight into his eyes with a warning look.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked, standing like a soldier in front of their general.

"No. Has anyone attempted to access the Great Hall?" Tom asked. Bella couldn't help but notice how winded he looked. His silky black hair was out of its ponytail and brushed his shoulders. His robes were still in place but he looked more tired than she'd ever seen him.

"Everything is under control, sir."

"Good. There is no point in moving them now. Professor Dumbledore has found a temporary guardian for Gryffindor Tower. We will be able to move them back tomorrow. I believe morning classes have been suspended for tomorrow" Tom said, quietly. Bella watched as he inched his way over to her.

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" asked Percy, genuinely curious. Bella almost giggled at the exasperated expression on his face.

"She's fine. She's hiding in a map on the second floor. She refused to allow the rat and Lestrange inside."

"Oh…"

Tom finally crossed over to Bella and got down on his knees. Percy watched in curiosity as he leaned down to whisper in Bella's ears.

"**Don't go looking for her. I swear…if you go, I'll kill you myself. Do you understand?**" he hissed to her. She sat up half way and looked at him with drooping eyes before nodding, slowly.

"**Yes, I understand. No going after Lestrange or Pettigrew.**"

"**Good. Now, go to sleep and stop eavesdropping. Tell your little friends the same**" he murmured to her. Percy looked uncomfortable now that he realized that they were speaking in Parseltongue. Ron looked annoyed and Hermione was studying him, carefully.

"**I don't understand how you think you can tell me what do without explaining to me why you're afraid of death. Tom, trust is a two way street. I hope you understand that**" she snapped at him. Even Percy who didn't know Bella well enough knew that she was exceptionally cross with him. Tom sneered at her and turned away to stand and Bella grabbed his shoulder and had to forcefully turn him around.

"Bella, you shouldn't manhandle—" Percy started. He stopped when Tom turned crimson eyes on him.

"**You don't demand answers from **_**me**_**. You just **_**listen**_**. Understood?**"

"**No, I don't understand. I'll follow your 'advice' but don't expect me to just do as you ask without an explanation anymore. I want to know **_**why**_** you're afraid of death. Death is just the next great adventure**" Bella said, solemnly. Tom groaned and stood up before looking down at her with disgust.

"**You sound too much like Dumbledore. Go to sleep.**"

"Get your head out of your arse."

"Five points from Gryffindor."

"You're a prick."

"Bella!" Percy snapped. Bella turned over to look at the wall as she slept and she could just _feel_ the sneer.

"Leave me alone. If he wants to be a jerk he can go ahead and do so…_somewhere else_. **Maybe I **_**will**_** go after Bellatrix**."

"**Over my dead body**."

Bella turned around and stared with wide eyes at Tom. He was completely serious. He'd die…which he was terrified of before he'd let her go face off Bellatrix. She pursed her lips and crossed his arms.

"For that comment, you're partially forgiven. I expect a written apology to the House of Black" Bella said with a sigh. Tom looked appalled at the thought of apologizing to her 'mutt uncle'.

"I'd rather be a Muggle" he spat. Bella laughed, quietly. She knew that Hermione and Ron were still awake. She was pretty sure Luna and Gideon were awake too. She'd check later in the morning…

"I'd rather you just write the damn apology so I can get on with my life. You're unbelievably nonchalant attitude is grating on my nerves" Bella snarled. Tom snickered, quietly.

"**The Princess has fangs.**"

"Don't go and call me that ridiculous nickname. It's funny when Draco does it. It's insulting when you do. Almost as insulting as what you told me at Grimmauld Place."

"Don't be annoying Anastasia."

"Don't be stupid Tom" Bella mocked, mimicking the curl of his lips perfectly. She even got the arrogant air correct. Tom's eyes narrowed.

"With that attitude you're not going to get that apology."

"You're despicable. I hope you know that. Now, I want my apology. One for calling me an 'insufferable orphan-bitch who doesn't mind her own Goddamned business' and one written one to the House of Black. _Tomorrow_ in my DADA class or I'll go into the vault and take out every last Goddamn galleon. Every Sickle. Every Knut. And I'll leave you flat broke" she threatened. His eyes widened.

Damn! She knew his weakness…money.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try. Me."

"I hope you're plagued with an incurable disease."

"Drop dead."

Tom stood up, abruptly before turning away. Percy was staring wide eyes. He'd never seen the teacher argue with a child before so it must be disconcerting to him.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1st of November 1993**

**10:00 AM**

"It's too _early_" moaned Bella. She had just come down from showering and she was now back downstairs. Ron and Gideon were eyeing her strangely. Hermione was giving her a knowing look.

"So, you cracked the riddle."

Bella turned sharply to see a not so dazed looking Luna. She was looking at her with sharp eyes and Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"I suppose."

"Bella! I need to talk to you."

Bella turned to see a stern looking Percy. She sighed, knowing what this was going to be about. He didn't really know about the entire situation with Tom and he thought she was just mouthing off a teacher.

"Yes?" she asked, impatiently. He glared at her for her tone.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night. I don't think it's proper for you to mouth off a teacher. You're very lucky Professor Riddle didn't take off more points. You were very rude and I believe it is _you_ who needs to apologize to him, and it isn't right to threaten a person, especially if that person is someone much older than you. I expect you to apologize on the behalf of Gryffindor. Now" he said, coldly. Bella gaped at him in shock.

"Yes, Anastasia. Apologize on behalf of Gryffindor" a smirking voice said. Percy turned around to see Tom standing there with a smirk painted on his face. Bella glared at him.

"I'm not apologizing. You don't know anything Percy. He disrespected the Lord of the House of Black. It is the tradition of the old families for there to be a written apology. As Heiress, I could have demanded a public apology and a snapping of his wand. Instead, I was merciful. _I_ deserve the apology" Bella snapped. Ron frowned and glanced at Bella.

"What do you mean by 'old families'? We're a pretty old family and I've never heard about that" Ron voiced. Tom glanced at him and Ron flinched back. He gave a feral grin.

"She is speaking of the _Dark_ old families. You wouldn't dare snap my wand" Tom said, quietly. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?"

"Because it renders your own wand useless. Remember what Ollivander said? The wands cannot be turned on one another with malicious intent" Tom said. Bella glared at him before turning away on one heel and sitting down at the table. Tom raised an eyebrow before staring at her with an expressionless face.

"I'll do it without magic. Give it here. Give me your wand" Bella said, smoothly. Tom's eyes showed his panic for a split second before he masked it.

"We'll see."

Bella smirked in victory as he walked towards the High Table. Percy frowned in confusion but Ron looked outraged.

"Wait! The Blacks are a _Dark_ family? You're a Black?" demanded Ron. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Just because my family was Dark doesn't mean I am Dark. The Potters were originally a Neutral family. My grandmother was Dorea Potter nee Black. My name was almost Chara. The Blacks are traditionally named after stars. But my mum wanted to name me after a flower. I think she wanted me to be Violet if I were girl. In the end they decided on Bella. I never knew the reason but the point of the story is, just because it's a Dark family doesn't make you Dark. Just because I'm a Black and a Potter and an Evans doesn't mean I follow the ridiculous naming thing. Just as I don't follow magical preference like Light _or _Dark. I'n Neutral."

"I get it. I heard you arguing with Riddle earlier this morning around three. What were you arguing about? I just heard you calling him a prick" Gideon said, grinning when he mentioned that. Bella snickered as everyone looked at her like she was god.

"He was being one. And I really would take all his money and keep it for myself. Well…no that's mean. I'd leave him enough to barely get by" Bella said, thinking it over. Hermione laughed before leaning over to whisper in Bella's ear.

"Well, from what I gathered from the conversation last night, someone cares."

Hermione said it in such a way that Bella blushed.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 6th of November 1993**

**10:30 AM**

"Come on! Faster!"

Bella urged herself to go faster on her broomstick as she saw Cedric Diggory dashing after the Snitch. The rain had soaked her hair and had flattened her bangs until it was almost entirely over her eyes.

She lifted one hand to brush away the bangs and she suddenly felt even colder. The water dripping from her hair quickly turned to ice and she shivered violently.

She was drowning again. She didn't understand what was going on but she was drowning. There stands were silent and she could practically feel Draco's anger rolling off of him as he realized what it was. The falling of the rain onto her suddenly sounded like the roar of waves and everything was fuzzy.

Bella stopped and looked up. Floating above her were about a hundred dementors. She stared in horror as they reached out with their grey scabby hands and drew in that horrible rattling breath as they began to suck the happiness from her. And then she heard that shrill scream again.

_"Please…not Bella. Not Bella!"_

_"Stand aside you silly girl!"_

Bella couldn't understand. The woman was screaming for her and the other voice sounded so familiar…a horrible familiar that she didn't really want to remember.

_"No…kill me instead. Not Bella!"_

_"She's a baby…she's my baby. Please have mercy!"_

Someone had to help the woman…she was going to die…

And then she was falling and there was a loud rattling shout that sounded so much like Thanatos. He gave a rattling command and everything went dark.

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought she was a goner!"

"She didn't break anything at least."

She didn't understand what there were saying. She heard the words but couldn't exactly figure out what they were saying. She couldn't see and everything was just so dark and it scared her horribly.

_Wake up…_

Her eyes flew open and she took in a long gasp before she looked around. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team stood on one side of her bed and Ron, Hermione, Gideon, Ginny, and Draco stood on the other. Draco was frowning down at her.

"You obviously don't have self preservation skills, Princess. Did it not occur to you to fly away?" Draco spat. Bella glared at him but saw in his eyes that he had been frightened. The Quidditch Team was eyeing him carefully and the Weasleys were glaring at him.

"I heard you scream at the dementors…what happened?" Bella whispered. Fred stepped forward.

"You fell off your broom. Must've been fifty feet. At the least" Fred said, quietly. Bella nodded before glancing at Draco.

"And then Dumbledore tried to cast a spell but Riddle was quicker. He did this spell…_Arresto Momentum_" Angelina added. Bella nodded and then glanced at the others.

"And then…Dumbledore was furious. He went onto the Pitch and was about to yell at the dementors but…Malfoy got to them first. I don't know but as soon as Malfoy started yelling they flew away. He was speaking English at some parts and he was…rattling at others" Hermione said. Bella smiled at her brother who gave her a sullen look.

"He wasn't rattling. He was speaking in their language. They were most likely terrified of him" Bella said, shortly. Then she looked at the faces of her Quidditch Team and saw the sadness in their posture.

"Wait…we didn't lose…did we?" Bella asked, her voice getting smaller as she went on. Katie bit her lip.

"Well, Diggory got the Snitch just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he saw you on the ground he tried to demand a rematch. But…they won fair and square. Even Oliver says so" Katie explained. Bella looked around and saw that their captain was in fact absent.

"Where is Oliver?"

"Still in the showers. He's trying to drown himself" Fred said, dully. Bella sighed and bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't be upset. She wasn't perfect and there was going to be some time that she wouldn't catch the Snitch.

"What happened to my broom?" Bella whispered. Everyone froze and Hermione and Ron exchanged looks.

"When you fell off, it got in the Whomping Willow. It's completely destroyed" Draco said after no one said anything. Gideon glared at him.

"You couldn't hae said that a _little_ nicer?" he demanded. Draco gave him a self-righteous smirk.

"I don't even have to be here. I _could_ have. But I didn't want to. There's a difference. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some dementors to discipline" Draco said. He flicked Bella's forehead and then turned towards her.

"Someone has fixed their soul."

"Hmm…yes, I have."

"Any special requests?" Draco asked, coolly. Bella tilted her head before smirking.

"Just go and eat."

"I'll be doing more than eat. I'll be destroying."

And he was gone. Fred and George frowned.

"What is he going to do? Yell at them some more?" Fred asked. Bella and Hermione laughed.

"Did you not notice? The dementors are terrified of him. He's going to go threaten them into submission destroying them as he goes."


	28. Chapter XXV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Hmm…Bella and Tom aren't all forgiven. Bella still wishes to know about his fears and though she doesn't know it, she just wants to get to know him more. I mean, isn't that the basis for falling in love? Bella and Tom don't believe in falling in love at first sight, even if they have a soul-bond.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 8****th**** of November 1993**

**12:00 PM**

"Stay after class, Bella" Lupin insisted. Bella blinked in surprise and turned to Hermione, Ron, and surprisingly Draco.

"Oi, you, overprotective and hateful blood brother…go somewhere. And Ron, Hermione, I'll be fine. I'll catch up with you later" Bella promised. Draco sneered at her and stormed away, his robes billowing. Bella wondered off hand if he got that from Snape or what.

"If you're sure…see you at lunch. Come on Ron" Hermione said, dragging the redhead off by his ear as he seemed ready to object. Bella glanced at Tom who was sitting behind his desk, his feet on the table and reading a book.

"Don't you have reading glasses?" asked Bella, curiously. Tom lowered the book from his face and Bella grinned to see them on his face. He glared at her and looked back at his book.

"At least I'm not blind."

"I'm not blind! I just wear contacts" Bella snapped. Tom nodded.

"A filthy Muggle invention. Spectacles are much more respectable" Tom said, carefully. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You think all Muggles inventions are stupid" she pointed out. Tom nodded, sagely and turned back to his book, continuing to read. Lupin turned to Bella as she sat on Tom's desk. He raised an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to move.

He watched as she smirked and crossed her legs, primly.

"You wanted me to stay after class, Moony" she prompted. Remus nodded and cleared his throat. He didn't understand how she hadn't gotten in trouble yet but didn't bother to ask. She called him 'Tom'. He wasn't surprised that she was allowed to sit on his desk.

"I haven't been able to speak to you about your fear. Would you like to talk about it?" asked Remus. Bella froze at the mention before clearing her throat and tilted her head with a slight smile.

"You know, Remus, that was only one of my fears. I have two. That was the one I think I felt like sharing. My other fear is much more private. But, yes, I think I'd like to talk about it" Bella said. Remus nodded, in understanding. She was being very serious now if she was calling him by his given name.

"Then just talk and I won't interrupt. Would you like to do this more privately?" asked Remus, glancing at Riddle. Bella looked at Tom who was still reading. She smiled at him before shaking her head.

"It's fine. So…those three people on the ground. Obviously, you could see that one was the man that saved us on the train. That was Draco. Thanatos. My brother. My big brother. The woman was Hermione. When she's older. She's my sister. That last man…that was Apollo. I don't exactly know _who_ he is but he's very important to me" Bella said. Remus couldn't help himself.

"How is he important to you if you don't know who he is?" Remus asked.

"Soul brother."

Bella and Remus turned to Riddle who had put down his book, finally. He looked rather bored to be frank.

"Her soul brother? Are you sure?" Remus asked, shocked. Riddle nodded once and cleared his throat.

"Quite."

"I see…do you wish to continue, Bella?"

"Yes. So, I fear those three people dead. By the hand of Grindelwald and…Voldemort. I didn't even know what Voldemort looked like, mind you. No one talks about him much. Probably because they feared him more than Grindelwald, right? And the boy. The pretty boy…Merlin, I hate him. I hate him sssso much" Bella said, her tone turning slightly hissy. Remus blinked in surprise at the coldness in her eyes.

"He was…Grindelwald? He's so young" Remus said, shock coloring his tone. Bella's eyes turned a sickly green and she glanced at him with soul-seeing eyes.

"He will return that way."

"Excuse me?" Remus asked. Bella stared at him with dark eyes.

"You're a strange creature, Remus Lupin. Why do you reject the wolf?" Bella asked. Riddle leaned forward with a stoic look. Remus couldn't really tell if he was stoic or just not showing any facial expression. He couldn't read the older man too well.

"Bella, what are you talking about? Are you okay?" Remus murmured. Bella glanced at Tom and she gave him a knowing grin.

"Did you know that being in her body is better than watching through her? Did you know, Tom? Does _she_ know about…that? Or are you still lying to her. Bad Tom. For lying to her. Lying to me."

"Go back into your sleep, Victory" Tom said, coldly. The possessed Bella laughed and crossed her arms.

"It's not that easy, Tom. You can't make me do anything. You don't own _me_."

"Are you not Bella?" Tom asked.

"I am."

"**Thus, I own you**. _Stupefy_" Tom said, casting the spell. Lupin watched as Bella fell back and knew no more. Tom groaned into his hands and turned to Lupin. Remus was confused. Very confused. He wanted to ask but was interrupted before he could get a word out.

"Not a word of this to anyone. Don't even mention it. Don't ask me about anything. Because if you knew, I'd have to kill you" Riddle said.

And Remus knew the man wasn't kidding.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 18****th**** of December 1993**

**10:00 AM**

"Merlin! It's _freezing_ out here" Ron complained as they walked, bundled up. Bella wore her emerald scarf tightly and her long black wizarding coat fell to her knees. Hermione was huddled next to her and they squished together, trying to gather more heat.

"Let's go into the Three Broomsticks" Bella suggested. The two nodded and they made their way through the snow into the Three Broomsticks. The snow seemed to melt from them the moment they stepped in.

"Is that…is that Minister?" Bella muttered to herself as she saw McGonagall, Rosemerta, and the Minister talking at the bar. Bella stood and her friends looked at her in surprise.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked. Bella shook her head and cleared her throat before giving a smile.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be fine" she promised. She knew that Hermione didn't in particularly believe her but that wasn't the current problem. She walked off quickly towards the bathroom and watched as the group went into a private room. Bella opened her coat and brought out her Cloak. She never left without it nowadays. She walked, slowly towards the room and slipped in with Rosemerta.

"Is there a reason you're here Minister?" Madame Rosemerta asked. Cornelius Fudge shrugged off his cloak and took a seat.

"What else, m'dear, but the four escapees? I daresay you heard about what happened on Halloween?" Fudge said. Bella inspected him and saw that he looked exhausted. Rosemerta nodded.

"I did hear a rumor."

"Did he tell the whole pub?" McGonagall asked exasperatedly. Bella watched as she rolled her eyes. She almost snickered out loud before she realized that it would probably give her position away.

"Do you think they're still in the area, Minister?" asked Rosemerta. Fudge nodded.

"I'm quite sure of it."

"I can't believe they escaped. They were such terrible people. The Lestranges. But, I never expected sweet little Peter Pettigrew to go the Dark Side" Rosemerta said. Fudge nodded.

"What he did was unforgiveable. What he did was pure evil" Fudge said, coldly. Rosemerta nodded.

"I know. He killed thirteen people."

"No. He did something much, much worst. What he did was much worst" McGonagall said, her voice very chilly. Rosemerta looked at the professor, curiosity open on her face.

"Worst than killing thirteen people?" asked Rosemerta.

"I'll tell you a story, Rosemerta. James Potter was one of my favorite students. And he had a little gang. Made up of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin were inseparable. They were like brothers. I believe Peter Pettigrew always felt left out. But, Potter trusted Pettigrew with his life" McGonagall said. Rosemerta's eyes flickered in recognition.

"Sirius Black. He's the guardian of Bella Potter."

"One of them."

The group turned and Bella looked as well. Her heart almost stopped when she saw Tom Riddle standing in the doorway. His cheeks were flushed from the cold and snow was sprinkled over his head. Bella decided.

He looked absolutely adorable!

"One of them?" Rosemerta asked. Tom walked over and his hand ghosted over the seat Bella was sitting. She stiffened when she felt him touch the cloak over her head. He settled his hand on the back of the chair.

"It's not publically know and I'm sure Black would appreciate it if it stayed that way. Pettigrew was most likely jealous of the other two good friends of Potter. Black was best man at James and Lily Potter's wedding. He was made godfather. In the case that they and Black died, the young Miss Potter would go to Remus Lupin" Tom explained. Rosemerta gave him a leer before blushing and leaning forward, slightly. Tom gave her a raised eyebrow and she leaned back, embarrassed.

"He was driven to the Death side by jealousy?" Rosemerta asked. Tom nodded.

"As petty as that is, yes. Not many people knew that the Potters knew that Grindelwald was after their daughter. Dumbledore performed a Fidelius Charm with Sirius Black as the Secret Keeper. At the last minute, Black did a switch to Peter Pettigrew."

"Then…then what?" Rosemerta asked, startled.

"He betrayed them. The thing is, Pettigrew wasn't Grindelwald's spy" Tom said, a slight twisted and secret smile on his face. Bella shuddered at the look before it disappeared and his face was smooth again.

"Whose spy was he?"

"Voldemort's. You see, Grindelwald wasn't a particularly charismatic fellow. He wasn't powerful enough. Voldemort, however, had this very potent dark aura that draws in all that is Dark. Everyone who says Voldemort was only Grindelwald's Heir is wrong. Voldemort was a great duelist, on par with Grindelwald _and_ Dumbledore. He even dueled Dumbledore once and broke his nose" Tom said. Bella watched as he scrambled to hide his self-satisfied grin.

"I thought his brother, Aberforth broke it" Rosemerta said in surprise. Tom tilted his head.

"He did. Voldemort just broke it again."

"I see…then what happened with Pettigrew?" Rosemerta asked. The Minister looked like he was about to answer but faltered.

"Remus Lupin went after him. I called for Sirius Black. Dumbledore wished to placed Bella Potter in her maternal aunt's care. Her maternal aunt despises all things magical. I gave Bella Potter to Sirius Black and he went to make a magical adoption and it was settled. Lupin confronted him and demanded why he did it. Pettigrew shouted that he had betrayed the Potter and then blew up the street. Lupin, strengthened by the full moon, attacked Pettigrew and turned him in" Tom explained. Rosemerta's eyes widened and she gasped and clutched her heart, dramatically.

"Remus is a werewolf? He was so sweet! And…he's teaching at a school with children! Minister how could you condone a monster to teach in a school of children?" Rosemerta shrieked. Bella hissed and everyone turned Tom. He looked down and Bella slipped off her Invisibility Cloak. Rosemerta gasped. McGonagall almost jumped and the Minister paled, dramatically.

"My girl…Bella Potter, there was no need for you to hear that" Fudge said. Tom smirked.

"She's heard it all before. I expect she's very angry with Madame Rosemerta right now" Tom said, offhandedly. Rosemerta looked at Bella with wide eyes as the girl's eyes shifted and became ringed with crimson.

"Angry? With me, Professor?"

"_Yes_. Angry with you. How dare you? You don't even know my Uncle Moony! He's the nicest man on the face of the planet! He never gets mad and he has never attacked anyone before that! He's the best DADA teacher I've ever had!" Bella spat. Tom frowned and looked at her in shock.

"I was under the impression that _I_ was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher" Tom said, his tone rather stiff. Bella turned to him and looked at him with disbelief.

"Is it really necessary for your ego to be stroked at this moment? I'm trying to defend my Uncle Moony" Bella snapped. McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin line. She was trying not to laugh.

"I…I didn't mean it that way, Miss Potter. I really didn't. It's just very dangerous…" Rosemerta said. Bella gave a high and cold laugh that made shivers run down Fudge's spine. It sounded so familiar…who had that laugh.

Tom froze at the sound.

"And you care, why? You don't have children, Rosemerta. You're frightened for yourself. It's disgusting."

"Miss Potter, do not speak to your elders in such a way" McGonagall warned, coolly now. Bella glanced at her teacher and cleared her throat.

"With all due respect, Professor, if you don't wish to hear what I have to say, cover your ears. I'm an avid creatures rights activist. Except for house elves. They have to be bound to households" Bella said, just as cold. She turned to Rosemerta who looked a little shocked.

"You're not only scared for yourself, you're scared that if he attacks children, they'll be removed from the school. That loses business, doesn't it, Rosemerta? Werewolves are people too, Rosemerta. Just as you are. Just as I am. And sort of like Tom. I'm not too sure if he's entirely human…he's got this snake vibe" Bella said, quirking a grin at Tom. He glared at her and turned to Fudge as Rosemerta quickly made her exit. Fudge was still in awe that Bella was sitting there. He extended his hand.

"Hello, Miss Potter. I am Minister Cornelius Fudge" he said. She looked at his hand and took it gingerly.

"Hello, Minister. I am Bella Potter. Excuse me for a moment. Draco, Hermione! I know you're out there."

The door flew open and exposed Hermione, Draco, Zabini, and a disgruntled and annoyed Ron. He glanced at Bella.

"See, she's okay! I'm going to Honeydukes. Hang out with your nasty Slytherins" Ron snapped before storming off.

Bella gave them an amused look. Draco waltzed in, gracefully and shot Tom a nasty glare before flicking Bella in the forehead.

"Eavesdropping on important people. It's rude, Princess" Draco admonished. Bella rolled her eyes.

"You're rude for eavesdropping on me. Nothing wrong was going to happen. It's the Minister. What's he going to do? Suck my soul out?" Bella asked. Draco froze and he gripped her chair tighter. Bella froze and turned to Draco and gasped.

"Oh…I'm sorry. That was insensitive. I'm sorry and you haven't fed…go feed later. Promise me. Tom, make him feed later" Bella snapped. Tom rolled his eyes and glanced at Fudge.

"I apologize for the depleting number of dementors. Mr. Malfoy eats them."

Fudge almost passed out.

"Er…excuse me?"

"I consume souls. I was born with a broken soul and I have to consume others to be healthy. Until recently, I only consumed the souls of small animals. But now…I'm growing older and stronger so I need…_human_ souls" Draco said, carefully. Bella glanced at Fudge who looked horrified.

"I'd prefer if my blood brother's condition could be kept under wraps" Bella said, carefully. Fudge said, nodding slowly.

"What were they doing outside the door anyway? This was a private conversation" Fudge said, trying to change the topic of the conversation. Tom gave a slight smirk and tilted his head.

"They followed me. Miss Potter seems to follow me. I'm afraid that she stalks me" Tom said, his tone perfectly serious. McGonagall and Fudge look at Bella, surprise coloring their face expression. Bella stared at him in shock.

"Drop dead."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 25****th**** of December 1993**

**7:00 AM**

Bella carried the long and beautiful package reverently down the stairs. The night before, Ron, Hermione, and her had decided to open presents together, down in the Common Room. Not to many people had decided to stay for Christmas holiday, especially with the Lestranges and Pettigrew on the loose.

"Is that…is that a new broomstick?" Ron asked. Bella nodded and brushed her bangs from face. They were getting much too long lately…she'd have to cut it again. She was already in her adjusted Yule robes. Hermione was in her Yule robes as well.

"I wonder if it's a Nimbus 2001" Bella said. Ron shrugged and glanced away from his gifts and stared at Bella's wrapped broomstick.

"Unwrap it. See what it is" Ron said. Bella nodded and she ripped into the parchment and almost dropped it when she saw what it was. She ran a hand over the gleaming ash wood. She ran her hand over the gleaming bipod that was secured right above the birch twigs.

"Is that…is that what I think it is?" Ron asked in a hushed tone. Bella glanced outside and grinned.

"I think it is" she said, hoarsely. Hermione raised her hand and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"What is it? It's just a new broomstick" Hermione pointed out. Both Bella and Ron hushed her before touching the broom reverently.

"This isn't _just_ a new broomstick. It's a _Firebolt_. Who'd get this for me?" demanded Bella. She looked down at the note attached to the parchment.

_You owe me __**two**__ favors now._

_P.S. One belongs to your sister. It's only to the Library._

"He…he bought me a Firebolt. He bought me a Firebolt" Bella chanted like a mantra. Ron frowned and looked at the note and glanced back at her. She was still chanting the words.

"Who bought you a Firebolt? All it says is 'You owe me two favors now. P.S. One belongs to your sister. It's only to the Library.' Who bought it?" asked Ron in confusion. Hermione gasped and looked at the note. She looked from the broom to Bella who holding it like it was God's gift.

"How much does that cost?" demanded Hermione. Bella bit her lip and then saw something silver attached to the handle of the broom. Two keys hung from the handle and they were so serpentine looking, Hermione didn't doubt who had given the broom to her.

"Four hundred galleons. He spent four hundred galleons! I could've gotten a Nimbus 2001. A Firebolt…_and_ a key to the Library!" Bella said with a gasp. She couldn't understand why she was getting so emotional over this…

"Okay! That's a lot of money. Who sent it?" demanded Ron. Bella looked at him with a shaky smile.

"Tom…Tom Riddle sent me a Firebolt _and_ keys to the Library of Alexandria."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 2****nd**** of January 1994**

**11:00 AM**

"Potter! Potter! Bella!" shouted a voice. Bella turned around from walking towards the Great Hall for an early lunch. Hermione and Ron stopped with her as Oliver Wood came towards them.

"Oh. Hey, Wood! What is it?" the Girl-Who-Lived asked with a bright smile. Wood blinked once before seeming to remember what he had wanted to ask her.

"I've been doing some thinking…after the last match, I was wondering about the dementors. What if they come after you again…we can't afford to…" Oliver said. He stopped short when someone put their hand on Bella's shoulder. Bella turned to see Malfoy standing there with a malicious grin.

"Oh, let them _give_ me a reason to speak to them. Let them give me a reason. And I swear, every dementor within a mile radius will be destroyed" Draco said, slowly. Bella glared at him.

"It's fine, Oliver. And just in case, I'll go to Professor Lupin. I'll ask him to teach me the Patronus Charm…it's this charm that repels dementors" Bella explained for Ron's benefit. Oliver nodded and then cleared his throat.

"Ah, well in that case. I didn't really want to lose you as a Seeker, Bella. Have you ordered a new broom yet?" Oliver asked. Bella grinned at this.

"No."

"What! You'd better soon! You can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!"

"She got a Firebolt" Ron said, excitedly. Oliver froze and turned to Bella who was grinning like an idiot.

"A _Firebolt_? No! Seriously? An actual Firebolt?" demanded Oliver. Bella nodded with a grin.

"My magical guardian bought me one. Not Sirius but my other guardian" Bella said. Oliver frowned in confusion and saw her glance back into the Great Hall at Riddle. Oliver had never understood why Professor Riddle tolerated Bella's complete rudeness but now he knew why.

"That arse is your magical guardian?" Oliver asked in a hushed tone. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"My Uncle Sirius thought he was trying to curse me with the broom since I'm so rude to him. And then Tom, Professor Riddle, sent a formal letter to the House of Black, requesting that Uncle Sirius believe him and because of…other stuff and I got it back. I'm waiting for the weather to get a little better. I'm so excited…I want to ride it so bad!" Bella said, grinning about her broom. Oliver was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of a Firebolt.

"A Firebolt…we're going to win for sure" Oliver said with a grin. Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Yeah…sure you will. It doesn't come down to broom. It comes down to skill" Draco said. Oliver was ignoring him and walking away with a pep in his step.

"I think I'm going to go ask Remus Lupin for those Patronus lessons…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 6****th**** of January 1994**

**8:00 PM**

"So…how are we going to do this?" asked Bella. She had met Remus at the door of the Entrance Hall like he had asked her and now she was curious on how this was going to work.

"We're going to the Quidditch Pitch" he informed her. Bella nodded and secured her bottle green and silver wizarding coat around her tighter. She walked with Remus and was glad that the wind wasn't blowing as hard as it could be. They arrived at the Quidditch Pitch in record time.

"Why are we out here of all places?" Bella asked, curiosity coloring her tone. She flushed in the cold and she rubbed her arms through the coat. She was wearing her dragon hide gloves and her coat was the new one that she had gotten from Hermione. A bottle green coat that was form fitting. It fell to her knees and was secured by silver clasps.

"We're here because Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow a dementor into the school. Come. Draco is waiting for us" Remus said. They walked to the center where they saw the light platinum hair almost blending in with the snow. He was holding a struggling dementor tightly by the wrist.

Remus watched with disgust as the Malfoy Heir held the dementor without disgust. He looked rather comfortable. The dementor rattled at him defiantly. Malfoy rattled at him back and the dementor settle down.

"Anastasia, come and construct a circle so it can't escape" Malfoy called. Remus wondered off handedly who Anastasia was. He soon found out that it was Bella. She walked up to him and extracted a ceremonial knife.

"Where should I cut you?" she asked. Malfoy extended his right arm. She cut into him, drawing Runes into skin and Remus watched in horror as they openly did Dark blood magic in front of him.

He had knew that Bella had experience in using it but in front of a _teacher_?

"I'll draw it on the ground as well" Bella sad to herself. She began drawing in the ground with the knife, smearing the blood from Draco on the ground around the dementor. Remus watched as she straightened and the Runes glowed before dimming again.

"So, how does this work?" asked Bella, shakily. Remus realized that she was now feeling the power of the dementor. Remus quickly explained and Bella looked back at the dementor. Draco stepped to the side from the large circle. The dementor hovered there obediently.

Bella was thinking about her happiest moment. She had had a lot but she couldn't quite pick one that was _truly_ her happiest. She decided on when she first rode a broomstick.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" she shouted. Silver wisp flew from her wand and the dementor was descending upon her. She could hear screams…

"_Please…not Bella! Please!"_

"_Stand aside you silly girl!"_

_Another scream…_

"Bella! Wake up."

Bella gasped and looked up and saw that she was lying on the snow. She shivered in the intensified cold and she ate the chocolate shoved into her hand.

"What was the memory you used?" Lupin asked. Bella blushed at being asked. Now that she thought about it, it sounded stupid. She shook her head and looked away.

"Er…nothing important. It just…just wasn't good enough. I want to try again" Bella said, sharply. Lupin hesitated and looked around.

"I don't know…it's cold out and you might get sick…" he started. Draco cleared his throat and the duo looked at the dementor whisperer.

"That doesn't matter. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she can't do it. She will win. She will do this. You can't shield her forever" Draco said, quietly. Lupin looked down, chagrined and nodded.

"Okay…you can try again."

Bella nodded and squinted as she thought about what she could remember. Something she could remember…she suddenly remembered her brothers and sisters. She remembered them defending her when facing Grindelwald and she'd never felt happier at the time. More relieved. More safe than ever. She remembered their words.

"I've got one. I don't know if it's my happiest memory but it's pretty up there" Bella said. Lupin considered this and nodded. Bella glared at the dementor. It seemed to sense her defiance and rose to full height. He swooped towards her and Draco glared at it.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" Bella roared. She could still hear the screaming but it sounded a little muffled.

"_Lily, take Bella and run! I'll hold him off!"_

There was the shriek again. Bella watched as the silver wisp seemed to take shape into an animal. She watched as it galloped forward but disappeared and turned to wisp. The dementor was repelled back slightly but didn't seem ready to give up. Draco darted in front of Bella.

"_Expecto Patronum_" he snapped. A silver animal with wings galloped from his wand towards the dementor. It flew back and Draco darted forward, catching it by its chin. He brought his face close to it and seemed to be saying something to it. He threw it away from him and the dementor cowered away.

"What did you say to it?" Lupin asked in a quiet voice. Draco turned to him with an expressionless face.

"Not to try that again. And just so you know, my Patronus is a thestral."

"Oh…here Bella. Eat some chocolate…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 3****rd**** of February 1994**

**8:30 PM**

"I'm tired…can we rest for a minute?" Bella asked. She sat down on the slightly less snowy ground. Draco nodded and turned to the dementor. He seemed to have picked a new one since the other one had been traumatized.

"Sure. Would you guys like some warm butterbeer?" asked Lupin, pulling three bottles from inside his shabby robes. Bella nodded and accepted one. Draco accepted one graciously.

They all sat on the thawing grass and Draco crossed his legs.

"Draco, what's under a dementor's hood?"

Remus froze and turned to the only living person who'd ever seen under a dementor's hood and actually survived to tell the table. He was even more surprised that Draco smiled at the question.

"I try not to look when I feed. It's almost as disgusting as watching me feed" Draco said. Remus froze in confusion. What did he mean by feed?

The boy had used that term in his first class as well. What was feeding? Eating?

"What is feeding? Professor Riddle seemed to understand…" Remus said. Draco turned to look at the man with cold and haunted eyes. Remus had never wanted to see those eyes on a child.

"I was born with part of a soul."

Remus froze at the announcement. He'd never heard of that…it was unnatural to be born without an entire soul. Only dementors…

"I have the capability of living but not without an entire soul that is all my own. And so, I must take substitutes. I take the souls that the dementors have consumed and use them as my own" Draco said, coldly. Remus' eyes widened in horror but he didn't say anything. It wasn't really fair to judge the boy.

He didn't have a choice. Just like Remus didn't have a choice.

"I see and how do you take the souls?" Remus asked, politely as if speaking of the weather. Bella looked away.

"You saw me. On the train. My soul responded to the Call" Draco said. Remus froze and he flashed back to that night.

The man whose face he couldn't see was wearing a silver cloak. The same silver cloak that the Adult-Boggart-Draco had worn.

"Wait…_you're_ the Claimer's Son? How…how can that be?" demanded Remus. Draco's eyes flashed the color of steel as he gave a slight grin.

"Oh. I'm much more than that. I'm not simply Draco Malfoy, the Claimer's Son. I'm much more. Just like Anastasia isn't just Bella Potter. She's so much more. She just doesn't know it yet" he said with a slight smile. His smile disappeared when he saw Bella still expecting an answer from him.

"I give the dementor the Dementor's Kiss. Would you really like to see what is under the dementor's hood?" Draco asked, maliciously. Bella nodded, not deterred by his tone. Draco stood up swiftly and grabbed the dementor by its chin. He yanked the hood down and exposed it. Bella drew in a sharp gasp.

It was the single most disgusting think she'd ever seen. It didn't have eyes but it had sockets. Its skin was grey and scabby and its mouth was sing round hole. It had brittle decaying black teeth here and there. There was a slimy liquid around its mouth and it was cracking all around it.

"And, since you're so curious, Professor…" Draco said, mischievously.

"Don't do it, Thanatos. Don't feed…not here…" Bella murmured. Draco stopped and threw the dementor away from him. The dementor threw its hood back on and huddled by itself, away from the three.

"You can't tell me what to do" Draco hissed. Bella stood and glared at him, her eyes glowing a sickly green.

"Don't test me, Thanatos. I may not have my other wand but this will do fine" Bella said, coldly. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Is that _she_ who I hear?" he asked. Bella blinked and gave a slight smile.

"She is becoming me."

:::

**A/N: **So, I'm coming towards the end of this arc. I know it doesn't seem like it but I am. The next chapter is really one of my favorites. It was really to fun to write. It will start out fun but steadily get much more serious. Just a warning, in a couple of chapters, I'll be having some really violent stuff. Part of the reason why it's M rated. Just wanted to let you know!

Next Chapter: Sirius and Starbucks and Luna


	29. Chapter XXVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/LL, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, I think I'd like to make a storyline for other characters that _aren't_ at Hogwarts. It'd be nice and move the storyline a lot more. I think I'll do that…Hogwarts will make tiny reappearances in this chapter and more towards the end. And if you look at the pairings, there seems to be a little change. Brothers vs. brother, maybe? Either way, I've decided a certain DM is _very_ bisexual. This is a very filler chapter. Just so humor to add into the mix.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXVI**

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 11th of February 1994**

**12:00 PM**

Sirius sighed as he waited behind some woman with a lot of curly hair. He was tired of waiting in line. He was off on lunch from his job at the Ministry. He hadn't wanted to go back into the field since it would call for time from Bella.

He was an Unspeakable. Well, Bella didn't know that. He'd prefer it to stay that way. She thought he worked in the Department of Law Enforcement but he knew that if she learned that he was an Unspeakable, she'd try to sneak with him to work and that wasn't good.

"A caramel brulée latte, thanks."

Sirius blinked in surprise as he recognized the voice. He debated tapping the woman on her shoulder and then decided. He tapped her shoulder once and the woman turned crystal blue eyes on him. She blinked in surprise before her lips spread into a smile.

"Sirius! Oh my goodness!" Maya Granger said with a smile. Sirius peeked a look at the blonde girl behind the counter. She was blushing as Sirius made eye contact with her.

"I'll pay for her drink. Add a black coffee to the order" Sirius said, placing down his Muggle credit card. Maya gaped and scrambled for her purse.

"Oh, that, that's not necessary…" Maya said, rummaging for her wallet. Sirius plucked it from his bag and slid it into his trenchcoat.

"It's fine. You'll get this back _after_ you sit down and have your coffee with me" Sirius said with a smirk. Maya laughed and rolled her eyes. She nodded and accepted the coffee from the girl behind the counter and passed Sirius' coffee to him. Sirius took back his card and walked towards a seat near the window.

As they sat down, Sirius wondered _why_ he had requested a sorta kinda coffee date with a married woman. He had a thing for woman but he _never_ went after married women. He had morals. Well, a little bit.

"So, how are you doing Sirius? What are you doing here in…Muggle London?" asked Maya, lowering her voice towards the end. Sirius gave her a teasing grin and it widened when he saw her faint blush.

"I'm on my lunch break. I work at the Ministry" Sirius informed her. Maya's eyes widened and she had that gleam in her eye that he had frequently seen in Hermione's eyes. A thirst for knowledge.

"Do you? What do you do? Are you an…what is it called? Hermione said that their wizard cops…" Maya said, frowning in confusion. Sirius looked around and for good measure he lifted his wand under the table.

"_Muffliato_. Er…no. That's an Auror. I'm an Unspeakable. But don't tell Bella. She'd beg me to take her to my Department" Sirius said. Maya frowned.

"What's an Unspeakable? Hermione didn't tell me about them."

"Figures. We're very secretive a Unspeakable is someone who works in the Department of Mysteries. I'm not supposed to tell people that I'm an Unspeakable. You're a Muggle so it isn't a big deal. Please don't tell anyone" Sirius said in a stage whisper. Maya laughed and gave him a sweet smile. Sirius almost blushed himself.

"I won't. I promise. I have to finish up here. I have an appointment to get to and I'm sure my husband will _not_ be pleased if I miss that. I'll see you around" Maya said, standing up. Sirius nodded, slowly and gazed at her. He stood up and grinned at her. She smiled back at him and leaned forward, her lips to his ear. He stood straight and couldn't even move.

"I win."

She pulled back with a triumphant smirk on her face and her wallet between two of her fingers. He grinned.

"Well, I suppose you _do_ win, Ms. Granger" he said, pronouncing her title as 'Miss' more than 'Ms.'

She didn't seem to notice and that called for some mental cheering. She nodded and took a step back.

"So, do you come here every day?" asked Sirius, curiously. She nodded and put her hands on her hips.

"I come here so much that the girl at the counter should know what my coffee order is" she laughed. Sirius nodded in complete comprehension. Typically, the girl knew to get him a black coffee. He supposed she was surprised that he had come out of nowhere, knowing Maya.

"I have to get back to work myself. I'll see you…tomorrow, maybe" Sirius said, as casually as possible. Maya shrugged and grinned.

"I suppose."

* * *

**The Time Room, Department Of Mysteries, Level 9, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 11th of February 1994**

**12:30 PM**

"Sirius! You're back…what's wrong?" asked Sirius' apprentice, Lee Moon. He looked at the excited boy who was only 19 years old. Sirius sighed.

"Nothing, Lee. Did you complete those Time Turners?" asked Sirius. He looked over at the rack of Time Turners that needed more to be added. Lee sighed and shook his head.

"Why can't I work in the Death Chamber? That seems so cool! I want to study the Death Chamber!" Lee said, excitedly as he continued to work on the Time Turner in his hand. Sirius looked at the boy sharply and shook his head.

"No the Death Chamber…no. As your instructor, I forbid you from _ever_ going to the Death Chamber alone. There are things there. Many Unspeakables were lost trying to solve the puzzle of the Arch" Sirius said, quietly.

"That old thing if someone would just pull back the curtain…" Lee said. Sirius looked at the naïve boy in front of him and couldn't help but envy him just a little.

"Many have pulled back the curtain, Lee and the Arch not just an Arch. It's a gateway" Sirius said, matter-of-factly. He had received the same speech from Lily when she had been an Unspeakable.

She used to work in the Death Chamber before she met Death himself.

"A gateway to what?"

"It's a gateway. To Hell."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 14th of February 1994**

**12:00 PM**

Bella walked in with her head held high despite the choir following behind her, signing at the top their lungs.

"_You're tall and fun and stellar_

_I wanted to buy you umbrella_

_Bella!_

_I'm the Beast to your Belle...a_

_I'm the Prince to your Cinderella_

_Bella!_

_I wanna be your fella_

_Take you out to dinner and hope you don't get salmonella_

_Bella!_

_You're cuter than that girl Stella!_

_Want to take you to Larissa!_

_THAT'S IN GREECE!_

_Bella, Bella, Bella Potter_

_Bell, Bell, Sell, Bella Potter!_" Fred, George, and Lee sang behind her. Hermione looked up from her spot at the table and she placed down her Ancient Runes book. She laughed in amusement. Bella glared at her and sniffed.

That seemed to be the last straw for Bella. Her best friend was laughing her head off as she listened to three morons singing all day. They had met her at the door of every classroom after her classes. Even Potions!

And if they continued this after he Defense class…Tom would never let her here the end of it!

"Shut up!" she snapped. They began to whisper the song and Bella resorted to drowning them out. She glared at her plate as she savagely ate her sandwich. Gideon was down the table and was as red as his hair.

Bella sneered down at her plate. She couldn't believe them. It was the most annoying things on the face of the planet.

She suddenly looked up to see the mischievous Junior Marauders wannabes quiet. They were looking behind Bella. And someone was humming the damned tune in her ear.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" Bella shouted as turned around and swung her fist forward.

It caught Tom Riddle in the face.

And broke his nose. Bella's eyes were wide in panic. The Great Hall was silent.

Dumbledore was staring with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

McGonagall looked horrified.

Snape looked triumphant.

Tom just looked pissed beyond belief.

His eyes were the color of hellfire and if looks could kill, she'd be dead. Bella rose and swallowed.

"So…" Bella said awkwardly in the rather loud silence. Tom was breathing hard and his nose was at a very crooked and unpleasant angle.

"Run."

"Excuse me?" Bella whispered. Tom glared.

"RUN!"

Bella took off out of the Great Hall with a _very_ pissed off Lord Slytherin running after her.

* * *

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 15th of February 1994**

**12:10 PM**

"Sirius! You said you were going to meet me here on Saturday! I can't believe you ditched me" Maya said when she met him with Lee. She smacked him in mock outrage. Sirius knew that Lee was watching them in confusion. So he decided to show off.

He hugged Maya and she stopped in surprise and hugged him back. He pulled back and examined her, to see if he had gone too far. She smiled at him, confused but besides that, rather open.

"I'm sorry. Work took over. And my apprentice takes a lot of time. Maya, this is Lee Moon, my apprentice. Lee Moon, this is my…goddaughter's friend's mother, Maya Granger" Sirius said, hesitating slightly. Lee stuck out his hand, enthusiastically and shook Maya's hand. She smiled at him and then at Sirius.

"I'm not just his 'goddaughter's friend's mother'. I'm his friend too" Maya clarified. Sirius felt his heart swell at the thought before he reminded himself that the woman before him wasn't just a woman. She was a _married_ woman.

"I see. I'll get some coffee. Black coffee, right, Sirius?" Lee asked. Sirius nodded absently and then glanced at Maya who hadn't gotten her coffee yet.

"And a caramel brulée latte" Sirius added, off-handedly. Maya froze and her smile broke into a look of surprise. She blinked and cleared her throat. She looked oddly touched for some reason as Lee wandered away.

"You remembered my coffee order?" she murmured. Sirius nodded, frowning in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well…my husband _never_ remembers my coffee order. I was surprised that you did" Maya murmured. Sirius grinned.

"Well, I'm not your husband. I'm going to be your new best friend!" Sirius said, wrapping an arm around Maya's shoulders. She laughed. She gave him a slight smile.

"Come sit! Hermione just sent me a letter yesterday night and I got it this morning. It has something to do with your goddaughter" Maya said as Lee came over with the drinks in his hand. The three sat at the same table that Maya and Sirius had sat at before and Sirius lifted his wand discreetly.

"_Muffliato_. So, what did Bella do now?" Sirius asked, excited. He wondered if she'd finally got the guts to pull a prank. He'd be so proud.

"She broke Professor Riddle's nose."

Lee froze. Sirius gaped and Maya smirked.

"She…she broke Riddle's nose?" demanded Sirius. Lee blinked.

"She…she's going to be expelled, isn't she?" asked Lee, sadly. He remembered Professor Riddle.

He hadn't really liked anything in particular and sometimes he could be less pleasant than Snape.

"No. Riddle is her magical guardian. She's supposed to inherit all his stuff if he dies. The man looks like he'll _never_ die judging on what he looks like at 60 something. She broke his nose? How? Why?" demanded Sirius, all but ignoring Lee in favor of listening to Maya.

"Apparently, Fred and George and a boy named Lee were singing Bella's Song. By the way Lee, that's a song that a boy named Gideon Weasley made up. Very embarrassing. Bella told them to shut up and they started whispering. They stopped and suddenly someone was humming it in her ear. She yelled at them to shut up and punched the person. It was Professor Riddle. She broke his nose, and then he told her to run. She didn't understand what he was saying. And then he yelled for her to run. And she did. She said she's going to hide there until she's 17. She refused to come out for dinner."

"I'd refuse to come out too. He's rather unpleasant" Lee said. Maya and Sirius exchanged a look.

"We know" they said in unison.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 15th of February 1994**

**1:00 PM**

"Where is Miss Potter?" demanded Tom rather stiffly. Hermione bit her lip, nervously. Bella had never missed a Defense class and she could see why she was going to miss it.

"Do I have to ask again? WHERE IS MISS POTTER?" Tom roared. The students in the classroom jumped viciously. Hermione noticed that even Draco looked a little put off. Hermione raised her hand and Tom turned to her, sharply.

Hermione thought that he looked rather like a snake at that moment.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Tom purred, sounding rather murderous.

"She's hiding in our dorm room."

"Why?" Tom asked, drawing out the word. Hermione now thought that he sounded insane. She noted that he was extremely angry.

"Because."

"Because why? That's not a full sentence, Miss Granger."

" 'Because why' isn't a real question" Hermione pointed out. Tom hissed something in Parseltongue and seemed to be trying to center himself by taking a deep breath.

"Miss Granger. Please tell me why she won't come out of your dorm room?"

"She's terrified of _you_."

"Why is she terrified?"

"She broke your nose. Judging from the reaction to Sirius calling you old, she's afraid you'll kill her" Hermione pointed out. Remus snorted in amusement. Tom gritted his teeth at the mention of that time but he didn't try to kill her.

"I see. Could you please get her?" Tom asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I wouldn't even if I could. She set up wards around her bed. My loyalty is to Victory. Not to you" Hermione said, sharply. Tom did a double take and peered at Hermione with narrowed eyes.

"Who taught her how to put up wards?" demanded Tom. Hermione smirked. She withdrew the chain that she kept her key on. She jingled it before tucking it back in her shirt. Tom sneered and growled.

"I see. Give her the homework after class. And tell her to be here tomorrow to hand it in" Tom snapped. Remus was trying not to laugh in amusement.

"She said she's not coming out until she graduates."

"Tell her she's being stupid."

"Now, you're just being immature" Hermione said, with a light smirk. Tom sneered at the girl and growled. His hand was itching to get his wand. Tom glanced around.

"I see."

"Yes you do. I'm sure you're not blind" Hermione said, absently.

Tom had to remind himself not to curse the girl. He didn't curse Loony Lovegood for being weird.

He couldn't curse the Lady War either. So he opted for something else.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor...and a detention...with Filch."

* * *

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 16th of February 1994**

**12:00 PM**

"I didn't get a letter from Bella. Did you get one from Hermione?" Sirius asked. He was alone at this specific coffee meeting. Lee was busy trying to complete the Time Turners he had been assigned once more. Maya nodded.

"Yes. She's hiding in her room and wouldn't come out for classes. Even Snape didn't give her detention because she's so terrified. Hermione said that she was questioned and Hermione wouldn't say a word besides the fact that she warded her bed and won't come from behind the curtains. She's very scared apparently that Riddle is going to kill her" Maya said with a slight smile. Sirius could see the worry in her eyes and he couldn't help but like her even more.

"My poor Bella…she's probably sleeping all day" Sirius said, with a grin. Maya took a sip of her coffee and laughed.

"I don't doubt that. She sleeps like the dead. I learned that first hand, trying to get her up so we could go to the Louvre. She obviously remembered that we were in France since she was cursing up a storm in French" Maya giggled. Sirius' eyebrows raised.

"I wonder where she learned that type of profanity…" Sirius said. Maya gave him a dry look.

"You cursed out the security when you were being dragged out the Louvre. I'm lead to conclude that she learned it from _you_."

"Aww, you're so smart!" Sirius teased.

And against his better judgment, he kissed her on the cheek before walking away.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 17th of February 1994**

**1:10 PM**

"Come on, sister. Let's go" a voice said. The rest of the class looked back as they recognized Hermione's voice. Zabini looked at Draco who only shrugged. Remus watched as Riddle straightened and his lips curled into a malicious and slightly mischievous smile.

"NO! You can't make me!" she snapped. Ron turned and stared out with wide eyes. There seemed to be shouts of discontent.

"Bella, you have to come to class! You already look a mess! You might as well learn something" Hermione snapped. She pushed the door open and revealed the resident Girl-Who-Lived.

Everyone gaped at her. Gone was the perfect angel.

A Dark and tired looking girl stood in her place and nobody knew how to receive her.

Bella wasn't dressed in the traditional grey and cream uniform. She was wearing all black.

She wore black slacks, a long black button down shirt and a black Hogwarts sweater over it. A bare minimum of red and yellow showed her House. Her hair looked like it hadn't been combed in days and it fell around her like a halo. Her bangs looked in dangerous need of being cut and were pinned to the side of her head.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Bella shrieked with one look at Tom. Tom darted forward and grabbed Bella by her wrist. She squirmed and tried to run. She flicked her wrist and her wand flew into her hand. She pointed it at him and she almost screamed again.

Tom flicked his wand and she was suddenly silent even though she looked like she was screaming.

"**You're going to sit in my class today, Anastasia. Whether you want to or not**" Tom said. He flicked his wand again and bound her with robes. Hermione giggled and the class watched as Tom dragged her to the front row and all but threw her into a seat.

She tried to struggle against the bonds and her eyes were darting from side to side in panic.

And then she fainted.

"Did she really just faint?" Draco asked. Tom was trying not to smirk, let alone laugh but it didn't work out so well. He gave an honest to God grin that made Parvati and Lavender squeal. Pansy and Millicent almost passed out from just looking at him.

"_Rennervate_" he said, calmly. Bella woke up and began to hyperventilate silently. She looked around at her curious classmates and Tom smirked.

"This is an important lesson. When one cannot fight their opponent, one must use mind games. Anastasia, I never intended to kill you. I might have two days ago but my nose is fine and nothing less than perfect. Killing you would get me sent to Azkaban and certainly wouldn't be beneficial" Tom added as an afterthought. He waved his wand and Bella gasped. She looked around with panicked green eyes.

"**You promise? You promise you won't kill me?**" Bella asked, softly. Tom's eyes hardened at her soft tone. She sounded too vulnerable. He hated a vulnerable Bella. It pissed him off to no end.

"**I won't kill you**. Now, may I get on with my lesson?" Tom snapped. Bella nodded slowly and she cringed as he turned away.

Ron looked at her curiously and she gave him a nervous smile before turning back to one Tom Riddle.

* * *

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 18th of February 1994**

**12:00 PM**

"Maya! I got a letter from Bella" Sirius said excitedly once she wandered to what they had established as their table. She grinned at him and nodded.

"I got one from Hermione. I can't believe Professor Riddle scared her like that. Is he really that vain?" asked Maya, sounding disapproving. Sirius shrugged and tilted his head. Lee was off on Fridays since he was only an apprentice so he could be at the coffeehouse a little longer.

"I suppose. He gets upset about being called old" Sirius pointed out. Maya's eyes went dim as she thought about it.

"Well…he _does_ have a reason to be a narcissist" Maya murmured. Sirius gaped at her she blushed deeply and looked out the window at the street.

"What do you mean by _that_?"

"Oh don't be like that Sirius! I know you don't like him but really? He's incredibly handsome" Maya snapped out of embarrassment. Sirius smirked at her and she looked away.

"Yeah, sure. Is that Clark?" Sirius asked, glancing out the window. Maya turned sharply and glanced outside. Sure enough, Clark was crossing the street towards the Starbucks.

"Oh…why did he leave the office? He has an appointment…" Maya trailed off as she saw Clark walk up to the woman she assumed had made the appointment. Sirius watched in horror as he leaned in for a kiss.

The woman was gorgeous but looked like a textbook slut. She wore a tight pencil skirt and even tighter button down shirt. The shirt wasn't buttoned towards the top, practically exposing her breasts.

"What…" Maya trailed off, her lip trembling. Sirius watched, nervous. Was she about to burst into tears?

Instead, her eyes flashed and hardened to shards of ice. She stood up, slamming her hand on the table. That drew the attention of the entire coffeehouse. Clark looked around in surprise and gasped.

"Maya! Oh, this is my client…" Clark started. Maya gave a wry smile.

"I think it's the other way around, Clark. How much are you paying her?" Maya asked. The woman looked affronted at the accusation. Sirius watched with dark eyes. Clark looked like a fish for a moment before he saw Sirius.

"Well, I shouldn't be the only one explaining things! Why is _he_ here?" demanded Clark. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I met her here. I work around here and we tell each other about our children. Something you're not interested in, obviously" Sirius said, off-handedly. Clark gaped and turned away.

"Tina, go get me a coffee" he instructed. He gave her a credit card and she wandered away with a sharp nod.

"Maya…" he started. Maya held up her left hand and took off her wedding ring. And then she threw it at his face. It hit him in the eye and she glared at him.

"We're done. I'm moving out and I'm taking Hermione with me!" she snapped. Clark glared right back at her.

"Fine! I don't care! Take the little freak! But the dentist office is mine" Clark hissed. Maya snarled and punched him in the eye. He stumbled back with a roar of pain.

"Screw you!"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 19th of February 1994**

**8:00 AM**

"I…I can't believe it."

Bella looked at her crestfallen friend with sad eyes. She could Bella had seen the hidden disdain in Clark Granger's eyes when he had looked at Bella. She could see the disgust.

"I can. I'm sorry, Mione" Bella murmured. Hermione shook her head nad Ron was frowning as if contemplating what to do.

"Where is she going to live? She said she was leaving, right?" Ron asked. Hermione scanned the letter again before looking up wide-eyed at Bella and then back down at the piece of parchment.

"She's living with Sirius. They're the best of friends apparently. I can't believe…" Hermione trailed off and shook her head. She could feel her eyes burning and it wasn't because of her parents getting divorced.

She had seen it before it had come. How her father got irrationally jealous and always looked angry every time he set eyes on her.

"You can't believe he called you a 'freak'. Like Petunia called me?" Bella said, quietly. Ron gave Bella a shocked look.

"You mean that woman you told me about. Your Aunt Petunia? She called you a freak?" demanded Ron. Bella nodded slowly.

"You're not a freak, Ana."

Bella turned to see Draco standing there with a raised eyebrow. Blaise nodded in agreement and sighed.

"And neither are you, _bellissima_. Your father just doesn't understand."

"Oh, I know. I know that he doesn't understand and I doubt he ever will. I love my father. He's my father. But I _cannot_. Will not. Live with someone who doesn't understand what I am."

"That's my girl" Blaise muttered under his breath.

Hermione pretended not to hear so she didn't have to hide her _very_ pleased smile.

* * *

**Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 20th of February 1994**

**12:19 AM**

Tom didn't want to enter the decrepit little cottage in front of him. He didn't want to meet the man that he currently wanted to beat the crap out of. He was tired of messing with Gellert.

If the man wanted to be fucking resurrected into a _real_ body, he was going to play by _Tom's_ rules now.

That gave Tom enough motivation to kick open the door violently. Navy blue eyes sought out the source of the noise and a wand was pointing at Tom before he could even blink. Tom glared with crimson eyes.

"Don't bother, Gellert."

"Ah, Tom. What happened to 'Uncle' Gellert?" Gellert asked. Tom noticed that the man…spirit thing had a new body. It looked similar to his old younger body but not pretty enough.

He was blonde but…still there wasn't any prettiness to the face.

"You are _not_ my uncle. Do you know how much I want to strangle you?" Tom snarled. Gellert looked at his once-upon-a-time student and couldn't help but gape in surprise. The man had never been _this_ angry with him.

"No. I do wonder why."

"You wonder _why_? You're telling me that Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Wormtail got out on their own? You're telling me that they're going after Bella because they just _assumed_?" demanded Tom, ranting uncontrollably. Gellert blinked in surprise before smiling, victoriously.

"Of course not! I helped out a bit. It was terrible getting into Azkaban but I filled them. Bellatrix began to cry when she realized it was me. I told them that Bella Potter was at fault for what I have become and I'd like them to avenge me. Bellatrix took it as a great honor and said she would find you _and_ kill Bella Potter! So, I got my…well _your_most loyal servant and Bella Potter is going to die!" Gellert said, excitedly. Tom was shaking with anger now and he closed his eyes. He fought the rage and kept it off his face.

"You're a moron."

Gellert lifted his wand a little more at the deadly calm. A calm Tom was worst than an angry Tom. A calm Tom was calculating and concentrated.

"How so?"

"Bella Potter is Lady Victory! _And_ she already has her two brothers and her sister with her! They're awakening and they'll _destroy_ you if she dies!" Tom snarled. Gellert blinked and sighed.

"Shit."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21st of February 1994**

**9:25 AM**

"Professor, why are we just sitting here?" asked Colin Creevy. Gideon sneered at the man who was sitting at his desk. He was leaning back in his chair with his nose in a book. Remus looked a little lost. Riddle had said he would be teaching but he was still sitting there. Remus didn't have anything planned so he didn't know what to do.

"I'm reading. Shut up, Creevy" Riddle hissed. He was flipping through his book quickly and Remus could see it was _not_ in English.

Colin looked affronted and glanced at Ginny and Gideon who were sitting next to him. Ginny glanced at Luna who was staring at Riddle, unblinkingly. Ginny nudged her and Luna gave her a sad smile before raising her hand.

"Professor Riddle. I have something _very_ important to tell you" Luna said, softly. Riddle looked up from his book and rolled his eyes.

"I really doubt that, Lovegood. Turn to page…hmm, what's my favorite number? Ah, 7. Turn to page 7 and read" Riddle snapped. Everyone groaned and turned to the page that they had already read and began. Luna raised her hand again.

"Sir, it's really very important."

"No it's not. It's not if I say it isn't. Now _read_" Riddle said, without budging. Luna sighed and decided to play her trump card.

"It's about Anastasia."

"I'm don't really care."

"Sir, it's _very_ important. It's...almost as important as saving the nearly extinct Crumple-Horned Snorkak."

"You're very bad at being persuasive, Miss Lovegood. As you can see, I'm still not caring" Tom snapped.

Luna sighed.

And then there was a magically induced silence. Everyone stared attentively at Luna. Her eyes looked like glass as she zoned out.

"_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had one lovely daughter he._

_Half to darkness, she be drawn_

_Half to light, she be shown_

_Dual sides, it is foreseen_

_Light meets dark in the stillness between_

_But only one and one alone_

_Shall hold Victory and take her as his own._"

The prophecy had all the second years staring in shock at the twelve-year-old Seer. Luna came up from her prophesying and offered a smile.

"I told you, sir. It really was important."

"Fuck."

:::

**A/N: **I really, really, really, REALLY love this chapter. Going back and forth between lives is so much fun. I realized that there was too much focus on Hogwarts. Anyway, next chapter Hermione is...well...you'll see. The rest of the arc will be focused somewhat on Hermione.

Next Chapter: Psychos and Muggles


	30. Chapter XXVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **My storyline is set and we'll be seeing not only our favorite Muggle but her Muggle friends in this chapter! I know the thing with Sirius and Maya seems fast-paced but they won't be dating for a while. Divorces take time and Hermione is Maya's top priority. Without further ado, I introduce Maya and her Muggles. And…and some Tom and a prophecy. With some Horsemen thrown into the mix, I suppose. You'll also that _someone_ is a little different from canon.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21st of February 1994**

**9:35 AM**

"Are you serious?"

Bella, Tom, and Luna sat in Albus' office. Luna was looking out the window and grinning at Fawkes. Bella looked really confused, and Tom just looked really angry. Albus sighed.

Tom was _always_ really angry if he just took a lemon drop, he was sure that Tom would be as calm as he was.

"I'm quite serious I have my suspicions about this prophecy but each is as unlikely as the next. If I come up with anything, I'll be sure to tell you, Bella" Albus reassured the Girl-Who-lived. He was surprised as she gave him a frown but nodded. She turned to Tom.

"What does this have to do with _you_?" she asked. Tom glanced at her and then continued to glare at Albus' desk.

"I'm here as the recipient of the prophecy. The Seer gave it to me. Though I don't know _why_" Tom sighed. Luna turned to him sharply and her eyes were very clear. They weren't dreamy. They were sharp and precise.

"I do think you know why, Professor. However I assure you that it isn't the time for you to share why _you_ received. Daughter of Black drawn. Daughter of Black shown. Drawn is good. Shown is bad" Luna said, her sayings growing making less sense as she went on.

Bella frowned at the girl but said nothing.

* * *

**Pop Boutique, Monmouth Street, City of London, Greater London, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22nd of February 1994**

**11:30 PM**

"Really, Maya, I don't understand why you're so torn up about this. Clark cheated on _you_. Not the other way around, I'm sure" Penelope insisted as she browsed at the clothing. Maya glanced at her best friend and sighed. Penelope didn't understand.

She'd _never_ been married.

Her friends had taken her out on a _workday_…oh wait. She had been fired.

By her soon to be ex-husband.

"It's going to hurt for a while but, I found Alexander" Helen said. Maya chose not to point out that Alexander had seduced Helen when she was still with her husband. It was a good choice in her opinion. She didn't want to start anything.

"Yes, yes I know. I'm more worried about Hermione. Well…I'm sure Bella will make sure she doesn't slack" Maya said, more speaking to herself than her friends. Helen and Penelope glanced at her curiously.

"Who's Bella?" asked Penelope, curiously. Maya smiled.

"Hermione's best friend. The poor girl's parents were murdered and her godfather's taking care of her" Maya said, vaguely. This only boosted Penelope and Helen's curiosity more. There was not only a girl that they had never heard about but an alleged godfather…

"Tell us about her! What does she look like? What is she like? What is her _godfather _like?" asked Helen, excitedly. Maya tilted her head.

"Well, she's really headstrong and she has a foul mouth. But what's so strange…Helen, you're named after the woman with the face that launched a thousand ships. I'm pretty sure that Bella could _be_ the woman with the face that launched a thousand ships. She looks like an angel but she's so rough around the edges. You could meet her this summer. I'm living at their house with Hermione. Last summer we went to Paris. I think this year, Bella was looking forward to going to Venice" Maya said.

And the Quidditch World Cup, Maya added mentally.

"Oh…and what about her godfather?" asked Penelope. Maya's smile grew wider.

"If you wish…you could meet him. I'm meeting him for coffee. He's a really good friend. He brings his apprentice…he works in philosophy" Maya said.

Helen and Penelope exchanged grins.

Maya would definitely bounce back fast.

* * *

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22nd of February 1994**

**12:12 PM**

"You're late. How come you're late? And how come you've got people with you?"

Penelope blinked in surprise as she stared at the man in front of her. She unconsciously blushed when his eyes flicked over to her before she frowned. She'd never see him before. Or anyone like him for that matter.

His eyes were a steely grey and he had long silky ebony hair. His skin was tan and very smooth looking. He was wearing a long black duster over a tight black shirt and leather pants with black leather boots.

"Hi, Sirius this is Penelope and Helen. You just came from work?" asked Maya, cautiously. She watched as her friends looked him up and down. He looked over them and could tell that they were Muggles.

Telling Maya about the prophecy would have to wait until he convinced her to live with him. He smirked pleasantly at the fact that he was completely skipping the dating part that was normally _before_ inviting someone to live with you. He supposed it would have to wait until after.

"Yeah. Lee's still there. He said to tell you 'hello'. So, Penelope and Helen, eh? I'm Sirius Black" Sirius said, sticking out his hand. Maya couldn't help it. Penelope and Helen looked shocked at his charming smile. She giggled and decided to tease the three a bit.

"You mean _Lord_ Sirius Black" Maya murmured. Penelope and Helen glanced at her and their jaws dropped. Sirius looked a little sheepish and Penelope and Helen shook his hands at the exact same time. Sirius blinked.

"Well, well, well. You bounce back _fast_, Maya" Helen teased. Maya blushed and Sirius glanced at her curiously.

"No. I don't. He is the godfather of that girl I was telling you about. Bella is Hermione's best friend. They are so close they call each other 'sister'. So, is the problem between Bella and Professor Riddle resolved?" Maya asked. Sirius smirked and nodded.

"Very solved she isn't terrified to go into the room anymore. Uh…Professor Riddle is one of the teachers at the boarding school. They're rather close…when her parents were killed; he was the first one she saw. She punched him in the nose" Sirius explained for Helen and Penelope's benefit. They stared wide-mouthed. So, the Bella girl looked like an angel but was a total tomboy. Nice.

"Why?" was the only response Helen could come up with? Maya grinned.

"So, she has another friend. His name is Ron. He's one in a family of eight children" Maya started. Helen gaped.

"_Eight_?"

"Yes, eight, Helen. I thought I said that. They have two sets of twins. The two elder twins were singing a love song composed for Bella by the boy of the younger set of twins. His name is Gideon. Well, they'd been singing all day so she yelled for them to stop. They stopped and someone started humming it behind her. She turned around and yelled for them to shut up and then punched that person in the nose. It happened to be Professor Riddle. She broke his nose. And let me tell you…that wouldn't have ruined how he looked at _all_. He's gorgeous!" Maya said. Sirius looked distinctly uncomfortable now and he coughed.

"But _he's_ not a _Lord_" Penelope pointed out. Sirius looked sheepish.

"Er…he is and Bella's his Heiress. Or something like that. He's a Lord and he's gorgeous. Amazing. Great" Sirius said, flatly. Maya snickered.

"You're just jealous, Siri."

"No I'm not."

"Sure. Anyway, she punched him in the nose and then he chased her around the school until she locked herself in the dorm room and refused to come out. She even took the key so he couldn't get in. She didn't come out for two day not even for food. Hermione had to bring it to her" Maya laughed. Sirius grinned and glanced outside with a frown.

There was someone there, staring at them. It was a woman with a long dark coat and a hood on that shadowed her face. She looked oddly familiar.

"Maya…there's someone out there. Twirling a…shit! Come on. Now!" Sirius said, frantically. He recognized that blackthorn wand. _She_ had gone with them to get the wand. He ushered them up but Helen and Penelope looked confused.

"Sirius…what's wrong?" demanded Maya. Sirius glanced out of the window as the woman grinned and waved, pulling down her hood. Her thick black curls whirled in the wind.

"It's Bellatrix. My cousin's here."

"Crap! She hates Muggles" Maya snapped. Sirius nodded.

"She's here to see _me_. She's going to start cursing people if I don't go talk to her. You three stay behind me. She's insane and has the same mind disability as Hermione except _she_ hasn't take medication for it twenty years" Sirius snapped. Helen and Penelope looked at him disbelief.

"You must be joking! Shouldn't she be in a mental hospital?" Penelope demanded. Sirius sighed, no idea how to explain this to the two Muggles who looked _very_ confused.

"She escaped and she's here to see me."

Sirius exited the coffeehouse with the three Muggles walking briskly behind him. Maya was holding Penelope and Helen back from approaching the crazy woman and Bellatrix grinned at her cousin.

"Sirius! Sirius! Baby cousin! Do you know how _dark_ it is in Azkaban?" Bellatrix asked. Sirius was actually surprised that she was displaying this much control. She'd never been much for control before Azkaban.

"No."

"Of course you wouldn't, baby cousin. You didn't even visit me. Cissy visited every week! Even _Andy_ visited once a year. On my b-birthday. But baby cousin didn't. Regulus didn't _either_" sighed Bellatrix. Sirius stiffened at the name of his little brother and he approached Bellatrix, slowly, wand in hand

"Regulus is dead, Trixie."

"No…my Master said he's not dead when he broke me out of Azkaban. Master Grindelwald broke us out and we're looking for my Lord" Bellatrix said. She suddenly seemed to notice the three frightened Muggles behind Sirius. Her face contorted into one of disgust.

"Filthy Muggles my Lord will get rid of these nasty beasts. Rodolphus said not to touch any if I went out. He told me to just go and visit you. I suppose Rodolphus won't mind if I play _one_ little Muggle" Bellatrix sighed. She pointed her wand and looked around with a grin.

"_Crucio_."

Maya fell on the floor, screaming in pain. She felt as if she were being stabbed all over. She felt blinded with the pain. And as quick as it started, it ended.

"Try it again, Bellatrix. Try. It. again I am still a Black, Bellatrix. I _do_ know my fair amount of curses" Sirius said, coldly. Bellatrix cackled and her face twisted from one of innocence to a look of cruelty and disgust.

"Filthy blood traitor aunt Walburga should have disowned you when she had the chance. You're a fool. Baby cousin protecting the disgusting Muggles. Master Grindelwald will destroy you, blood traitor" Bellatrix snarled. Sirius glared at her.

"And Dumbledore will destroy your master and your lord."

"I don't think so. The precious Girl-Who-Lived was in a prophecy. Wormtail heard it, you know. I'm sure you know it:

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had one lovely daughter he._

_Half to darkness, she be drawn_

_Half to light, she be shown_

_Dual sides, it is foreseen_

_Light meets dark in the stillness between_

_But only one and one alone_

_Shall hold Victory and take her as his own_" Bellatrix laughed. Maya gasped from next to Sirius and Sirius shook his head in disgust.

"Leave Bellatrix before I summon the dementors" Sirius instructed. Bellatrix frowned and shook her head.

"Someone needs to read the old tales again. You don't understand the prophecy, baby cousin. You've forgotten the old ways. The Dark ways. Lady Victory remembers them. She remembers them well. Maybe the Girl-Who-Lived has hope. Hope…such a petty thing. Hope is nothingness. Hope is for the weak. Light meets dark in the stillness between…Rodolphus is going to be mad at me. I'm not allowed to play today. I wasn't supposed to play, but Master will be proud of me. He _will_. He's going to give me a little girl to teach you know. He said the Dark Lord won't mind. She has the prettiest brown hair. Even if she's a filthy Mudblood, I'll teach her to learn the Dark Lord's ways" Bellatrix said. Maya froze and Sirius stared at the woman as if he'd never seen her.

"I see. Go on, Trixie."

"Rodolphus wants to duel with Bella Potter. He wants to duel with her badly. I've heard that when using Dark spells, she's very good. I hope she's good. I want to watch a good duel" Bellatrix continued. She blinked her heavy-lidded eyes and glared at Sirius.

"Who, Bellatrix? Who is the little girl?"

"I have a magical restraint on me. The Cruciatus wasn't even that bad. The Muggle whore is weak. You wouldn't have screamed, baby cousin. I taught you good didn't I? When I tortured you, you never screamed. Never screamed. Never screamed" Bellatrix laughed, remembering the training she had put Regulus and Sirius through when she had delved into the Dark Arts in her fifth year.

"The little girl, Bellatrix! The little girl!" roared Sirius. He gained some looks from the stray people on the street but there wasn't that many people around, surprisingly.

"Her name…she has the same condition as me. She wants to duel me, I've heard. She's just as insane. She wants the Dark Arts. Her very soul calls to it. She is War. The little Mudblood's name…her name…Hermione. Hermione Granger."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22nd of February 1994**

**6:00 PM**

"What do you think that prophecy means?" sighed Bella, placing down her quill in the middle of her Transfiguration essay. Hermione and Ron sighed again and looked up from their work. Ron was in the middle of the same Transfiguration essay and Hermione was writing their History of Magic essay.

"Bella, you've been wondering all day today _and_ yesterday. We don't know. Now, did you finish that Transfiguration essay? It's due tomorrow" Hermione said, patiently. Bella groaned and looked down at it. It was about Animagi and she knew quite a bit about it already.

"But _Mione_, it's boring, and talking about prophecies are much more interesting" Bella whined. Hermione hushed her and looked around the library, which was very silent. Most students were in the common rooms.

"Be quiet. We're in a library. Act like it" Hermione snapped. Bella sighed and leaned back, pouting. She began working on it and talked as she worked.

"Well, I find it very strange that I got a prophecy told by Luna."

"Why is it strange?"

The trio turned to see the girl they had been talking about standing there with a wide smile. Her eyes were hazy once more and she seemed to be anywhere but there, even if she had spoken to them.

"Oh…Luna."

"Hello. Would you like a Quibbler? I've just finished reading next month's issue," Luna said, sitting down with the trio. Hermione's nose wrinkled and she shook her head.

"The Quibbler is absolute rubbish."

Luna turned with a steely and cold glint in her eyes and Hermione raised an eyebrow at the subtle yet hostile change.

"My father is the editor. It is just as much rubbish as my prophecy" Luna snapped. Hermione blushed and looked properly chagrined. The humility that she showed had Luna smiling again and she turned to Bella who was looking at her curiously.

"Luna…about that prophecy?" Bella said, saying it like it was a question.

"Bella, there are some prophecies that are self-fulfilling and then there are prophecies that are made about things that are _destined_ to happen. My prophecy only set what is destined in stone. Do not dwell on it. It will happen. If you continue thinking about it, nothing will get done" Luna said, quietly. Bella frowned and nodded before sighing and leaning back.

"I suppose."

"Miss Potter, Miss Granger?" a voice called. The quartet looked up to see Professor McGonagall. She looked rather grim and this did not dwell well with the two girls in question.

"Professor?" Bella asked.

"I think you should come with me. No, no Mr. Weasley. Your presence is not needed" McGonagall said. Luna smiled at Professor McGonagall.

"It's going to happen. What Lady Lestrange said" Luna said, confidently. McGonagall froze and sighed.

"Lady Lestrange? What do you mean Lady Lestrange?" Bella asked, her eyes widening in shock and the tiniest bit of fear coursed through her body.

Was Sirius hurt? Oh, Merlin! If Hermione was needed to that meant her mother had been hurt as well...oh, no...

"Miss Lovegood, you'll be needed as well. Come along. The Headmaster is waiting."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22nd of February 1994**

**6:15 PM**

"Mom!"

"Hermione!"

"Uncle Sirius!"

"Bella!"

"Hermione's godmothers."

"Luna?" asked Hermione in confusion before Luna pointed.

Hermione froze in her mother's arms and turned around to see her Aunt Penelope and Aunt Helen petting the phoenix, looking perfectly calm in the Headmaster's office.

"What the…Headmaster? What are Muggles doing here?" asked Hermione, obviously confused. Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his eyes before gesturing towards the two.

"They had a close encounter with Bellatrix Lestrange. It seems that she came to visit Sirius" Dumbledore said. Hermione gasped in pleasant surprise as Bella gasped in horror. Maya frowned as she saw her daughter's lips curl into a cruel smile. Helen and Penelope looked shocked as well.

"Did they really? What was she like? Tell me!" commanded Hermione. Maya blinked in surprise and frowned.

"She was…she was insane. She was very distracted. How you are sometimes. She…reminded me of you" Maya admitted, grudgingly. She watched in surprise as Hermione beamed.

"Where's Draco? Draco should be here. He distracts me when I'm worried" Bella moaned. She shook her head as she stepped from Sirius' hug and turned to Luna. Luna looked bored.

"He's downstairs, trying to figure out the password. He felt your panic."

"What is she doing here?" Sirius asked, confused. Luna flashed him a smile and opened the door. She walked downstairs before coming back up with Draco. Helen and Penelope watched as he stormed up to Bella before flicking in her forehead.

"What the hell? You panicked! No panicking! I just ran from Riddle while he was trying to reprimand me. He's on his way here now" Draco snapped. Bella grinned and turned to the two very confused Muggles. Maya grinned.

"Professor Riddle is coming now" Maya reiterated. The door slammed open.

"I'm here and Mr. Malfoy you have detention and so do you, Miss Potter."

Helen and Penelope gasped as they took in the visage of Professor Riddle. He was just as gorgeous as Maya had described him.

"Why do I have detention? _I_ didn't run away from you!" Bella protested.

"Yeah, but you panicked. You're not allowed to panic."

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not! Insufferable…"

"Arse!"

"Brat!"

"Jerk!"

"ENOUGH!" Luna bellowed.

Everyone was silent and Bella and Tom were still glaring at each other. Luna sighed and looked at Dumbledore who looked amused.

"Please, continue Miss Lovegood. You're doing a remarkable job" Dumbledore said. Luna smiled.

"Thank you. Everyone please take your seats. Professor Riddle and Bella, I think you should sit together…" Luna started. Tom and Bella gasped.

"I'm not sitting next to _that_" they shouted together. They glared at each other and looked ready to physically hurt each other. Luna snapped at them.

"_Huna! Holta onnalda anto_" Luna snapped in Druhir. Tom and Bella quieted and looked down at their laps.

She had just told them to shut up and it didn't feel good that Tom had to listen to the girl as Dumbledore had given her free reign.

"Sit down. Find a seat. Miss Helen, Miss Penelope, sit down over there, near Fawkes. Yes. Mister Sirius, right there. Miss Maya, next to Mister Sirius. Hermione, next to your sister. Draco, next to your sisters. Hmm…a brother's missing. Oh, no, he's almost here. He senses them. Yes, I believe we're ready to have a civil conversation. So, let's introduce ourselves, give a like and dislike" Luna said, charmingly. Tom stared at her horrified.

"You can't be serious!" he snapped. Dumbledore gave a genial smile just as the door opened to reveal Blaise who looked annoyed.

"You panicked! Why did you panic?" Blaise snapped at Bella. She gave a hostile smirk and glared at him.

"I swear, I'm getting tired of all of you. Tom, Draco, and now _you_" Bella snapped. Blaise glared at her before sitting on the arm of Hermione's chair, next to Draco. Bella was sitting in the chair and Tom was sitting on the arm of the chair. Luna smiled.

"Once again I'm Luna Lovegood, a Seer. A Seer is someone who prophesizes and knows things. Things that haven't happened I really like Heliopaths and I can't stand nargles and wrackspurts. Your turn Bella."

"I'm Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter. I like Gideon Weasley, as a friend and I hate Tom Marvolo Riddle" Bella said, flatly. Tom glared at her and smacked her in the back of her head. She shoved at him and they looked like they were about to bicker when Luna gave them a penetrating stare.

"I'm Lord Tom Marvolo Riddle Slytherin. I don't like anything and I hate Bella Potter and that deplorable Gideon Weasley."

"Why do you hate Gideon so much?" Bella snapped. Tom glared.

"Why shouldn't I? He's a _redhead_."

"My mum was a redhead, thank you very much! Orphan boy!" Bella snarled. Tom growled and they looked ready to kill each other once more.

"**Brat!**"

"Don't hiss at me in Parseltongue! Say it in English so everyone can know that you're verbally abusing me" Bella snapped. Sirius grinned in anticipating. This was almost as good as one of those Wizarding soap operas.

Not that he watched them…

"Fine, you brat."

"You are a total prick!" Bella snapped. Maya gaped as did her friends when the three sitting next to her responded.

"Here, here!"

"Detention! For all of you! Tomorrow at eight o' clock. If you're late…" Tom bellowed. Hermione blinked.

"I think I've lost all respect for you, Professor. The only thing that's working for me is that you gave me a key to your library" Hermione sighed. Draco gaped.

"A Mudblood has access to the Slytherin library? I want a key! Can I have one?" he demanded, arrogantly. Maya glared at him and watched as Hermione punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, Malfoy. No you can't. Because you don't even _like_ your sister" Hermione pointed out. Draco glared before slumping in his seat.

"Excuse me! You're supposed to introduce yourselves to the Muggles. Draco! Continue!" snapped Luna.

"Fine. I'm Draco Malfoy, Heir to the Malfoy estate. Also, notably known as the Claimer's Son. Or Thanatos. It really depends on who's talking to me. I like my sister and I dislike Mudbloods like Hermione Granger."

"I'm Hermione Granger, resident Mudblood of Hogwarts. I like books. I dislike Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini."

"I'm Blaise Zabini. I like Mudbloods. I dislike Draco because he's being annoying."

"I'm Sirius Black. I like my goddaughter. I don't like my goddaughter's other guardian, the Prick…sorry, Riddle."

"I'm Maya Granger. I like books. I dislike my soon to be ex-husband and the word Mudblood."

"I'm Helen Smith. I like shopping. I don't really like not knowing things."

"I'm Penelope Walker. I like gorgeous professors. Enough said."

"He prejudice against Muggles. Don't even bother. He doesn't even have hormones. He's asexual" Bella grinned. Tom glared at her.

"Who told you that?"

"My locket."

Everyone watched as Tom grabbed the large and ornate locket around Bella's neck and glared down at it.

"Well, my 'spell' is a bloody liar. **I do **_**so**_** have hormones**."

"No you—"

"Don't even start. Now that we're all here, I find that this is highly strange and that Bella's panicking released accidental magic and her accidental magic has affected most of the people in this room," Luna said, matter-of-factly. Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.

"I'm Albus Dumbledore. I like lemon drops and socks. I do not dislike anything except for the Dark. And I believe you are right Miss Lovegood. It seems to be making their personalities rather extreme. Or there is also the possibility that her accidental magic is making them act childish."

"See what happens when you panic?" demanded Draco. Bella sighed and closed her eyes.

"Shut it…I can't control it very well" Bella said, her voice changing. Her eyes glowed a sickly green. Hermione's darkened. Blaise's eyes lightened. Draco's turned to steel.

"Anastasia, tore her soul and now she's all confused" Draco taunted. Bella glared at him and most everyone watched, completely confused.

"I fixed it! It doesn't hurt anymore. It wasn't _my_ fault."

"It was 'twas your fault. Foolish _sorella_."

"He's right you know. You're the only. If you had a certain wand …" Hermione sighed. Bella glared at them and crossed her arms.

"I'll get it…eventually."

"You need to go back in now" Luna said, quietly. The four looked at her and Draco's lips curled into a smile.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Because you don't belong here yet."

"Why?" Hermione countered.

"_One little witch dueling with a crow_

_Spinning fast and freely on her little toes_

_Where the Light imprisons her nobody knows_

_One little witch dueling with a crow_" Luna countered. Dumbledore blinked in surprise as Hermione paled considerably.

"I won't. I won't go back. Not now" Bella snarled. Luna glared at her and Bella leaned back in her seat, looking rather sullen.

"You can't take over their personalities, you know. You have to mesh" Luna said, knowledgeably. Blaise sighed.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, you haven't heard my last prophecy."

"Why should we?" Bella countered.

"Because, if you wish for my prophecy to go the way you wish, you must leave."

"That's a legitimate excuse. I see. _She_ must choose me. She must choose me by herself."

"If she chooses you, she would become you. But she would also be herself. You are nothing but a representation of the _Kveykva_" Luna said, kindly. Bella sighed.

"Bollocks."

Suddenly, the four stiffened before screaming in pain. They gripped the chairs and Sirius looked at Dumbledore who was staring at them intently.

"Hermione!" Maya, Helen, and Penelope gasped.

"Ana…" Tom whispered in horror as the screaming worsened into a primal sort of scream.

"Dumbeldore! Stop! You're hurting them" Sirius shouted. Dumbledore blinked and the screaming stopped short. Bella shook her head and then began to sob, harshly. She grabbed Tom's shoulder.

"**Mordred, no. Tom…I had a dream. I had a dream again. So much light. It hurts. I feel like was just shocked by lightening. And then a pain. Someone was trying to get in my head**"

"You used Legilimency on them" Tom said, accusingly. Sirius glared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked perfectly calm.

"I was only checking on what was possessing them."

"I doubt that. You know just as well as I that these children are something that should not be said. Something that has been prophesized for centuries we do not speak of them. We will not speak of them. Not now" Tom said, coldly. Dumbledore's eyes didn't lose its sparkle but not it looked cruel before they turned warm again.

"Mummy…I felt pain and fire. I was burning. And then everything was dark and someone was screaming. I couldn't see anything" Hermione whispered. Bella turned to Draco who was shivering and looked very pale.

"Draco…"

"Death. I was in Hell. It felt like fire but it was ice. It was so cold that I felt like I was being burned. It didn't feel good" Draco muttered. Blaise nodded and cleared his throat.

"I was…it was windy where I was and I felt things crawling all over me. I could feel…_things_ taking over me. It was like they had their hands on me and wouldn't let go. I felt utterly trapped" Blaise whispered.

"You all need your addictions for relief. Blaise needs his potion. Draco needs to feed. Hermione needs to release her anger and rage. Bella…you can't. You can't do anything yet. You cannot release the _Kveykva_ until you finally have it so high that there is no way to go but out" Luna murmured. She turned to the Muggles who looked very horrified.

"Let you be witnesses. I say now, the Apocalypse is coming. And the fight of Armageddon be on these grounds" Luna murmured. Sirius gaped.

"Bellatrix knows."

"She does. And she's coming for her. If Hermione wins against Bellatrix, she will leave her alone for a time before ultimately getting her wish. She wishes to train Hermione. It will buy time. But, ultimately Hermione _will_ be who she is meant to be. And she will wreak havoc among the masses, bringing with her the three others, bound to her in no way ever seen before."

:::

**A/N: **Dramatic, wasn't it? Now, they are ultimately connected. Dumbledore will be biding his time for now. He's counting on them not figuring out who they are until it is too late. My Dumbledore moves his most prized pieces, only when it is necessary.


	31. Chapter XXVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **If you looked close enough, you're going to see that a certain title is available in this chapter, if worded differently. And you get to see five certain people's abilities. They all have their strengths and weaknesses so no Mary Sues! Also, I use a term quite a bit in the last bit of the chapter. It won't be really explained until 4th year. We'll get a basic overview but a certain Assistant Professor will be joining us next year. He'll explain. This should end

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22nd of February 1994**

**7:00 PM**

"It was nice of Professor Riddle to let us eat in his classroom" Helen said, directing her comment to said man who had Bella sitting on the desk. Said man was reading while she leaned against his side, shuddering every few moments.

"It was nice of me, wasn't it?" Tom asked. Helen blushed and glanced at Penelope who giggled. Maya rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe they hadn't seen past his face. He was an arrogant jerk.

"Shut up, Tom. Luna, when will it stop?" demanded Bella. Luna looked at her and new she was talking about the static running across her skin.

"When it has run its course Hermione still feels like she's burning, Blaise still feels something on his skin, Draco still feels biting cold. Draco will be back soon. He's feeding" Luna said, casually. Helen looked up.

"Why doesn't he just eat with us?" asked Penelope. Bella shuddered again and Blaise downed the rest of his potion, gritting his teeth over the taste.

"It's not a pleasant sight. I'm sure you saw the dementors. He eats the souls from their bodies. They take in souls as food and he takes it from them. How he does it is…not good to describe while eating" Blaise said, vaguely. Helen and Penelope grimaced.

"Bella, why don't you come over here?" Sirius asked, uncomfortable with the idea of Bella depending only on Tom. She nodded and made to move when she shuddered uncontrollably and leaned into Tom's side even more. He didn't seem to mind.

"I can't. It hurts. My magic needs his magic. My wand needs his wand. I can't move. It hurts too much" Bella muttered. Helen and Penelope glanced at her.

"I noticed that you seem to have three last names. Why?" Helen asked. Bella looked at them and gave a slight smile.

"Slytherin is the name of one of the Founders of this school. Tom is my magical guardian—" Bella started. She was cut off.

"Not really."

Everyone looked at Luna like she was insane and she smiled.

"Wrackspurts are coming out of everyone's ears…you might want to get rid of those."

"What did you mean by that?" Bella asked. She felt Tom stiffen underneath her but didn't say anything. She'd ask him later. Luna smiled.

"Not really, is what I mean. He's something…it's very hard to explain. You have his last name. That's all you really need to know right now. You have _both_of his last names, actually" Luna said before beginning to hum and going back to eating her food. Bella frowned.

"I'm a Riddle?"

"She's a Riddle? And I was so happy about keeping _one_ thing to myself" Tom sighed. Bella glared at him. Sirius frowned. This seemed familiar, what Luna was describing. But he couldn't remember…

"She isn't necessarily. It all depends really. She _could_ have it. But she doesn't. Not now" Luna said, curiously. Sirius' eyes widened in comical horror.

"What do you mean 'not now'? Not anytime in the future, I hope so. That's…pedophilia" Sirius said. Tom and Bella's eyes widened and they shoved away from each other so hard that Bella fell on the ground. She cried out in pain from being away from Tom before scrambling back to sit next to him.

"Yes, it is. I said it could. It doesn't have to be. I'm only giving options. Mister Sirius, I see _all_ possible paths. I see you dying for instance. The next moment, I may see you alive and well. It depends on choices all on the choice. Some matters…there is no choice. Darn those wrackspurts. They're all around me too!" Luna said before swatting at the air.

"Is she insane?" Helen stage-whispered. There were random giggles before Tom cleared his throat.

"They're real."

"Excuse me?" Maya asked, looking at him as if he were insane.

"They're real. She's not insane. She can see them because she's a half-Elven child" Tom explained. Luna blinked and then swatted at the air again.

Sirius still looked concerned about what Luna had said but he brushed it off by vowing to make sure that Bella never it made it an option.

"Anyway, as I asked, why do you have three names?" asked Helen. Bella cleared her throat.

"Slytherin for my magical guardian. Black for my godfather who legally adopted me. Potter for my parents. My parents were killed by an evil Dark wizard. Gellert Grindelwald. He was going after me for some reasoning that some people refuse to shed light on. He killed them but my mother died for me, sacrificing her life even though he told her to stand aside. He was going to spare her. Instead, she decided to die. He killed her right in front of me. I was only one. I don't remember them. All I have are pictures of them" Bella sighed. Helen and Penelope looked at the girl in shock.

She _did_ have a soft side. She just hated showing it.

"Where's Draco? He better not over feed" Bella muttered. Maya looked up and now she was curiosity.

"_Why_ does he feed on souls?" she asked.

"Because I don't have one" was the answer. They turned to the door and saw Draco hovering in the doorway. He looked much healthier than before and he was holding hands with a small dementor. It looked like a baby and its hands weren't slimy or scabby yet. They looked baby like but still skeletal and they were grey yet looked like skin.

"Come on. They won't hurt you" Draco sighed. The dementor hiccupped and they felt the slightest bit of happiness being sucked away but it returned quickly.

"What…the hell?" Tom muttered.

"This is my familiar. They were about to instate him into the Circle. The Circle of Guards he's just a baby. I didn't want a new guard for the prison. And I wanted a pet. My father won't let me have one. He still has his eyes and everything" Draco said, pulling down the hood. The little dementor has completely black eyes but it just made it look cute.

The dementor wasn't slimy or scabby faced yet either. It looked adorable and it gurgled instead of rattled.

"Yes, yes. You can run around here. Professor Riddle, can I keep him?" Draco asked. Tom watched with wide eyes as the little dementor began to spinning in circles before launching itself at him and hugging Bella who laughed as it nudged her.

"Er…as long as it doesn't suck anyone's soul out."

"Cool. I think I'll name you Augustus. A good and proper name for a pet of the Malfoys. Do you think the Headmaster will let me keep him?" Draco asked as the baby dementor, newly christened Augustus flew to Maya and sat in her lap. Sirius blinked at it as it tugged on her hair and hiccupped once more.

"He's so cute!" Helen squealed. Everyone looked at her as if she were insane.

"They're soul-sucking beasts" Sirius said, flatly. He looked at the baby dementor and glared. The baby dementor and gave a slight grin and he noticed that it still had all of its teeth. They were sharp.

"They don't live on souls, you know and if it's a soul-sucking beast, so am I. So, what happened while I was gone?" Draco asked. Hermione shrugged as she inspected Blaise who was still trying to down his potion.

"Nothing. Except we found out that wrackspurts and nargles are real. I wonder where Ron is. He's probably really mad…"

"Found you! I was looking all over for you two and…huh?" a voice called. Ron stood in the doorway, looking triumphant and annoyed. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Weasley, you will be quiet. We don't want you agitating the baby dementor" Tom said, coolly. Bella had to admire him. He made having a baby dementor in the room sound so normal. Ron blinked in surprise and Luna quickly filled him in.

"O…kay. So, you three are Muggles? And Malfoy has a baby dementor…is that allowed?" Ron asked Tom. Tom glared at him and Ron flinched.

"It's fair if I say it is. Now shut up and leave" Tom snapped. Bella nudged him and looked at Ron who looked fairly confused as to why Bella was practically sitting on the man's lap.

"Stop being mean to my best friend. It's rude."

"No one was talking to you."

"Well, I'm talking to you" Bella countered.

Helen couldn't help but notice that they fought like an old married couple. She decided not to the point that out for Penelope and Sirius' sake. Penelope was still staring at Tom like a lovesick puppy.

"Professor Riddle, will you explain to me the dynamics of your job. What is it that you actually do?" Penelope asked, sweetly. Tom blinked and looked down at Bella. She gave a jolt as she felt the static begin to tone down in her body and she felt the static leave her body. She relaxed against him and laid her head down on his shoulder and decided not to move.

Bella was way too comfortable where she was.

"I am the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I teach them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts" Tom said as if speaking to a child. Penelope nodded, taking in the information and she fluttered her eyes.

"He doesn't like Muggles."

Penelope glanced at the girl sitting next to Tom and glared at her. The girl looked like an angel but like Maya had described, was a little rough around the edges. She was also insane with the way her personality had switched in the office.

"What do you mean by that?" Penelope asked, patiently. The girl, Bella, gave a pitying smile and shook her head. She turned towards Tom and hissed at him. Hermione had explained that they were speaking to each other. She felt an intense flare of jealousy as he gave her a slight smile and hissed back.

"Tom doesn't like Muggles. He never has. As long as I've known him. How long have I known you? Should I count when I met you when I first turned eleven or on the night my parents died" Bella asked. Tom tilted his head.

"You spoke the night of your parents death. You spoke Parseltongue to Salazar. I believe he would have counted that as the first time. Black, will Bellatrix try to get through again?" Tom asked turning to Sirius. Sirius was looked at them with scrutinizing eyes and nodded.

"No. Her target ie to kill is Bella. Her target to train is Hermione. She wants them both and she won't stop until she has succeeded. My cousin will do anything to please her masters" Sirius said, going into Order member mode. Tom nodded.

"Or unless I stop her first. Black, you're really forgetting who I am. I am one of the most powerful wizards on the face of the planet. I will not back down from an insane woman who probably doesn't know up from down" Tom said, coldly. Penelope blinked. He had a passion in his voice that he didn't even seem to know about. She turned to Bella who was smirking at him. Bella pulled his arm and he looked down at her.

"Train me."

"Excuse me?" Sirius and Tom asked together. Bella smirked and then looked at the rest of her friends.

"Train us. I want to be able to fight. This is going to come down to a fight. I can feel it. I don't always need you to protect me you know. I defeated Grindelwald twice" Bella said. Draco cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.

"Wrong. _I_ sucked out his soul. And it tasted like, excuse my French, shit."

"I summoned you. Go take that stick out your arse and go play with Augustus" Bella snapped. Draco glared at her.

"Your manners are astounding Anastasia."

"No, fighting. Stop it" Blaise said, quietly. Draco and Bella turned to him. He looked tired and haggard and he cleared his throat.

"_Mia sorella. Mio fratello. _No fighting. There is too much going on to fight now. Understand?" Blaise said, quietly. Draco and Bella nodded, slowly. They turned to each other and exchanged looks.

"Let's get back to my previous request. Train me. Train us. All five of us" Bella requested. Ron blinked in surprise that she had included him. Draco looked a little affronted and disgusted.

"_Five_? There is no five. There are four and only four" Draco said, coldly. Luna nodded and gave a smile.

"Only the Four. But in this time and age there are times when you need back-up. Five for now. One day, Draco, it will be as you wish" Luna muttered to herself. Everyone glanced at her as she looked around before beginning to eat. The room was still silent, as it seemed that she had something to say.

"Luna?" Hermione asked.

"I guess it _isn't_ the right time to say that. Treacle tart?" smiled Luna before turning back to her food.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 23rd of February 1994**

**7:15 AM**

"Sirius? My dear boy, I never thought I'd see the day where you would awake before seven thirty. What can I do for you?" asked Albus Dumbledore. The old man looked curiously. Sirius was wearing Ministry robes and Albus was suddenly curious about what the younger man did for a living.

"Dumbledore, it's not what you _can_ do. It's what you can't do. And you should greet your other guests as well" Sirius said, coolly. He moved out of the doorway to reveal a pissed off Maya, two cold platinum blondes, and a very angry half-Veela.

"Mrs. Zabini and Lord and Lady Malfoy? And what do I owe this pleasure?" Dumbledore asked. Lucius Malfoy glared at the man, his hand twitching every few seconds, revealing his urge to curse the old man into oblivion.

"It has come to my attention Headmaster that you attempted to use— " Lucius started carefully. Ms. Zabini pushed past the man and glared at Dumbledore with a fire in her eyes. She sat down, gracefully in the seat across from his desk and gestured with her wand for him to sit down. Dumbledore sat, carefully.

"How dare you?" Mrs. Zabini demanded. Dumbledore frowned in confusion.

"I daresay I don't understand what you're speaking of."

"How dare you use _Legilimency_ on my child without my presence _or_ my consent" Mrs. Zabini spat. Dumbledore almost froze in his seat. How could they...Albus turned look at Sirius and couldn't believe the cold look on his face.

He couldn't believe that one of his favorite students, Sirius Black, had summoned the parents of those children. Those blasphemous children who wouldn't let him into their minds. Dumbledore struggled to keep the grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes but could feel that it was harder and harder for him to do each time.

"I was only checking on him. They seemed to be in a trance."

"You're a bloody liar."

The words were not spoken by any of the outraged parents. Albus glanced at the doorway and his eyes narrowed infinitesmally on Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle had always been in Albus' books. He had seemed to grow Darker during his time at Hogwarts and then had completely disappeared before resurfacing a few years before Bella had arrived at the school looking only a few years older. He hadn't looked Dark or twisted and so Albus had come to trust him. Right now, he wasn't too sure of that trust.

It didn't really seem mutual.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 23rd of February 1994**

**8:00 AM**

"Maya will be living with me at Grimmauld Place. Bellatrix seems to know that Maya is Hermione's mother after I publically defended her. She'll be going after her. Penelope and Helen are fine. But we'll be keeping people posted near their houses for protection" Sirius promised. Bella nodded and Hermione smiled.

"That's good. Mum, be careful" Hermione said. Maya nodded and hugged her daughter. They were in the Great Hall and Maya had never seen her daughter in uniform. She looked very pretty.

"I will be. I promise. Bye Aunt Helen. Aunt Penelope" Hermione said. Penelope nodded, absently, looking over their shoulders, in search for Tom. Bella shook her head.

"He's not coming" Bella said, quietly. As if to prove her wrong, Tom walked past with a _very_ mad Gideon next to him.

"Bella…he gave me detention for…" Gideon trailed off. Tom glared at the boy next to him and looked at Bella.

"I gave him detention for stalking you. That's against the law" Tom snapped. Bella snorted and turned towards Gideon who looked rather embarrassed now. She cleared her throat.

"You stalked me? Do you have Red Vines?" Bella asked. Gideon extracted a pack from his robes and held it out to her. She turned from Tom and then to Gideon and then gave a slight grin.

"He can stalk me if he wants."

"You're absolutely impossible. Do you know that?" Tom snarled. Bella gave him a grin and shook her head.

"No, I'm not. You're just biased. Come on, Gideon. I'll make sure that mean ol' Tom won't bother you anymore. Bye Uncle Sirius. And Penelope…" Bella trailed off, uncertainly. Penelope looked at the Dark angel and smiled.

"Yes, Bella?" she asked, indulgently. Bella turned to Tom who was still glaring at the smirking redhead. She turned back to Penelope and gave her a knowing look.

"He's just not that into you. Bye!" Bella said, enthusiastically before skipping away, a smirk painted on her face as she glimpsed Penelope's shocked face. Tom snickered and walked away, a new swagger in his step.

"Wait…all the times that she said he didn't like Muggles…was she serious?" demanded Penelope. Maya cleared her throat and smiled at her friend, with a grin.

"Pen…he doesn't like much of anything" Maya said. Hermione nodded.

"And he doesn't trust anyone either. Except Bella."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 16th of April 1994**

**10:35 PM**

She could see the gold glint in front of her. Bella's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward on her Firebolt.

Even after having it for a good four months, she still loved it. She looked behind her and saw Draco leaning forward on his Nimbus 2001. He was glaring at her and suddenly she was slowing down. Draco was smirking at her, holding the end of her broom.

He'd never change she thought and even though she was beyond pissed off, it was a comforting thought. She wanted this one person, her blood brother, to stay the same. Because she knew a change was coming. She could feel it.

"Get off!" Bella shouted. Her shout drew attention to her and Madam Hooch blew her whistle sharply and everyone in the air stopped and looked to her.

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've _never_…" Hooch shouted, angrily.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B —"

Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Draco's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Slytherins seemed to be excited about Draco's foul, rather than angry. It motivated Bella to new heights. She had to win.

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal — Montague scores —" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor…"

Draco and Bella were neck to neck and were so close that their shoulders were bumping. Bella urged her broom forward and faster but Draco was also pushing his broom to a faster speed. She knew he was reaching his breaking point. If he didn't get the Snitch soon or slow down his broom, his broomstick would fall apart because of the speed.

"Move it, Anastasia" Draco shouted in frustration as Bella turned sharply in front of him, blocking his way to the Snitch

"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!"

Bella looked towards the hoops. Every single Slytherin player apart from Draco was streaking up the pitch toward Angelina, including the Slytherin Keeper — they were all going to block her — Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!"

They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Angelina's way was clear. Bella pulled up sharply as she heard the whistling of the Quaffle being thrown behind her. She was doing what had been called her signature move. She moved to fly, vertically, wrapping her legs tightly around the broom. She cleared the middle hoop just as the Quaffle went in.

"SHE SCORES! Excellent maneuver and tactic from Gryffindor Seeker, Bella Potter. Her signature move had to be done sometime…OH! THE SNITCH HAS BEEN SIGHTED! MALFOY'S SEEN THE SNITCH" Lee shouted. Bella jolted and turned sharply to look at Draco.

He was streaking after something golden. Bella pushed her Firebolt faster than she had ever dared too and she could almost _hear_ the sonic boom it left in her wake. She felt the wind slash at her face and she shot in front of Draco and wrapped her hand around the glittering ball. Just as she grabbed it, she flipped forward with her broom before landing upright once more.

"YES!"

The shouts came from a lot of a places but the loudest was from Oliver Wood himself. Everyone landed and Oliver rushed towards Bella and hugged her tightly, tears glittering in his eyes. Tears of happiness.

He began to sob and then raised his fist in triumph. There was a roar of happiness, coming from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. Draco was still in the air and he was looking down at the group with an expressionless face.

"We've won the Cup! We've won the Quidditch Cup!"

Bella felt her vision blurring and she felt her heart pounding. She was crying she realized. She didn't think she'd ever been happier.

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 23rd of April 1994**

**5:00 PM**

"You wish to learn from me."

It was a statement, not a question. The five third years nodded sharply. Hermione seemed to be the spokesperson.

"We do we're tired of feeling unprepared. This is not a coincidence. Bella has met Grindelwald twice in two years. He is not dead. We know this. He will return and there will be a war. I can feel it in my blood. We can't leave ourselves unprotected. We are the closest to Bella, thus we are targets" Hermione said, bluntly. Bella nodded and she cleared her throat.

"I will not put my friends in danger, nor will I leave them unprotected" she said. Tom tried to keep the smile off his face. He really did. He couldn't. He gave the slightest smile and Bella blinked in surprise.

Bella was being awfully noble for a closet-Slytherin. But that wasn't what was making her ask for training. She had that hidden self-preservation. She wanted her siblings protected and she didn't even realize it. She unconsciously knew that she'd go insane without them. That they balanced her out Weasley was just there on the account of her acquired Gryffindor loyalty. She only had her natural loyalty to those she felt intimately connected with.

"You will have to keep up with your schoolwork as well. If you begin to lack in those areas, I will not teach you any longer. You will not announce that I am helping as well. If I am to teach you to duel, we will not only be delving into practical ways but we will be going through theory as well. Do you understand? That means extra reading" Tom explained, quickly. Weasley looked hesitant the others looked stone-faced, like aged veterans.

"We understand perfectly" Hermione said, despite seeing Weasley looking nervous. She glanced at Bella who nodded and cleared her throat.

"Understandable. We will test out your skills now" Tom said. He levitated the tables to the side of the large and now spacious room. He conjured a dueling platform. He stepped onto it and looked at the five children.

"Weasley, you first."

Weasley walked onto the platform shakily. Tom cleared his throat.

"Bow."

Tom gave the slightest of bows and Weasley bowed until he was looking at the ground. He looked up to see a red jet of light rushing towards him. He flew back and Hermione sighed.

"He was nervous. _Rennervate_" Hermione whispered. Weasley shot up and looked around and grabbed his fallen wand and blushed.

"I…I wasn't ready!" he said, defensively. Tom gave him a withering look as he struggled off the dueling platform. Bella jumped on and looked at Tom, curiously before looking at Ron.

"You have to always be ready. Especially when dealing with Slytherins. We bow" Bella dictated. They each gave the slightest of bows and suddenly, Bella was ducking a flurry of spells. She rolled as a purple one shot next to her and scorched the platform.

"_Reducto!_" she shouted, pointing at the floor beneath Tom. He jumped as the wood exploded and he back flipped. Bella rushed towards him and dodged as another spell singed her hair. She slid to the ground and swiped her legs underneath his legs. He jumped to avoid the blow that would've made him land on his back.

"_Confringo_!" she said under her breath, aiming up at him. He shifted in midair, spinning to avoid the attack.

He flipped over her and she spun, still crouched on the ground. She recognized the jet of light as a _Reducto_. She jumped from the spot, just as it splintered. She grabbed a rather long piece of wood and aimed. She felt static run down her hand and into the wood. It was suddenly sparking with small white lights. She let the sharp and thin pseudo-weapon fly and it would have made its way to its target, between Tom's eyes if he had not transformed it into a blade of grass. He flicked his wand and she felt her eyes water as her contacts flew into his hands.

Her vision was suddenly atrocious and she watched as he pocketed the thin pieces of what could be considered as her weakness. The entire room was suddenly blurred and she blinked. Everything was fuzzy but wasn't as bad as it would've been if she wasn't regularly taking the eye-correcting potion. It would take a few more years until her eyes were 20-20.

"Yield" Bella said as he aimed his wand at her. He nodded and grabbed her chin, before placing the contacts in her eyes. She blinked at the gentleness he showed and then blinked a few more times, to get used to the contacts once more. Hermione seemed to know what had happened. Draco, Blaise, and Ron were confused.

"What just happened? Why did you stop?" Ron asked.

"I couldn't see. I have…pieces of plastic or whatever in my eyes that help my vision. My vision is terrible and instead of wearing glasses while I take the eye-correction potion, I use what is called contacts" Bella explained. Draco was thoughtful before he looked at Bella.

"Very resourceful. Using a weapon is good. Always in your less dominant hand however" Draco said, muttering to himself. Tom nodded.

"It was a good try but I'm a world-class dueler. I'm evenly matched with Dumbledore. Trust me, we've dueled. You're much farther along than Mr. Weasley. Most of your work will be theory then" Tom said, talking to himself. He looked at Hermione who looked rather eager. He beckoned her up as Bella jumped down.

"We bow."

Hermione nodded and summoned her sword as he gave his slight little bow. Bella watched as Tom transfigured a piece of wood into a glittering sword with a silver hilt.

"En garde" Hermione said, smirking. She lunged forward, her sword in her left hand. Silver met silver and there were sparks flying as they hit against each other, again and again. Hermione lifted her wand.

"_Solvite Interna_" Hermione said, slashing her wand down. The three children on the ground who came from Dark families blinked in surprise. A purple streak of light erupted from her wand and flew at Tom. Tom blinked in surprise and cast a wandless Shield Charm. The spell dissipated.

"Dark very dark, Miss Granger."

"It's much easier than Light spells" Hermione said, defensively. Ron gaped as he realized why everyone was so surprised.

"_Sanguis Coque_" Hermione said under her breath, casting a bright orange spell. Tom jumped out of the way and the spell blew chucks of stone. Tom lunged and suddenly, Hermione's sword went flying towards the children. Tom flicked his wand and it flew into the stone. Hermione raised her wand.

"_Accio _Sword" she said, quietly. The sword flew back into her hand.

"Yield, Miss Granger very impressive. I would have expected that of Bella. She seems to be the more physical person. Your swordsmanship needs work if you're to rely on it. It is an effective weapon and it will be good for you to learn to use it. Physicality is your weak point, not your repertoire. Bella, did you recognize her spells?" Tom asked, carefully. Bella nodded slowly and glanced at Ron who was still staring in shock.

"Yes. I've used them before…when learning to duel. The first was a Destruction of the Internal spell. It messes with your bodily organs. It could do anything from destroying your stomach to rupturing your heart. The second was the Blood Boiling Curse. You would've died from your blood overheating. Where did you learn all of that, Hermione?" Bella asked in shock. Hermione gave a slight smile.

"Places."

"Well, we'll work on your physical endurance, Miss Granger. Mister Zabini?" Tom said, quietly. Blaise jumped onto the dueling platform.

"We bow" Blaise said, quietly. The two bowed in the Slytherin way.

Tom flicked his wand and the four children that watched were amazed. Blaise was dancing. He wasn't as physical as Bella had been and didn't have the bloodlust that Hermione seemed to have. He was graceful and avoiding every curse flying in his direction.

Draco observed his friend curiously. Blaise had always been the quiet and eloquent type. He had a quiet grace and he never really liked attention. He was okay with just being the best friend of the Slytherin Prince Draco was more so the Slytherin Prince now that he was the Heiress' blood brother.

"He's…wow" Hermione muttered. Ron glared at the two girls in the group. It wasn't fair. He was the only boy of the group and he was the weakest. And it seemed that Riddle despised him. He hadn't given him a fair chance!

Blaise danced towards Tom, not stopping his dodging and ducking. Tom blinked as he saw that the boy hadn't sent one spell flying at him. Blaise was almost in front of him and Tom's eyes narrowed as the boy raised two fingers and then prodded his chest. Tom watched as hazel eyes narrowed in concentration. Blaise raised his wand and smiled.

"_Legilmens_" Blaise whispered. Tom smirked and suddenly felt something tearing at his mind. Something primal and animalistic were destroying the barriers left and right. Tom tried to close his eyes but found that something was pulling his eyes open that he couldn't close them.

And suddenly, he retreated into his mind.

_Tom stood inside of his own mindscape and looked around. Instead of the usual library that he was accustomed too, they were in a grassy wasteland. The green grass was grey, the color of ash and the only other colorful spot was Blaise._

_Blaise looked very different. He was kneeling on the ground, his hands spread in front of him. The grey seemed to be seeping from him. Black crawled from his hands and began to devour at the grass, turning the ground into nothing but dirt._

"_What are you doing?" asked Tom. He was surprised to know that a child could get through his strongest mental shields. But he had to remind himself that he was dealing with a child that had the capabilities of one of the legendary Horsemen of the Apocalypse._

"_I'm destroying your mind."_

"_Excuse me?" Tom asked. Blaise looked up with golden eyes and gave a grim smile before lifting his hands from the ground. The ground and grass stopped decaying and he cleared his throat._

"_Manipulating your mind. I'm infecting your mind with an incurably mind disease. I don't exactly know which one is which yet, I'm afraid" Blaise said, apologetically almost. Tom nodded, not exactly sure how to respond to that. He thought before coming up with a perfectly good excuse._

"_Anastasia would be exceptionally angry."_

"_Hmm? You're right. Ana is a foolish girl. She will get over something that she never knew about" Blaise said. Tom looked down, on edge now at the black crawlers that were coming nearer to him now._

"_Mórrígan, would hate you for doing harm to her sister."_

_Blaise held up a hand and the crawlers stopped. Blaise looked at Tom and then a smile spread on his lips._

"_So correct. So right. I've been inside your mind. I know your secrets" Blaise said. It was Tom's turn to smile. He gave the smuggest smile he could muster and glared at the boy._

"_You do not know all of them. My deepest darkest secret is safe."_

_Blaise seemed to be surprised._

"_What I know is not your secret?"_

"_Not even close. Get out of my head."_

Tom blinked and threw Blaise from his mind and Blaise stumbled back. Tom blinked and cleared his throat.

"I yield."

Bella gasped. Hermione, Ron, and Draco also looked equally shocked. Tom looked down at the boy. He wasn't even smug about it. He was being rather modest and he didn't seem to care. He was contemplating what was said within Tom's mind.

"Blaise tore down my strongest Occlumency shields. I wonder how. Care to tell?" Tom asked, calmly.

"I was born a Legilimens I guess just like Draco was born a…with the ability to speak with dementors. He can even control them to an extent, but it came with a price a heavy price, just like Draco's. I was born with an incurable bout of the bubonic plague. My mother didn't know what was wrong with me for the longest time. Wizards are immune to the plague but I wasn't. I have to take my potion everyday. Or…I'll die" Blaise said, matter-of-factly. Hermione tilted her head and blinked. Tom frowned.

Hermione…she was unusually good with Blood magic. He doubted she even knew what she was really doing. The two spells she had called out were of the Black Art and he was lucky it hadn't hit. He could feel the magical charge of the spells and they were strong. What if the reason she was so good was because she had a price…she been born with an incurable mind disease.

"I see" was Tom's quiet response. Bella couldn't tell his emotion and it was disconcerting for her. He seemed to be so deep in thought that he wasn't expressing an emotion. She'd never know that was possibly.

"You were really good, Blaise."

Bella turned sharply to look at Hermione. She was smiling, shyly. Blaise inclined his head and looked sharply at Tom. Tom smirked and pushed the boy off the platform. Ron was scowling, heavily.

"It wasn't that great. What's a Legilimens anyway?" demanded Ron. Bella glanced at the boy and prepared to answer when Draco beat her to it.

"Weasel, look it up." he said before climbing onto the platform. Hermione turned to look at Ron and answered him.

"Legilimency is the art of magically navigated one's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. Professor Riddle is one of the most powerful wizards in the world. He's obviously _very_ skilled in Occlumency. You must be exceptionally powerful, Blaise. What were you doing his mind?" asked Hermione, curiously. Blaise gave the slightest smile.

"Poisoning it."

Tom could tell the boy didn't want to reveal that he had used a Black Art to destroy his mind and keep him from blinking.

"Hello! I'd like to duel. Is that okay with you?" Draco snapped, coldly. Ron glared up at the boy and felt the anger rise up in him.

"Shut up, Malfoy. You're right git, you know that?" Ron snapped. Draco smirked and tilted his head.

"I prefer arrogant wanker. We bow."

Draco didn't even bother. He cleared his throat and got into a loose pose before becoming what Muggles knew, as an acrobat. He swung his wand forward and he froze. His back arched and he fell to his knees. Tom frowned and watched as Draco fell face forward onto the ground. Materializing in front of him was a scythe.

The staff part seemed to be made of bones. Draco gasped and let out a cold rattling breath of pain and a cold breath flew from his mouth. A bright white light escaped from his mouth. It twisted and formed a long icy blade that attached itself to the staff of bones. A ghost image stood in front of Draco.

It was the form of the man on the train the elder Draco. Ron watched with wide eyes as the man pulled down his silver hood and gazed down at Draco.

"Make your choice. Once you fight, you will never go back."

Draco looked up with wild eyes and Bella finally saw the terror in his eyes. He _hadn't_ accepted what he was. And he was scared. He was so scared…

"Draco. It's all about choices" Bella called out. Both versions of Draco turned to look at Bella. The elder Draco smiled and nodded.

"Make it take up this scythe and you will be who you are meant to be. You will know what it truly means to be the Claimer's Son."

"Take it, Draco" whispered Hermione. Draco looked up at his worst fear and a defiant glint appeared in his eyes. His eyes seemed to freeze over.

And in one swift movement, the scythe was in hand and he swung it with a skill that he didn't possess. It caught the elder Draco in the neck and the vision disappeared. Draco lifted the scythe and swung it a couple times before looking at Tom with a malicious smirk.

"_Confringo_" he whispered. A jet of light shot at Tom. He dodged and Draco swung his scythe down in the spot he was a second before. He tried to rip the blade from the demolished wood and watched as Tom started shooting jinxes and curses at him.

"Come on" muttered Draco. He watched as a red jet shot at him. He used the staff of the scythe swing himself out of the way and ended up ripping it free from its containment.

"_Ascendo_" Draco whispered. There were creaks and screams as the ground started to crumble. Tom shot a freezing curse at him that froze his magical core. Draco stopped and fell to the ground, his scythe clattering down on the ground with him.

"You yield, Draco. We will not use that here" Tom said, firmly. He looked at the children. He saw that Bella looked rather shocked at what was about to happen. Blaise looked thoughtful. Hermione was bouncing up and down, on a high from the frequent violence. Weasley looked confused as always.

"Why not use what was given to me?" asked Draco, his head tilted in confusion. Tom cleared his throat.

"Draco, it's illegal" Bella said. Draco turned to Bella and glared at her.

"You're the last one to speak on legality, Anastasia. Blood rituals are forbidden by the Ministry" Draco snapped. Bella blinked and looked at Ron who was staring at her like he'd never seen her before. Bella snarled.

"Look! I did what was best. It isn't illegal in France. I did not break any laws. If you finished that you could've ended up with ten lifetime sentences in Azkaban" Bella shouted. Blaise looked down. He knew what he had done deserved the same sentence. Bella cleared her throat.

"What about you? The static charge around the piece of wood!" Draco shouted. Bella blushed as everyone turned to look at her and she crossed her arms, defiantly.

"It wasn't on purpose. It was accidental."

"It was still done."

"Enough. That is enough! He didn't do it, Anastasia. Thanatos, you are forbidden to use it at school. Understood?" demanded Blaise. He glared at the two and they nodded before glaring at each other and turning on their heels.

"Draco, you will have to be trained with using your scythe. That will take proper martial arts training. I will teach you. Now that I've judged your talents, I will come up with a proper training regime" Tom said, carefully. They all nodded and Weasley was still frowning.

"Was that our dismissal?" asked Blaise after thirty seconds of quiet. Tom sighed and nodded, waving them away. All left but Bella.

Bella stood there, uncertainly and Tom raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have to talk to you."

:::

**A/N**: So I've finished Prisoners of Azkaban. A few more chapters until the end of Prisoners. That means the Hermione centric arc will be ending and it will once more be focused on Bella and Tom. Though, Draco will have his sexuality issues as well. Yes, Draco WILL be struggling with his sexuality.


	32. Chapter XXIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, I think this chapter is going to be the third to last in the arc. I'll be getting into everything. I'm very tired at this point and I'm trying to finish this arc. Goblet of Fire will be very fun to write. I get to introduce one of my _favorite_ canon characters even though he barely gets any screentime. This chapter took a lot of research so be happy I learned everything. A lot happens in this chapter and I took the time to think of rhymes for something. It doesn't seem like much but it means something.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXIX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 23rd of April 1994**

**7:00 PM**

"You wish to be speak to me" Tom stated. Bella nodded and she sighed. She shook her head, as if trying to clear it.

"I'm…worried…about Hermione and I'd like to talk to you about your strange dislike for Ron. Hermione's bloodlust is growing and I'm afraid that she won't be able to stop it" Bella said, quietly. Tom nodded, slowly.

"She won't she'll just have to channel it correctly. I've noticed her uncontrollable bloodlust. She's exceptionally talented at magic that pertains to the body. Particularly blood magic I felt the power that she put in her curses. That will have to be controlled she shouldn't use Dark curses like that so openly. It isn't really accepted in Hogwarts. Dumbledore has everyone under his bloody thumb" Tom snapped under his breath. He looked at Bella who was actually nodding in agreement.

"I've noticed that the Dark families don't have equal representation. The Gryffindors looked at me like I was Grindelwald for weeks after I confessed that the Blacks were a Dark family. I thought everyone would have known that but Draco told me that Dark families don't really advertise since students don't truly understand what it means to be Light, Dark, or Neutral. Maybe you can comment on that in a class. Explain to them, I mean" Bella said, quietly. Tom nodded in agreement. It _would_ make sense and maybe…he could start building an army.

That _was_ the true reason for him ever wanting to teach in the first place. Granted, he _did_ enjoy teaching but his priorities were straight.

Army _then_ teaching.

"And what do you mean my 'strange dislike' for Weasley?" Tom asked. Bella gave him a raised eyebrow and rolled her eyes.

"You should've known that he doesn't know how to duel. It is far too dangerous and Light families don't customarily teach their children to duel. Frankly, I had to beg Uncle Sirius for dueling lessons. And he understands what it means to have a Dark magical core. So, that's about it" Bella said. Tom held up his hand and Bella looked at him, curiously.

"You have Patronus lessons with Lupin on Thursdays, correct?" asked Tom. Bella nodded and frowned.

"Well, they kind of ended after Easter. But, I did. Why?" Bella asked. Tom cleared his throat.

"I wish to teach you a combination of martial arts I use but I will primarily teach you a martial art called…kickboxing" Tom said, saying the last part rather quietly. Bella snickered, quietly. He was ashamed to even admit that he knew what kickboxing was.

"Why only me?" Bella asked. Tom sighed.

"You have potential. You have the physical capabilities and as long as no one knows about your contacts, an upper hand with perfect vision. You are also vicious. That will help. I will be approaching Blaise, Draco, and Hermione about other areas of study" Tom said. He watched as Bella looked at him, expectantly. He gave her a smirk and tilted his head.

"I won't be telling you. Just as I won't tell them of your lessons" Tom said. Bella looked at him with cold eyes.

"Please, I'd like to know. Draco and Hermione are my siblings. Blaise is Draco's friend…he's also my friend. I am responsible for them despite whatever they say. I need to know what they'll be doing. They all have their weaknesses. I saw. Hermione…her bloodlust, I have to keep track. Draco…his hunger has to be kept in line. You saw what he was about to do. He's power hungry. And…Blaise has to be kept in line. He was going to destroy your mind. I could tell. He's ruthless and he wouldn't hesitate. They're all dangerous and I can't help them nor can I stop them unless I know what you're going to teach them" Bella said, firmly. Tom considered what she was saying.

If they really got into what he was going to teach them, then he supposed that he _should_ let her know. She should also be present for most of it anyway.

"I suppose you're correct. I will be teaching Hermione how to use her sword using the Kendo method. She will also learn a martial art. Capoeira will be most efficient. It was once described as the Dance of War. Blaise will be taught Hapkido. He seems the best to learn and doesn't strike me as much of a fighter. It is mostly self-defense and employs pressure point strikes, which I feel could be quite useful in battle" Tom started. Bella nodded and decided not to point out the fact that with pressure point strikes, you could employ magic, thus using a Black Art.

"I see. What about Draco?" asked Bella. Tom nodded.

"I will teach Draco the Korean martial art, Taekwondo. Many techniques in Taekwondo are done with the feet. Draco will need his hands free to wield his scythe. I'm afraid that he'll have to learn how to wield that particularly weapon by himself. I never thought I would need to learn to fight with a gardening tool" Tom said with a smirk. Bella snickered and nodded.

"Ron can't take any extra tutoring. He's barely keeping up in classes, not that he's trying. He has little dueling experience besides last year's failed dueling club. Hermione is much better because she's done some self-study. Speaking of Ron…your hate for him?" Bella questioned. Tom snickered and rolled his eyes he crossed to his desk and took a stack of parchment. Bella noticed that they were essays from his sixth year classes.

"He's annoying and a dunce. He's barely getting an Acceptable in my class though Lupin seems to think he has potential. Potential in being an empty-headed office boy in the Ministry, sure" Tom snorted. Bella laughed, quietly and Tom looked at her in surprise. He had expected her to defend him quickly.

"You…snorted. It's funny. And don't talk about Ron like that. He's got potential!" Bella laughed. She sighed and turned to look at the wall clock.

"I've got to go finish that essay you assigned. Who cares about hinkypunks anyway?" demanded Bella. Tom shrugged as he opened the door. Bella looked the opposite way to the Gryffindor Common Room but followed Tom going the opposite way.

"No one but, it's the curriculum, which I have to follow. We'll be focusing on counter curses next year. It will be more practical than theory next year" Tom said. Bella nodded and she stopped.

"Thank you, Tom."

Tom stopped as well and looked back at her. He sneered at the soft expression on her face. He didn't hate the expression as much as he hated when she was vulnerable but he disliked it.

"You're welcome" he said, dryly. Bella gave him a pitying look and that infuriated him more than anything had ever had.

He glared at her and the pitying look on her face intensified. He could feel his magic roar in anger and Bella tilted her head, as if studying him.

"Good night" she muttered before turning away and disappearing around the corner. Tom glared after her and turned on his heel and walked down into the dank dungeons and to his quarters.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of May 1994**

**6:00 PM**

"You're early and you brought…the Seer" Tom said, flatly. Bella shrugged.

"You didn't give a time. Luna felt like tagging along. She _is_ our official Seer. Moony can stay and watch. I don't mind and I speak for all of us. You don't mind, do you? No, good" Bella said, without really addressing her companions. Remus looked up from his corner and nodded in greeting to the students but he watched curiously.

Remus noticed that Bella wasn't wearing the full uniform.

She wore trousers, as did Hermione. Her white shirt was tucked into her pants and she wore a dragon hide vest over it. That was only used for…dueling.

"My prescence was required Tom Marvolo" Luna said, airily. Riddle glared at her and prepared to snap at her and Bella held up her hand. Remus laughed, quietly at how quickly the man was silenced.

"She has started to call _everyone_ by their names. I think it's an Elven thing. Just…don't" Bella sighed. Riddle sneered at her.

"The things I do for you. Since you're so intent on keeping your pet Seer safe, you'll learn first. You four are studying theory. Blaise, your books are in the far left. Draco, you will be learning to use your scythe by yourself. Hermione, you'll be meditating. Weasley…read that book" Riddle said, pointing. Hermione gaped in anger and Ron actually blushed in rage.

"Why do I have to meditate?"

"_The Standard Book of Spells (Year 1)_?" demanded Ron. Riddle rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, your bloodlust is entirely too commanding. If you're going to fight like a psychopath, please learn to fight like an intelligent if savage psychopath. Or I suppose the correct term to describe you is 'psychotic'. Weasley…you need to look over the book again, it seems, judging by your grades in my class. Get to it. Brat, get up here" Riddle said. Bella swung up on the dueling platform and Remus watched in interest.

"But you've made me meditate for days. Can I _please_ learn today?" Hermione begged. Riddle glanced at her and sighed.

"Will your bloodlust get out of control?" he asked. Hermione shook her eyes fiercely.

"I swear, it won't."

"We'll see."

They barely bowed to each other and then Bella was rolling forward. Remus watched in surprise as Bella held up her hands in front of her. Remus watched as she gave a powerful side kick and then pushed back from the man's chest and flipped.

"_Diffindo_" she shouted, while airborne. She landed on her feet, though slightly unsteady. She pointed her wand at the ground.

"_Reducto._"

The wood exploded and she grabbed a rather large long and thin piece. Riddle smirked for some strange reason. Remus looked at her curiously.

"The same trick, every time, Bella?" Riddle asked. Bella gave a smirk and Remus gaped as she suddenly jumped and delivered a butterfly kick. Riddle looked just as proposed. Remus watched as she flipped with little difficulty and landed her foot on his shoulder. Riddle fell to his knees and fired a spell at her. Bella didn't bother twisting out of the way. Her shirtsleeve was severed and fell to her side. She had a large cut on her arm.

Bella landed in front of Riddle. She gave him a roundhouse kick and shot another spell at her as he fell onto his back. Remus watched in curiosity and frowned. The fight seemed rather intimate. The others weren't really watching except for Luna who was staring, unabashedly. Ron was watching as well.

Remus was surprised that Bella had done the move. She still had the piece of wood in hand. Riddle was about to launch himself to his feet but Bella jumped and straddled his chest and poised the long and sharp piece of wood at the hollow of his neck and her wand was at his temple.

"I win. Why'd you let me win?" Bella said, quietly. Riddle smirked and Bella slid off of him and to the side of him. He sat up and cleared his throat. Remus didn't want to miss what the man had to say and leaned in more to have a better listen.

"I didn't let you win."

"Liar why did you let me win? I had aim at your jugular notch and your neck. I could've slit your throat. I also had aim at your temple. I could have blown your brains out. You could've had me down in three seconds. Why'd you let me win?" demanded Bella. Riddle rolled his eyes.

"The butterfly kick was very surprising for one. You've practiced that one for weeks and have never been able to do it as successfully as you did just now. I gave you the match for accomplishing it. It won't happen next time if you have such an aversion to it" Riddle snapped, coldly. Bella glared at him and punched him in the chest. He gave a slight jolt and only sneered at her.

"Yeah, I've got a fucking aversion to it. I don't want a teacher to go easy on me. That's why I fucking asked you of all people" Bella snarled. Riddle gave a cold and cruel lipless smile.

"The next time, I'll kick your ass" Riddle said. Bella nodded and gave him another annoyed look before sliding off the dueling platform.

"And by the way, I still haven't seen that lesson we talked about a couple weeks ago" Bella said, quietly. Riddle nodded, acknowledging her.

"I know. It's tomorrow."

"Good" Bella said before turning to Hermione. Hermione looked up at her the moment the girl turned to her. Hermione jumped up and Remus blinked, as she seemed to draw a sword from her arm.

It was honestly the most unique sword Remus had ever seen. It had the hilt of a rapier but the shape of a longsword. The black blade glowed dangerously and Remus turned to Riddle who had transformed a piece of wood into a simple sword.

"Okay, Hermione. Since that sword is made of your blood and is the Sword of War, let's see what you can do. You've used the sword before, correct?" asked Riddle. Remus had the feeling he was doing it for his benefit. Hermione nodded with a smirk.

"I blinded the Sphinx last year in one eye. I also fought you with it" Hermione said. Riddle nodded. Remus gaped in shock. This girl had fought a full-grown Sphinx that was more than a thousand years old!

"Yes we bow."

"En garde" Hermione said. Remus watched in surprise as she tossed her wand at Bella who caught it easily from where she was talking with Luna. Remus watched as Hermione and Riddle didn't move. They simply eyed each other. And, suddenly, they were blurs.

Hermione had whirled before slashing her sword down. Riddle had blocked it and had to move to block again, as Hermione whirled again and slashed her sword down towards Riddle's open side.

Hermione slashed towards Riddle's side and the man had to jump and took low to the ground, on his back. Hermione jumped intent on slashing down on his face but Riddle rolled out of the way just for Hermione's sword to meet the wood, creating a large and splintered hole. Riddle kicked up a large piece of wood and caught it. He threw it at Hermione.

Hermione growled before slashing through it. Riddle watched in surprise as her eyes darkened.

"Pretty, pretty Riddle. They whisper things. They sing to me" Hermione giggled, insanely. Remus frowned in horror as she began to cackle. And it sounded so reminiscent to Bellatrix Lestrange's laugh. Remus gaped when Riddle only smirked, encouragingly.

"Really, now? What do they say?" Riddle asked. Remus looked over at the kids. Only Ron looked slightly horrified. Bella was smiling at the girl, excitedly.

"It's so pretty. Pretty music. Pretty, pretty music. They cry out for mercy. They cry out for mercy" Hermione sang, swinging her sword down once more. Riddle only blocked it and Hermione was getting more intent on cutting off his head with each swing and block.

"Show none."

Remus flinched at the excited tone. Remus Lupin had never seen anything as frightening as Hermione Granger's excitement at the two words. She squealed in excitement and spun. Remus knew now what Riddle had meant by calling her 'psychopath'. And, he could see the gleam of intelligence in her eyes. She was _trying _to intimidate and scare him.

"Show no fear" Riddle said, slashing down. Hermione spun and blocked it, bringing the sword high, the sword upside down. She jumped back and delivered a kick to his side. Riddle jolted and smirked.

"End the match. Moony…" Bella said, standing up. Hermione spun on her heel and looked at Bella. Hermione's lips curled into a smile.

"Pretty, pretty angel. Do you want to play with me, angel?" Hermione murmured, skipping over to Bella. Bella blinked and looked at Blaise who sighed. Blaise stood up and jumped onto the dueling platform.

"Blaise. Do you want to play with me?" asked Hermione with a tilt of her head.

"Yes, _principessa_" Blaise promised.

"I'm a princess! The angel won't play with me" Hermione announced with a smile. Blaise nodded, warily. Hermione smiled and jumped up and down.

"That's what you are. Come here, _principessa_."

Hermione did as he commanded and jumped from the dueling platform. Blaise grabbed her by her chin and lifted his wand.

"_Legilimens_" he whispered. Remus blinked in surprise, as Riddle did nothing.

What was this man teaching them?

It was like he was training an…army.

Bella tilted her head and looked at Remus who was still staring in shock. Bella turned back to Hermione. Her eyes were slowly turning brown.

"Only he can get into her mind. He's a Natural Legilimens. Not one barrier can hold him back. Her mind is too chaotic…too _psychotic_ at the moment for anyone to navigate. She could trap the person in her mind until they go insane" Bella explained. Remus gasped.

"Then why are you letting him do it?" Remus spat at Riddle. Riddle looked completely unconcerned. He cleared his throat.

"The boy completely ripped apart my mind barriers and delved into the deepest part of my mind. My subconscious. He'll be fine" Riddle said, dismissively. He looked at Draco who had stopped experimenting with his scythe a while ago to look at Hermione.

"She sounded more insane than Loony Lovegood" Draco said. Luna laughed and looked at him.

"I'm not insane. Nor am I psychotic. I am merely a Seer with a lot of things to say" Luna said, calmly. Draco sneered at her.

"Same thing."

Bella hushed them and turned back to Hermione who suddenly gasped as Blaise retreated from her mind. Hermione cleared her throat and blushed at Ron and Remus' gaping.

Remus couldn't wrap his head around it. This girl this intelligent and potentially bossy girl was absolutely psychotic. She was not only psychotic and savage and had an unsavory bloodlust but intelligent as well. It was a dangerous combination.

"Get off me" Hermione snapped. She pushed away from Blaise who was looking at her with narrowed eyes. Hermione grabbed her bag and sword. She slung the bag over her shoulder before storming out. Bella bit her lip.

"Hermione!" she called out. The brunette didn't even turn around. Bella made to follow her when suddenly an arm wrapped around her neck in a loose chokehold. She turned to look at Riddle who was shaking his head.

"No. She's not entirely mentally stable right now. Blaise, go find her before she encounters other people such as vicious Slytherins who could set her off and make her go into a rage, which could cause what could become known as the Hogwarts Massacre" Riddle said. Bella nodded and Remus was interested to see that she did nothing to make Riddle remove his arm from her.

"Blaise, go" Bella muttered. Blaise nodded and turned to Draco whom was staring with an expressionless look.

"What did it look like?" Draco asked, quietly. Blaise gave him a sad look. Bella also looked anxious to know what it looked like. Remus just wanted to know what 'it' was.

"It was…_her_. Mórrígan. She was standing there, in her battle robes. Her arms were wrapped around Hermione. Hermione was staring at me with the blankest eyes. Mórrígan was whispering things to her. Saying things that were so…Mórrígan told me something" Blaise said. Bella nodded.

"What did she say?"

"She's coming and she's almost completely out. She said that in less than three years time, she'd be completely out and by then…she'd wreck havoc. Then she started singing a lullaby but I don't really remember it," said Blaise. Luna froze and cleared her throat.

"She was it had to do with horses and angels, didn't it? Go and find her. And then I will sing the lullaby" Luna promised. Blaise nodded and sprinted from the room. Remus turned on Riddle who was still standing behind Bella. His arm still held her in a weak chokehold and he was hissing in her ear.

There was something strange about their connection and it was truly unnerving. Bella turned her head and Remus frown deepened when her nose touched his cheek. She leaned in and hissed in his ear. Riddle hissed back, sharply and Bella sighed before nodding. She leaned in and pressed her forehead on Riddle's chest and shook her head. She grabbed her necklace and shook it.

Remus wanted to stand up and pull the girl from the much older man. She seemed to have a _very _unhealthy connection with him. Before he even stood up Bella had pulled away and hissed at him. Whatever she had said gave Remus the shock of his life.

Riddle had given an honest to Merlin grin. He nodded and turned back to where Ron was supposed to be. He was gone.

"Shit…oh Ron" moaned Bella when Riddle's eyes flashed red.

"And _that_ is why I hate Weasleys. Bloody Gryffindors!"

"You're annoyed and it's only 7:00" Bella smirked. Riddle glared at her and growled.

"Bloody closet-Slytherins."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of May 1994**

**6:50 PM**

"_Principessa_."

The brunette looked up from her corner in the Library. Blaise was standing over her with a sad look on his face. Hermione glared at him. She _hated_ being pitied. Especially now that she understood how far her disorder had gone.

"What do you want?" demanded Hermione, hostilely. She gulped and searched in her bag before taking out the little white bottle her mother sent her every month. It wasn't really for her problem since no medication worked but…the antidepressants helped dull her anger. A hand flew out and fished the bottle for her hand. She glared at the Italian teen.

"No. Don't take it" Blaise said, quietly. Hermione sneered.

"And why not? I need it so I don't massacre Hogwarts."

"You developed psychosis."

"I realize I'm insane and I don't want anyone to know. That's why I take the medication. Now give me my pills" Hermione commanded. Blaise shook his head and sat down next to her, crossing his long legs. Hermione glared at him and looked down at the book in her hand.

It was her favorite book of all time and she'd first read it when she was seven years old. Her mother had been surprised at her choice and indulged her, thinking that Hermione didn't truly understand what it was talking about. Little did she know that Hermione had understood every word.

"_The Art of War_ Not by Machiavelli I assume" Blaise said, calmly. Hermione sniffed and cleared her throat.

"Obviously. I don't really like that book. _The Prince_ is much better if more widely read. This by far my favorite book It was written by _Sun Tzu. _He was a military general during the era of the Kingdom of Wu in Ancient China" Hermione said. She blinked in surprise when she realized that her anger had dissipated.

"I see I thoroughly enjoy medical journals. So, you want to talk to me about what's wrong. Why did you leave? No one would have judged you" Blaise said, calmly. Hermione sighed and tried to ignore her growing temper. He had no right to ask her personal questions like that but she had to get it out. She couldn't keep it hidden anymore.

"I don't know how I developed psychosis. I know I have ASPD…antisocial personality disorder but it transforming into psychosis? I don't know how it happened, and I don't like it. I started to suspect that I had psychosis when black things started to writhe all over. I always see them in the shadows. I'm not afraid of them…it was so strange. When I started fighting, I lost control. Then the black things roared and then, someone was holding me. Rocking me. Singing me a lullaby" Hermione whispered. Blaise's eyes narrowed and he looked at the girl with a hard expression.

"Hermione have you been using Blood Magic?"

The question made Hermione freeze and she looked at Blaise with fear in her eyes. She made to run when Blaise grabbed her around her middle and pulled her down. He stretched out his legs and made her sit between them. She glared at him but he kept his grip around her waist firm.

"Hermione, answer my question. Have you been using Blood Magic?" he whispered, in her ear. She hesitated before nodding, slowly.

"I…there is a room on the seventh floor that I found. The door just appears when you need it most. I've been…practicing. Blood Magic isn't all that bad. It's not even real Blood Magic like blood rituals. It's just manipulating another person's body, right? Why is that so wrong?" asked Hermione. Blaise shook his head and sighed.

"Hermione…Blood Magic is dangerous to psyche of the caster. It broke your psyche. You used it too much, too often. You developed psychosis and you lose touch with reality every time you use Blood Magic, including summoning your sword as it was made of a blood oath. You are permanently have psychosis from overextended use of Black Magic" Blaise explained, calmly. Hermione spun around and looked at him with frantic eyes and shook her head.

"You're lying. Tell me you're lying" she pleaded. Blaise looked at her with darkened eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not lying."

"No…" Hermione whispered. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes. She let them fall and Blaise wrapped his arms around her even tighter. Silent tears streamed down her face.

"I'm a nut job. I'll be expelled" Hermione muttered through her tears. Blaise smiled down at her.

"It's fine. We'll say you were born with it. We can hide it you know with potions. Or we can say it naturally developed. They can't really expel you without proper evidence that you can't handle it and you haven't done anything wrong. I know you can handle it, Hermione" Blaise said. Hermione looked up at Blaise and quickly wiped away her tears.

"How did it happen? Why did the Blood Magic make me develop psychosis?" asked Hermione. Blaise hesitated before answering.

"You're unnaturally gifted at that specific Black Art. We don't talk about Black Arts all that much. It's…too much of a temptation to those who have potential in using it. But, if you're good at it…then you must pay a price. For every magical gift given, a price must be paid. Your price was your psyche, _principessa_" Blaise said. Hermione looked at him, dryly and she leaned in her head against his chest against her better judgment.

"Bella's the princess. Malfoy always calls her that."

"Well, you'll be my _principessa_, then. Draco can have his little sister as his Princess."

"I'm not going to become you blood sister, Zabini" Hermione said. Blaise gave her a slight smile and leaned back.

"I wasn't going to ask you to. You'll be my _bellissima principessa_" Blaise said. Hermione laughed.

"What does…"

"Hermione? Where are you?" asked a familiar voice. Hermione slid back into Blaise, pushing them back against the wall. The footsteps got closer and suddenly the tall and gangly body of Ron stood over them. Ron glared at Blaise with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing here with Hermione?" demanded Ron.

"I was the only one who could speak to her without her snapping. I saw what she was going through. Don't be a prat, Weasel" Blaise said, coldly. Ron glared back at him before looking at Hermione. Hermione gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay, Hermione? Bella, Luna, and I were worried" Ron said, almost kindly. Hermione nodded and turned to Blaise. She slid forward and stood up even after Ron offered her hand. She held out her hand to Blaise and he grabbed it, pulling himself up. Even after he was up, he didn't let go of her hand.

"I'm fine. I…was just shaken. We have to go to Luna. She has a lullaby to sing."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of May 1994**

**7:10 PM**

"Would you let go of her?"

"She's not complaining. Shut it, Weasel."

"Don't call me that, snake."

"Well, they're here" Draco announced, needlessly, his lips curled into a sneer. Bella stopped in place. She slowly lowered her leg before it could hit the punching bag she was practicing on. Remus frowned. He watched as the door swung open and Blaise marched through dragging a nervous looking Hermione with Ron was fuming behind them.

"Lovegood, sing that lullaby. I heard it in her head as well. Sing the lullaby. It's important. It started her psychosis. The song held significance and with other factors, broke her psyche. She will have lapses where she will lose touch with reality and I think we need to hear what made that happen" Blaise said, coldly. Luna gave a slight smile.

"Why do you assume that I would know it?" Luna asked, softly. Blaise turned on her with a dark look.

"Because all Dark children know it It is descended from the Elvish lullaby _Illi Du_ _Netya Nica Rocya_" Blaise snapped at her. Bella, Draco, and Riddle looked up in recognition. Ron frowned.

"Why only Dark children? it's only a lullaby" Ron said. Blaise looked at him and sighed at having to explain it. Remus was surprised that the boy was so impatient. He was never impatient.

"It's a lullaby that was said to be a prophecy by an Elven child. Most Seers are most powerful as children. Most of what they say comes to pass. Now, I want to know what broke her mind. I can't fix it. I saw that. But, I _can_ make sure it takes an allotted time until her psychosis takes over her and her reality is permanently skewed. But to do that, I have to make sure that whatever broke her mind doesn't break mine. Sing it in English" Blaise commanded. Luna smiled and nodded.

"_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little baby_

_When you wake_

_They shall have four pretty little horses_

_Thestrals and grays_

_Unicorns and bays_

_All four pretty little horses_

_Way down yonder down in a meadow_

_There's a poor little Angel_

_Bright wide eyes and fallen from the sky_

_Poor wee thing cried for her Serpent_

_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little baby_

_When you wake_

_They shall have four pretty little horses_" Luna sang in a soft voice. She rocked side to side as she sang and Remus observed her. He turned to look at Bella. Bella was frowning and she cleared her throat.

"Sirius sang that song to me when I was a child. I didn't know it was originally an Elvish song. Why did it break her mind?" Bella asked. Luna gave a slight smile and sighed to herself before pacing towards Hermione whom was staring at the ground.

"It didn't make her get psychosis. She did that to herself but…her broken psyche told her the lullaby."

"I can't do anything, can I?" asked Blaise. Luna frowned and looked at Riddle. Remus turned to Riddle who was contemplating the situation.

"Are you willing to pay the price?"

"No, he's not."

Everyone turned to Bella who was staring with bright eyes. Her lips were curled over her teeth and she looked fierce. Remus was surprised at how much of an alpha she looked at the moment. He almost smiled when he realized that he was referring to the group as a werewolf pack.

"And why not?" Blaise asked. Bella a step towards him and shook her head once.

"I will _not_ have you damaging your mind, Blaise. Hermione can handle the psychosis. She's capable. I know it" Bella said. Blaise laughed, bitterly and Remus saw for the first time.

Blaise had just lost his mask. His eyes were like a golden fire and he looked cold and wintry yet his anger and rage was as hot as the sun. Remus noticed for the first time how dangerous the two could be, judging by the magic warring.

"And why the bloody not, Anastasia? You always think you know everything! Well you don't! She's going to end up torn apart! You've seen it!" Blaise spat. Bella nodded, quietly, her attitude wintery.

"I _don't _know everything but I know best and I don't want to fight with you" Bella said.

"I want to fight with you. I'm not going to condemn her to a life of psychological disorders. I can't do that when I can do something."

"You can't save her! It's not a matter of will or will not. It's a matter of possibility! You cannot save her! Do you think I want to leave my sister in this state? I cannot risk you as well. She will deal with it. She will channel it. She can do this. You can't always take care of, Blaise" Bella snapped. Blaise turned away from her and Bella grabbed his shoulder. Blaise spun around and struck out with two fingers. He tapped her arms and Bella's arms fell, useless at her side.

"You…you little bastard!" Bella shrieked. Blaise smirked in satisfaction before turning to Hermione. Bella swiped his legs from underneath him and Blaise fell forward. He twisted onto his back, preparing to hit her legs. Bella stamped on his chest and Blaise's hand fell back as he lost his breath.

"Don't try that again. I will destroy you into a million pieces. I don't give a fuck if you're my brother. If you _ever_ try to disobey me again, I'll rip you the shreds. Hermione is fine. She will live. She was always unbalanced. What happened to her is her own fault" Bella said, coldly. Blaise's eyes widened in surprise and Hermione looked up sharply. Bella gave cold lipless smile.

"Don't think I didn't know, Mórrígan. I could practically _taste_ the Dark magic. You paid the price just as I will. She's damned just like you are, Draco. Just as you are, Blaise. Just like I am let her stay damned."

Remus gasped at the cruel voice Bella had said it in. Bella turned on her heel when she was suddenly tapped in the arms. She turned again, flexing her arms, and looked at Blaise who had his mask up once more.

"I apologize."

"Your apology is accepted. Hermione. Are you okay?" Bella asked. Remus was surprised at how quickly she switched from cruel to kind. Hermione sighed and leaned back.

"Blaise took my antidepressants. Besides that I'm fine. Controlling my psychosis…especially magically-induced psychosis won't be as bad. I realize that I'm permanently damned. However I'm not going to let it affect my learning" promised Hermione. Bella smiled and hugged her sister, tightly before pulling away and turning to Remus.

"None of this leaves the room, Remus" she whispered. She turned back to Riddle and took a step closer to him. She hissed something at him and he hissed back. She sighed and turned back to the group.

"Hermione, we'll wait on telling your mother."

"That's for the best, I think. Bella, what did you mean by _you_ of all people being damned?" asked Hermione. Bella froze and cleared her throat and Remus watched as she sighed and sat down on the dueling platform.

"Look at me, Hermione. I was damned from the moment I got this scar."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 12th of May 1994**

**8:45 PM**

"Psychosis. The girl goes and gets psychosis" Bella sighed. Remus was now very worried about Bella and her unhealthy connection to Riddle. She was now sitting on the desk next to him. He was sitting on the desk, reading and she was leaning her head on his shoulder.

"It was going to happen. Her unusual talent for Blood Magic…there was a price. Her mind. The first price was her ASPD for simply being good. But she…" Riddle trailed off and hissed the rest of his response.

"**But she used it making her pay even more of a price. But with that price, she can now use the Blood Magic. Though, I don't suggest it**. Draco was born without a full soul for a reason. A Necromancer is someone who loses his or her mind and soul to Death himself. As the Claimer's Son, he's not going to be born with a full soul. He's meant to be a Necromancer. It's obvious in body, mind, and magic, even if you disregard the soul issue" Riddle continued. Bella nodded and sighed. She read a sentence of the book before snorting and looking back at her lap.

"And Blaise's natural Legilimency is not the only thing he can do. He shot your neurons for a moment. You could have moved when he delved into your mind. But, you didn't. That's probably why he feels so responsible for Mione. He's got the ability to affect body as well. He was born with the bubonic plague" Bella sighed. Riddle nodded and then looked at Bella with a pointed glance.

"And you…I know what the static charge is."

"So do I."

"Do you really?" Riddle asked. Bella laughed, quietly. Remus was curious to know what he was talking about but he said nothing.

"Of course I do."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 13th of May 1994**

**1:00 PM**

"Sit down wands away and books away" Tom commanded as he looked around at his class. Bella smiled and looked over to Nagini who was already coming towards her. The massive snake slithered up Bella's side and leaned its head on her side.

"**Hello, speaker-child.**"

"**Hello, Nagini. How are you?**" Bella asked. Nagini was about to hiss something back when Tom gave her a warning look. The snake quieted down and Bella turned her attention to Tom. He frowned and looked towards the board. He flicked his wand and the piece of chalk began writing on it.

"Affinities" Tom read off the board once the title was written. He turned to the curious class.

"Who can tell me what an affinity is?" he asked. Hermione's hand shot up. It was still a little shaky from the pill and potion she had only taken ten minutes. Tom nodded at her. Hermione smiled.

"An affinity is closely related to an aura. It is your natural state of magic depending on birth and circumstances. The three affinity types are Light, Neutral and…Dark" Hermione said, her voice shaking as she said the last one. Most would have taken it for fear. But three students knew exactly what was wrong.

"Correct, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor. It has been brought to my attention that all of you have the wrong assumptions about Light versus Dark. That you believe Light equates to good and Dark equates to evil" Tom continued.

"But that's true! All Dark wizards are evil!" called out Ron. Tom spun on the boy and glared at him. Ron was silenced, quickly. Tom glanced at Bella.

"**May I?**" he asked. Bella nodded once with an amused smile.

"Untrue, Mr. Weasley. Several children here have Dark affinities but are Neutral or even Light in politics. Miss Potter's affinity for magic is borderline Dark. It is not her fault and she is no less supportive of the Light. She is simply built for the use of Neutral and Dark magic" Tom explained. Bella nodded and glanced at Ron who wasn't looking at her suspiciously.

"Yes, Miss Brown?"

"Sir, what's _your_ affinity?" asked Lavender. Tom gave a slow smirk and inspected his nails before he answered.

"Dark…very, very Dark."

:::

**A/N: **I really think that a lot happened in this chapter. I like what I did with Hermione though. She's really turning into who I imagine her to be at the end of this story, even if it's early. This story will be going on until they're about 21. And the epilogue will take place when they're 25. Hermione's got a while to go. I based Hermione's psychotic side on one of my favorite psychotic female characters, Drusilla. She's from one of my favorite TV shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer! There are even quotes from her in here!


	33. Chapter XXX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **We're almost there. The chapter we've been waiting for. Okay towards the beginning, it sounds like Hermione's speaking gibberish. To Bella, she kind of is. Remember, Bella has not taken Arithmancy so she had no idea what Hermione's talking about. And everything there is more or less true. I took it from a lesson on a Hogwarts Online website that has been helping me with a lot of the lessons I write in here. I've just read a forum that is hilarious! They all seem to have a skewed idea of battle robes!

Let's clarify: Battle robes are _non-restricting_ robes that help you move more easily when dueling. In a real battle, no one wants to be dragged down. So, they aren't restricting and are actually damn useful. They don't have fucking _armor_ attached to it.

End rant.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 6th of June 1994**

**12:30 PM**

"I'm exhausted and hungry" Hermione sighed. Bella frowned at her sister as she ate. Hermione had been frantic for the past few days and just two weeks ago, she had quit Divination in a fit of rage. Hermione's storming from the classroom had been memorable and Blaise and Bella had to restrain the girl to stop her from strangling Trelawney…

"_This is utterly moronic."_

_Everyone in the smoky North Tower looked to a bored and narrow eyed Hermione Granger. Bella could see the hostility in her stature. If any made to contradict her, she'd snap out of them with her fist. That wouldn't be good._

_Hermione had a powerful left hook despite being right handed. Blaise was sitting a few tables away with a very bored looking Malfoy. They seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Hermione._

"_My dear, I am sorry to say that I knew from the moment you walked into the class that you did not have what it takes for the noble art of Divination requires. I've never met a student with such a mundane mind" Trelawney said in her breathy voice. Hermione stood up and slammed her hand on the table Bella, Ron and fshe were sitting at. The wood gave a groan of protest and almost crippled from the force._

"_Is that correct? I know much more than you, you fraud. I know a real Seer. You are not it" Hermione spat. Trelawney glared at her with enormous eyes._

"_Dear, your eyes are closed to what is front of you…"_

"_Pretty, pretty eyes. I'd love them in my collection."_

_The room froze and Bella turned wide-eyed to look at Hermione. The words 'pretty, pretty' had made Blaise and Draco stand in horror. Ron was gaping. The room was staring at Hermione in surprise. The implications she had made were unmistakable._

"_Excuse me, darling?" Trelawney asked in genuine surprise._

"_She finds me. Whispers things. She's telling me that the big eyes are pretty. She wants them" Hermione muttered to herself. In the tense silence she could be heard relatively well. Bella stood up and grabbed Hermione in a chokehold just as the girl almost lunged._

"_No, you don't. Come on, Hermione. Someone didn't take their fucking potion at breakfast" Bella sighed in annoyance. Hermione attempted to pull away from her but couldn't manage._

"_Angel. Pretty angel. Angel you didn't want to play with me before. Will you now?" asked Hermione, patiently. Bella snickered and nudged the back of Hermione's neck as Blaise got up from his seat and tapped Hermione's arms. They fell loose at her sides and he sighed._

"_Later, Hermione. Blaise, go and…check on her before dragging her to the Hospital Wing. If necessary, take her to Tom. If she resists, I mean. Hermione, stop that. Don't bite" Bella said, warily, looking down at the girl in her chokehold. Hermione jerked from the grasp finally and turned to look at the horrorstruck classroom. Trelawney was still frozen._

"_Principessa, let's go" Blaise urged. Hermione shook her head._

"_No."_

"_Let's go. Now" Blaise said, forcefully. Hermione pouted._

"_No!" she said firmly. She looked at the room in child-like fascination. Blaise sighed and turned to Bella who was observing with a curious expression. Bella's hand shot out and grabbed Hermione by the chin, forcing the dark-eyed girl to look at her._

"_Mórrígan, this isn't a joke. Mordred, so help me! Get your ass to the Hospital Wing before I rip you limb for limb. And you won't be able to play after I'm done with you" Bella warned. Hermione smiled at the mention of violence. Bella groaned and knew that would only work for Blaise or Draco._

"_Her sword. Take it away" Draco said, quietly from the side. Blaise and Bella turned to him abruptly before smirking at each other._

"_If you don't get to the Hospital Wing and take your potion, you will __**not**__ be using your sword for a week" Blaise said. Hermione's eyes widened in fear and she jerked away from Bella. She glared at Blaise._

"_Mean. Mean, mean boy. Rot in hell" she snapped before rushing off from the room. The room was quiet and Bella looked at Blaise._

"_Go with her. We don't want a psychotic with a sword running around."_

Everyone had wanted an explanation and Trelawney was so shocked that she had summoned the Headmaster. Bella had had to come with a lie on the spot on why Hermione now had psychosis in addition to her ASPD.

She had said that Hermione's ASPD had expanded and she had developed psychosis on her own. Bella wasn't too sure if Dumbledore had believed her but he hadn't questioned her and that was good enough for the girl.

"You're doing too much. Apparently, you had two exams this morning" Bella said, once again bringing up the girl's strange exam schedule. Hermione glanced at Bella hesitantly and Bella caught a glimpse of a gold chain as Hermione readjusted her shirt.

"Well…it doesn't matter. Transfiguration wasn't too hard. Turning the teapot into a tortoise was the hardest part for me. You know how difficult it is for me in practical work. The theoretical, written exam was the easiest" Hermione continued. Ron was talking with Gideon and Ginny, asking how their exams were.

"How was your Arithmancy exam?" Bella said, slyly. Hermione didn't even consider the answer before responding.

"It was quite easy. Arithmancy makes so much more sense than Divination. Divination through palmistry and nonsense. It makes me disgusted that someone like that_fraud_ was teaching it. Arithmancy is Divination through numbers, you see. A lot of it was the history of Arithmancy but the last few pages. I used your name and Professor Riddle's for the final part of the exam. There are assigned numerical values and your name equaled 45. When reduced it equated to 9, you know. Professor Riddle's was 46. Further reduced it is 10. Further reduced it is 1" Hermione jabbered on. Bella was barely hanging on.

All she had wanted to do was catch Hermione at her own game. But, apparently, getting her to talk about Arithmancy was like being lectured in History of Magic, if slightly more interesting.

"9 represents completion and achievement to the fullest degree. They are strongly determined and can be very arrogant and conceited when things don't go their way. You've got the arrogant thing down sometimes. But, Riddle's…it was completely true! 1 is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. They are independent, focused, and determined. He finds it hard to work with others, evidently. He never likes the Assistant Professors. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and are domineering. They are also loners" Hermione recited. Bella blinked before breaking into a grin. She glanced over at Tom who was leaning away from all the other teachers that were talking around him.

He looked kind of pissed off that so many people surrounded him. Now that Bella thought about it, the man almost never came to Quidditch matches unless it was her own Quidditch matches or a match with Slytherin.

"Well…you've got him down to a tee. But, I don't think mine will…no it probably will" Bella said. She suddenly realized what Hermione had done.

She'd just been out-Slytherin'ed by a psycho.

That was _not_ cool.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**8:00 PM**

"Silence students."

The two quiet words resulted in complete silence and everyone in the Great Hall turned to look at Tom. He was standing with a complete air of aloofness and annoyance.

"All third years, are permitted to wear battle robes to my exam. If you wish, you may wear them all day. Weapons are _not_ permitted. If you threaten another student, you will be expelled. If you threaten another student and something is wrong with you, psychologically, I'll make sure that someone _can_ throttle you for not drinking your potion. That is all" Tom said, giving Hermione a slicing look. Hermione ducked her head and sighed. She took out her white bottle of pills and her bottled potion. She placed them next to her pumpkin juice and looked at Bella who was smirking at her across the table.

"Oh, shut up" Hermione snapped. Bella laughed and Ron snorted into her eggs. Hermione sighed.

"We're going to have to leave early to change in our battle robes. Ron, do you have yours?" asked Hermione. Ron blushed and looked down. Bella sighed she knew how expensive battle robes actually were.

Bella had given Hermione battle robes, despite the girl's objections. Bella couldn't leave her best friend without protection especially when Bellatrix wanted to teach the girl so badly.

"Er…no. My mum and dad don't exactly know that I've been training. Not that I've been doing much of that, either. I have dragon hide gloves but that's it. Riddle is such a prat he's been making read for months! I haven't been able to duel him _once_" Ron complained. Bella snickered and Ron glared at her and turned to look away. Bella quieted.

"No, Ron…Tom…he doesn't think you're ready. Hermione barely duels him but that's probably because she's rather terrifying" Bella pointed at. Hermione almost choked over her potion in laughter. She swallowed it through laughter before cackling. Ron's eyes narrowed even more.

"He always trains _you_. It's not fair. He treats you different than everyone else and it's not fair" Ron spat. Bella froze and frowned. Hermione had stopped laughing and looked at Ron as if she'd never seen him before.

"Ron…he doesn't favor…" Bella started. She couldn't continue because it was the truth.

Tom _did _favor her and she was perfectly okay with it.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**8:55 PM**

Lavender Brown was always a girl who was confident in her looks. She was rather well developed for her fourteen years and she was very pretty. She knew it. She made guys stare and she was proud of it. She had blue eyes and soft blonde hair that fell to her shoulder in slight waves. She was currently wearing plain robes since she didn't have real battle robes. She had a holster to keep her wand on her arm but it matched her robe perfectly.

But, Lavender knew that if one person could make her lose all her confidence in herself, it was Bella Potter.

Lavender watched as the girl swept into the Defense room with a determined look on her face. Her fringe was almost over her eyes and in Lavender's opinion, the girl was overdue for a haircut. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.

"Hermione, get in here" snapped Bella. She rolled her neck and looked over her shoulder. Lavender took the time to inspect the girl.

She knew Bella was wealthy. Her godfather _was_ Lord Black and he liked to spoil her since apparently he thought it was his own fault that her parents weren't alive and well.

Currently, the girl donned a black tank top and black leather pants. She wore a jacket made of leather that fell to her calves. She wore her typical black lace up boots that she wore everyday. Her wand was nowhere to be seen on her person. Lavender suspected that it was up the girl's arm.

"I feel very overdressed at the moment" Hermione sighed as she stormed into the room. She was wearing a black leather blazer and black leather pants. On her arm there was a silver replicate of the red tattoo that Lavender had seen several times on the girl's arm.

"But, it feels lighter than your other robes. You may _look_ overdressed but you'll get this done faster. He allowed us to use battle robes. We'll be fighting something. Now, stop being a brat" Bella pointed out. Hermione shrugged and pulled her wand from her boot.

"Professor Riddle!" Hermione shouted. Lavender blushed when Professor Riddle turned to the group. His hair wasn't in its usual ponytail. It fell in light waves to his shoulder today and it just made him look even _more_ delicious.

"What?" he snapped.

"Can I use my…" she started. Professor Riddle glared at her and she sighed in defeat before turning to an amused looking Bella.

"Convince him to let me use my sword."

"No. We don't need you mentally scarring people" Bella laughed. Hermione sneered at the girl before turning to Professor Riddle. Professor Riddle dragged a wooden beam into the middle of the room. He transfigured it into a very life-like but wooden dummy that started flexing. Professor Riddle handed it a wand, though it wasn't his own.

Lavender would know. She knew _exactly_ what color his wand was.

"This is mostly a practical exam. You will go through various challenges around the castle. This is the first. Each of you will fight this. You will defeat it. I will call when one you have defeated it. You have five minutes. We will not be going in any particular order. Granger! You're up. It'd be better if you are face" Professor Riddle said, coolly. He offered no explanation to why it would be better. Hermione sighed and walked forward.

"We bow" Hermione said. If Lavender didn't know better, it sounded like she said it out of habit. Hermione and the dummy bowed and suddenly Hermione was streaking forward with a wicked look on her face.

"Tom really? She's going to demolish it" Bella sighed. Lavender looked at the girl with envy. She was the only that could get away with calling the handsome professor by his first name.

Bella glanced at Hermione as she didn't even raise her wand. Hermione's mind was one tracked when she was like this. She hooked her legs around the dummy's neck and flipped back. The dummy went flying with Hermione. Hermione landed on the dummy's chest and she let her fist fly into its face. The dummy's face splintered from the sheer force and Hermione laughed. The dummy punched her and Hermione gaped in rage.

"Pretty, pretty knick knack. You were bad! You must be punished" Hermione said, thoughtfully. She took on her wand and grabbed the dummy's wand before it could even cast a spell.

"_Reducto_" she whispered. A powerful jet of magic shot from the girl's wand and the wooden dummy exploded. Bella sighed as everyone around her gaped. Hermione's violence…

You couldn't live with the girl and you couldn't live without her.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**5:20 PM**

"Um, in the crystal ball I see…" Bella started. She looked up to see Trelawney looking at her strangely. Well, more strange than she usually did. It was rather disconcerting and downright weird for her.

"_It will happen tonight. The Dark Master lies alone and a parasite, abandoned by his followers, left only with the Lord. His servants have been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight... his servants will run free and set out to rejoin their master. The Dark Master will rise again with his Lord's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight... before midnight...the servants...will set out...to rejoin...their master..."_

Bella looked at Trelawney in shock. The woman _wasn't_ a total fraud!

It freaked her out to know that was the case. She sighed when she realized what the woman said. Trelawney blinked and came out of her trance before looking down at the crystal ball that Bella had been previously leaning over.

"Well, my dear, what did you see?" Trelawney asked as if nothing happened. Bella suspected that she didn't quite realize what had happened and didn't voice it.

"I see…er…a raven. And its…flying away" Bella said, calmly. Trelawney blinked and sighed to herself.

"Hmm…I believe that is a Grim. That was the final part of the exam. You may leave, Miss Potter."

"Goodbye" Bella said, her face and tone completely stoic. She refused to show any emotion. If she did, she'd panic and panicking wouldn't do anyone any good.

Bella walked towards the Great Hall, where she was sure her friends were waiting for her to eat an early dinner so Hermione could make them study more. She frowned as she walked, even more quickly.

She broke into a run when someone suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and she stopped short. She looked into grey eyes and she wrapped her arms around her brother's waist.

"Trelawney made a prophecy. Tonight is the night that they come for Hermione. The woman isn't a fraud. She just isn't a Seer. She's an…" Bella started.

"Oracle."

The two looked over to see Luna who was leaning against the banister with a light smile on her lips. She tilted her head and sighed before closing her eyes and then they flashed open.

"Gather them, Bella. This is your time."

Bella nodded and turned back to Draco who was still confused as to why Bella was hugging him. Bella pulled away and looked up into his eyes and they shifted to molten steel as her own eyes turned sickly green.

"Time to ride" Bella said. Draco nodded and the duo walked, briskly into the Great Hall.

Their cloaks were billowing and it was almost as good Snape's billow. The two split to walk to the opposite sides of the Great Hall. Bella watched as Draco murmured the words in Blaise's ears. Blaise was standing before he even finished. Bella turned to walk to Ron who was speaking with Seamus and Neville.

"Where's Hermione?" Bella asked. Ron looked up and frowned.

"I don't know. She said she was going to find you and then you two were going to visit Hagrid and Buckbeak" Ron said, before turning back to Seamus and Neville. Bella froze and panic coursed through her body. She blinked and looked over at Blaise and Draco.

"She's gone…" Bella whispered. She grabbed Ron's shoulder and he looked up at her in shock again.

"What is it Bella?"

"She's gone. They took her, Ron. She's _gone_!" Bella said, horror making her eyes go wide. Ron gulped and he stood as Bella ran back to Blaise and Draco whom were frowning at her.

"She's gone! They _took_ her! Ron let her go out onto the grounds by herself!" Bella shrieked. Blaise went pale and he stumbled back and turning to Ron who looked terrified at the look on Blaise's face.

"What…what did you do? Oh God! Oh Merlin!" Blaise said. He gripped the door and he looked around. He turned away as everyone began to look at him. Ron bit his lip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" he started. Blaise turned back around to face him and Ron took a step back. The boy's eyes were a molten gold and they were burning as brightly as the son.

"I don't give a flying _fuck_ if you didn't mean to! She's…I've got to go" Blaise said before turning and taking off at a run. Bella and Draco exchanged looks and Bella squeezed Draco's shoulder.

"It's time to ride, brother for the sake of our sister and brother."

The two took off running after him, leaving Ron standing at the doorway.

* * *

**Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**5:30 PM**

"Let me go."

"No, no, little apprentice. We're waiting for the little bitch you call your sister to get here" Bellatrix said. She looked down at the Muggleborn

Hermione looked up with a defiant glare. She glared at Rodolphus. Rodolphus was lounging on the dusty bed and Wormtail was sitting on the ground, glaring at Rodolphus. Rabastan was pacing, looking out the window every five minutes.

"She'll be here and she'll kick your ass."

"I really doubt that, little girl. Why Master Grindelwald said to spare you is what I'm really curious about" Rabastan said. He ran a hand through his long and grimy brown hair. Hermione snarled at him and pulled at the chains that chained her to the ground.

"I'll tell you if you let me up. As soon as they get here, you'll see why Grindelwald wants me alive. I'll kill you. I'll _destroy_ you" Hermione snarled. She pulled at the chains again and bared her teeth. Wormtail let out a squeak and Rodolphus gave him a disgusted look.

"Shut up, rat. She's just a little girl with minimum training in dueling. She's a _Mudblood_" Rodolphus said, giving a black smile. Hermione smirked. He wanted to get her riled up.

"Yeah! I'm a Mudblood and damn proud of it. I've got some training. If you let me up, I'll show you what it means to be psychotic. I have ASPD but I've got something else too" Hermione hissed.

"Is that so?" Rodolphus said, humoring her. Hermione bared her teeth at him before pulling at the chains with all her might. They got looser and she smirked to herself.

She'd kill them all. If they thought that they could tie up War, then they were in for another surprise.

"Wormtail! In an hour, go and invite our…_guests_."

"Pretty, pretty."

* * *

**Hogwarts Grounds, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**6:00 PM**

"Hagrid! Hagrid!" Bella shouted, frantic. She was slamming on his door with all her might and suddenly the door swung open. Blaise was shaking with fury and shock and terror. Hagrid frowned at the sight of the Slytherin in battle robes. Ron stood a little far behind and Draco was on Bella's other side.

"Bella! Yer haven' visited me in a year!" Hagrid said. Bella nodded and pushed past him before looking around in the hut. Hagrid frowned and looked at her in shock as Blaise held himself up on the wall.

"What are ye doin' hangin' out with Slytherins?" Hagrid asked. Bella looked around one more time and let out a sob. Blaise looked up with frantic gold eyes.

"She's not here. She's not here…they've taken her. They've taken her. Oh, Merlin! Mórrígan…my sweet, sweet Mórrígan" Blaise said, under his breath. Hagrid frowned at the desperation in his tone and Bella ran up to Blaise and hugged him.

"They've taken her…as bait. For me!" Bella cried out. Blaise continued muttering under his breath and he blinked before letting out a moan of despair. Draco looked stoic and he glared out.

"We're not doing anything for her standing here. I'm done. No one threatens _my_ sister unless they want me to suck out their soul and send it to Hell" Draco snarled. He pushed out the door and Hagrid followed him.

"Malfoy, what do ye think yer doin'?"

Draco didn't respond. He let out a calm and loud rattling and there were answering rattles from the Forbidden Forest. Dementors floated from all around and they looked at him, as if waiting for his command. They were all surrounding him and Bella staggered back as they took a collective breath in.

"If a hair on her head is not perfect, destroy them. I don't give a damn who it is. _Kill_ them. Wait until I lure them over. If she is in fact hurt, I will _personally_ deliver their souls to Hell. Understood?"

Another rattle and then they were off. Draco turned and looked at the three with burning silver eyes.

"Those sick bastards…whoever took her is _mine_."

Everyone turned to Blaise who was firm in his decision. He turned away and began to walk from Hagrid who looked like he was about to ask another question. Blaise turned around suddenly and flicked his wrist. His wand flew out and he pointed it at the ground.

"_Legilimens._"

Bella blinked in surprise as he looked down at something on the ground. He bent down to pick it up and shoved it in Bella's hand. Bella looked down at the little rat in her hands. One of it's claws was missing on one paw.

"Peter Pettigrew" Bella crooned. A wicked smirk curled her lip and she brought the rat up to her face.

"Tell me where. Is my sister?"

* * *

**Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**6:45 PM**

"_Crucio._"

Rabastan had cast the spell lazily and looked at the girl in front of him. He was impressed. No, more than impressed.

She wasn't screaming as much as one usually did when cursed by the Lestrange. Rabastan could actually see why his Master wouldn't want to pass someone like this up. It seemed as if she almost enjoyed the pain from the way she was laughing after she screamed.

"You…you h-have to t-t-try a bit harder than that" the Mudblood said, shaking from the curse. She gave a little laugh and looked at the ceiling. Rabastan looked into her dark, almost black eyes and there was something…raw and just _wrong_ in her eyes. It was dark and malicious.

"Is that so? _Crucio_" Rabastan cast. He sighed as the spell hit her again and she began to scream though quieter. Rabastan frowned at the wand in hand. It just wasn't effective the stolen wand than it would have been with _his_ wand.

"She's here."

The three looked at the Muggleborn girl who was looking at them with deadened eyes. Rabastan almost laughed.

"How can you tell?" Rodolphus asked, coldly. Hermione let out a low cackle and looked up with glistening eyes.

"Because…because I know my sister. And because…_he_ is with her" the Mudblood wheezed out. She let out a cough and a trickle of blood fell from her lips.

And suddenly, she was on her feet, though the chains were still on her wrists. She swung them and it caught Rodolphus is the foot. He roared in pain and the Mudblood smirked.

"I'm up here, Angel!" the Mudblood sang. She looked crazed and Rabastan actually took a step back.

She looked crazier than even Trixie was. Trixie actually looked surprised and skeptical. The pounding of feet sounded and suddenly the door was thrown open. Rabastan was surprised at who it was.

"Mórrígan."

It was a boy with the most unnatural eyes he had ever seen thus far in his life. They were a molten gold and he looked slightly familiar.

"Pretty, pretty" the Mudblood snarled out, her head tilted and a sick smile on her face. The boy's eyes widened and he let out a harsh laugh. He was pushed aside and this time, Rabastan actually took a step back.

_Those_ eyes were unnatural. They were more unnatural than the boy's by far. These eyes were the color of the Avada Kedavra curse yet they were rimmed with scarlet. The girl who stood in the doorway was pale and her face was stoic.

"Hello. I've been wisssshing to meet you for ssssuch a long time" she hissed. Her head move as if she was a snake and she bared her teeth. Rabastan frowned. It almost looked like her canines were…_fangs_.

"My darling nephew! You've come to join us and serve in the noble cause to our Lord" Bellatrix shouted, pointing at the door and jumping up and down. Rabastan looked to where she was looking and pointing.

Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, a scythe in his hand. He looked cold and full of rage.

"We bow."

The words were spat from the girl whom he assumed was Bella Potter. Rabastan saw that she was looking at Rodolphus.

"Who took her?" demanded the boy with golden eyes.

"I did."

The boy looked at Rabastan with disgust and pure fury. He gave the slightest of bows and Rabastan frowned. What were they trying to do?

Duel them?

They'd die.

"Warrior woman, you're about to witness a _real_ psychotic fight. Pretty, pretty blood flowing" the Mudblood giggled. She bowed and suddenly a sword was in her hand and she launched herself at Bellatrix. Bellatrix lifted her wand and sent a red curse at the girl. The Mudblood dodged it and raised her wand.

"_Sanguis Coque_" the Mudblood shouted, sending the bright orange jet at Bellatrix. Bellatrix jumped out of the way just in time and the Mudblood spun and slashed down with her sword. Bellatrix staggered back and suddenly she bared her teeth and jumped forward.

"Your fight's with _me_" a voice said. Rabastan turned to look at the teenage boy that was all bus snarling at him. Rabastan laughed and rolled his eyes.

"What will you do little—"

"_Legilimens_."

Bella looked at her brother just as he cast the spell before looking at Rodolphus whom was staring wide-eyed. Draco was staring with blank eyes and he leaned back.

"It will take two of us to duel Rodolphus. He is a Master Duelist" Draco said. Bella nodded and turned to her brother.

"Together?"

"Together."

"_Reducto_" Bella whispered. The bed exploded behind Rodolphus. Debris fell from the smoldering wood and Bella caught a thin piece of wood. She smirked as an electric charge ran down through the wood.

"Let's ride" Draco said before swinging his scythe at Rodolphus' head. He grabbed Bella's hand and she used it to brace herself as she ran on the wall.

Rodolphus ducked and was kicked in the head by Bella's flying foot. Rodolphus frowned. He slashed down and a purple streak of fire went at the two. Draco jumped as Bella ducked. It was like a synchronized dance. Bella was twisting on the ground, like a snake, as she avoided the purple fire. Draco was in the air, twisting like an acrobat to avoid the same flames.

Draco landed just as Bella fell into a loose crouch.

"Butterfly as soon as possible. I'll tell you" Draco murmured. Bella nodded. Rodolphus began firing curses like crazy. Bella fell back as a Cutting Curse hit her in the arm. She fell back as blood fell from her arm, spilling like crazy.

"You guys are good for a bunch of kids. The Mudblood is giving Bellatrix a run for her money" Rodolphus said, pointing towards the doorway where Hermione had chased Bellatrix to the doorway. Hermione was cackling, just as Bellatrix was.

"We know we're good. Shit…Blaise! What are you doing?" demanded Bella as she dodged another spell. Rabastan was on his knees in front of Blaise and Blaise was still in his mind.

"Stop! Blaise! Stop!" shouted Bella. The shouts seemed to rouse Blaise from his determined assault in the man's mind. Blaise gave a vicious smirked and then punched Rabastan, effectively knocking him out.

"I'm finished with him. I'm going to take out Bellatrix" Blaise said, firmly. Blaise jogged over to where Hermione and Bellatrix were dueling. Bella turned back to Draco. Draco dropped his scythe and threw his cloak to the side and he cracked his neck and his knuckles.

"_Incendio_" Draco snapped. Rodolphus dodged and Bella jumped, performing a butterfly kick. Draco kicked Rodolphus in the chest in the split second that Bella was in the air. Rodolphus fell onto his back and Bella fell onto his chest, straddling him. She held the stake over her head before slamming it down. It went in the place next to his head.

"**I want to kill you but I can't.**"

She lifted her wand. Rodolphus pushed up and kicked her against the wall. He spun and swept Draco's feet from under him in another second. Draco gasped in shock as he fell and his scythe clattered to the ground.

"_Big_ mistake" Bella snarled. She felt static course through her and down her right arm. She almost shook and the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight.

And then everything was like it was in slow motion. Bella felt power.

Absolute power coursed through her and she gasped at the euphoric feeling. She felt lightheaded and she could feel a piece of her soul screaming in pain and pleasure. The small tiny piece of soul crumbled away and she felt her eyes burn. She blinked as her vision grew sharper than ever and she could feel the electrical currents running through her nervous system.

If she truly focused she could feel it in Rodolphus' and Draco's body as well. She could feel a little electric charge that seemed to be swirling inside his body around a bigger ball of energy.

Magic.

Bella could feel the electricity building in her just as the magic was swirling down Rodolphus' arm and into his wand. Bella felt something press on her mind.

_SPIN YOUR WAND!_

Rodolphus began swirling his wand intricately. Draco was watching shock as Bella began to spin her wand like it was a baton. Bella spun as she spun it and she could feel the electrical charge leaving every nerve in her body and gathering in her arm. She felt her brain shut down and she was now on pure magic and animalistic savagery.

Bella gasped as her brain was shocked away with too much of an electrical charge and it began to look for a release. Suddenly, a large bolt of lightning flew from her wand and flew towards Rodolphus.

Rodolphus stared in absolute horror at the bolt of lightning.

"_Kveykva_" Bella said, her voice made up of two dual sounds. Her own was more of a gasp and an exclamation. The other sounded like an older version of her and it was confident.

The bolt of lightning flew at Rodolphus and knocked him back into the wall. He fell down with a shudder and Bella could see through her fading vision that the extra electrical charge was causing his brain to fry. Suddenly, everything looked normal once more.

"Yield" Rodolphus wheezed.

Bella smirked and ignored Draco's shocked stare.

Bella turned to walk outside and looked at the duel that was still going on between Hermione and Bellatrix. They were fighting fiercely and Hermione was laughing.

Hermione was quickly backing her up to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where Bella and her brothers had left Pettigrew. Bella frowned when she thought she saw a shadow running from the house but it quickly disappeared.

Suddenly, Hermione's sword was launched forward and the smile on Bellatrix's lips froze and she looked down.

The sword was in her stomach. She let out a scream and sunk to her knees. Bella didn't even see the group of wizards rushing over to the group. She also didn't notice that Tom was leading the group.

"Pretty, pretty Bellatrix!" Hermione shrieked. Tom froze and stared at what was happening. Bella was covered in blood on one side and he thought he saw a muscle through a large cut she had. Draco's hair was covered in blood and his clothes were torn and singed.

"You little Mudblood bitch! Get it out! Get it out!" Bellatrix screamed, clawing at her stomach.

"She screams for mercy! She screams for mercy!" Hermione jeered as she sent more hexes at Bellatrix. Bellatrix ripped the sword from her stomach.

"SHOW NONE!"

Bella looked up and looked at the three other people who had shouted the words with her. Her eyes connected with charcoal and crimson eyes. Blaise was staring, intently as was Draco. They weren't allowed to interfere with a direct duel like this.

"The Angel and her serpent are correct! No fear!"

Hermione kicked Bellatrix in the chest and the woman wheezed and fell back into a tree.

"No pain!" Hermione snarled as she punched the injured Death Eater in the face.

"NO MERCY!"

Hermione slammed her sword into the wound once more, up to the hilt and pushing it until the tip of the blade stuck out of the other side of the woman. Bellatrix shuddered and blood ran from the corner of her lip. Hermione ripped out the sword, mercilessly and turned away as the woman dropped.

And suddenly, McGonagall pointed.

"Wait!"

Hermione spun around to see Rabastan struggling to stand against the tree. He grabbed Bellatrix by the waist and then there was a large crack and then…another and they were gone.

Hermione looked at the shocked faces of Ron and the staff. She stabbed her sword up to the hilt in the ground before bringing it up. It was now devoid of blood. She threw it at the tree before it shimmered and reappeared on her arm.

"It hurts, Ana…" murmured Hermione as she sunk to one knee. Blaise caught her as she fell. Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes.

"She's laughing at me. She's singing again. She knows I liked what I did" Hermione murmured. Bella knelt besides Hermione as Draco stood behind her. He looked at the forest before letting out a loud and rattling sound. Everyone shuddered and Draco looked at the staff. He held out his hand a scythe flew from the Shrieking Shack and into his hand.

"I would summon a Patronus if I were you. _Expecto Patronum_!"

A thestral flew from his wand and Bella lifted her own wand.

"_Expecto Patronum_" she whispered.

A large and silver serpent flew from her wand and hissed threateningly. The dementors flew overhead before hovering over their heads. Draco looked up with narrowed eyes.

"Find them" he snarled. The dementors flew off but one remained. It flew down to Draco and he held open his hands to hold the baby dementor that he had all but adopted.

"Augustus, you will look over my siblings. Headmaster, the dementors are searching for the criminals as we speak. They will think better of coming back" Draco said, diplomatically. He knew he was the one that would have to speak. He was the only one who was in any condition to speak.

"I see, Mr. Malfoy. Would you four please come to the Hospital Wing to get your wounds treated? We can discuss what happened there" Dumbledore said. Tom looked as Bella looked up, her eyes a regular green.

"I…Drake…why is everything _spinning_?" she murmured. Draco frowned down at her as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell limp.

"She passed out from blood loss. Blaise, help Hermione to the Hospital Wing. Secure her mind as best as possible. Bind the psychosis any way possible. She let it get out of control. Draco, as our ambassador to the dementors, I need you to summon them back when the Minister arrives. Understood?" Tom asked, taking charge before Dumbledore could even get a word in. The staff looked at the man in surprise.

"Understood, sir" they answered in unison. Blaise held Hermione up and she moaned. She passed Ron who looked immensely worried.

"I'm sorry, Hermione…"

"She was put under the Cruciatus several times. Spare her the pitiful apologies" Blaise said, stiffly. He looked at the slightly shorter girl as she shuddered again and her eyes widened as she looked up at the sky.

"Professor Lupin…did you take your potion?"

The Assistant Defense professor nodded, slowly and Hermione gave a smile before she slumped further in Blaise's arms. Blaise slung her on his back and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he held onto her legs.

Tom was walking with Bella in his arms as they walked towards the Hospital Wing in silence. Dumbledore watched from where he stood.

"Albus, Miss Granger has psychosis, I gather."

"Yes. I didn't want it to get out, either. And it won't."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9th of June 1994**

**9:30 PM**

"Madame Pomfrey…I _need_ to secure her psychosis" Blaise pleaded. Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips and put a hand on her hips.

"And why do _you_ have to do it? I'm sure the Headmaster could do something about that" Pomfrey said, looking to Dumbledore for confirmation. He shook his head and sighed.

"I'm afraid I cannot help her. He is the only one powerful enough in this magical field to help her" Dumbledore said. Pomfrey sighed and Blaise sat on Hermione's bed and looked down at her. She was obviously sleeping.

"Mórrígan…wake up" he murmured into her ear. She moaned in her sleep from pain and she gave a violent shudder from the after effects of the Cruciatus.

"It hurts…" she groaned as her eyes flickered open. Blaise looked down at her with soft eyes and he lifted his wand and pointed it at her.

"Do you trust me, Mórrígan?"

"Yes" she wheezed.

"I need to go into your mind again."

"Do it…make her stop singing. She's singing" Hermione whispered. Blaise frowned.

"I know. _Legilimens._"

_Blaise was in her mind and now and it was simpler than the chaotic place it had once been. He was standing in a white room without a door window. A simple chair was in the middle and Hermione sat in it, looking down at her lap as she wringed her hands._

_And standing behind her was __**her**__._

_She had a slight smile on her face that was kind and sweet. Though, her eyes were alight with insanity she still looked soft in some way. Her brown hair fell straight to her waist, quite unlike Hermione's wild and crazy hair. Her eyes were rimmed with what looked like kohl but was probably also a result of insomnia._

_She was singing softly to the girl in the chair._

"_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little baby_

_When you wake_

_They shall have four pretty little horses_

_Thestrals and grays_

_Unicorns and bays_

_All four pretty little horses_

_Way down yonder down in a meadow_

_There's a poor little Angel_

_Bright wide eyes and fallen from the sky_

_Poor wee thing cried for her Serpent_

_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little baby_

_When you wake_

_They shall have four pretty little…" the woman sang. She looked up and Blaise frowned at her and her smile brightened._

"_You've come back to visit?" the woman asked, softly. Blaise shook his head and cleared his throat._

"_What __**are**__ you? Are you her psychosis? I only know you as Mórrígan. That's what you told me" Blaise said, quietly. The woman, no, Mórrígan, laughed and leaned on the chair Hermione sat in._

"_I am many things, Blaise. I am battle. I am named for the goddess of bloodshed, strife and war. I am Phantom. I am nothing. I am everything. I am War" Mórrígan said, with a sigh._

"_What about her psychosis then? Are you telling me that it wasn't you?" demanded Blaise. Mórrígan smiled and shook her head._

"_I tell you that it __**wasn't**__ me. She, Hermione, did that to herself. But…she will get through it and when three are united and Angel and serpent find one another, her curse of psychosis will end. And she will only be plagued with ASPD forevermore" Mórrígan promised. Blaise frowned, shrewdly._

"_How do you know of what is to come?"_

"_I am outside of the realm of time as are my siblings. We are neither here nor there. We simply exist. Now, wake her."_

_Blaise walked up to Hermione and kneeled in front of Hermione. She looked at him with deadened eyes._

"_Hermione, I want you to understand something. You're going to be with psychosis for a long time, I suspect. I just want you to understand that you did this to yourself and I can't…Merlin. I'll…take care of you. I'll help you as much as I can. And Mórrígan will protect you. I think she only takes control of your body to…__**help**__ you. Because you can't be that way, merciless, on your own yet. But, you will be strong. I know you're doing this to yourself because you feel helpless. But you're not. I promise. Ti prometto che ti aiuterà," Blaise said clearly._

_Hermione looked up and her eyes sparked in color. She offered a slight smile and looked behind her at Mórrígan._

"_You…I'm not helpless?" she whispered to Mórrígan. Mórrígan touched the girl's head._

"_No. Never. You are strong. You are a warrior."_

Blaise was thrown from the girl's mind and he looked at her as her eyes flashed open and she sat up. She looked around and saw Ron who looked close to tears at the moment.

"Oh…_oh_."

And then she burst into tears.

"What did you do?" asked Tom, quietly, speaking for everyone. Even Bella was up, though she looked in pain. Apparently, she had broken her ankle when twisting on the ground.

"I told her the truth and nothing but the truth. It will be much harder now for her to submit to her psychosis. Her ASPD is a different story but…I've controlled her psychosis…for now."

:::

**A/N: **And here it is. Bella is no longer a weak little brat and she can hold her own as evidently seen. I JUST added the scene with lightening. I read complaints of Bella being weak and I saw it too. Her siblings were more powerful than her and that didn't sit well with me. So, I've just given Bella an upgrade. But that won't be happening regularly. Not until the fifth arc, I'd say. Mostly because that was done in a moment of anger and desperation.


	34. Chapter XXXI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Uh! This arc has been bugging me from the beginning. I hated it! But it had to be done for story and character development. And I needed a way to get certain people out of Azkaban early. Well, this chapter is exceptionally short for not an interlude. I just want to start the romance! I'm almost there too! It'll be so much fun!

Also, the werewolf regulations was kind of taken from Fiction Alley and I have no way of telling the author that I'm using it so, I disclaim that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 10th of June 1994**

**12:00 PM**

"We can finally leave? Thank Merlin!" Bella sighed as she stood up on her sore ankle. Her arm was still wrapped in a bandage but that was only because, despite the fact that the gash was healed, it had a tendency to rip open again and bleed quite a bit.

"Yes…but be careful with your arm. No strenuous activity" Madam Pomfrey said, cautiously. Bella all but ignored the nurse and turned to Blaise who was standing with Hermione. Ron looked annoyed as they whispered to each other. Bella turned back to Draco who looked very tired suddenly.

"Is something wrong, Drake?" Bella asked. Draco shook his head and yawned.

"Not really. Just muscles were pulled yesterday. Let's go. I'm starving" Draco said with another yawn. The group of five walked to the Great Hall.

Ron walked towards the Gryffindor table straight away. Blaise looked at Hermione and squeezed her hand. She offered him a smile before turning from him and walking half way to the Gryffindor table before turning around and offering her hand to Bella.

"Thank you" Bella said looking at Draco. He raised an eyebrow, elegantly.

"Why do you thank me?"

"Because…fighting with you was exhilarating. It almost felt right, you know" Bella said, quietly. Draco blinked in surprise before frowning and crossing his arms, arrogantly.

"What do you mean by _almost_, Princess Potter? I'm one of the most skilled students here," Draco snapped. Bella laughed at his defensive tone and Draco glared at her, nastily.

"You wouldn't get it, Drake. I'll…I'll explain later. I'll see you later" Bella said. Draco sniffed and jerked one shoulder up in a shrug.

"I don't care. I don't think I like you very much anymore. Not that I liked you before," Draco said, in a very snarky tone before storming away. Bella laughed as she walked towards the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Hermione. Ron was laughing at Draco's face.

"What did you say to him?" Ron asked. Bella snickered.

"That he wasn't the best dueling partner, to fight alongside with. He came pretty close but that's because he's my blood brother. It was almost like we could read each other's minds but if we ever fought, someone would always win. I want to fight with someone who I am equal with. Where we would always come to a stalemate" Bella said, sighing. Ron frowned.

"Do you think…do you really think you'll have to fight again? Duel like that?" Ron asked. Bella nodded, slowly and frowned.

"I do. Ron, Grindelwald's not gone. We can assume that since I fought him and his followers. There's going to be a war" Bella sighed, in defeat. She hadn't wanted to admit it to herself but she knew it was time that she acknowledged the fact that it was true.

And so many people knew it as well. They were just trying not to think about it for as long as possible. Something Bella would have wanted to do if she'd been as naïve as she had been in her first year.

"But how are you so sure, Bell? It might be a fluke" Ron said, his tone sounding very wishful. Bella looked away, not wanting to talk about it anymore. So, Hermione took up the mantle.

"Ron don't deny it. If you're going to fight by our side, you have to acknowledge that there's going to be a war" Hermione said while eating her ham sandwich while Ron took another bite of his bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

"How do you _know_? Dumbledore might be able to stop it before it even happens. He could beat Grindelwald" Ron pointed out. Bella wasn't too sure on that subject but she knew that she had to have an open mind. Dumbledore_ could_ defeat Grindelwald but it wasn't absolute, and she doubted that it would happen. Dumbledore was _in love_ with Grindelwald, from what she gathered. In first year when he had spoken about Grindelwald not understanding love, his tone had gone rather frosty.

"I think he could but…Ron, I know. There's going to be a war. I can feel it. Trust me," Hermione said, her tone rather subdued and absolute. She sighed and looked around, longingly.

"What's wrong, Mione?" Bella asked. Hermione looked Bella in the eyes and frowned in annoyance. Bella was suddenly worried that Blaise's Legilimency wasn't as good as he claimed.

"I wish I had a book."

"Reallly, Hermione? _Honestly_" Ron mimicked in fun. Hermione glared at him before bursting into laughter herself.

Bella began to laugh at not only herself but just life itself.

Despite what had happened to her over the few years she was okay, and she had her best friends with her along the way.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 10th of June 1994**

**2:00 PM**

"What do you mean you're resigning?" Bella demanded crossing over to Remus who was putting his books in his trunk in his own room. Remus smiled sadly at the girl and Bella looked at him in shock.

"Fudge threw a fit when he realized that I was a werewolf. He noticed my scars and asked about them. And I couldn't lie to the Minister of Magic, now could I?" Remus asked. Bella looked at him in horror and shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What? He already knew though! I said something when Rosemerta was being a bitch!" Bella shouted, reminding Remus of the conversation she had told him about. Remus nodded and then sighed.

"I know but now that he's knows for sure, I suppose he doesn't like the idea. Or he's just afraid. The school is full of future voters. I'm not surprised that he doesn't want me in the school" Remus sighed as he closed his trunk. Bella shook his head in anger and she crossed her arms.

"That's not fair! It's not your fault that you're a werewolf! What about Draco, then? _He_ sucks out souls! That's just as dangerous as being a werewolf" Bella pointed out. Remus smiled at her righteous anger.

"It is but he doesn't have creature blood. So, he's a future voter. Not to mention that his father _is_ Lucius Malfoy. Draco is Heir to the Malfoy fortune, which Fudge might need in the future for financial backing of some sort. He can't remove Draco from the school but he _can_ remove me" Remus sighed, locking his trunk with a number of spells. Bella sighed as she realized that he was correct.

"Where will you go?" she finally asked.

"I don't know exactly. Maybe, I'll travel for a while. See the world for a bit, I'll be back though" Remus said, quickly after seeing the look on Bella's face. She had a pensive expression before she grinned and looked at Remus.

"I'm going to change it."

"What?" Remus asked in surprise. He didn't quite understand but she was now smiling brightly as if she'd just come up with the best idea on the face of the planet.

"I'm going to change it. I'm going to apply to join and then I'm going to become Chief Sorceress and I'll change those rules. I'll make sure you're recognized as a voter. I promise" Bella said with a bright grin. Remus smirked and decided to humor her.

"What about Dumbledore? He's Chief Warlock at the moment and I think he'll be around for a bit longer" Remus pointed out. Bella shrugged and rolled her eyes at the suggestion before inspecting her nails.

"Then, I'll win over the Wizengamot and get them to vote me in as Chief Sorceress. If Dumbledore really cared about equality and all for Light and stuff, then he'd make equal rights for everyone, right? Veela aren't even legally considered a _person_. They may be highly annoying but it's not fair" Bella said, with a frown. Remus looked at her in surprise and found himself nodding.

"I agree. I'll help you achieve your goal."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 10th of June 1994**

**7:00 PM**

"Draco…why did you fight the Death Eaters? They're _Death Eaters_! And one is your aunt. How could you betray the Dark?" demanded Adrian Pucey. Draco shot the older boy a withering look before turning back to his book.

He was surrounded by a bunch of idiots in the Common Room and all he wished to do was go and spar with someone. Specifically, Bella. She was a great sparring partner, though he'd never say it to the girl's face. She'd probably hold it against him forever.

"He asked you a question" snarled Marcus Flint. Draco looked up with narrowed eyes as the elder boy grabbed his shoulder.

"You might want to remove that hand, troll" Draco hissed, quietly. Flint's hand tightened on his shoulder.

"Who are you calling a troll, little third year?" demanded the boy. Draco smirked at him victoriously before brushing one lock of hair from his forehead.

"The idiot who had to repeat his last year you. Now remove your hand from my shoulder. I did what I did for reasons that you can't understand" Draco snapped. Flint let go of his shoulder in surprise. Everyone looked rather surprised at the admission from Draco. Blaise looked up from his medical journal.

"You should just leave us alone" Blaise said, quietly. Draco nodded in agreement when suddenly someone was pressed to his side. Draco looked at Pansy who didn't have her usual simper on her face. She was being rather serious.

"Defying the Dark is serious business, Draco. How could you help the Mudblood?" demanded Pansy, her tone soft but serious.

Draco suddenly understood the capacity of his actions. He had fought at the side of the Light scion. She would probably inherit the title of the Leader of Light after Dumbledore snuffed it. And he had done it to save a Mudblood. He had fought his uncles and his aunt to save a _Mudblood_.

"I didn't do it to help _her_. I did it to help Blaise and Bella."

"Why would you help the Girl-Who-Lived? She destroyed the Dark Master and Voldemort hasn't been seen for years" Goyle said. Draco sent him a sharp look and his eyes narrowed. They turned startling silver.

"It's the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort."

"He was never called that before" Millicent stated. Blaise nodded and then sighed.

"But that's what he is. You wouldn't understand."

"You're always saying we wouldn't understand! Why don't you try to explain it?" snarled Flint. The third years looked at the unofficial leader of Slytherin and Draco sighed and put down his book.

"I'm assuming you know what a blood sibling is. Bella is mine. We exchanged blood" Draco stated. Pansy nodded.

"We remember. She drank your blood but why? And when did you take her blood?" Pansy asked. Blaise cleared his throat.

"When she had to destroy an attachment to another magical source. The farther she was from that magical source, the more she could break it. It was stronger than even a blood sibling bond. But, the farther away, the weaker it got. She was in France and then formed a blood sibling bond with Draco" Blaise said, twisting the truth slightly. Draco hid his smirk well.

That night was always fuzzy to him but he could remember trading blood with her. Now that he thought about it, a lot of nights were fuzzy to him, including the night when he had fought the Death Eaters. He could remember fighting but…it was as if he had been pushed back to his mind and someone had taken control of his body. And he could only _see_ what he was doing but not feel it.

"And so, you had to complete the blood bond and you felt compelled to help her because of your connection. But why Blaise?" asked Pansy. Draco sent Pansy an impressed look.

She was a lot smarter than she looked. And she didn't even flush under his praising look. Now he knew that was definitely a front. A mask and she was damn good at it. She would be an excellent espionage agent…

"Did you know that Hermione Granger…is not in her right mind? Now, don't spread that around or the Headmaster will have your head. I'm telling you in confidence. She's not all there. She developed psychosis and has ASPD. Just like Bellatrix Lestrange. Imagine _that_ fighting. Bellatrix only has ASPD. She recognizes whom she has to fight. But if Hermione Granger decided to fight in the upcoming war…do you realize that she'd destroy both sides? And that Bella Potter would go with her," Blaise explained. No one understood why Bella Potter going with her was such a big deal.

"Bella Potter has been trained to duel since she was three years old. She's probably one of the best duelists at this school and realize that Professor Riddle, a first class dueler is her magical guardian. He's bound to make sure she's decent. She's a dangerous opponent because of her connections" Blaise said, lying fluently. Everyone nodded in understanding and Blaise looked back down at his journal.

The elder Slytherins took this as a dismissal and left the third years to their own devices. Pansy pushed up from Draco's shoulder.

"What really happened to Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger had a sword. And she stabbed her through the stomach. Up to the hilt and then yanked it out. Show no fear" Blaise murmured. Draco looked at Blaise from the corner of his eye.

"No pain."

"No mercy" they said, ominously in unison.

It would now be their doctrine.

No fear.

No pain.

No mercy.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 17th of June 1994**

**6:00 PM**

"An E in DADA I thought you'd do better. What was your failing point?" teased Bella. Hermione groaned at her sister's teasing and looked down with dismay at her Defense Against the Dark Arts grade.

She knew why she had gotten it. She had demolished the bloody dummy but when she got to her Boggart and she had ran out screaming. Bella had faced her Boggart head on and had sent a powerful _Riddikulus_ that made Grindelwald run around and sing 'I'm Coming Out' in falsetto.

"The Boggart It was terrifying! It was worse than my Boggart before when I only saw me killing that man, Apollo, I think. I had killed everybody and I kept saying 'pretty, pretty'. But…I'm not afraid of that anymore. I'm afraid of losing Apollo but not because of myself. I'm strong enough" Hermione said with a smile. Bella smiled proudly at her sister.

"That's good I'm glad you're not afraid anymore. But right now, I appreciate the fact that we won the House Cup! Look at everything. My favorite color in the entire world crimson" Bella said with a smile. Hermione smiled at her enthusiasm and she dug into her own food.  
"We also won the Quidditch Cup! That was an incredibly game" Ron said. The two began an avid conversation on Quidditch maneuvers and such and it was a great conversation. Hermione tried to keep up but quickly lost interest.

Bella glanced at Hermione secretively before smiling down at her plate.

Whatever Blaise had said to her had worked.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 18th of June 1994**

**10:20 PM**

"Hey there stranger."

Tom looked up from the book he was reading and glanced at the doorway. He waved the guest in. Bella Potter walked in and sat down on his desk as if it were nothing. Bella looked at him strangely for a moment before turning away and muttering something that Tom couldn't hear.

"Aren't you supposed to be going, brat?"

"I probably should but I've got time. I wanted to talk to you about something. Something rather important" Bella said, choosing her words carefully. Tom sighed and crossed his arms.

"I'm not explaining sexual intercourse to you."

Bella's eyes widened and she paled considerably. Tom smirked at her in victory and she gave him a scathing look when she realized that he had made a joke.

He made a joke.

Bella stared at him in incredulity before shaking her head and trying to concentrate on the present task at hand. She took out a nondescript book from inside her robes and placed it on the table. Tom stiffened at the look of it.

"What is this, Tom?"

"It's a journal that I gave you to continue your studies of Druhir. How have they been going?" Tom asked, carefully, his words revealing no emotion as he said them. Bella gave him a slight smile.

"It wrote back to me, Tom and told me that it is a sixteen-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle. What is it, Tom?" Bella asked. Tom sighed and leaned back, putting his book down onto the desk and looking at Bella through unblinking eyes.

"What else did it tell you?"

"That…that you killed someone by opening the Chamber of Secrets and using the basilisk to kill someone."

Tom looked at her with narrowed eyes and Bella almost screamed when his arms wrapped around her and then a hand was over her mouth. She was pulled back from the desk and into Tom's lap.

"And you're going to tell someone aren't you?" a voice hissed in her ears. Bella shook and then bit down hard on his hand. Tom let out a sharp sound of pain and kept a secure hand around her waist before wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"I…I've known since last year. I won't tell anyone. I _swear_" Bella said, sounding close to tears. Tom froze at the desperation in her voice and he loosened his grip on her waist, just enough for her to pull away if she wanted to.

She didn't move from his lap.

"**And why won't you little Light Girl?**" he hissed, softly in her ear. Bella closed her eyes, tightly before biting her lip.

"I…I won't tell because I trust you. You did it for a good reason, and I won't ever tell on you. I don't want you to go to Azkaban" Bella said in a quiet voice. Tom looked at her from over her shoulder. He placed his head on top of her head.

"And why not?"

"B-because I care for you. You're…you're _important_ to me."

Tom stiffened. He leaned back in his chair and Bella seemed to realize what she was doing. She jumped from Tom's lap and slid back on to the table.

"So, the little Light Girl won't tell? It's not too hard to believe actually" Tom said, more to himself than to her. Bella looked at him, earnestly and cleared her throat.

"Good cause I haven't told anyone. Not even Hermione and I won't ever tell if it's going to get you in trouble or I can't help it. I swear on my wand" Bella said, earnestly. Tom nodded and then gave a genuine smile. Bella was surprised to feel her cheeks heat up rapidly at the smile.

She almost frowned before she gave a tentative smile back. Tom was looking at her strangely.

"Er…goodbye, Tom" she said, the words making her flush even more. Bella stumbled back to the door and grabbed her trunk. She gave a wave before pulling her trunk out with her rather quickly. The door swung shut and Tom flicked his wand. There was a hiss from near the bookcase.

"**Master, the young speaker is feeling desire towards you.**"

Tom looked at her and cleared his throat as the great snake slithered onto his shoulders.

"**Don't be absurd, Nagini. She's only 13 a child.**"

"**I smell it from you too, Master. The young woman speaker has growing feelings for you. I could smell it. It reeked of desire and lust coming from her. From you it smelled like something else. You **_**care**_** for her,**" Nagini said, matter-of-factly. Tom choked on his air when he processed Nagini's words.

"**Since when did she become a 'young woman speaker'? She's still only 13. And I am the Dark Lord Voldemort. I care for no one,**" Tom snapped at his snake. Nagini gave hissing chuckles and licked her master's cheek.

"**Master, you may be the Dark Lord but you still care for her. And she **_**has**_** become a 'young woman speaker'. I smell the blood.**"

Tom winced at that and looked anywhere but his _very_ amused and _female _snake.

"**That's…that's too much information, Nagini.**"

"**But the truth She is going through her menstrual…**" started Nagini.

"**Stop. Just stop. I don't want hear about it. I can explain sexual intercourse but I refuse to speak on…feminine issues. Let's talk about something else**" Tom all but pleaded. Nagini gave a hissy snake equivalent of a laugh.

"**Of course, Master Tom. Let's talk about her strong feelings of desire towards you.**"

"**You are the biggest gossip I've ever met, Nagini. There are no feelings of desire**."

"**Then why did I smell those feelings of desire, Master?**"

"**Because…because…I don't know.**"

"**And what does that mean?**"

"**That she **_**may**_** fancy me but, I really doubt that**" Tom sighed, admitting that Bella Potter might actually fancy him.

"**And if she is infatuated with you, what does that mean?**" Nagini asked, genuinely curious and mostly patronizing.

"**That I have to deal with it? And tell her that is most inappropriate?**" Tom half asked. Nagini gave another hissy laugh.

"**No. You just have to try your best not to become besotted with her as well.**"

:::

**A/N: **And the seeds of romance have been planted. And I'm going to deliver. BIG TIME! So, I have everything for 5th Year through the end of the story planed out. I have somewhat a storyline for Goblet of Fire. A certain Tournament is still on and that will be followed somewhat closely. Same Champions and all (hint, hint) but everything else will be completely twisted and my own.

Including, the Quidditch World Cup. Yes, Bella still loves her Quidditch. It will be the chapter I hate the most, most likely.


	35. Interlude III

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **FINALLY! I'M FINISHED! The last arc pissed me off to no ends but it needed to be done. I needed the four of them out of the freaking

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude III**

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**11:45 PM**

"Maya said she wouldn't be here for another fifteen minutes. So _why _are we here _now_?"

"Because we haven't had the time to really talk about what happened at…Hermione's school" Helen explained. Penelope blushed in annoyance and embarrassment when reminded of their time at Hogwarts.

"Oh, right. I don't think I want to talk about that" Penelope said, her face flushed. Helen smirked and rolled her eyes before taking a sip from her coffee.

"Why not? Because Professor Riddle wasn't into you even though you practically threw yourself at him. It was rather amusing, seeing that. That Bella girl didn't seem too threatened by it" Helen commented. Penelope glanced up at her best friend in surprise.

"What do you mean by 'threatened'?"

"Didn't you see it? They're _meant_ for each other!" Helen said, grinning. Penelope looked at her in shock.

"He's like twelve years older than her! That's pedophilia" Penelope said, choking on her iced latte. Helen smirked and leaned back in her chair.

"Not now. But when she's older, it'll be fine. Did you see how they reacted when that little blonde girl said Bella might take his last name? It's was _so_ funny. But I could understand your reaction. Professor Riddle was so gorgeous! But even _I_ could see that he wasn't into you" Helen said, chattering as she took a bite of her scone.

"Whoa! Wait. How did everyone see it but me? Am I not good enough?"

"No, honey, that's not it. Not it at all. But he was mean to _everyone_. He was just as much of a prick as Maya always told us. And then he yelled at those kids. But, when he burst into the office, did you not see the worry and panic in his eyes when he looked for Bella? He was so worried for her" Helen explained, kindly. Penelope frowned and crossed her arms, pouting. It was totally not fair!

"But, I'm older than her. She's just a little girl!"

"Uh…she doesn't look like it to me" Helen said, pointing at the door. Penelope turned to look at where she was pointing and almost gaped in surprise.

Bella Potter stood in the doorway with the slightest of smiles on her lips. Her hair was pulled in a high ponytail and it seemed like she had had her bangs trimmed. She was wearing a black blazer and black jeans tucked into combat boots. She had on a pair of large glasses with thick lenses.

She walked in with her godfather, Maya, and Hermione. They were all laughing at her and she was trying not to laugh as well.

"My glasses are _not_ funny."

"Yes they are. You haven't worn those since you were 7. What happened to your contacts?" asked Sirius. Hermione smiled.

"She lost them. They fell down the drain of the sink. She was trying to clean them and she dropped them. So I had to help her find those."

"Well, can you see? Is the prescription strong enough?" Maya asked. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"It was too strong at first. Remember I was trying to fix my eyesight with that…_potion_. But, I fixed it, relatively well. Well…Hermione helped me find the spell" Bella said, as an afterthought. Maya nodded and the group spotted Helen and Penelope.

"Oh, Aunt Helen! Aunt Penelope! Hi!" Hermione said, happily. Bella waved at them and Penelope looked at the girl, scrutinizing. She was holding a large and ornate locket and holding it tightly against herself. She was sighing in relief every few seconds. Sirius was frowning at her.

"Bella…maybe you should take off that necklace" Maya said, noticing as well. Bella let out another heavy sigh and shuddered. She shook her head and suddenly looked very light-headed.

"I…I don't want to."

"You're growing addicted. It's not good for you, Bella" Sirius reminded her. Hermione looked torn between agreeing and defending Bella. Penelope watched as she cleared her throat.

"She needs it. Remember, she made a deal with him. She keeps the locket with her at all times and she dies to keep it safe. It's okay if she's addicted to it. It's not like she can ever get rid of it, right?" Hermione said, uncertainly. Sirius shook his head and sighed.

"Getting addicted is never good. It's not so much that she's addicted but more like she's always trying to…I don't know. It's just weird" Sirius said, unable to explain himself. Bella glanced at her godfather.

"You're going to get coffee? You know my coffee order, right?" Bella asked. Sirius smirked and nodded.

"I do. It's been the same since you first tried my coffee when you were three. Two black coffees, a caramel brulée, and what would you like Hermione?" Sirius asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't really like coffee. Tea is fine. Two sugars and some honey."

"All right. I'll get that straight away. You ladies can go sit down" Sirius said with a devilishly handsome smirk. Bella nodded and sat across from Penelope. Maya sat on one side of her and Hermione on the other.

"So…those are two pretty lockets Bella" Penelope started. Bella awarded a bright smile.

"Thank you. Uncle Sirius gave the small silver locket to me. It has a picture of me as a baby, my parents, Uncle Sirius, and my other godfather figure, Moony. Tom gave the other locket to me, to keep it safe under _all_ conditions. I swore to keep it safe with my life. Even being away from it makes me sick" Bella said, her smile growing dimmer as she was reminded by the locket.

At her reminder of Tom she almost flushed.

"What's inside?" Helen asked. Maya and Hermione shuddered. Bella's face grew grim.

"Bad things. Really bad things that are best not said."

"Oh…then why keep it safe?" Penelope asked. Bella smirked and leaned back.

"He cursed me. Tom cursed me last year. He made it that I wouldn't be able to express any emotion. Not rage, not fear, not pain. Not happiness, not joy, not sadness. Nothing. And to break the curse, I had to make a vow to protect the locket. The locket is very special to me" Bella said. Helen nodded in understanding and watchd in fascination as Bella stiffened and shuddered, violently.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Sirius asked as he came back with the coffee.

"Nothing…shock of magic. He used magic and the locket and my wand reacted.. He just used some _very_ powerful magic. I think he used the same type of magic he used when he cursed me. **He's using **_**Dark**_** magic**" Bella murmured under his breath. Sirius' eyes widened and then Bella stiffened. She cleared her throat.

"It's nothing. Everything's fine. Just fine" Bella said. Penelope watched in shock as the pretty girl's lips curled into a cruel smile.

It wasn't a very bright sight.

:::

**A/N: **Here's the boring interlude. It's also the first interlude that Bella is in. This is one of my last prewritten chapters so it'll be a while until the next one comes out.


	36. Chapter XXXII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I'm done. I'm done with thirteen-year-old Bella. I have my awesome fourteen-year-old Bella who is getting better to the Bella that I'm getting to. Bella will not really realize what she's feeling in this chapter. She's going to feel _very_ strange…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXII**

_"It lies not in our power to love, or hate_

_For will in us is over-rul'd by fate"_

_-Christopher Marlowe_

**Gringotts, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**12:30 PM**

Penelope watched in fascination as Hermione, Bella, and Maya curtsied to the little weird creatures at the teller box. Sirius had swept into a low bow and had given a devilish smile.

"Merry meet, Gornhorg" they had said in unison. The goblin gave a twisted version of a smile and nodded.

"And merry meet, Miss Granger, Ms. Granger, Lord Black, and Lady Slytherin."

Bella had frozen at the title and maintained her polite smile even though they had obviously addressed her as something weird.

"We're here to enter a vault. Vault 1069 please. I have the key. May I borrow a knife?" asked Bella. Gornhorg nodded and Bella slid a key that she had on a bangle onto the table. Gornhorg took it and then looked at Bella.

"Lady Slytherin, my Lord is in the library at the moment. Should I alert him?" Gornhorg asked. Bella shook her head.

"Please. Don't. He'll have a cardiac arrest if he realizes that I'm escorting Muggles into his precious Library of Alexandria. Lord Slytherin will have to be kept unaware at the moment. Come on" Bella said. Gornhorg had nodded.

Penelope arrived in front of a vault fifteen minutes later, feeling a little sick. Bella walked up to the large silver doors and had taken a knife from Gornhorg's hand. She slashed at her hand and smeared her blood on it. The door had hissed and then Bella had run her hand over the doors and began chanting.

"Speak to me Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. Speak to she who holds you in highest regard. **Speak to me and reveal knowledge once hidden in silence,**" she murmured, pacing back and forth. The large doors slid open in silence. Hermione looked at the girl, strangely.

"It made a lot of noise before."

"Well, right now, I don't want Tom to know I have two Muggles in his vault. It's like me inviting Dumbledore into his money vault. He'd murder me before committing suicide" Bella said with a smile. Penelope watched her as she glided in and then Penelope looked around. She gaped.

"What is this place?" Helen asked in awe.

"This is the Library of Alexandria. Well, what Salazar Slytherin salvaged of it. It's almost the complete library and a few additional books. Don't touch anything. There might be some curses on it. Get Uncle Sirius to check first. I'll be back. I have to pick up a few things" Bella said, matter-of-factly. Helen and Penelope frowned.

"Why does she talk to people like that?" Helen asked Sirius. He sighed, looking rather resigned.

"She's a little moody right now. And this is technically _her_ Library. She can set her own rules. And it's true. It might be cursed. Riddle is rather…Dark. He'll do anything to keep his possessions safe."

"Including Bella" Hermione said. Sirius ignored her.

Penelope followed Bella silently as she made her way to the back of the Library. She didn't understand the girl. She was shuddering with every step she took to a dim light. Bella's smile was turning more into a smirk every time she got closer to the light. She stopped suddenly and Penelope slid behind a large bookcase to watch.

"Hello stranger."

The man looked up and offered a smirk. Penelope gasped when she saw the large snake on his shoulders. He hissed something at the snake and the snake hissed back and flicked its tongue in Bella's direction. Bella smiled.

"Happy birthday" Tom Riddle said. Bella's smile widened into a grin. Tom Riddle stood up and put away the book and Bella sat on the table. Tom turned around and blinked in surprise.

"Closer. You act as if I bite. I'm not Nagini, Tom" Bella giggled. Tom rolled his eyes and crossed up to her until he was right in front of her. Bella leaned back on her hands and gazed up at him with soft green eyes.

"I doubt that, brat. What brings you to my Library?"

"I needed to pick up a few scrolls. That's all. Then I'll be going home to a 'surprise' birthday party. It's not a surprise if Uncle Sirius holds one every year" Bella said, laughing to herself. Tom nodded and then sighed.

"You feel awkward."

"What? No I don't!" Bella said, too quickly for it not to be a lie. She sighed and looked away from Tom, her eyes dark with regret.

"You feel regret at telling me what you knew. Have you told anyone?" Tom said quietly. Bella shook her head and sighed.

"No. I would never. Never on my life. You were young and sixteen" Bella said, quietly. Tom sighed and looked away from her trusting eyes. She trusted him far too much. It almost hurt him to see that.

Almost.

"I hope you realize that I don't regret what I did. I never will. I'm not Light, Bella Potter" Tom said, quietly. Bella gave him a light smile and rolled her eyes.

"And who said I was?"

"Oh, don't give me that, little Light Girl."

"I'm not a little girl!" Bella spat, viciously. Tom looked at her in shock before schooling his expression and gave a smirk.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I'm 14, thank you very much. And I'm not the little Light Girl. I'm not the Golden Girl. I will never be. If Grindelwald ever comes back, I'll go against him because I want revenge. Not because I'm someone's savior. I want to make him pay for _ever_ killing my parents. And to do so, I'll use any means necessary" Bella vowed. Tom smirked at her and leaned in and hissed something in her ear.

"**Is that so?**"

Bella nodded almost hypnotically. Penelope was shocked to witness the two.

"Yes."

"Interesting. I'll be off now. I have what I need" Tom said. He turned and suddenly Bella grabbed his shoulder and Tom spun around and the two seemed to be frozen in the low light.

"You used Dark magic earlier" Bella whispered. Tom nodded slowly.

"I did. Why?" Tom asked. Bella sighed and cleared her throat before looking around. Penelope could have sword that the girl had made eye contact with her before quickly looking away.

"Dark magic…Dark magic is really harmful, Tom. It corrupts people. What were you doing?" Bella asked. Tom looked away from her and turned to gather his books. Bella growled.

"Tom! What were you doing?" she all but snarled. Tom swung back around to glare at her with crimson eyes.

"That's none of your business, Anastasia."

"It _is_ my business!"

"No, it's not. What I do I my business. You're going to give me a whole story about corruption. I do not want to hear it. Goodbye, Ana" Tom sneered. Bella gave a shriek of anger. She turned away from him.

"You're still just a little naïve girl."

"I'm not. Corruption isn't always a bad thing. You're always twisting everything I say. I said Dark magic was harmful. Not bad. Never bad. You seem to be forgetting that I can barely cast Light spells. Do you know how hard the Patronus is for me?" Bella snapped. Tom stopped and glanced at her.

Bella gulped at the look he sent her. She didn't think he meant to give her such a smoldering look but it had that affect on her. She suddenly felt very weird and she frowned in confusion.

"That may be but you're still naïve."

"I'm anything but. You think I don't see what's in front of me, Tom? I _know_ you're Dark. I can feel it. I can feel the Black Magic on you. I can almost _taste_ it. I know you're not right, Tom. I _know_" Bella said, quietly almost to herself.

As if she were trying to convince herself. Tom looked at her with an amused smirk that looked playful yet…so very _wicked_. Bordering on _evil_.

"Not right, am I?"

"You're not right. You're…you're so _wrong_. I can tell. You're corrupt" Bella whispered. Tom's eyes widened and he tilted his head.

"I see. And what you think about that?"

"I don't care."

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**2:30 PM**

Bella huffed as sweat poured from her face. She jumped and sent another kick at the large punching bag. She sighed and punched it as hard as she could. It rocked back and forth for a second before becoming stiff once more.

"What are you doing?"

Bella turned and glanced at the women in her doorway. The two Muggles, she remembered.

Penelope and Helen. She gave them a smile and waved them into the spare bedroom that she and Hermione had turned into a sort of home gym. Bella jumped and performed a butterfly kick before bouncing back. She continued to throw rapid fire punches at the punching bag as Penelope and Helen watched. She sighed as she felt her muscles scream from the strain.

"Hi. I'm training. What can I do for you?" asked Bella. Helen looked at the girl in front of her with scrutinizing eyes.

Bella looked tired as she sat down cross-legged in front of the massive black punching bag. She was wearing emerald green shorts that fell to her knees loosely and a black tank top. Her hands were wrapped with black hand wraps that prevented her from making her hands rough.

"Nothing. We were just looking around and saw you. What are you training for?" asked Helen. Bella smiled and leaned back onto her back before beginning to do sit ups.

"For the war."

"There's a _war_?" Penelope asked in shock. Bella nodded as she did her fifteen sit-ups.

"Not yet but there's going to be. I'm the 'Golden Girl' or something. Apparently, I have to fight for the Light if Grindelwald comes back. And I'm not going in with a bunch of school spells. I'm going to know how to fight" Bella said, passionately as she finished the sit-ups. She sat up and began to unwrap her hands.

"Does anyone else do this with you?" Helen asked, curiously.

"Yes. Hermione does. Did Miss Maya tell you about Hermione's…_new_ condition?" asked Bella. The two nodded, grim-faced that their goddaughter was now a psychotic as well.

"She needs it to keep herself in check. And then three other boys."

"_Boys_?" Penelope asked with a grin. Bella rolled her eyes and snorted before jumping up to sit on the couch with them.

"Ron Weasley, you'll meet him. He's my best friend. Draco Malfoy, my brother. And Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend. No one special" Bella said, dismissively. Helen and Penelope nodded in understanding.

"Is…was Draco adopted by someone else?" asked Helen. Bella laughed

"No, no. He's my blood brother. We exchanged blood and it tied us together in a sibling bond. I'm only glad he's _not_ my brother. He's insufferable!" Bella laughed. Helen and Penelope laughed with her.

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**4:00 PM**

"Ron! Ginny! Gideon! Thank you so much!" Bella said with a smile. She looked down at her giant box of Muggle candies that the three youngest Weasley children had put together. They were still ogling her because of the massive glasses on her face. She tried to ignore it as much as possible.

"You're welcome. We made sure to put extra Red Vines in" Gideon added. Bella's grin widened and she moved onto the gift from Sirius. Helen and Penelope watched uneasily since they were surrounded by so many unknown people.

"What…HOLY SHIT! IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?" demanded Bella. She turned to tackle Sirius with a hug and he hugged her back with a grin.

"Of course! The Marauder's Map. I wanted to give you tickets in the Top Box for the Quidditch World Cup but…someone bought most of it out. I'm sorry" Sirius apologized. Bella's smile dimmed slightly before she forced it back and beamed at him.

"This is just as good! A map to the school! How did you get this back? I thought Filch took it from you!" Bella said. Sirius nodded in agreement and leaned back.

"Remember when I was at the school in February? I nicked it."

"You're insane Uncle Padfoot" Bella sighed. Sirius only awarded her with a grin and a wink.

"And you know it. Now open Mione and Maya's gift" Sirius said, pointing to one of the last two gifts. Bella nodded and unwrapped the small gift carefully.

She smiled at the beautiful charm bracelet. Hanging from it were charms. A sword charm, a spear charm, a scythe charm, and a beautiful and intricate wand charm hung from the bracelet. There was a silver snake curled around one part of the bracelet links by its tail. A gold lion charm was in the position exactly opposite from the snake charm. There was a charm of a strange looking horn. Then there were two charms that depicted a Grim and a werewolf. And finally, a pair of silver wings with a green snake curled around the angel wings.

"It's beautiful" Bella murmured, admiringly. She turned to Hermione who was beaming at her.

"Hermione picked out most of the charms. She also got you another gift. She said that you desperately needed it" Maya said, sounding almost apologetic as Hermione passed over a square shaped package. Bella unwrapped it and groaned. Ron laughed.

"A homework planer, Hermione?" Ron asked. Hermione glared at the boy.

"Don't worry, Ronald. You'll be getting one for Christmas."

Ron paled dramatically.

"Do you like it, Bella? It's the Four of us. And your two Houses. There's also a horn for Luna. And charms for Mr. Remus and Mr. Sirius. And finally the angel wings. I think that rather explains everything" Hermione said, vaguely. She blushed as she remembered how she acted while she was rather…off. Bella gave a wicked grin.

"Oh, yes, Mione. 'Pretty, pretty'."

"Don't forget, Bella. 'Pretty, pretty Angel'. You have to say it right" Ron teased. Bella and Ron laughed and Hermione blushed even more as she got confused to looks. Bella flicked Hermione's forehead.

"Aw, don't give me that look. We're only teasing. It's funny."

"Funny for _you_. You don't have to feel utterly out of control" Hermione snapped. Bella's eyes narrowed and she gave Hermione a hard look.

"Don't make this all about you. Not today."

Hermione looked down, ashamed.

"Sorry…"

"It's alright. And finally we get down to this large box, which I'm sure comes from my favorite professor" Bella drawled. She opened up the very plain box and took out about three tomes and three scrolls. She smiled down fondly at them before frowning and withdrawing a small envelope.

"What's in the letter?" Fred asked.

"His will? Please tell me, he's dead" George joked. Mrs. Weasley smacked the two over the head.

"You two need to learn to respect your elders. You're always joking around…I can't understand how you two passed your OWLs" Percy grumbled. Bella was still looking at the two with an unreadable expression before looking down at the letter that she had just scanned.

"I'll read the letter if you want."

Hermione looked at her in surprise.

"You never let _anyone_ read the letters from Professor Riddle" Hermione said. Bella nodded.

"That was because it wasn't your business. This is" she said. Hermione nodded and sighed as Bella began.

"_Dear Brat From Hell,_

_This cost me a lot of money. You're lucky I'm a 'kind' soul and you're so fond of those redheads. Otherwise, the Weasleys (especially the little twin boy whom I can't stand…Gideon) wouldn't be accompanying you._

_Hate,_

_Tom_

_P.S. The two weird Muggles aren't invited and if you EVER bring those two Muggles into my Library again I'll have Nagini eat you and then eat them so you three can have a tea party in her stomach. Maya can come to the Library as long as she doesn't touch my personal collection. She's one of the ONLY Muggles I've actually liked_" Bella read. Fred, George, Ron and Ginny burst in laughter. Sirius, Maya, and Hermione were snickering. Helen and Penelope paled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley frowned at the intensity of the last message.

Bella took out thirteen thin sheets of paper before walking around and passing one out to each of them. Everyone stared in shock at the papers in front of him or her.

"WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD CUP!" Fred shouted. Bella's face broke into a grin and she nodded excitedly. She gave out a loud whoop. Ginny and Gideon jumped up and began screaming. Hermione was smiling softly and Sirius looked ready to cry.

"I've…we're going to the World Cup" Sirius murmured. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were frowning and talking seriously before Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at him, giving him his or her utmost attention.

"These are in the Top Box. They're very expensive" Mr. Weasley started. Bella nodded.

"Yes. And he gave them to me. So what?"

"We can't accept these. They're too expensive" Mrs. Weasley explained. Bella looked at them in shock and shook her head. Her lip quivered.

"No…please. Please accept them. Please go with me! It's not a gift to you. It's not charity either! My gift wasn't going to the Quidditch Cup. Sirius could've given me that. The gift was going with all of _you_" Bella explained. Ron looked at his parents and looked back at his best friend.

"Please! Can we please go! It's Bulgaria versus Ireland" Ron begged as the fire in the fireplace turned green. Everyone looked at the fireplace except for Bella who was ready to beg on her knees. Suddenly, she felt the prescence of someone behind her. She spun and delivered a kick to the person's side. The person grabbed her foot in his hand and dropped it after making a hiss of pain.

"Bloody hell…what do you think you're doing, hellion?"

"TOM! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the ultimate ruler! You are awesome! You are king!" Bella said, dropping to her knees in reverence. Tom watched in amusement as Ron dropped to his knees in front of him as well and began bowing. Hermione was snickering.

"I know, I know. I am truly amazing. But really…no need for all that. You're entirely too melodramatic about such a stupid thing as a _sport_" Tom smirked. Hermione raised her glass of butterbeer.

"Hear, hear!"

"Take that back!" Fred hissed, playfully. Mrs. Weasley was looking at Tom with a scrutinizing look.

"So _you_ bought out the Top Box. Is there any time when you're trying _not_ to show me up?" Sirius snapped, playfully. Tom rolled his eyes.

"I don't try Black. I'm more of a take action type of person. I don't try. I just do."

"Arrogant ponce" Sirius muttered under his breath. Bella was still announcing her reverence for Tom before she turned to Tom.

"The Weasleys won't go to the Quidditch World Cup. Do something about it."

"Excuse me? They won't go _where_" Tom asked, his voice going slightly higher at the end. Bella smirked at the head Weasleys as they suddenly felt cornered.

"We can't accept this, Professor Riddle. It's just not right. We don't need charity" Mrs. Weasley said, firmly. Tom gave a harsh laugh.

"I'm not doing this for you and it certainly is not charity. It's for the horror. It's her gift for her birthday. For some odd reason I feel obligated to show up Sirius Black in everything, including giving Anastasia a birthday present."

"But still…"

"No. I just spent so much money that I was actually _afraid_ to look at my vault. Go because it's the last time I'm ever buying tickets to a stupid Quidditch game" Tom said, sharply. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nodded, cowed by his adamancy. Bella smirked and hugged Ginny.

"We're going to the World Cup!" she announced, happily.

Maya was smiling softly and glanced at Bella and then at Tom. She was shocked to see that he was trying to repress the slight smile that was starting to make his way across his face.

"Ah right. _Someone_ wished to give you a happy birthday" Tom said, pulling a small little worm type thing from his pocket. He touched it with his wand and dropped it before it could do anything. Suddenly it grew to a massive size and Penelope and Helen let out a scream.

"**NAGINI!**" Bella said, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around the massive snake. Sirius looked shocked and stared at the large python wrapping itself around his goddaughter.

"**Happy birthday, young woman speaker**" Nagini said, her tongue flicking across Bella's cheek. Bella laughed and hugged the snake tighter. Nagini slithered off of her and up the chair that Hermione was sitting in.

"Hello, Nagini."

"I hate that snake. What's it doing here?" Gideon muttered under his breath. Tom glared at him sharply. Gideon paled and looked down.

"**Reason number 1 on why I can't stand Gideon Weasley. He insults my familiar**" Tom muttered. Bella gave a hissy laugh.

"Don't be sssso mean, Tom. Gideon doesssn't know Nagini like you do. Ssshe's a ssweetheart. Aren't you, my beautiful snake?" Bella said, her voice going from a hiss to normal. She realized that she wasn't getting weird looks. Bella cleared her throat.

"Sorry…er…it's sometimes hard for me to go from Parseltongue to English sometimes. This is Nagini, Tom's familiar. She's the best snake in the world!" Bella said, grinning. Tom nodded and Maya frowned.

"And how does everyone know this snake?" Mrs. Weasley asked, curiously. Ron shuddered as he looked at the snake. He was still a little frightened of it.

"The snake hangs out during our classes. When the Assistant Professor is teaching or Professor Riddle doesn't feel like teaching the snake wraps herself around him while he reads" Gideon explained. Tom looked up at the ceiling and smirked as Maya frowned.

"Doesn't feel like teaching?" Penelope asked. Ginny nodded, energetically.

"He sometimes tells us to turn to a random page and read. Even if we've read it already."

"Do you really?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow. Sirius noticed that she looked almost reprimanding. Tom waved his wand and the time floated in midair.

"Ah look at the time. I have a book I must finish reading. Good day. Happy birthday, unpleasant child" Tom said, quickly before turning to take off. Bella rolled her eyes and kicked the back of his leg. Tom spun around and had his wand pointed at her and a wicked smile on his face. Bella flicked her wrist and point her wand at the ground.

"Will you two bow?" Hermione asked. Bella tilted her head and smirked.

"That _does_ sounds like fun…"

"Agreed. Consider this another birthday gift," Tom said, carefully. Bella gave a harsh laugh.

"Kicking your ass _would_ make my day. No cheating. Swear it," Bella instructed.

"Wait what are you talking about?" Gideon asked. The two ignored the boy and smirked at each other.

"Fine."

"Hermione, hold him to the swear. If you catch him cheating then you may use any curse to your hearts content. Except for your specialty. That's not…that's not appropriate for the situation. Understood?" Bella said, not looking away from Tom's charcoal eyes. They were mesmerizing and a smirk was spreading on her lip.

Hermione nodded.

"I swear…that I'll most likely kill you. You'll feel pain."

"We'll see. You might get to witness what I did to Rodolphus. And it wasn't a pretty sight" Bella said, off handedly though now that she knew what she had done, she probably wouldn't use it. The two Slytherins looked at each other for a second longer before taking off down the hallway and away from the room.

"_STUPEFY!_"

"_REDUCTO!_"

There was a sound of wood splintering and shattering.

"What the…" Sirius said with a shocked look on his face.

They could hear Bella let out a battle cry.

"I think I need to go…make sure they don't kill each other" Hermione sighed. Ron nodded.

"They tend to get intense during their scrimmages" Ron said. Helen and Penelope were taking that a _whole_ other way, judging by the obscure conversation from before. Whatever they were doing sounding rather sexual.

"What are they doing?" Maya asked. Sirius looked almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Dueling" Hermione sighed.

This had most of the room racing after them with Fred and George in the lead towards the sounds of blasts and explosions. They all walked into a room where there was now a dueling platform.

Bella's lip was bloody and she had cut on her face. Her robe was discarded onto the ground and she now wore only her jeans and shirt. She was leaning on one leg more than the other. Tom's hair was messy and half of his shirt was torn off.

"Bastard! That actually hurt" Bella snarled, lifting her wand and pointing it at the platform.

"I'm not going to let you use your signature move, Anastasia" Tom said, moving his wand quickly. Bella's wand flew into his own hand and Bella smirked.

"I don't need my wand, dumbass" she said before jumping. Sirius watched in shock as she gained height and then stuck out her foot. She slammed the heel of her boot into the wood and it splintered under the force. She bent and ripped a piece of wood from the ground. Tom stared at her in shock as she smirked.

"I've been practicing. You can keep my wand."

She suddenly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She leaned back on her good leg and hobbled into a stance.

"Are you going to 'yield' now?" Tom teased with a grin on his face. Bella's eyes flashed open and she rolled her eyes.

"Not your life you bastard."

Tom rushed at her with his wand and shot a spell at her. Bella jumped to avoid it and landed on her good leg. She spun as he threw a punch at her and she jumped into a back flip, her foot landing on top of his head and knocking him to the ground. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Maya, Penelope and Helen screamed. Sirius flinched as Tom twisted on the ground and blood tainted his hair until it was a mix of crimson and black. His eyes were as crimson as his blood. Blood dripped from his head and streamed down his face in thin wine-colored rivers.

"Little bitch…" he muttered as he staggered up. Bella flashed him a smile before tilting her head.

"And you know it. Did he let me do that Mione?" Bella asked without taking her eye off Tom. Tom threw her wand at Gideon whom caught it before it could hit him in the eye.

"No. He truly didn't realize that was going to happen as far as I could see. What do you think Ron?"

"No. You got him, Bell."

"Good. Want to 'yield' yet, _Tom_?" Bella asked with a spark of mischief. Maya stared at the girl in shock. Her name had caressed the name rather flirtatiously and she didn't even seem to realize it.

"Do you, _Ana_?"

And there Tom went doing the exact same thing that Bella had done. Maya blinked as Bella's smirk only grew wider with anticipation.

"No."

"Same answer" Tom snarled before shooting a vicious purple spell at her. Bella gaped before she jumped and ran at him. She could feel the electric charges again as her well-being was suddenly in danger.

Bella slid on her knees towards him as he shot another spell at her. She jumped up and punched him in the chest. He jerked slightly and Bella smirked before performing a butterfly kick and he fell onto his back. Bella fell onto her hands in a handstand before twisting and pushing off so that she was suddenly straddling Tom and the stake in her hand was aimed at his jugular. Her other hand was pressed onto one of his pectorals, keeping her up.

"Bitch. **Little vixen**" he snarled at her. Bella gave a wide fox smile and leaned down until her hair was falling over her shoulder. Half of it was out of its loose bun now and it easily covered their faces.

"Thank you."

She jumped up and slid off the platform as Tom glared after her, sitting up. The tattered ruins of his shirt slid off and Bella looked at him, her eyes widening.

"**You have a nice chest**" she blurted out. Bella gasped and then covered her mouth. Maya glanced at Bella who looked shocked, pale, and ready to die. Tom looked completely amused and even _pleased_ for someone whom had just lost.

She wondered what everyone had just missed.

"**The compliment is appreciated**."

Bella's eyes widened and she walked, stunned and bleeding from the room. Everyone looked after her and Sirius glared at Tom. Tom looked at him innocently though the pleased look was still on his face.

"What did you say to her?" demanded Sirius. Tom's lips curled into a grin and Maya blushed. It just made him look even handsomer. Hermione was also staring. Ginny was almost salivating. Most of the adult women were blushing madly while the males just looked curious about what had made Bella run off.

"The correct question is what she told _me_."

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**7:00 PM**

"What did you say?" asked Sirius when the only people that were left were the current residents of the House of Black. Bella shook her head and took another long sip of butterbeer.

"Nothing of importance" Bella said, clearing her throat. Hermione was smirking at her best friend even though she was still reading a book. Maya was reading Witch Weekly before she looked up at Bella.

"Nothing of importance? He looked very pleased for someone whom had heard something rather stupid. And the fact that you said it in Parseltongue means that you didn't really want anyone else to hear" Maya said, off-handedly while she was reading. Bella flushed in embarrassment and Sirius stared at her in shock.

"Speaking in Parseltongue was a mistake. Did he really look pleased? Truly?" Bella asked, her voice quieter than it would have normally been. Hermione looked up with an amused smile.

"Truly, he did. Very pleased in fact. Why?"

Bella opened her mouth as if to explain why before she shut her mouth and glared at the girl. She looked away and went back to glancing at the fire. The little group was sitting in front of the fireplace and Bella was reading one of the scrolls she had gotten.

"None of your business."

"Fine. What did he say after he called you a 'bitch'?" Hermione asked. Maya glanced at her daughter.

"Language! Really, Sirius, your lusty goddaughter is poisoning my little bookworm."

Sirius and Bella choked over their butterbeer and glanced at Maya. Hermione was laughing quietly and looking from the floor at Bella to Sirius was who was sitting on the cough with her mother.

"I'm sorry…_lusty_? What do you mean by lusty?" demanded Sirius. Maya sighed and looked at Hermione. Hermione smiled, brightly.

"Lusty. Adjective. Lustful or lecherous. Synonyms: randy, raunchy, h—" Hermione started. Sirius raised his hands as Bella blushed hard and looked down at the scroll.

"I get it! What do you mean my goddaughter is _lusty_? For whom…oh no. Not _Riddle_. Please tell them their lying, Bella. Please! For my _sanity_" begged Sirius. Bella looked at her godfather and then at the two knowing females.

"Er…they're lying? They're lying. I'm certainly not lusty and I'm _not_ poisoning Hermione. I'm only…helping her expand her vocabulary" Bella said, changing the subject. Sirius sighed in relief and Maya shook her head.

"Fine. Stay in denial" she sighed before going back to reading Witch Weekly. She looked up suddenly.

"You know what…Riddle has a nice chest."

Sirius stiffened and Bella went pale and sneered at Maya. Maya and Hermione smirked at each other.

Bella wasn't keeping that little secret.

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1994**

**11:00 PM**

"So…that fight between you and Professor Riddle was pretty intense. You finally beat him after weeks and weeks of training" Hermione commented as Bella pulled up her hair into a knot so that she could sleep without it going all over her.

"Yup."

"And how did he shirt get torn?" Hermione asked, carefully. Bella looked at her best friend and decided that she could share _some_ information.

"I jumped on his back and tried to choke him while we were running to the dueling room. He grabbed me by my arm and flipped me over his shoulder and I caught his shirt and ripped it in half" Bella said, carefully. She yawned heavily and rolled up her scrolls and placed it in her special box where she kept the other scrolls she had gotten.

"So…you hit him pretty hard when you did that back flip. Why did it look like it hurt to land?" asked Hermione. Bella sighed and sat on her bed. She glanced at Hermione whom was sitting on her bed.

The two girls shared a bedroom and Sirius had magically stretched the room and added the extra queen sized bed. Hermione's own duvet was red while Bella's was emerald and black.

"He tackled me by the leg when I tried to get ahead of him to the room since I almost hit him with a 'Reducto'. And then he tried to bite it. I kicked him in mouth. And then he actually _did_ bite my leg. It really hurt. And he was really pissed off."

"I see. When he was angry at you he looked very…attractive. He's very buff. His chest was…wow" Hermione said, half meaning what she was saying. Bella shot Hermione a sharp look before nodding and her eyes glazing over.

"Yes…he is. He's _very _attractive. It's almost a sin…well, goodnight Mione" Bella said before lying down on her side and turning off the light on her side table. Hermione nodded.

"Goodnight."

Hermione got up from her bed and wrapped her gold dressing gown around her and walking down the hallway to her mother's room. She knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Hermione walked in and saw her mother brushing her long and loose curls. Maya turned and smiled at her daughter.

"Mione?"

"She definitely fancies Riddle. What are we going to do?" Hermione asked. Maya tilted her head.

"You know I'm against pedophilia, right Mione?" Maya asked. Hermione nodded.

"This is different. Very different. Because there is something between them...that isn't entirely natural."

* * *

**Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1994**

**2:00 AM**

"Well if it isn't my little grasshopper with his mask on. What are you doing here on this fine evening?" asked Gellert, from his new body. He inspected the tall and overly thin man in front of him.

Bellatrix was on the ground in reverence, kissing the man's black robes. Rodolphus and Rabastan were on the ground as well. Wormtail was cowering at the man's feet.

Crimson eyes looked down without a hint of emotion.

"Taking care of businesss" hissed the man in front of him.

"My Lord! My Lord, I am your most loyal servant. I knew…I knew that you hadn't died" Bellatrix gasped, kissing the edge of the man's robes.

She looked up into the snake face and looked at him with devotion that was bordering on obsession.

Lord Voldemort stared down at her, impassively. He knew that she wasn't the most loyal creature he had ever met. No, _she_ was most likely at her home, asleep in her bed, dreaming of this moment if his suspicions were correct.

"Yes, I'm sure Trixie. Leave. All of you. I have something I wish to speak about with Gellert. Alone" Voldemort clarified. Bellatrix nodded and scrambled up. Rabastan and Rodolphus were slower.

"Get up! Get up! My Lordship has something to speak about with Master. It is not our business. Away. Get over here you cretin" Bellatrix snarled. She gave Voldemort another twisted smile before leaving the room, the three men following her. Voldemort lifted his wand and constructed wards around the room.

"What do you wish to speak on, T…"

"Don't call me that. There are eyes and ears, Gellert. Namely Bella Potter's."

"Excuse me?" Gellert asked. Voldemort looked at Gellert through narrowed eyes and he tilted his bald and pale head.

"She can see through your mind. Through a connection. She is listening. We will have to speak in vague terms. I will send you more information when I can" Voldemort said, coldly. Gellert nodded.

"What is this information about?"

"The information about the end of this school year. Our plans."

"Ah, I see. I look forward to looking at your findings. Does Bella Potter equate into the plan?"

"Yes. She is a large part of the plan. And she will be your key to living just as she destroyed you. I must depart to speak to a loyal servant. He's a very important part of our plan to restart the war."

"I will not hold you from it" Gellert said, sensing that Voldemort did not actually _want_ to do this because of the girl. Lady Victory…

"But first…we have a guest. Outside. A Muggle."

"Invite them in. We shouldn't be bad hosts" Gellert said. Voldemort waved his wand and a man stood in the doorway. He wore pajamas and nothing more.

"W-what are you doing in here? This…this place is under investigation…oh God! What happened to your face?" demanded the man. Gellert eyed the man. Voldemort's eye was twitching.

"How did you know someone was here?" Voldemort hissed, softly.

"I don't know…I…something just told me to come."

"Descended from a Squib then. Bellatrix…" Voldemort called, bringing down the wards. The door slammed open and Bellatrix tripped from the other room and simpered at her Lord.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I've brought you a play toy."

"Thank you, My Lord! _Crucio_."

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1994**

**2:15 AM**

And Bella Potter woke up with a start, sweat pouring from her forehead and she hugged herself and shuddered as she remembered what she had seen. She had seen _him_.

Lord Voldemort.

She clapped her hand to her forehead.

Her scar was searing.

:::

**A/N: **So, I like this chapter quite a bit. I don't like Bella and Tom being on opposite sides or whatever. But, that unfortunately won't change for another two years in their story. But, Draco gets to meet someone whom may become rather important to him in the future.


	37. Chapter XXXIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, this will be a lot of fun. You will soon find that Bella is a very sexual creature. Yes, she's actually lusty like Maya and Hermione call her. But anyway, I have the World Cup in this chapter which is all good. It's fun! Anyway, I did _not _put every single word of the Quidditch game. Because Quidditch is the bane of my existence.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXIII**

**The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 25****th**** of August 1994**

**4:45 AM**

"Arthur! What are you doing here? Didn't you say you couldn't get tickets?" asked the man standing in front of the old boot. Mr. Weasley smiled, sheepishly and nodded before clearing his throat.

"Well, we couldn't. This is Bella Potter. She sort of dragged us along. She's got tickets in the Top Box" Mr. Weasley said. Bella raised a hand in greeting and she smiled, brightly at the two men in front of her. One was Cedric Diggory, whom she recognized from school. He was looking at her in surprise. She gave him a soft smile and he immediately looked away. Amos looked at her in surprise.

"Bella Potter, you say? My Cedric beat you last year, didn't he? And I hear you're one of the greatest Seekers Hogwarts has ever seen. My Cedric!" Amos grinned. Bella's smile turned chilly and Amos blinked.

"He only won because Bella was attacked by dementors" Hermione said, flatly. This drew Amos' attention to the other people around him. He looked at Hermione in shock.

"And who are these people with you?" Amos asked.

"Hermione Granger" Hermione said, her tone still flat. Amos offered a hand and Hermione looked at it, her lips curled in disgust. Bella looked at Hermione from the corner of her hand.

"Mione" she hissed, her tone held a warning. Hermione stiffened and took Amos' hand, shaking it though her eyes still held disgust.

"Amos Diggory. And this is my son, Cedric" Amos said. He suddenly did a double take when he saw Sirius and Maya. Maya was leaning her head on his shoulder, her eyes drooping and Sirius' arm was around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Sirius Black! And whom is this lovely lady?"

"Maya Granger" Maya said, sleepily. Amos nodded at her and then glanced at the two girls in front of him back to Sirius.

"Sirius! How could you _possibly_ afford this many seats in the Top Box? And just for Miss Potter?"

"I didn't buy them. They were already bought when I tried to get them" Sirius said, yawning. Amos looked stunned and Cedric looked immensely curious.

"Then who?" Cedric asked, looking at Bella again. Bella looked to the dark sky and saw the sun beginning to rise. She gave a sigh and clutched the ornate locket around her neck. Cedric saw that it looked rather old.

"Tom Riddle bought twelve tickets in the Top Box for me" Bella said with another sigh. Cedric and Amos exchanged shocked looks and cleared their throats.

"Professor Riddle? Why would he do that?"

"Because I'm Lady Slytherin, his Heiress. And he holds an unnatural need to show up Uncle Sirius. Which he did. Sorry, Uncle Sirius" Bella commented. Sirius glared at her and then pointed at the boot. Everyone looked to it and Maya frowned.

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Maya. Hermione grabbed her mother's finger and placed it on the finger just as the boot glowed even brighter.

Bella bit her lip as she felt a jerk behind her navel and suddenly they were swirling through blue light and Bella fell towards the ground hard. Two hard arms caught her. Bella looked up and saw the smiling face of Cedric.

"Oh…thank you" Bella said with a smile. Cedric nodded slowly as the girl flipped from his arms and landed next to the Granger girl. Cedric blinked as the Granger girl glared possessively and grabbed Bella's arm and began dragging her to a campsite.

"Let's go, Bella."

Bella nodded and wiggled her fingers at Cedric before walking away.

* * *

**Quidditch Cup Stadium, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 25****th**** of August 1994**

**6:00 PM**

"Good lord, Arthur. What did you sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Bella spun around and glared at Lucius Malfoy. Draco and his mother Narcissa stood behind him and Draco looked annoyed. Blaise stood next to him and winked at Hermione and Bella. Bella nodded once.

"I don't believe picking a fight in front of the Minister would be prudent" Hermione said, harshly. Lucius turned to her and his lips curled.

"And you?" he asked, snappily. Bella gave a slight smile.

"Hermione Granger. Hogwarts' resident Mudblood. And you are Lucius Malfoy. I could tell. You have the same arrogant look as your son" Hermione sneered. She turned on her foot and stormed up to sit with Ron and the rest of the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley blinked in surprise.

"Anastasia."

Lucius blinked and surprise and turned to his son and Blaise whom had spoken in unison. Bella offered slight smiles at the both of them and Arthur watched dumbfounded.

"Draco. Blaise. How have your summers gone?"

"Fine. And yours, _mia sorella_?" Blaise asked. Bella's smile widened at the label and nodded once before shrugging.

"I received twelve tickets in the Top Box. Tom bought them for birthday" Bella said with a slight grin on her face. Draco and Blaise exchanged smirks and nodded before turning back to Bella.

"Speaking of Riddle, I heard you dueled him on your birthday. Actually, we heard a lot of things from the Mudblood" Draco said with a smirk. Bella stiffened and glared at her brothers. She rolled her eyes and sniffed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Hermione's too bloody nosy for her own Goddamned business."

"**Is she really?**" a hiss sounded in her ear. Bella shrieked and jumped, spinning to kick. A hand shot out and grabbed her foot before it could connect with his shoulder and the foot landed on top of his shoulder. A hand wrapped around the wrist that was connected to the hand that was about to connect with his face.

"Bloody hell! Don't do that!" Bella gasped, her eyes wide. She glared up at the smirking face and slid her foot from Tom's shoulder.

"Do what? You're the one who just tried to decapitate me" he said, smoothly. Bella glared and sighed.

"If I tried you wouldn't have your head."

"You little arrogant…Lucius. How are you?" Tom asked, finally noticing the dumbfounded man. Lucius inclined his head to Tom in a show of deference.

"I am well. And you, m…Mr. Riddle?" Lucius asked. Tom glared down, sourly at the girl whom was glaring at him. Bella turned to look at Blaise and Draco and they were smirking at her.

"Well. Draco, Blaise. How have you been keeping with your extra lessons?" Tom asked, referring to the dueling lessons that he had given them the year before. Blaise gave a smirk.

"Well. Very well. I'm learning to manipulate people's minds and implant compulsion while I'm in their mind" Blaise said. Tom smirked and nodded. Draco sighed and cleared his throat.

"The scythe is easier to manipulate now."

"Good."

"Why are you _here_?" snapped Bella, finally fed up with Tom basically ignoring her. Tom turned to her with a slow smirk spreading on his face. Bella flinched as he gaze at her harshly.

"**So…is that anyway to talk to someone whom find inherently attractive?**"

"You're absolutely impossible! You are completely infuriating and you're a complete jerk" snarled Bella before storming up the steps. Tom gaze a lazy wave to the shocked Malfoys and Blaise before walking up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He slid past the shocked Weasleys and the haughty and smirking Maya and Hermione before sitting down next to a very pissed off Bella.

"Go the hell away" she said, stiffly. Tom rolled his eyes.

"You're being very melodramatic."

"You're a jerk. I didn't _mean_ to say…what I said. I didn't mean it!"

"Yes you did. I know you did. You said it in Parseltongue. It's hard to lie in Parseltongue. Snakes aren't the type to lie and thus they speak the utmost truth. When a human speaks the language they feel compelled to act like a snake while speaking. Thus, telling the truth" Tom said, matter-of-factly. Bella glared at him and turned away.

"What did he do _now_, Bella?" Sirius sighed. He shot Tom a glare and was surprised that the man didn't glare back. He continued looking pleased.

It was strange.

Riddle was _never_ pleased.

"I didn't do anything. I'm only explaining to Ana how it's almost impossible to lie in Parseltongue. You see, on her birthday she told me—"

"Go away, Tom. No one wants to hear your lies. Why are you even here? You don't even _like_ Quidditch" sighed Bella. Tom nodded, sagely before rolling his eyes and shooting her an annoyed look.

"Did you think I was going to buy twelve tickets to the Quidditch Cup and then not go myself? That'd be a waste."

"You just want to heckle the Quidditch players" Bella snapped. Tom gave a smirk.

"**You know me so well.**"

"I wish I didn't" Bella sighed. She didn't understand why she was letting Tom get to her. She couldn't believe that he was doing this to her. He was purposely baiting her and she was letting him.

"Professor Riddle, you have a nice chest."

Bella glanced sharply at Maya whom was reading a Witch Weekly magazine. Sirius looked up sharply at the woman and then back to Tom before glaring. Tom's lips curled into a wicked grin.

"I've heard."

"From who?" Sirius snapped. Tom gave Bella a pointed look before looking up at the sky. Sirius gaped at his goddaughter in shock, as she did nothing to deny the insinuation that Tom had just made.

"You're also quite gorgeous. It's a shame that you don't like Muggles" Maya sighed. Tom smirked to the sky.

"It wouldn't matter if you're not a witch. I don't like brunettes. I've always been partial to black hair. Unique eye colors are appreciated too. Blue is much too common for me" Tom said, conversationally. Bella glanced at him and brushed her hair in front of her red face. Hermione smirked at her.

"Oh look, the game!" Bella announced, brushing her hair back from her face in excitement. She lifted her Omnioculars. Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Maya lifted their own Omnioculars as well. Bella turned to look at the man sitting next to her.

"Are you seriously _reading_?" she asked in shock. Tom raised an eyebrow at her and rolled his eyes.

"Did you really think I was going to _watch_ the game?"

"I would have assumed so, yes" Bella said, rolling her eyes. Tom smirked and leaned in, his eyes alight with wicked teasing.

"**I suppose you don't know me so well.**"

"**I know you more than anyone else. No?**"

"**You may know me more than anyone else but that doesn't mean you know me well. No?**"

Bella suddenly realized the close proximity they were at and she jerked sideways, slamming her shoulder into Hermione's. Hermione yelped and glanced at Bella in shock and annoyance.

"What was that for?"

"Uh…sorry."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" announced a man with blond hair and blue eyes. Bella thought he looked a bit like an overgrown schoolboy

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waves, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket.

The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval. They jumped and whooped and Bella watched in shock and smiled down at the hat in hand. She placed the Irish green shamrock hat on her head. Most of the Weasley family had one as well except for Percy and Mrs. Weasley.

"I wonder what they brought…" Mr. Weasley wondered. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Ahh…Veela."

Bella froze in her seat and Hermione and Maya frowned. Sirius was standing up leaning over the edge of the railing. Bella glared down at the beautiful women dancing on the field.

Their hair fell around them in sheets of white-blonde and their skin glowed like moonlight. They were infuriating. Bella's eyes glowed and she looked to the side. Blaise and Draco were standing but didn't look as ridiculous as everyone else. Hermione's eyes were narrowed in rage. She glared over at Blaise whom was only across the stairwell in another Box.

"Sit down" she snarled over Tom at Blaise. Tom looked up from his book finally and Bella froze. Blaise looked up and winked at Hermione. He leaned back and tapped Draco's shoulder. Draco looked dazed and Blaise whispered something to him. Draco smirked and sat down, coolly. Blaise gave a reassuring smile to Hermione. Hermione smirked and sat down. Maya watched in surprise and then turned her gaze to Bella. Bella was looking at Tom.

"Veela, hmm? I'd rather read" Tom decided. Sirius turned in shock but then looked back to the veela as they danced off the field.

There were shouts of anger and rage at the veela leaving. Ron looked ready to jump over the railing and down onto the field. The veela disappeared and Sirius sat down, looking chagrined yet was pleased at the look of annoyance on Maya's face. She tutted.

"You shouldn't get worked up about a pretty face, Sirius. Look at Professor Riddle" Maya snapped. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at Tom. Men around them was looking at the man in shock as well.

"Well, he's asexual. Or gay."

"Trust me, Black. I'm _not_ asexual nor gay" Tom said, softly though clearly enough for everyone around them to hear. Bella giggled and then looked at Hermione. The two shared a look and then glanced at Draco.

"I do know someone who _might_ be gay judging from how he doesn't seem to see Luna's advances" Hermione said. Tom looked up.

"You mean, Draco? Oh yes, he's bisexual."

"And how would _you_ know?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom rolled his eyes.

"I know these things."

Bella sighed and cleared her throat before looking back down.

"And now," started the boyish man, "kindly put your wands in the air…for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it –

"Excellent!" yelled Ron as the shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats. Squinting up at the shamrock, Bella realized that it was actually comprised of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vests, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green.

"Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.

"There you go," Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Bella's hand, "for the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"

Tom smirked and looked over his book at the excited redheaded boy.

"Oh sure, Ron" Bella said, half-heartedly. Those that knew exactly what the gold was looked down.

"Actually, she doesn't. Because leprechaun gold disappears. So, essentially you haven't paid her back."

Ron blinked in shock before dropping the gold like it was burning fire.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you - Dimitrov!"

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

"Ivanova!"

A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.

"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand - Krum!"

"That's him, that's him!" yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars. Bella quickly focused her own.

Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. Bella found it hard to believe that he was only eighteen.

"And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand - Lynch!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the field. Bella spun a small dial on the side of her Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word "Firebolt" on each of their brooms and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

Bella watched and glanced at Tom whom was leaning forward now, actually watching the game.

"You're going to watch it?" Bella asked over the roar.

"Yeah."

Tom hadn't moved from watching the group with a strange fascination.

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed the blond man. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

Bella was shocked at what she saw. When she was younger Sirius had taken her to Quidditch games. But, this was nothing like that. That had looked fun but it had never given her exhilaration as this did.

These players were elite. The Chasers moved so fast that the blond man only had time to shout their names.

"Who is that man?" Bella asked, pointing to the blond man. Tom looked at her sharply and offered her a smile.

"Ludo Bagman. You'll be seeing him later this year" Tom promised. Bella nodded and turned back to the game.

"Bulgaria is going to win."

Bella blinked and turned to Tom whom was looking quite confident as he closed his book. Bella gave a sharp laugh and Tom glared at her.

"No. Ireland will win. But Krum will catch the Snitch" Bella said. Tom snorted.

"How so?"

"He's never lost a Snitch. But Ireland's Chasers are on a whole, much better than the ones in Bulgaria. And their Keeper isn't half bad either," Sirius explained. Tom shook his head and looked away.

"You're wrong."

"I bet you ten galleons" Bella said, counting out the remainder of her money. She held out her hand. Tom took it without looking away from the game.

"You're on."

In the end, Krum had his Snitch. And a broken nose.

Ireland won.

"Pay up" Bella smirked as Tom growled under his breath. He dropped the bag in her lap in anger and stormed away.

* * *

**Quidditch Cup Stadium, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 26****th**** of August 1994**

**2:00 AM**

"Get up! Get up!"

Bella shook and was awake in minutes. Sirius was looking frantic and Maya's eyes were wide in shock and fear. Hermione's face was hard and she was frowning as she hugged her mother. Bella frowned as well as she began to hear the screams.

"What's going on?" Bella demanded. Sirius gave her a sharp look.

"Death Eaters."

Bella was up in seconds and she cleared her throat. She flicked her wrist and her wand flew form her holster. She looked at Hermione and she nodded. Hermione had her own wand in hand.

"We need Blaise and Draco" murmured Bella. Sirius looked at them and blanched.

"No time! Save yourselves and Maya. Take Maya. I'm going to help the others. Go!" Sirius insisted. Bella glared at her uncle and shook with fear and rage.

"You don't understand! I _need_ them! I _need_ them, Sirius! I need to find my brothers. _We_ need to find them! Come on, Hermione! Maya!" Bella shouted. Hermione's arm glowed and she had a sword in hand. Her eyes held a wicked light. She grinned and her dark eyes glowed. Bella's eyes began to glow the color of the Killing Curse.

"Morrigan."

"_Yes_, Ana?" Hermione asked, tucking her wand back up her sleeve. Bella's lips curled into wicked smirk.

"You may kill _anyone_ whom tries to hurt your mother."

"Agreed."

Maya's lips opened in horror and then suddenly Bella took her arm and they were running. Maya stared in horror at the people around her. Some of the tents were on fire and people were screaming as they ran from the approaching people in black robes and bone white masks.

"_Sanguis Coque!_"

"_Solvite Interna!_"

The first spell came from Maya's own the daughter and the second from Bella. The first seemed to be more powerful as it hit one of the marching battalion. The man screamed and fell to the ground, his face turning red rapidly and steaming blood poured from his veins. The other hit another soldier. That soldier fell screaming as well, clawing at his stomach as blood vessels popped in his eyes.

"Run! Come on run!" Bella urged. Maya nodded and the three ran into the woods just beyond it when Bella stopped. Hermione and her turned and Maya stared.

Fighting back to back were Draco and Blaise. Draco had a scythe in hand and he was wielding it like a master. Blaise was in the utmost concentration as he tapped the arms of the Death Eaters fighting them.

And then, a curse flew at Draco and struck his side. Draco let out an ear-piercing scream.

And then her two children were running. Maya watched in shock as Bella gave a battle cry that sounded like a crazed woman. Her eyes blazed red and the Death Eaters stared in shock as her eyes glowed. She held out her wand.

"_Kveykva!_"

The spell was cast and the Death Eaters tried to run. Hermione was grinning as Bella froze up and her eyes drooped. A bolt of lightening shot from her wand and Draco lifted his own wand.

"_Ascendo._"

A moan was heard and Maya watched as a dead Death Eater rose from the ground to face his comrades. Hermione screamed another curse and another person went down. Maya hid behind the trees as she watched the four duel.

They were like four parts of one being.

Blaise was fighting back to back with Draco. Hermione and Bella were fighting back to back and they were _slaughtering_ the people. Bella screamed the strange curse once more and another bolt of lightening flew from her wand, slamming into the wizard.

"Oh God! What is she _doing_?"

Maya screamed and turned when she suddenly saw the worried grey eyes of Sirius black. He looked horrified as he stared at his goddaughter brushing aside the Death Eaters with her siblings.

"She's…she's using a weird lightning curse" Maya murmured. Sirius shook his head and grabbed Maya's hand and looked around at the fire that was growing.

"No…she's using _Black Magic_!" Sirius said in horror.

Maya frowned as she looked at the spectacle they made. People that were running were watching the children duel with skills that they shouldn't have yet. Their eyes were wild and they was grinning as they struck people down.

And then suddenly Hermione's sword flew forward and ripped into a Death Eater's stomach. She tore it out and blood exploded. Hermione let out a loud cackle and Bella laughed with her.

"What _are_ they?" Maya whispered.

"They…they are something we do not speak about. Cannot speak about. Because of the Curse of the Damned."

The four turned and saw the Death Eaters turning away from them, trying to escape.

"MY PRETTY PLAYTOYS! APOLLO MAKE THEM COME BACK!" shrieked Hermione. Bella laughed and grabbed Hermione's wrist.

"Don't worry, Morrigan. You will get them back" Blaise promised. He laughed as well and Draco was trying his hardest not to laugh. He turned back to the animated dead body that was now moaning over one of the Death Eaters that had fallen. Draco waved his wand and backed away from the wounded Death Eater.

The four ran into the woods, cackling. A spell flew towards them and Bella spun on her heel and glared at them. Hermione was sneering at the frantic person that had thrown a curse at them, thinking they were Death Eaters.

"_Don't _throw a curse at us! Filth!" Draco snarled. Bella touched his arm and pulled it.

"Thanatos…we've had our fun. We'll ride later on. When they are us. But not now. Now, we will wait" Bella said, softly.

"I don't want to wait!" whined Hermione. Blaise sighed.

"It's not time to play yet."

"It isn't. But it will be…_soon_" Bella promised with glowing eyes.

Suddenly, the vicious light in their eyes went out and they gasped and blinked as they came to their senses. Blaise blinked and frowned as he looked around at his siblings.

"What just happened? I…I wasn't in control of my body" murmured Bella. Sirius frowned and Maya opened her mouth.

"You guys turned into these…" Maya stopped.

She couldn't speak. She couldn't continue.

"It's the Curse of the Damned. I'll explain it to you later" Sirius murmured. He turned back to the four children.

"You four need to get farther into the forest. _I_ need to destroy the evidence of your blatant use of Black Magic" Sirius said, quietly. Bella gasped and turned to her shocked siblings. Blaise frowned. He was glad he hadn't resorted to using Black Magic though he could have, he knew.

"We…oh no. We'll take care of Maya. We won't lose ourselves. I swear" Bella promised. Sirius nodded and pointed towards the forest. Bella grabbed Maya's arm and they took off running in the forest.

"Oh Merlin…" Bella moaned as she saw the fire between the trees behind her. Maya followed the kids and soon they were in a small fire.

"Those poor people" Hermione said, quietly. Maya nodded and the two huddled close. Suddenly, someone burst from the trees. All four childrens' wands were pointed and out walked three freckled redheads, their hands raised.

"Oh, it's you lot! Malfoy, Zabini. Why aren't you with the rest of your Death Eater friends?" spat Ron. Bella glared and Hermione sneered.

"Weasel, you'll wish to stop speaking now. I don't hold loyalty to anyone but she who is resurrected" Draco said, shortly. He turned on his heel and murmured something to Blaise.

"If you've got something to share, you might want to say it a little louder" Ginny said, scathingly. Draco looked up at her with steel eyes and she was silenced immediately as the night air turned cool.

"Hush. Someone's out there" Bella whispered suddenly. Ginny and Gideon nodded, withdrawing his wand. Ron's hand went to his pocket and he gasped.

"My wand…I don't know where it is! I might've dropped it in the forest" he said, quietly. Hermione groaned just as a silhouette of a person was shown.

"_MORSMORDE_!"

A green skull lit the sky and a snake slithered from it, alerting everyone. Hermione shuddered and stared up at it and Bella frowned.

"What is _that_?" Maya asked.

"It's…it's the Dark Mark."

"Is that Grindelwald's Mark?" asked Maya. Bella shook her head and showed the woman her palm where the Deathly Hallows sign was scarred into her skin.

"No, this is. That…that is the symbol of Voldemort. Whom is said to be much crueler than him" Bella said, quietly. Draco held his scythe out and glanced at Bella. Her wand was drawn and her eyebrows were pulled into a frown. Hermione was looking around, her sword held tightly in her grip.

Suddenly, twenty wizards were around them with wands.

"STUPEFY!" they roared as one. Gideon and Ginny got hit with one each and Ron narrowly escaped a Stunning. Hermione began reflecting them from herself and her mother while Blaise moved gracefully in between the spells. Bella was moving only centimeters to escape them.

"Stop! STOP! Those are my children! And a Muggle!" Arthur Weasley shouted. Bella gasped as suddenly everyone looked at them clearly.

"Bella! Ron! Hermione! And…" Mr. Weasley trailed off when he saw the two newcomers. Hermione wasn't even looking at him. She was gasping and grabbing onto the Italian boy's forearms. Bella was looking around with sharp eyes.

"Who decided that it was a grand plan to throw twenty Stunners at six children and a Muggle?" Draco snarled. Bella placed her hand on his arm.

"Quiet, Drake. These are not our enemies. At the moment."

"They were twenty seconds ago" he argued. Bella glared at him.

"Not now, Thanatos!" she hissed at him. He quieted down and turned to the man whose eyes were bulging. Bella recognized him as Mr. Crouch.

"Which one of you did it? Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?" he snarled, his eyes bulging out. He was looking pointedly at Draco.

"We didn't do that. We're children" Bella said, calmly. Mr. Crouch turned to glare at Maya. She looked terrified and Mr. Crouch looked down as Hermione snarled at him. Blaise grabbed her shoulders and wrapped on arm around her shoulders. She flinched and took in a shuddering breath.

"Then what about the woman? What do you have to say Death Eater?" he demanded. Bella sighed.

"She's a Muggle. This Muggleborn's mother."

"Um…the correct term that I identify with is Mudblood" Hermione clarified, her voice haughty. Bella sniffed and Blaise leaned down and hissed something into Hermione's ear. Hermione nodded.

"What did you tell her? Forming an escape plan, boy?" snarled Mr. Crouch. Mr. Weasley raised his hand to say something but Bella held up a hand and looked pointedly at Mr. Crouch.

"Mr. Crouch, I think you'd better get a hold of yourself. You sound deranged" she said, her tone dangerous. Mr. Crouch glared at her.

"You think you can tell me how to do my job?" he shouted in rage. Bella's eyes turned the color of the _Avada Kedavra_ curse and Mr. Crouch flinched as crimson ringed around her eyes. She snarled at him.

"I will when you threaten my siblings. You sound like a moron, sir! We are not Death Eaters! I am Bella Potter. Does it truly make sense for me to cast the spell? And Draco Malfoy is my blood brother whom was with me the entire time. Maya Granger is a Muggle. Hermione Granger is a psychotic! Did you know you could have set her off just now? She's a _Muggleborn_! Sorry, Mudblood, Mione. And Blaise Zabini is my trusted confidante whom is as close to me as Draco is to me. Please get a hold of yourself and do your job _right_" Bella shrieked in rage. Mr. Crouch blinked in shock and reeled back. Bella snarled and glared at him.

"Miss Potter…" started a Ministry wizard. Bella glared at him, fiercely.

"I'm not done yet! It's very hard getting _me_ angry, sir. I have had to suffer the annoying arrogance of one Tom Riddle for the longest. Draco _Malfoy_ is my blood brother! But, _you_ who have accusssed innocent _children_ of doing ssssomething that they haven't done iss one of the _craziest _thingsss I've heard. We weren't even _alive_ during the First Wizarding War! Where would we have learned the incantation? Sssseriously, ssssir, get your head out of your arse" she hissed at him. She blinked as she realized that she had been borderline speaking in Parseltongue. She turned around and she spun as she felt a hand go to her shoulder. Her leg was out and in Draco's hand. He was swinging his scythe back and forth.

"Hypocritical girl. Loosing your temper but I'm not allowed to?"

"You would've killed them. You're gifted in that."

"Foolish _sorella_. Foolish _fratello_. Stop it. Now, Mr. Crouch, the incantation came from that way" Blaise said, quietly. Hermione shook again and glared at them, the sword in her hand twitching ever few seconds.

"What's wrong with her?" Mr. Weasley asked as three wizards went to check the general direction Blaise had pointed in. Another wizard was waking up Mr. Weasley's other children. Blaise whispered to Hermione once more.

"She's trying not to kill _them_."

The wizards shivered as the girl smirked at them.

"Pretty, pretty. Pretty, pretty blood" she sang to herself. Mr. Weasley shivered and watched as she lunged again. Bella caught her arm and grabbed the sword from Hermione's hand. She passed it to Blaise.

"No, Hermione. Later. We'll duel later today. You can take out your bloodlust later. I promise" Bella whispered. Hermione nodded and sighed. She turned to Blaise and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"She's really psychotic?" Mr. Weasley asked. Maya nodded.

"Yes. And I'd appreciate if it wasn't a regular conversation topic. Hermione, baby, are you okay?" she asked. Hermione looked up with dark eyes and smiled at her mother.

"Yes, Mummy. Angel's going to play with you."

"I know honey" Maya said with a slight smile. Some of the Ministry wizards shivered at Hermione's cackle. Draco was snickering into the palm of his hand.

"Arthur! Come look…" Amos Diggory called. This had the group of wizards wandering off as they heard sobbing. Mr. Crouch was standing in front of a little house elf.

"That…that's my wand!" Ron cried, pointing to the wand in Amos' hands. Amos looked at him in surprise and Ron frowned, sheepishly.

"I…I guess I dropped it in the woods."

"What's he doing, Mummy?" Hermione whispered as Mr. Crouch talked seriously with the house elf on the ground. Amos was testing the wand carefully and then he turned to the elf just as she burst into fresh tears.

"I isn't doing anything! I is not doing magic! I is not making the Dark Mark! Please Master!" cried the house elf. Mr. Crouch glanced at Amos and Amos nodded, solemnly, confirming that the wand had been used to cast the spell.

"Winky has behaved in a manner tonight that I would not have believed. I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me. This means clothes" Mr. Crouch said, coldly. Hermione frowned and looked up as Winky began sobbing and begging her ex-master.

"That's not fair" she said, softly.

The words were spoken softly yet there was an edge to them. She flicked her wrist and her wand fell into her open hand. Mr. Crouch looked at her with cold eyes but faltered at the strange glint in her eyes. Bella smiled proudly at her sister. She was channeling her psychosis once more.

"I have no use for a house elf that disobey me."

"It's not fair."

"You should remember who you're speaking to, girl" Mr. Crouch snarled, unnerved by the repeated sentence.

"You're cruel, Mr. Crouch. And I know cruel. I know cruelty. I _am_ cruel. But…you're a heartless being, Mr. Crouch. And I'm sure Draco will make sure that when you die, you will rot in hell" Hermione whispered. Mr. Crouch flinched and suddenly seemed to have a dawning look on his face.

"You're they who we don't speak about. That we _cannot_ speak of" Mr. Crouch said in shock. Bella, Blaise, and Draco frowned and titled their head. Many of the wizard officials stared in horror and fear. Hermione only smiled.

"We cannot speak of it either. Because we _are_ the damned. But I won't remember that after I stop possessing my body. She needed me. Just like she who is resurrected took hold of Bella. She whom I hold all my loyalty to. Mr. Crouch, you're more heartless than she. She who would slaughter the entire Muggle world if she felt like it. And I pity you."

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't like you. And she _always _wins" Hermione giggled. Suddenly, her eyes flashed brown and she gripped her head and she moaned in pain. The sword glowed and flashed before embedding itself in her arm once more.

"What…what was that?" she whispered. She leaned back and bit her lip. Blaise looked down at her, impassively.

"I'm going to need to take a look at your psychosis later."

"Did I do something weird again?"

"Yes. Apparently, we're damned."

"Ah…didn't Bella say that once?" Hermione asked. Blaise nodded and glanced at Bella who was frowning.

"Er…did I?"

:::

**A/N: **And the chapter ends. It seems to end weirdly but that's on purpose. Bella suddenly realizes that everything is not as it seems and Luna will not help when she's introduced. Actually, she'll make things worse. But that's our favorite Seer for you…also, I'm having trouble writing the Hogwarts Express. That's a chapter after the next one which is just a really fun filler that focuses solely on Bella and Tom.


	38. Chapter XXXIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I've gotten through my least favorite chapter of this arc except for maybe…one of the last chapters…that'll be hard to right. But we're not there yet so we shouldn't think about it. This is travel chapter with a bit of Diagon Alley. We're not to the main bulk of the story. We're in for a surprise when a certain Triwizard Tournament comes up…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXIV**

**Prima Madonna, Haven Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 28****th**** of August 1994**

**1:00 PM**

"Stay still, Miss Potter. I need to get the measurements correct," Madame Madonna said as she wrote down the measurements that the measuring tape was finding out. Bella sighed in frustration and glanced at Maya whom was looking amused. Bella glanced at Maya in frustration.

"Do I _have_ to get dress robes?" demanded Bella.

"Yes. It's on your school list so that means you need it. Now, stop being annoying and finish the measurements so we can look at the dresses that are you size. Hermione got measured without complaint" Maya said. Bella sighed and realized that she was indirectly reminding her that Hermione had more to hide about her body than Hermione.

Hermione had actually taken off her shirt and the woman had gasped as she saw the scar that the tank top she had been wearing under the slouchy shirt. Then she had gasped when she saw the tattoo on her arm. Madame Madonna hadn't asked but Bella knew she was curious.

"Fine. Where's Uncle Sirius?" Bella asked, curiously. Maya suddenly looked distracted and glanced towards the door.

"Hopefully, getting the books."

"You like him."

"And you fancy Riddle" Maya said back, childishly. Bella rolled her eyes and tried to control her flush. She shook her head.

"No I don't. But you fancy Uncle Sirius. I can tell. You guys always look at each other."

"You always look at Riddle. Half the time I look at you two, I feel like I'm intruding on something rather personal. It's like you're having a silent conversation with just your eyes. But, let's talk about something else" Maya said. Madame Madonna shook her head.

"No, no. No time to talk. It's time to pick out a dress now" Madame Madonna said. Bella sighed and relief and threw back on her band jacket and she straightened her crooked glasses. She still hadn't gotten around to getting contacts again but Sirius had promised to stop in Muggle London for her.

"Hermione, have you had any luck?" Bella asked as she saw her sister browsing. Hermione looked up before shaking her head, sadly.

"No…not yet. But I will soon" Hermione said. Bella nodded with a smile before seeing something that Hermione had not yet seen. Bella crossed over to it and pulled out the aqua chiffon dress. She cleared her throat and Hermione turned before gasping.

"That…that's beautiful, Ana."

"I know. You should get it" Bella said with a smile. Hermione brushed her hand over the pleated dress reverently.

"You'd look beautiful in it, you know."

The two girls and woman gasped in shock and spun around to glance at the person whom had spoken.

"Drake!" Bella said with a slight grin. She hugged the boy, quickly and he gingerly returned the affection. His lips were curled in a teasing sneer. Bella snickered and then gave Blaise a light hug. Hermione was looking at him, skeptically.

"You think so, _bel ragazzo_?" Hermione challenged. Bella and Draco exchanged looks. They may not speak Italian but they weren't stupid. They knew that she had insulted him. Blaise took it all in stride.

"I do. But, I assure you I am not a 'pretty boy'. I prefer the term badass" Blaise said, casually. Hermione snickered.

"The only way you'd be a badass is if you removed the steel rod that Draco shoved up your arse."

"I beg your pardon, filthy Muggleborn?" Draco snarled. Madame Madonna gave a slight giggle. Oh, yes, she was very entertained at the moment by this.

"Now, really, Draco? I thought we had moved on from this. I _said_ the term that I will respond to is _Mudblood_. If you want to get anywhere past hatred or mutual dislike, you'll have to address me by that term" Hermione sighed. Draco glared at her before glancing at his sister.

"I try to be less rude and now she's telling me to call her a Mudblood. I believe that she's utterly impossible" Draco snapped. Bella shrugged.

"_Lei è terribilmente maleducato troppo. Non sei, bella ragazza?_" Blaise said, sharply and in fluent Italian. Hermione flushed slightly as he embarrassed her in a subtle away.

"_Mi scuso per il mio comportamento malato. E 'stato fuori luogo_" Hermione responded. Maya blinked in surprise. She hadn't been aware in the least that her daughter was learning Italian. But she supposed it was a good thing…

"_L'orgoglio non è una virtù. E 'un peccato._"

The words made Hermione look down at her feet and look away. Blaise looked less annoyed now so Maya thought that she was finished with his chastisement of the girl. But, it seemed that the berating wasn't over in the least.

"You're purposely doing that. You can't just close out the only one whom has the ability to get into your head, Mórrígan" Bella said, softly. Hermione bowed her head and cleared her throat.

"I know."

"Then why are you trying to do so?" Bella asked, gently though sternly. Hermione leaned in and Maya tried to strain to hear her. She knew the boys wouldn't be able to though she had the strangest feeling that they knew what was going to be said.

"It scares me. It frightens me that he knows me so well" Hermione whispered. Bella gaped at him before beginning to pace. Her face showed pure annoyance.

"**Mórrígan! What the hell? I can't believe you're afraid of him. He loves you. Even **_**I**_** know that**" Bella hissed, rapidly. Hermione frowned and tilted her head.

"You're not speaking in English."

Bella blinked and looked to the slightly surprise Madame Madonna. She cleared her throat and sighed.

"Sorry. You didn't need to hear what I said anyone. Now, why are you two here?" asked Bella. Draco gave her a dry look.

"Stalking you" he said, flatly. Bella blinked in confusion.

"You _are_ daft. I wouldn't stalk you if Riddle paid me with that necklace. I'm sure it's worth a fortune" Draco said, his face a teasing leer. Maya was surprised to see that Bella didn't think it was funny. She looked openly fearful and she was clutching it so sight, she almost broke skin.

"Draco…don't joke about that. Leave my locket alone. This locket. It…it means a lot to me, okay? And I can't even take it off for a long period of time without being pain or feeling sick. You know that. So just don't" Bella said, carefully. Madame Madonna raised an eyebrow as Draco paled and nodded.

"Yes, Ana. We need dress robes as well. Madame, if you will" Draco said, promptly. Madame Madonna nodded and turned to see that the Girl-Who-Lived was now looking at a beautiful crimson dress.

Madame Madonna smiled as she looked at it.

Bella Potter could make it work.

* * *

**Haven Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 28****th**** of August 1994**

**1:40 PM**

"That was the most annoying thing I've ever gone through" Draco snapped as they left the robes shop. He looked around for his mother but saw her inside a small jewelry store. She looked up as if she'd felt him staring. She exited almost immediately before her lip curled in disgust as she caught sight of Hermione Granger and her mother.

"Draco…why are you in the company of filth?" asked Narcissa Malfoy. Bella's lips curled into a smile. Narcissa glanced at her in surprise as the girl found something amusing. A slight sound left her lips.

"Filth…how _amusing_. She thinks your filth, Hermione" Bella said, slight chuckles leaving her lips. Hermione frowned in confusion. Narcissa glared at the girl and she blinked as she saw the Girl-Who-Lived's eyes narrowing.

"She _is_ filth. A filthy Mudblood."

"If she's filth so are you. You're so inbred, I'm surprised that you aren't cross-eyed" Bella Potter snarled, suddenly. She glared at Narcissa and Narcissa was surprised to see a haughty look come onto the Mudblood's face.

"The only term I identify with, Lady Malfoy, is the term Mudblood. I find the term 'Muggleborn' degrading an exclusively for those that are too weak and blind to see what they really are. I'm proud of being a Mudblood" Hermione said, her voice as cold as a pureblood's. Narcissa appraised her and though she'd never go low enough to say it aloud, she suddenly had respect for the girl.

"**Well, well, well. What's going on here, **_**hmm**_**?**"

Bella sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head. She was trying to make _his_ prescence disappear. Narcissa stared, appreciatively at the man standing behind Bella Potter. Even though she had a loving husband, it didn't mean that she couldn't admire a fit man.

"What are you doing here?"

"**Visiting the little vixen.**"

Bella growled at him, as she tried to keep her flush under control and a hissy laugh was heard in her ear. She looked up to sky and crossed her arms.

"**Hmm…that sound is rather…**_**interesting**_**.**"

Bella choked over her own spit when she heard that and she spun around and glanced at Tom Riddle. He was standing there, looking rather bored, as if he hadn't said something that sounded mildly suggestive. But, she could see the faint glimmer of amusement and mischief in his eyes.

"_What_ did you just say to me?" she all but snarled. Tom's lips twitched but he still looked rather relaxed. Well, as relaxed as Tom Riddle could be.

"You heard me" Tom said, simply. He sighed and noticed Narcissa, Maya, Hermione, Draco, and Blaise. They all looked rather confused.

"Ah, Lady Malfoy. Pleasure to see you. Hello, Ms. Granger. Hermione, Draco, Blaise. **And the little vixen, Anastasia**" Tom purred, the last part to her. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Stop teasing me. Now. It's rude and completely annoying" she snapped.

"I'm annoying you?"

"Yes. The only thing you could do to annoy me more is to kidnap me" Bella said, flatly. Tom's eyes lit up with mirth and he grabbed Bella's wrist. Bella's eyes flashed and she tried to knee Tom in the groin. Tom moved, quickly and spun her until her own arm was being used to choke her.

"**I need that, vixen. Now, will you accompany me silently or will you make a commotion? Or you **_**could**_** make that growling sound again. Like I said, it was rather interesting**" Tom said, conversationally. Bella glared at him.

"**You are a dirty old man**" Bella said, disgustedly. Tom smirked down at her and gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"That's your opinion. You sounded like a dog...or maybe a fox. Ms. Granger, I'll be kidnapping Bella for a good…three hours. She'll be returned in one piece…if she doesn't piss me off" Tom added as an afterthought. Bella glared at him.

"I don't want to go _anywhere_ with _you_. I hate you."

"Hmm…I remember someone distinctly saying that they care a—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll hex you" Bella said, quietly. Tom sighed and shook his head almost disappointedly.

"You're so easy to tease, Ana. If you get worked up in a duel, you'd most likely die" Tom smirked. Bella glared at him.

"Now, I'm definitely not going anywhere with you."

"I wasn't asking you. Ms. Granger, could I please take Ana off your hands for three hours?" Tom asked once more. Maya pursed her lips before blinking in surprise.

"Did you just say please?" she asked.

Tom flashed her a smirk.

* * *

**Leaky Cauldron, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 28****th**** of August 1994**

**2:00 PM**

"I _cannot_ believe that they let you kidnap me" Bella snapped as they walked towards the fireplace. She could feel the eyes on her and she ignored them as best as she could. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Stop being melodramatic. She said I could take you. It's not really kidnapping because clearly you weren't opposed to it. You would've been much louder than you already are if you were" Tom sighed. Bella growled at him and his eyes widened at the sound and he tilted his head.

"**That sound…it still continues to fascinate me. I never knew anyone could sound so animalistic.**"

"Oh, shut up. I'm annoyed because everyone except for Narcissa was for it. Narcissa was just confused. And then they heckled me" Bella snapped. Tom shrugged and sighed to himself.

"Well too bad."

"You can't make me go into the fireplace" Bella said, her eyes narrowed. Tom smirked at her before taking a pinch of Floo powder and wrapping his arm around her waist, dragging her into the fireplace with him.

"What the hell…" she started.

"Shut up. _Calderone di Venezia_" he said, clearly. He dropped the Floo powder and suddenly, Bella was spinning. She felt her grip on Tom slipping and suddenly she was falling forward out of the fireplace. A hand wrapped around her waist and kept her from hitting the floor. Tom pulled her up and crossed his arms as he glared at her. She looked around to see witches and wizards talking rapidly in Italian. She blinked in shock.

"Where are we?" she asked, quietly.

"Venice. Now, come on. We're going to the Rialto Bridge" he said. Bella nodded, dazed as she looked around. Tom was dragging down twisting alleyways until they came upon a canal. Some people were wearing the most beautiful masks she'd ever seen. Others wore cameras around their necks and were snapping ten pictures a minute.

"What are we doing here?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom didn't answer her but did offer her a reassuring look. She sighed as Tom waved down a gondola. She watched as he cleared his throat.

"_Potrebbe portarci al Ponte di Rialto?_" he asked, quietly. The gondolier nodded and Bella was off down the canal.

* * *

**Calle Larga de l'Ascension, Venice, Italy, Europe**

**Thursday the 28****th**** of August 1994**

**5:30 PM**

If someone told Armani Giordano that she would spot the elusive and most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world with a _woman_, she would've laughed and then hexed them for lying to her. Because it had been Armani Giordano's _mission_ for _years_ to at least snap a photo of the man's face.

When she had been based at the Witch Weekly London office, she'd wished for a chance to interview him but that time had never come before she moved back to Italy. But, now here _he_ was. With a _woman_.

"Fine, fine! Thank you so much, Tom."

The words made Armani look up in shock and she punched her cameraman, Alessandro, in the arm. He looked up from his gelato before gaping at the famous, Tom Marvolo Riddle. With his arm around a woman's shoulders. Well, kind of. He had her in a sort of chokehold but it was close enough.

"Yes, yes, I know. I am very kind to buy you all of this. You're lucky I have enough money from buying you tickets to the Quidditch Cup, let alone all of this" sighed Tom Riddle. The woman flashed him a smile.

"Thank you for that too…where were you during the…raid?" the woman said, her smile leaving her face. Armani watched as he curled one of the woman's tresses around his finger without her ever noticing. It didn't take a genius for a woman to see that the man was completely enamored with the mystery woman.

"I left immediately after the match. I didn't want to stay among the Quidditch fanatics. Idiots that they are" Tom snorted. The woman glared at him, playfully and Armani could help but coo under her breath.

They were such a cute couple!

"Armani…are we going to go up to them?" Alessandro asked. Armani hushed him sharply before keeping her gaze on the two. She noticed that the woman was much shorter than Tom Riddle. She was barely up to his shoulder but she was dressed fashionably, though not as if she were filthy rich like a Malfoy.

She wore a large white and blue striped button down shirt that obviously belonged to a man. A brown belt was around her waist, thrown carelessly. The chain of two necklaces could be seen and the very top of one of the lockets was visible. It looked octagonal but that's all Armani could make out. Brown combat boots were on her feet and partly unlaced. Her face was hidden by a half Venetian mask. It was black and emerald and was extremely beautiful.

"We're going to follow them. Take discreet pictures, Alessandro. We don't want them noticing us" Armani said, quietly. Alessandro nodded and tapped his camera lightly with his wand. He tucked away and the pair followed Tom Riddle and his mystery woman to Wizarding Venice.

Armani stalked them into the restaurant. It was rather expensive and but it didn't need reservations. Tom and the mystery woman sat in a boot and Armani and Alessandro sat not too far away.

"Tom, why did you bring me here? You essentially kidnapped me" pointed out the woman. Alessandro gasped quietly. Armani hushed him and jotted down notes on the conversation.

"I did not. I asked to take you to Venice. You weren't complaining when I bought you that bag" Tom snapped at her. The woman rolled her eyes before ordering her food. A plate of pasta appeared in front of her and Tom. Tom picked at a salad he had just ordered.

"No, I wasn't. It was nice of you. Why are you being nice to me? You're _never_ nice to me. You're usually a calloused arrogant jerk" the woman said, flatly. Tom smirked at her and leaned forward, his chin on his hand.

"Such rudeness," Tom said. Armani listened carefully as he seemed to breathe the words. The woman flushed slightly and she growled at him.

"Tut, tut. That sound is so very interesting. And amusing. Aren't you shameless, making such sounds in such a nice place?" Tom teased. The woman glared at him and turned away to eat her pasta. Tom smirked at her but Armani could see the slightly adoring look in his eyes. The woman looked up and tilted her head.

"Where are we going after this? You were supposed to have me back in London three hours ago, you know. My godfather is going to be really mad at you" the woman said. Armani was shocked when Tom's eyes darted to Armani and he flashed her a smirk before he looked at the woman in the next second.

"You act as if I give a damn. We're going somewhere. That's all you have to know."

"Did you know that you're annoying?"

"Did you know that you question me way too much?" Tom retorted. The woman rolled her eyes and continued to eat.

Armani observed the two carefully. Every time Tom looked down to eat his own food, the woman would look up with inquiring eyes. And when she looked down, Tom would look up with unfathomable eyes that had a curious look in them. Armani didn't know what to think of the two.

* * *

**Signorina's, Piacere Vicolo, Venice, Italy, Europe**

**Thursday the 28****th**** of August 1994**

**9:30 PM**

Armani watched from her little browsing area as Tom waited for the woman to come from the dressing room.

"Are you finished yet?" Tom sighed, impatiently. The door swung open and Armani gaped.

The woman was wearing a short dress. The top was loose and off the shoulder. It was black and grey striped top and a tight black skirt bottom. The sleeves were large and you could see her alabaster arms. Armani had to admit that the woman had nice legs. They were long and encased in black combat boots. Her mask was still on and her hair was done up in a ponytail. Tom's face was unfathomable.

"How do I look?" the woman asked with a slight smile. Tom tilted his head, judgingly.

"Adequate for where we're going. Can we go now?" Tom said, shortly. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed though she shot him an exasperated look. She turned to look at Tom.

He was looking much looser. He wore a white t-shirt and an open black blazer. Underneath he wore black _jeans_. Armani didn't think she'd ever seen Tom Riddle wearing Muggle clothing but here he was and rather openly.

"You're wearing jeans? They don't look half-bad. But…why are _you_ of all people, wearing jeans?" the woman asked with shock coloring her voice. Tom suddenly looked rather stiff and he stared down at her.

"They have a dress code. You're not allowed to wear robes" Tom said, flatly. The woman smiled and then sighed.

"Really, how do I look?"

"Bloody gorgeous. Now can we go?" Tom snapped. The woman's smile widened and she tilted her head, slightly, taking a long strand of ebony hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, we can go" she said, quietly. Tom grabbed her wrist and began towing her down the winding streets. Alessandro snapped a picture of the two as the stalkers followed the stalkees.

"Armani, are we going have to do this all night?" Alessandro whined. Armani glared at the man.

"Cease with the whining, Alessandro. Yes, we do, because I want my article about Tom Riddle and his mystery woman. Now, let's go. I think I know where they're headed" Armani said, sharply. Alessandro groaned and Armani sighed before thanking the heavens that they were wearing Muggle clothes.

Tom Riddle and the woman were headed to Club Piacere.

A _dance_ club.

Tom Riddle was going into a club where all you did was drink and dance with the occasional shag in the back of the club.

"Club Piacere…is this what I think it is?" the woman said in wonder.

Armani knew the feeling. She was lucky that she was part of the press or she'd be thrown out before she even got _in_. Tom Riddle was famous so he could bypass the massive line that was standing by the door.

"Yes, it's the extremely famous club that your godfather will kill me for bringing you to. As if I care" Tom snickered. The woman smiled and Tom grabbed her hand, towing her along. Armani watched in wonder as their hands laced together, perfectly almost.

"_Arresto, l'uomo!_"

"_Non è possibile saltare la linea!_"

"_Cosa stai facendo?_"

Tom ignored everyone before standing right in front of the bouncer and clearing his throat.

"Tom Riddle."

The words had a quieting effect on the line. The name 'Tom Riddle' was part of a universal language. He was famous for so many things.

But in Italy, the only thing that mattered was that he was Lord Slytherin. And he was the most eligible wizarding bachelor in all of Europe with Sirius Black right behind him.

"Er…and the lady?" the bouncer asked in crisp English. Armani smirked. The man was British. He would have let them in even if they _weren't_ whom they said they were. Armani leaned forward to hear the name.

"Anastasia. Her last name isn't important right now" Tom said. He glanced back at Armani once and the woman did the same. She frowned as she looked at Armani in the eyes before her lips curled into a wicked grin.

"I need her last name, Mr. Riddle."

"How about you shove it and let me in? My name isn't that important. But, if you really want a last name that in fact, _isn't_ real, it's Riddle. Anastasia Riddle. Happy now?" demanded Anastasia. The bouncer nodded, dumbly. The doors opened and Alessandro and Armani walked forward. The bouncer sighed as the line began ranting again.

"We're from the press."

"Right this way, then" the bouncer said, welcoming them in.

It appeared that the theme that night was blue. The tables were small and crystallized as was the seats though they had an ice blue cushion on them. The bar was made of white marble on the top and dark blue wood. There were blue strobe lights everywhere and there were also bodies everywhere.

"It's too loud in here!" Alessandro shouted. Armani rolled her eyes.

"Shut up. It's not _that_ loud. Now give me your camera. I'll take the pictures. Go get yourself a drink."

Alessandro didn't pass up the opportunity and Armani took the camera. She spotted Tom and Anastasia sitting on one of the many blue couches. Her legs were crossed and one of his arms were slung across the back of the couch. In his hand was a dry martini and he took a sip of it.

"Dance with me. I don't want to sit here and watch you drink alcohol" sighed Anastasia. Tom gave her a flat look.

"Go get something drink. Here's some money. Go get a Firewhiskey" Tom commanded. Anastasia blinked before sighing and nodding. She walked towards the bar and Armani stayed near the dancing crowd when a cheap girl tried to sidle up to Tom. He looked at her in disgust.

"You're blonde. And blue-eyed."

"Yes?" the girl asked.

"You're not his type" sounded a snarl. The girl looked up to see Anastasia glaring down, fearsomely. She crossed her arms and her lips curled into a sneer.

"Excuse me?" the girl asked. Anastasia glared the girl.

"Bitch, please. Now move from my seat, slag."

The girl flinched before standing and swaggering off without a shred of dignity left. Anastasia sat down and looked at Tom.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. I came back for a reason. How do you…drink Firewhiskey?" asked Anastasia, nervously. Tom blinked in surprise and sighed, dragging her over to the bar. There were quite a few men whom were looking at the two Brits, curiously.

"One aged Firewhiskey" Tom called, sliding a galleon onto the counter. The bartender handed him a dusty bottle. Tom popped it open and slid it over to Anastasia. She looked at it, nervously. Armani guessed that she'd never had an alcoholic drink. She was a good girl despite the cutting words she had delivered to the cheap girl that had made a pass at Tom.

"Drink it. It's going to burn" Tom said, coolly. Anastasia nodded and sighed. Some of the men began to jeer.

"The little woman won't be able to hold aged Firewhiskey" called one. Anastasia blinked before glaring around and downing the entire bottle. She chugged and Armani stared in shock. Firewhiskey was exactly that. It tasted good but it felt like fire was burning your throat. Tom raised one eyebrow.

"Hot" he muttered under his breath. Armani didn't even think that he realized that he had said it. Anastasia finished the bottle and slammed it on top of the bar. She glared at them, her eyes flashing and still as alert as they were before.

"Another one" she commanded, snatching a galleon from Tom. She bought another Firewhiskey and downed that one with a determined look on her face. Tom smirked as she sat the Firewhiskey down. She didn't even sway.

"Come on" Anastasia said, dragging Tom to the dance floor. Armani could see that he was so fascinated with the way she had downed the Firewhiskey.

She followed and snapped a picture as Anastasia and Tom began to dance. Armani couldn't deny how raunchy it looked. Anastasia was pressed against Tom's chest and they were swaying to the music. Tom's hands were around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Armani snapped another picture.

The music got faster and the dance still got even more sensual. Tom looked completely enamored with the woman in his arms and Armani snapped pictures like crazy. And then the music was pounding and Tom pressed Anastasia against a wall by her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and she looked slightly tipsy.

Tom didn't look drunk in the least.

Armani watched as he leaned down as if to kiss her when suddenly he reared back and he spun and saw Armani. He glared and looked down at Anastasia. She watched Armani curiously before beckoning her forward. Armani walked up as if in a daze.

"You've been following us," Tom said, sharply. Armani nodded, dazed.

"Er…when I saw you coming out of the Louis Vuitton store…I was shocked. I went to London just to get an interview with you but you never would. Give any I work for Spella Daily and I was planning to get this out in the magazine by tomorrow," Armani said, sounding rather small. Tom sighed and shook his head.

"Do it."

Both Tom and Armani glanced at Anastasia. She looked very…calm for someone whom had just down two bottles of Firewhiskey.

"What? You'll get in trouble, Ana" Tom murmured. Anastasia smirked and put a hand on her hips.

"I'm not a child, Tom. Put the thing in the paper. It'll be amusing to see. Er…did you get pictures of the dance?" Anastasia asked, suddenly embarrassed. Armani nodded, slowly.

"Er…don't show those" Tom said, clearing his throat. Armani nodded and smiled as Tom smirked at Anastasia.

"He's going to _kill_ you. Maya reads Spella Daily. She's going to see it tomorrow and _know_ it was me" Anastasia moaned. Tom shrugged.

"And I give a shit?"

"Fuck you."

* * *

**San Clemente Palace Hotel, Venice, Italy, Europe**

**Friday the 29****th**** of August 1994**

**10:00 AM**

"Shit…my head," moaned Bella as she woke up the next morning. She remembered everything that had happened the day before, clearly. But now she had a pounding headache from drinking all of that alcohol. Two bottles of Firewhiskey were equivalent to five bottles of beer.

"Here," a soft voice said, coaxing a vial into her hand. Bella popped it open and drank the foul tasting potion. It tasted disgusting and she gagged after she finished. But, she could feel her head clear. She looked up and stared at Tom whom was already dressed in regular wizarding robes.

"Thanks…the light was starting to burn," Bella said, yawning. Tom nodded and threw a bag onto the bed. Bella recognized it as the Louis Vuitton back she had bought. She could see part of her mask peeking out along with an outfit that she had charged to the Potter trust fund.

"Where are we? I mean, we're in a hotel, right?" Bella asked. Tom glanced out the window. Bella looked as well and could see the great sprawling city of Venice. And it looked rather busy.

"We're at the San Clemente Palace Hotel in the Executive Suite. You're lucky the couch was comfortable enough for me to sleep on. Otherwise you would have slept on the floor" Tom said, teasingly. Bella gave a light laugh and went through her bag.

"Why don't you go downstairs and pay for the room and find Floo powder so we can go back to London later."

"Hn. Get dressed. We have to get back to London now. Before Black begins to hunt me down."

"That'll be a laugh. Maybe I should wait," Bella smirked. Tom rolled his eyes and opened the door to the bathroom before pushing Bella in and propping a door under the handle, making sure that Bella stayed in.

"_Tom, _I'm _hungry_!"

"We'll eat later. Now take a damn shower so we can go eat," Tom snapped. He heard something shatter through the door and groaned.

"Dictator!"

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 29****th**** of August 1994**

**12:00 PM**

_TOM RIDDLE AND HIS MYSTERY WOMAN?_

_Armani Giordano_

_Armani Giordano, 32, was on the case when she spotted Tom Riddle, unknown age and most eligible bachelor, with a pretty woman in Venice yesterday afternoon. Armani and cameraman, Alessandro Russo, followed the pair all around Venice as they made trip after trip to an expensive Muggle store, Louis Vuitton, a restaurant that was by no means cheap, and the famous and exclusive night club, Club Piacere._

_When first spotted, Tom Riddle and the mystery woman were seen leaving Louis Vuitton with many, many bags in hand. The mystery woman was dressed well but not excessively wealthy, though judging from the outfit that she wore to Club Piacere (see page 10) she wasn't poor by any means. She was seen thanking Tom Riddle and he didn't seem as aloof._

_Next, they were seen at a nice restaurant speaking on various things. For example, there was much teasing of the mystery woman where she responded with rather vulgar language. Most would think that this would be a turn off for the proud Lord Slytherin, but it wasn't._

_After a stop at Signoria's for a dress for Miss Mystery Woman, their next destination was Club Piacere where the pair skipped the entire line. Inside, Miss Mystery Woman was able to down two entire bottles of Firewhiskey without even faltering._

_They were last seen this morning, having breakfast at the famous Cortes' Pizzeria for pizza instead of a real breakfast._

_Who is this Mystery Woman and where will she spotted next?_

"Looks like Bella was busy" Hermione said with a snicker. Sirius was staring at Spella Daily, stunned while Maya was smirking to herself. Sirius shook his head and his eyes were on a single phrase.

"She…she downed _two_ Firewhiskeys? My goddaughter can hold that much alcohol?" Sirius asked himself. Maya looked at him with disbelief and shook her head with a long sigh.

"I can't believe you. She was supposed to be back _yesterday_. They've been in Venice for almost a full 24 hours now" Maya pointed out. Sirius realized the same thing when suddenly the fire in the fireplace turned green and Bella stepped out. Hermione inspected her outfit and grinned.

She was wearing an emerald green off the shoulder shirt with black jeans and black combat boots. Sirius saw the silhouette of Tom Riddle before he disappeared as Sirius jumped to dive at him. Bella avoided him graciously.

"Where have you been?" Sirius barked. Bella ignored him and placed her multitude of bags on the ground.

"I have gifts! Here, Mione!" Bella said, tossing a bag to Hermione. Hermione unwrapped it with surprise on her face. She pulled it open and smiled. It was a beautiful brown Louis Vuitton satchel.

"It's for school. I have one too. That one is called Evora GM" Bella said with a smile. Hermione nodded.

"Thank you…" Hermione murmured. Bella nodded and the tossed Maya a parcel and a bag. Maya took out elegant midnight blue wizarding robes and a matching purse. She blinked in surprise.

"So you can fit in. You already act like a pureblood. Why not dress the part?" Bella explained. Maya smiled.

"Thank you, Bella."

"Your welcome. And now for Uncle Sirius. Here," Bella said, quietly. She held out her hand and Sirius stared wide-eyed at the object in her hand.

"Is this…"

"Yeah. The Black family watch. I know you can't remove it from the vault but I can because I'm the Heir. And I'm giving it to _you_" Bella said, quietly.

She placed the object in Sirius' hand. Sirius couldn't help but stare in wonder at the watch. He had long been denied the watch but now he could have it.

It was his.

"You're still grounded."

"Dammit."

:::

**A/N: **This was a filler. Just a little fun for me and you. I wanted to be a little indulgent. The article is going to have consequences for not really Bella but definitely Tom in the next chapter. Tom is going to be exceedingly difficult _and_ annoying in the next chapter because he's Tom. But, enough of that.

Next Chapter: Announcements, Black Arts, and Cedric Diggory (ABCD)


	39. Chapter XXXV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, let's go. I wrote this entire chapter listening to rock music because that's just how I write Tom. His mind goes with weird rock music, I suppose. He's just so…Tom. A lot of this chapter and a lot of this arc will be from Tom's point of view because he just doesn't get enough love. Anyway, I've just came up with a fabulous idea for our favorite Veela. What happens when the Veela gets a crush on the only man who would rather read than even look at her?

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXV**

**Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of September 1994**

**10:46 AM**

"Bella! Hermione!"

Ginny stopped in the doorway of the compartment and gaped at the picture. Bella was leaning against the window, looking out nonchalantly. She had her glasses on and Ginny had to admit that it looked cute. But that wasn't what confused her.

Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were inside.

And their wands were pointed at her.

They turned in unison before stowing their wands away. Bella flashed her a quick smile before clearing her throat.

"Yo. Don't scare us like that. We have quick reflexes. Come in" Bella said, waving in Gideon, Ginny, and Ron. Ron was glaring at the two other boys. Hermione's feet were on Blaise's lap.

"So, now that I've finally seen you. Who wants to tell me why you're on the cover of Spella Daily?" Ginny said as she closed the door. Ginny watched in amusement as Gideon and Ron gaped at her. Bella was flushing suddenly. Draco snickered under his breath while Hermione and Blaise shared a secretive smile.

"I went to Venice. So what?"

"You were with Professor Riddle. And apparently you stayed over night there. In a hotel" Ginny said. Gideon frowned.

"For real? What were you doing there?" Gideon demanded. Bella's lips curled into a smile. She leaned back, staring out the window dreamily. Ginny couldn't help but feel a slight sick feeling in her stomach at the look.

"He took me to Louis Vuitton and bought me a bag. Then he took me out to dinner. It was so nice…then he took me to Signorina's and I bought clothes and he made me buy a dress. He called me 'bloody gorgeous' but mostly because I wouldn't leave if I was anything less. Then, we went to Club Piacere" Bella sighed, her eyes glazed over. Ginny saw that Hermione hadn't known about some of that. Bella smiled and Gideon frowned.

"Club Piacere? The pureblood club that's on Piacere Alley? Only the most elite can get in. The Malfoys are on the VIP list" Draco said. Bella nodded. Ron leaned in, intently.

"I had two bottles of Firewhiskey. Got tipsy. Danced with him. That wasn't in the magazine. We caught the lady who was stalking us the entire day and then told her that she could publish the story because I thought it'd be fun" Bella continued. Ron cleared his throat.

"Why did he take you to Venice in the first place?" Ron asked, curiously. Bella shrugged while Hermione had a sly look on her face. Bella saw and shot her a sharp look.

"Not this again, Mione."

"But it _was_. There was dinner involved."

"Doesn't make it a—"

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"Whoa! What is going on?" asked Ginny instead of a very sullen Gideon. He seemed to be the only male to understand what was going on.

"Hermione thinks it was a date" he snarled. Everyone blinked in surprise before looking at Hermione. She looked rather blasé as she inspected her nails. Bella flushed considerably.

"It _wasn't_. That just…_weird_" Bella insisted. Ron nodded.

"I agree. He's an _adult_. Why would Bella want to go on a date with an adult?" demanded Ron. Hermione laughed.

"Because she fancies the man."

Ron looked to his best friend for confirmation. She was only glaring at Hermione, harshly. Draco looked endlessly amused as he watched out of the window.

"It's not true! I do _not_ fancy Tom. Stop saying I do" Bella snapped. Hermione shrugged before Draco pointed out the window. Blaise looked at him, curiously.

"Blaise! Look, it's Gia" Draco pointed out. Hermione stiffened and Blaise's lips curled into a happy smile. Blaise stood, knocking Hermione's feet off his lap. Hermione stiffened considerably.

"Who the hell is Gia?" Hermione snarled. Blaise didn't respond and he waved happily with Draco. Bella blinked in surprise. Blaise had never showed _this_ much happiness before. Bella stood up and Blaise waved.

"_Blaise! Blaise! Non lasciarmi! Non farlo! Non farlo!_"

Blaise opened the window and Ron stood before he smiled. Hermione still looked rather pissed out. Blaise leaned down and said something rapidly.

"_Madre, darla a me_" Blaise whispered. Hermione couldn't exactly see what was placed in the boy's arms. She gasped when arms wrapped around his neck and he turned, revealing the person in his arms. Hermione blushed harshly before looking at her feet.

"Don't _you_ feel stupid" Draco smirked. Hermione glared at him harshly.

"Who is she?" Hermione asked, curiously. Blaise cooed to the little girl in his arms before looking up at the object of his affections.

"This is Gianna. She is my little sister. She is two years old."

The little girl looked like him, Bella decided. She had hazel eyes and a straight nose. Her hair, unlike Blaise's short and wavy locks, was extremely curly, making Bella assume that they had different fathers.

Well, of course. Blaise's father was dead.

"Oh…you have a _sister_…" Hermione muttered under her breath.

"_Fratello ... lei è carina. Come si chiama?_" asked Gianna. Blaise leaned down and smiled.

"That's Hermione, little one. Speak English, now. You know you can" Blaise instructed. Gianna bit her lip before looking at Hermione with wide and trustful eyes.

"Hi, I Gianna. I, two years old" Gianna said lifting two fingers. Her Italian accent was more thick than Blaise's and the words were barely discernable. Gianna gave a cheeky smile before turning to Bella. Bella was staring at her with curiosity.

"You is pretty. Eyes pretty!" the little girl giggled. Blaise smiled and Bella grinned.

"Thank you."

"Welcome!" Gianna insisted. She held out her hand to Hermione and Hermione squeezed it softly. Gianna quickly kissed Hermione's cheek. Hermione smiled, softly. She hugged the girl tightly.

"You're adorable."

"_Siete entrambi adorabile_" Blaise murmured. Gianna giggled and Hermione blushed before turning away. Blaise looked down at Gianna and kissed her forehead.

"Little one, I have to go now. I won't be home for Yule this year. I'm sorry" Blaise said, quietly. Bella bit her lip as Gianna's lips quivered after a moment. She had suddenly realized what her elder brother was telling her.

"Hush, little one. I'll ask…I'll ask Tom if she may visit for Yule" Bella said, helpfully. Blaise smiled at her and Gianna tilted her head. Blaise explained to her as simply as he could in rapid Italian before Gianna smiled.

"T'ank you!"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of September 1994**

**8:40 PM**

"**She looks pretty. Doesn't she looked pretty?**" came the soft hiss in his ear. Tom glared down at Nagini. She lounged across his shoulders to intimidate the first years. They were quivering every time they looked up at the table. One Dennis Creevy, younger brother of the most annoying Colin Creevy, was yapping on and on to Bella Potter.

"**Shut up, Nagini. She's not that pretty.**"

Nagini gave him a look that told him that he was a moron.

"**Sure. I'm a snake and **_**I**_** see that she's pretty. You're in **_**denial**_**!**" Nagini snapped. Tom glared down at his familiar and tried his best to ignore her. If he listened her anymore, he might realize that she was right. Tom frowned at the attention Bella was getting and she seemed immensely oblivious to it all.

Even Cedric bloody Diggory was staring at her to the annoyance of one Cho Chang. Dennis and Colin Creevy were ogling but probably because she survived the _Avada Kedavra _curse. He didn't think they even really possessed hormones.

He dreaded the idea of two Creevys. If Dennis was anything like his incompetent brother then he would rather admit he was wrong to Bella about everything than teach him.

On second thought, he'd _never_ admit he was wrong or sorry.

Because he never was.

"**See! You still haven't said anything. You **_**like**_** her. You **_**like**_** the speaker-girl**" Nagini said with a hissy laugh. Tom looked down at her with a raised eyebrow before taking another sip of wine.

"**I was only thinking about something else. And why would I? She's but a child.**"

"**I don't know. But you do.** **And she likes you, too, so it's okay. You can mate with her**" Nagini hissed, happily. Tom choked on his wine and got a concerned look from Minerva.

"**Nagini…no, that's pedophilia. That's wrong. She still **_**looks**_** like a child. I still see her as child and thus, if I ever had need for…a sexual partner…then I would look for someone who is above seventeen years so I don't get put into Azkaban for something stupid like that. Imagine that. The Dark Lord Voldemort placed into Azkaban, not for countless murders but because of him being a pedophile. That is insulting to my reputation. Do you under…what do you mean she likes me?**" Tom asked, suddenly coming to terms with what Nagini had said.

If snakes could smirk, Nagini would have been smirking.

"**You're not a snake so you wouldn't see. I don't think I want to tell you.**"

"**You are **_**evil**_**. Tell me. You're my familiar. You should tell me **_**everything**_" Tom urged. Nagini contemplated the 'suggestion'.

"**Tom, flattery gets you everywhere. Do you not see when she comes around you? Her blood rushes…her face heats…her heart pounds in her chest when she sees you. Her breath goes uneven…she flips her hair…have you not noticed, Tom? Have you not seen how she stares…how she isolates you away from her friends? Honestly, Tom, you're being rather obtuse**" Nagini hissed.

Nagini took immense pleasure on how Tom stiffened as she had described things that the young woman speaker did occasionally. Nagini couldn't help but like the young woman speaker. She could converse with her and from what Nagini picked up when she heard their conversations she was witty and smart. She was also beautiful. She'd make excellent hatchlings with Nagini's Tom.

"**She doesn't do that…does she?**" Tom asked, suddenly confused. Nagini hissed and flicked her tongue against Tom's cheek. He didn't sneer like he usually did. He looked deep in thought.

"**She does. And if you truly are uninterested, you have only fueled her fascination when you took her on that trip**" Nagini said, flatly. Tom groaned quietly before glaring down at her.

"**Don't say anything to her.**"

"**I won't. I enjoy seeing the two of you squirm.**"

"Tom. How was your summer?"

Tom looked up sharply and cursed when he saw that Dumbledore's question had almost made him cut his hand off. Dumbledore looked rather amused at his reaction. Tom felt stupid. He was acting like he was a schoolboy caught in the act of burglary.

"Excuse me?" Tom asked, flatly. Minerva looked rather intrigued as well as if she wanted to ask something.

"How was your summer? You were off for most of it. You usually stay at Hogwarts" Dumbledore explained. Tom frowned.

When he said it sounded like he didn't have a life…

"Fine."

"Ah, just fine?" Dumbledore asked, his mouth twitching into a slight smile.

"Yes, just fine. Why?" Tom asked, suspiciously. Minerva's lips curled into a full smile now at the suspicion in his voice.

"Nothing, nothing. I'd say it was very good judging by Spella Daily. Tell me, who _is_ this mystery woman of yours?" Minerva teased. Tom suddenly was very interested in the filet mignon on his plate. He took to cutting it with vigor as if it were Minerva's face. He could even fell his cheeks flushing slightly!

Tom Riddle didn't blush!

"None of your business."

"Ah, but, I'd think as your colleague and friend, it would be" Minerva said, smirking. Tom glared down at his plate before turning it on Minerva. She wasn't perturbed in the slightest by his crimson eyes.

Dammit.

"May I assume it is whom I think it is?"

Tom looked sharply at Dumbledore. There was a twinkle in his eyes that said that he knew. Tom hated the man for that. He thought he knew _everything_. Minerva looked very interested as was a few other people on the staff as they strained to listen in.

"Yes. _But_, it was strictly platonic. Got that, Dumbledore?" Tom said, snarling out the last part to the man. Dumbledore raised one hand in defeat though his lips never lost his Merlin be damned smile.

"Yes, Tom. I suppose it _is_ platonic…for now, I would assume. I'm not blind, my boy. I'm still a young chap who can see a strong magical bond along the line of a certain _type _of bond" Dumbledore said, lowering his voice so only Tom could hear. Tom glared at him and crossed his arms.

"I _said_ it was platonic. Leave. It."

"Yes, yes" Dumbledore said, indulgently. Minerva smirked as she saw Tom glare at Dumbledore before turning away to finish his wine. Minerva looked at Dumbledore.

"Albus, he won't talk for the rest of the meal. You know teasing is the only way to get him to at least _speak_. Really, Tom, you're much too antisocial. Well, in Britain you are. But _you_ actually went to Club Piacere. I didn't even know you were capable of _getting_ a date," Minerva said, smirking. Tom glared at her but refused to open his mouth.

Gods! He loved to teach but his co-workers leaved something to be desired. Unknown to the student body, quite a few of them were gossipmongers and they relished in the student gossip.

That was probably why Severus never went to staff meetings.

"I think it's time you give the announcement" Tom said, stiffly. Dumbledore nodded before clapping his hands and standing. Everyone turned his or her attention to him. The food disappeared and Tom sneered when he saw Ronald Weasley stare in horror and sadness as his chocolate gateau disappeared.

"So! Now that we're all watered and fed, I must once more ask for you attention. I have a very important announcement that must be made with haste!" Dumbledore said, excitedly. Tom rolled his eyes and it seemed that everyone had seem him do it because there was small giggles.

"It is my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Tom watched with a strange fascination. The reactions were amusing to watch, he admitted. Especially, Ana's. Her face went through phases. It would be a smile before it would wilt and her face would go blank. And then her eyes would flash and her lips would curl into a snarl. His assumption was correct when it happened in the correct order.

She looked wild like that and the rage seem palpable. Her hands was grasping the table and she glared with a ferocity. Her rage was a quiet one compared to everyone else's but it was vicious and made people lean away.

The wildness in her face…

"**She looks rather nice that way…**" Tom muttered to himself. He heard a hissy chuckle that reminded him that Nagini was on his shoulders. He cursed under his breath.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing through the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy. But you will enjoy it immensely anyway. I have great pleasure in announcing that Hogwarts will be hosting the—"

Dumbledore was cut off when the Great Hall doors suddenly slammed open. A man stood in the doorway with long dark grey hair. He looked grizzled and his face was horrendous. Every inch of his face was scarred in some way. He walked with a long staff and an electric blue eye buzzed in his eyes, looking around. He limped along one a wooden peg leg.

Well, it seems _he_ got in okay. If a little late…but he always _was_ one for dramatics.

It was probably why this particular man was one of Tom's favorite followers…

"Ah, Alastor! May I introduce our new Assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody!" Dumbledore said with a smile. Moody stared around before his eyes fell on Bella. She still looked rather miffed but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. Moody turned and clunked his way to the head table before sitting next to Tom. Tom nodded and Moody inclined his head.

"As I was saying, we are to have the very exciting honor of hosting the Triwizard Tournament!"

There were cheers and Tom watched Bella freeze before cheering. Hermione looked shocked and a smile was spreading on her lips.

"YOU'RE JOKING!" the two elder Weasley twins shouted. Tom liked them quite a bit. He found them rather amusing.

He despised the younger ones. The little chit was a bother and the boy…Merlin help the boy. The creepy little stalker.

"No, Messrs. Weasleys, I am _not_ joking. Though now that you mention jokes, I did hear one earlier about Spella Daily and Professor—" Dumbledore started. Tom flushed slightly and it drew everyone's attention. Moody was trying not to grin and Tom glared at Dumbledore. Everyone already knew and soon there were catcalls. Bella was grinning and Tom glared at her. She gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"That's enough" Tom snapped at Dumbledore. Dumbledore sighed but still smiled.

"Ah…this may not be the time…"

"Any time would be a bad time, old man" Tom sneered. Dumbledore chuckled.

""The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration.

This" — Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Tom watched with narrowed eyes as Bella Potter left.

He saw Draco and Blaise meet their two sisters at the door and an involuntary grin spread on his face.

He was banking on Bella's everlasting loyalty for everything to work…hopefully, it would.

* * *

**Hogwarts Courtyard, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 2****nd**** of September 1994**

**12:00 PM**

"Lookie here! Mistakes At The Ministry Of Magic. How much you want to bet a Weasley involved?"

Ron, Bella, and Hermione looked up sharply. Bella groaned when she saw Draco lounged in the crook of a tree. The Daily Prophet hung from his long and slender fingers. Blaise was sitting underneath the tree, reading a medical journal. Bella suspected he wanted to be a Healer and he'd be a good one as well.

Draco began reading from the offending piece of gossip:

_FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office._

_Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

"Drake, don't do this now" Bella said, quietly as everyone in the courtyard began whispering. Draco looked over the paper at his sister and raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"And why not? It's not like he's got any dignity to lose. His father lost that for him. And look at his mother. She could stand to use a few pounds" Draco said, matter-of-factly. Ron was shaking with fury. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Malfoy, your mother isn't too nice looking either. She looks like she's smelling shit all the time. Or did she smell you? Merlin, it's like you've never heard of soap or water. And newsflash, there's an invention that was just created. It's called shampoo. Use it, gel head" Hermione said, sharply. Draco glared at her and crossed his arms.

"Don't you dare insult me or my mother, filthy Mudblood" Draco snarled. The crowd gasped and broke into murmurs. Hermione grinned, proudly.

"Finally! You've finally used my proper title. _That_ is politically correct. I _am_ a Mudblood. But, at least, I'm not an inbred."

Draco raised his wand and Hermione had hers out in a moment. They regarded each other for a moment.

"We bow?" Hermione said, turned to Bella as if asking for permission. Draco had already spun and shot a spell at her. Hermione dodged a moment later.

"NO YOU DON'T!"

The two voices snarled were followed by a bang. Malfoy was a snow white ferret on the ground. Hermione had fallen from the aftershock. Blaise looked up with a smirk and sighed before going to pick it up.

"LEAVE IT!"

Professor Moody was lumbering down the staircase with his wand at and pointed at Draco. Bella sighed and ignored his warning and picked up the ferret and cradling it. She flicked its nose and it bit her.

"You stupid boy" she muttered under her breath before looking at Moody. He looked a little annoyed that she hadn't listened.

"Sorry, sir, but I don't follow directions well. That's our brother you just cursed. A sibling spat is all" Bella said, quietly. Moody raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat.

"Ah, so you four are those whom we don't speak of. Cannot speak of."

"Yeah…about that…what do you mean by that?" Bella asked. Moody sighed.

"Obviously you _don't_ listen, girl. I cannot speak of it. We do not speak of it. We're physically incapable of doing so. Now put him down so I can turn him back" Moody commanded. Bella nodded and placed the ferret down. Moody flicked his wand and Draco turned into a frazzled teenage boy once more.

"Bastard" he muttered under his breath. Bella ruffled the boy's messed up hair and smiled.

"You deserved it. Apologize. You know, Draco. You _know_ better. You aren't supposed to attack when a back is turned if you're challenging someone in a formal duel" Bella chastised before Moody could. He looked slightly surprised. Draco looked down and Moody watched Bella turn to the Mudblood girl.

"You. You need to stop it. You can't keep antagonizing him. We are Four. We don't have anyone but each other in the end. Come to terms with that and stop trying to tear him down. Same for you, Draco. Apologize to each other. Now."

"Sorry, Mudblood."

"Sorry, arrogant wanker."

Bella sighed.

"It's a start…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 4****th**** of September 1994**

**1:00 PM**

"So, I've heard from Professor Riddle that you have studied Dark creatures. Dark curses were handled, except for the Unforgiveables. We'll get to that next class. You're severely behind in one thing. The one thing that you will probably be the most dangerous thing that could ever happen to you. What do you know about the Black Arts?"

Tom stiffened in his seat and watched as four children's eyes lit up with excitement. Four hands shot into the air and Moody looked at them in shock. He looked at the half-raised hands before the four children started waving their hands.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy?"

"There are five. Five Black Arts and they earn you an X-level cell in Azkaban because most can't perform them. For example, Necromancy. Necromancy blackens a person's soul and mind. It tears you apart until you are no longer a person but a dark entity. You are more dead than alive" Draco said, his eyes bright with an unknown passion. Moody nodded before clearing his throat.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. A sign of a true-born Necromancer would be someone born with the ability to speak to things that are more dead than alive. For example, dementors. One famous Necromancer would be one Cadmus Peverell. He was the supposed possessor of the Ressurection Stone. It was supposedly able to bring back those dead" Moody explained. Tom watched in fascination as the class glanced at Draco nervously.

Well, the smarter students of the class. Needless to say, Ronald Weasley didn't even bother turning away from Moody. He glanced around and then back to Hermione. Her lips were curled into a wicked smile. He nodded to her, hesitantly, almost.

"Blood Magic. It is the ability to manipulate the body using the blood. Blood is the essence of life and manipulating it can extend or end someone's life. Also, the magic is intimately connected with the blood because the magical core relies on it since it is the essence of life. Using blood in a spell can have many powerful effects. It is Black Magic because it taking something so sacred and twisting it to you own means," Hermione said, proudly. She ran a hand down her arm, over her tattoo almost lovingly. Blaise waved his hand next and Moody nodded to him.

"Next is the _Venenum Animi_. It is translated to 'Poison of Mind'. This is the only Black Magic that can be performed exclusively by exceptional Legilimens. Once within the mind, the caster has the ability to destroy the mind by using their own feelings of darkness and wickedness to poison the mind of choice," Blaise said, with a slight smile. Moody blinked before nodding. He cleared his throat.

"Good…now there are two more, that most probably wouldn't have heard of. One is old Elven magic…yes, Miss Potter?"

"It's called _Kveykva_. It is the ability to take the electric charge from ones nervous system and conduct it through your wand. It is Black Magic only because it could kill the caster. However, used by a particularly powerful witch or wizard, it can rearrange the nervous system and fry the brain of the recipient. It is the most potent and could be considered the most destructive Black Art because it can also destroy ones magical core if used correctly" Bella breathed out with a smile. Moody frowned and nodded before opening his mouth to explain. Tom raised a hand.

"We do not teach of the last Black Art."

"Well…"Moody started. Tom glared at him.

"We do not teach it" Tom snarled. Moody nodded, slowly. Moody turned to the group with hard eyes.

"Now that we have the information, I'd like you to realize something…CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

The entire class jumped at the shout and Tom only smirked as they looked at him with awe and shock.

All but four.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 5****th**** of September 1994**

**4:00 PM**

"Hey."

Bella looked up from her book and closed it sharply. It was a Parseltome and nobody should really know she had it. She had taken it from the vault earlier that summer. Her lips broke into an easy smile.

"Hi, Cedric. I didn't think you'd talk to me at school, since you're a seventh year and all" Bella said, friendly. Cedric laughed and shrugged, innocently. He looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes. Bella looked down at her old book.

"Why? It's not a _huge_ deal. We're both students here and I felt like I should get to know you more since we met earlier this summer. It's never too late to make a friend here, you know" Cedric said, rather quickly. Bella nodded, not quite understanding why he wanted friends.

Friends were liabilities in this upcoming war.

But, wait, he didn't know there was a war coming…and Bella was sounding too much like a soldier. She realized her thoughts and shook her head as Cedric said something to her. She blinked back tor reality.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"What are you reading?"

"Oh…er…an old book. From the Founders time" Bella said. Cedric gaped at the book and reached out to touch it. Bella jerked it from his grasp.

"Um…it's not mine. It belongs to Professor Riddle. I nicked it from his vault. He'd be mad if I let anyone touch it. I'm sorry" Bella muttered. Cedric nodded, sagely before clearing his throat.

"So…you're close to Professor Riddle?"

"Er…I _suppose_ Tom and I are close. Tom and I…it's complicated" Bella sighed in annoyance.

The man had all but ignored her for the past few days. Every time he looked at her he'd blink and turn away quickly. It was maddening and every time she asked Nagini what was wrong with him, Nagini would only give a hissy laugh and lick her cheek, to her immense irritation.

"What do you mean by 'it's complicated'? Don't people say that when they're in…a romantic relationship?" Cedric asked. Bella laughed, quietly.

"Tom is…different. He doesn't think about that type of stuff nor do I. We're not close, per say, but I do know him better than anyone else. Though, that's not a lot at all, anyway. He's a very private person. But, he's always there for me. He's always there to egg me on and he sort of makes me…_me_. I know it sounds corny but it's sort of true. I can be _myself_. Everyone expects me to be someone I'm not. Everyone but my siblings, that is" Bella sighed.

She was surprised how easy it was to talk to Cedric. It was probably because he was a Hufflepuffs. They were hard workers and very good listeners.

"Your siblings? I was under the impression that you are an only child."

"Clearly, you don't know any kids around my age. Draco Malfoy is my blood brother. We are very close. Hermione is like my sister too. Blaise is like my brother as well. Draco is kind of like my twin in all ways but gender. We're the same yet we're opposites. I love him a lot" Bella said with a smile. Cedric nodded.

"I wish I had a brother or sister. It'd be a lot fun."

"It sometimes is. Only sometimes though. Sometimes he's a bit of a pain in the arse but that's all right, I suppose" Bella sighed. She looked up and cleared her throat.

"Cedric…do you know anything about those we do not speak of?"

Cedric blinked before frowning.

"Er…I do. But, my father said that once I read the story, I wouldn't be able to speak of it because of the Curse of the Damned. I don't know the exact details. Maybe, you should ask Professor Binns or someone," Cedric said. Bella sighed and nodded.

"I suppose I will when I find the time."

"Hi, Professor Riddle" Cedric said with a slight smile. Bella spun around so fast that she almost gave herself whiplash. Tom was standing in front of her. He wasn't making eye contact with her but he was staring at Cedric with a peculiar look in his eye.

"Diggory. Miss Potter, could you please pass me the book you were looking at? I need it back."

Bella gaped at Tom's bland tone. He wasn't speaking to her teasingly or passionately like when he disagreed with her or felt strongly about something. Not _anything_. And it was freaking her out to the extreme.

"What…" Bella whispered, unable to understand why he wouldn't even look at her. Tom fixed his gaze on the book once more before grabbing it in one swift moment. Cedric frowned at the heartbroken look on Bella's face. She looked desolate.

"Thank you. I'll leave you to your conversation."

Tom walked away without another glance and Cedric watched as Bella's lip quivered slightly before she bit it and stood up, sharply.

"I…I…I'm sorry. I've just remembered. I've got to go do something" Bella said, quietly. Cedric nodded, sympathetically though he felt a stab of jealousy. Bella turned in the general direction that Tom had gone in.

Cedric followed quietly between the bookcases and had to jerk back when he saw Bella had stopped at the rope that blocked the students from the Restricted Section. She leaned over it and looked at Tom. His reading glasses were perched on his nose and he was reading, distractedly.

"Tom…"

Cedric watched as Professor Riddle jerked up suddenly and blinked at her.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, softly. Cedric had never heard the girl use such a soft voice. Her voice was soft and filled with adoration that Cedric didn't even think she knew she had. Professor Riddle seemed to have heard it as well. He had stiffened.

"Nothing is wrong with me that is your issue, Miss Potter."

"That's what's wrong. You don't call me 'Miss Potter'. I'm Ana," Bella muttered. Cedric watched as Professor Riddle dropped his mask for a moment. It was all Cedric needed. The man was confused about something. Immensely so. But then the mask was back up in another second.

"Miss Potter, I do not think it would be prudent to call you by your first name. I am, after all, your teacher" Professor Riddle said, carefully. Cedric watched in surprise as Bella looked at him as if he were insane before hopping the rope and crossing over to his seat. She sat on the table across from him and leaned on her hand that was now on the book Professor Riddle had been reading.

"Now I _know_ something's wrong. You're not teasing me or calling me a ridiculous name or insulting my intelligence. Tell me what's wrong" Bella commanded.

"Miss Potter—"

"_Stop it!_ My name isn't 'Miss Potter'. Ana. _**Your **_**Ana**" Bella whispered. Professor Riddle's eyes hardened.

"Miss Potter, off the table. Five points from Gryffindor."

"You…you are impossible. You've ignored me for the past few days and every time I ask Nagini what's wrong, all she does is laugh, which leads me to assume that she's laughing your expense. What's wrong?" Bella demanded. Professor Riddle sighed before looking at her and shaking his head.

"It…nothing. It's nothing."

"There _is_ something wrong, Tom. You're confused about something. What is it?" Bella asked. Professor Riddle suddenly stood and Bella forward suddenly as the book was ripped from under her. Professor Riddle caught her around her waist. Cedric suddenly felt like he was witnessing something rather private. They were staring at each other wide-eyed.

Cedric wasn't sure but it seemed like Professor Riddle had hissed something at Bella. She blinked.

"Nagini said _what_?"

"You heard me. Is it true?"

"That…it…Mordred. No…uh…what?" Bella stammered. Professor Riddle dropped her as if she were made of fire and Bella fell into the edge of the table. He looked down at her wide-eyed before clearing his throat and turning away, sharply. Cedric almost laughed.

The man looked like a _very_ awkward teenager.

"I never asked that question" Professor Riddle said, shortly. Bella nodded, slowly.

"Uh…what question?"

"Good."

"So…"

"So?"

"Goodbye, Ana."

"This is incredibly awkward. Goodbye, Tom."

The two turned away from each other, both looking rather confused. Cedric frowned in confusion as well.

There was just something about those two…

:::

**A/N: **Sorry that this took so long! My Internet decided to be a bitch and then my mum finally realized that it was the router. And then she decided that she didn't feel like buying a router until this weekend. I've had this written for about a _week_.

Next Chapter: Veela and Triwizard Champions


	40. Chapter XXXVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Alright! This chapter is so hard for me to write. This is going to be a little different though. Rest assured, Champions will be the same but…_how_ they get there is a little different. Our favorite Veela has arrived! Goodness, I'm excited for Fleur because _honestly_ a man who rather read than look at a Veela is only tempting. And Tom is a big jerk in this chapter. But, not in the way you're thinking.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30****th**** of October 1994**

**6:30 PM**

"Oh, _hell_ no."

Bella was glaring at the stupid Veela that had just walked in and was sitting at the Ravenclaw table. The students of Durmstrang were situated at the Slytherin table. Viktor Krum was sitting next to Draco and Draco was being a _very_ enthusiastic host though Krum was essentially ignoring him.

"What?" Hermione asked. Bella stabbed a finger towards the girl and then back up at the head table.

Hermione smirked when she realized what was happening. The girl with long white blonde hair and blue eyes was looking at Tom and giggling to her friends. But, Tom didn't seem too concerned with her. Hermione could see Tom and Bella sneaking glances at each other and she was sure Dumbledore saw it too. But, the old wizard only looked endlessly amused.

"She's _pretty_" Ron sighed. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. Ron glared at her before looking at one dish in particular. Bella glared at it before getting her steak-and-kidney pie.

"What is that?" Ron asked, in confusion. Hermione glanced at Bella.

"It's _French_" Bella all but snarled. Hermione laughed again.

"You speak French, Bella."

"So _what_? It's called bouillabaisse. It's a shellfish stew. It tastes fine," Bella said, sharply. Ron inspected it.

"I'll take your word for it" he decided, helping himself to the black pudding. Bella sighed as she saw Hagrid walk back in with three bandaged fingers. She gave a half-hearted wave and felt eyes piercing her. She turned and looked at the head table. Tom was looking at her with a strange expression before he glanced away. Bella offered the slightest of smiles.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"

Bella turned, her eyes burning. The girl from before was standing there. She was glancing behind her at the head table every few seconds. Bella's lips curled into a sneer. Hermione snatched her wrist before the girl could stab the half-Veela with her knife.

"No. Take it" Bella said, harshly. The half-Veela blinked when Bella glanced at the head table once more.

"You are Bella Potter" she said. Bella looked back and blinked.

"Yes. And you are?" Bella asked, quietly.

"I am Fleur Delacour. I 'ope to get to know you bezzer" Fleur said. Bella raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Hmph. You may take the dish and leave."

Fleur seemed surprised by the treatment but did as she was told and walked away, continuing to glance up a Tom.

"I'm going to kill her" Bella snarled. Ron looked at her wide-eyed.

"She's a Veela" he breathed. Hermione laughed, quietly.

"No shit, Sherlock. And don't be jealous, Bella. Professor Riddle hasn't even spared her a look. He's been too busy staring at you. And remember, he'd rather read than look at Veela" Hermione whispered in Bella's ear. Bella flushed and growled. She blushed even darker as she remembered that her growl was 'interesting'.

"I don't care about that" Bella snarled. Hermione raised an eyebrow before looking back to her food.

"What?" Ron asked. Bella shook her head and looked down. She sighed and looked back at the head table.

"Look, it's Mr. Crouch. And Ludo Bagman" Bella pointed out. Hermione's eyes narrowed when she heard the name 'Crouch'. Apparently, she still held a grudge towards him from the World Cup.

"What are they doing here?" Ron asked, between bites of food.

"I suspect that they organized the tournament. It'll be excited to watch, I'm sure" Bella said, smiling almost wistfully. They continued to idly talk until Dumbledore stood and the plates were wiped clean.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket —"

"- just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Bella thought he looked strange in wizard's robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.

"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Bella smirked as everyone stood and Fleur stood up as well. The French girl was watching Tom walk down slowly. Many of the Beauxbatons girls were giving him looks of interest. Tom winked at Bella as he passed the table. He was standing on the opposite side of the table and he stopped.

"Ana." He all but purred her name. Bella swallowed hard.

"Tom."

"I spoke with Draco and Blaise already. We'll be restarting our lessons on Monday at eight. M'kay?" he murmured. She leaned forward, her long hair falling around her. Her bangs were falling into her eyes and she was trying to hide the slight flush on her cheeks.

"Okay" she said, quietly. Tom's smirk widened into a wicked grin. Bella looked away and could see Hermione chuckling in amusement. Most of the students from Hogwarts were used to this already but the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were gossiping amongst themselves.

"Don't do anything stupid now."

"I won't" she said in a slightly strangled voice. Tom's wand was suddenly in hand and he ran the tip of it down the side of her face. Bella flinched, violently and Tom gave a little laugh. His eyes were alight with malicious mischief. He twirled his wand in hand before leaning forward.

"Good night…" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Good night."

She was frozen and Hermione tugged her arm. Bella blinked and glanced around. Tom was already walking towards the door and he turned his head half way. In his eyes was a deliberate smoldering look and Bella winced. He let out a low and throaty chuckle and Bella hissed in annoyance. She glared at his back.

"That was…well, _different._"

Bella turned to look at Hermione whom was looking endlessly amused and Ron was shocked. He stared around as the Beauxbatons students wandered out of the Great Hall, shooting Bella strange looks.

"How _dare_ he? Stupid jackarse did that on _purpose_" Bella snarled. Hermione smirked.

"Did what?" she asked.

"He did all _that_. In front of other _people_. I mean, it isn't as bad if he does it in Parseltongue. No one knows what he's freaking saying. But…_really_?" Bella demanded, storming away from the curious stares.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of October 1994**

**9:00 PM**

"_Leur bibliothèque est impressionnante._"

Bella looked up and stared at the two girls from Beauxbatons. It was that stupid Fleur Delacour and a girl that looked exactly like her. A little mini-clone of the new bane of Bella's existence.

Joy.

"You think the library is impressive? I've seen better" Bella said, flatly. Fleur blinked and offered a stunning smile. Bella hated her for it. She hated her for being so pretty.

So…_Light_.

"'Ave you? That iz most impressive?" Fleur said in her throaty voice. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"Yes. Tom's library is very nice."

"Tom? 'Oo iz that?" Fleur asked, quietly. Bella flushed, considerably and she looked down. She began to fiddle with her locket.

"Tom…the one who looked the youngest of the Hogwarts professors. Uh…we're sort of on first name basis due to…certain circumstances" Bella said, slowly. She didn't know why she was talking to this girl. Fleur's eyes had gone wide at the mention of the handsome professor.

"Tom. What iz 'is last name?" asked Fleur, curiously. Bella cleared her throat and closed her book.

"Riddle."

"_Oh_…" Fleur said, looking over Bella's shoulder. Bella frowned and suddenly an arm wrapped around her neck in a very loose chokehold. He pulled her back until her back was pressed to his front and looked like a loose yet slightly hostile hug. She turned and sighed when she saw it was Tom.

"What do you want?" she snapped. Tom snickered.

"Are you still angry at me, Ana?"

"You're an idiot. You made _me_ look like an idiot. You looked like you were about hex my face off for no reason. I thought you were about to take revenge for the broken nose last year," Bella snarled. Tom's expression darkened at the mention of the incident and his chokehold tightened slightly. Bella bit down on his arm and he dropped his arm quickly.

"Bella, who iz zis?" Fleur asked. Bella glared at her, knowing that she knew perfectly well who Tom was. Tom extended his hand and Fleur grabbed it quickly.

"Tom Riddle."

"Fleur Delacour."

"_Anastasia_, where, pray tell, are my scrolls about the High Elven Council?" Tom asked, blasé. Bella cringed and Tom glared at her. Tom had long since dropped Fleur's hand.

"Er…I think I have them. Somewhere…or I may have lent them to Luna."

"Your Seer?"

"Yes…she's going to join the ranks apparently. She's _Seen_."

"Well, I suppose it's okay. Tell her I want them back undamaged...or she might _See_ her end. Her _permanent_ end."

Bella snickered.

"So, Meester Riddle, 'ow old are you?" Fleur interrupted. Tom looked up at Fleur and sighed to himself.

"None of your business" he snapped. Bella giggled and glanced at a very confused Fleur. Bella's laugh grew louder and she opened her mouth.

"He's s—"

Tom's hand slid over Bella's mouth smoothly and she glared up at him. He gave Fleur a charming smile and a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. She doesn't know when to shut up. Miss Delacour, it's been a pleasure to meet you but…that is _disgusting_" Tom snarled. She laughed as he pulled his hand away and wiped her saliva on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes.

"You are so uptight."

The words seemed to annoy Tom more than being called old. He glared down at her and licked the same hand she'd just licked before smearing the saliva on her face. She looked at him in shock and glared.

"I. Am. Not. Uptight."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of October 1994**

**8:00 PM**

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness.

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches…

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Bella.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Bella saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur stood up and swept to the front. She shot Tom a glowing look but he was _still_ ignoring her in favor of his goblet of wine. She tried her best to keep up her victorious smile though her eyes showed her obvious displeasure.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. Bella smirked.

"So is she" she said, gesturing to the half-Veela.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next…

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" said Ron loudly.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real —"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out – "Anastasia Slytherin."

The name rang out and Bella froze. The entire student body, besides the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, turned to look at her. She could feel the eyes on her. Dumbledore opened his mouth to shout her name but Bella stood up, fluidly. She walked towards the room besides the Great Hall, stopping in front of Tom, whose expression was unfathomable.

"**I didn't do it.**"

Tom tilted his head but said nothing. Bella turned and walked with her head held high. Despite being called out, she wasn't going to bow her head and be ashamed. Because she wasn't.

Bella stepped into the room and she was surprised that the door didn't close immediately. She turned but a familiar hand settled onto her shoulder. But, it was holding it tightly, as if they were dueling and at a stalemate. Bella let Tom push her inside and she fell into the seat he guided her to.

She knew Fleur, Cedric, and Krum were giving her strange looks.

"Do zey want us back in ze hall?" Fleur asked, curiously. Tom looked up at her and his eyes were glinting with crimson.

"No. Be silent. Dumbledore please explain to our guests what has happened."

Dumbledore had just entered with Bagman, Crouch, Moody, McGonagall, and Snape. They all had various expressions on their faces. Tom's eyes were hard and he glared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore blinked in surprise.

"Absolutely incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the fourth Triwizard champion" Bagman grinned. Bella sighed as there were various reactions. Krum glared at Bella and she returned it with an equally dark look. He looked at her in surprised. Cedric looked absolutely stunned and Fleur stayed unaffected.

"Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman" Fleur laughed. Bagman frowned in confusion as well.

"Joke? This isn't a joke. Her name just came out of the goblet" Bagman said.

"But evidently zair 'as been a meestake. She iz too young. She cannot compete" Fleur said. Bella glared at her and crossed her arms.

"Listen up, _Fleur Delacour_. I've been through more than you ever have. Since I came to Hogwarts, I've been almost killed three times. This is the fifth attempt on my life so far" Bella said, glaring at her. It had stung, when Fleur had said that she was too young. She _wasn't_.

"Madame Maxime! Zey are saying zat zis little girl iz to compete also!" Fleur spat when Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff stepped into the room. Bella growled at her, her teeth bared and sounding rather animalistic. It caught most of the room's attention. Tom grabbed her in a chokehold before she could even think of cursing the Veela.

"Miss Delacour, I think it would be best if you didn't insult her again. She was about to curse you. Antagonizing her would not be in your best interest" Tom said, coolly. Madame Maxime glared at him. Tom rolled his eyes.

"What iz ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" demanded Madame Maxime.

"I'd like to ask the same. Two Hogwarts champions? And one not even under her actual name? How has this come to be?" demanded Karkaroff.

"It's no one's fault but Potter's" Snape said with glittering eyes. Bella glared at him and Tom leaned down.

"Don't go cursing your teachers."

"I wasn't going to. Let me go. I'm going to punch him instead" Bella snarled. Tom's hold tightened and Bella sighed and leaned back. Tom let go and leaned on her chair.

"Thank you, all. There is a way to simply tell if she is lying. She must answer in the language of truth. Parseltongue" Dumbledore said, simply. He turned to Tom whom sighed and walked in front of her. He looked down at her and she gave him a bored look.

"Did you put your name in Goblet of Fire?"

"**No.**"

"Did you ask someone to put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"**No. But, obviously someone is trying to kill me again.**"

"She didn't do it. And she thinks someone is trying to kill her again," Tom sighed. Every foreigner frowned at the 'again' part.

"She must be lying!" cried out Madame Maxime. Tom glared at her.

"It's impossible to lie in Parseltongue."

"Then 'e iz lying!"

"I don't lie, Madame. I may manipulate and twist the truth until it's almost unrecognizable but I do _not_ lie," Tom said, politely. Bella snickered and he sent her a silencing look though there was a glitter of amusement in his eyes.

"Also, she could not have crossed the Age Line. I believe her," McGonagall said, sharply. Madame Maxime shrugged.

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line."

"You are _so_ intent on making it seem like I did something, aren't you? _I_ think someone is trying to murder me again. Why would I enter a contest like this? I find the idea entertaining to watch. But, I don't have a death wish. Personally, I'd like to live past my seventeenth birthday," Bella said, flatly. Everyone glanced at her before Karkaroff cleared his throat.

"Mr. Crouch…Mr. Bagman. You are our objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?" Karkaroff asked, coldly.

"Irregular it may be but we must follow the rules. The rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire must compete," Crouch stated, softly. Bella tilted her head.

"Hermione still hates you. I told her that you would probably make her life hell somehow. She said…she said, she'd put you in hell. And that your body would _burn_," Bella said, quietly. Tom turned to her sharply. Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and everyone was deathly silent.

"Anastasia, stop it," Tom said, harshly. Bella's lips curled into a half smile.

"Stop what? She said it. Not me. But…that was during a duel. She said it when she gave in," Bella laughed, quietly. Tom glared at her.

"Silence. Now," he said to her in a deadly voice that could be compared to steel. Bella sighed and shrugged.

"Fine. I just thought he should know…" Bella giggled, "Draco agrees, of course. He wants to bring him, himself."

"She's not in her sound mind. How can she compete?" demanded Karkaroff. This seemed to set something off in Bella. She glared at him.

"I am completely _sane_," she snarled, her eyes burning the color of the _Avada Kedavra_ curse.

"Obviously you are n—" Madame Maxime challenged. Tom interrupted her.

"She's sane. She's doing it on purpose. She's trying to frighten you because she's angry that you don't believe her. And it's working. Anastasia…stop. Now," Tom said, speaking to her softly. It didn't match the crimson of his eyes. Bella sighed and nodded.

"Fine. This is a binding magical contract, correct?" Bella asked. Moody nodded.

"Convenient isn't it, Karkaroff?" he asked.

"Convenient? I don't understand."

"Don't you? Listen to the girl. Someone is making an attempt on her life and all you do is complain. If anyone's got a reason to complain, it's Potter, but you don't hear her," Moody snapped.

"Why should she complain?" Fleur demanded, stomping her foot on the ground like a child. "She 'as ze chance to compete, 'asn't she? We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks. Ze honor for our schools! Eternal glory! A thousand Galleons in prize money—zis iz a chance many would die for."

"I don't _want_ to compete. I don't need honor for my school. Someone else can do that! I don't _need_ eternal glory. Look at my scar! I've fucking got that! I don't want a thousand Galleons in prize money! I have enough money already. In all honesty, I don't know what to do with it all. I. Don't. Want. To. Compete. So stop your pissy whining already!" Bella snarled. Tom glared down at her.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for swearing."

Bella growled and Tom suddenly smirked down at her. Bella blinked before going quiet and beginning to sulk. Most of the room looked confused but Bella said nothing. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Ah…well, I suppose that settles things. Barty, Ludo," Dumbledore prompted.

"Yes, time for instructions. Barty, would you like to do the honors?" Bagman asked. Crouch came out of his reverie.

"Yes, instructions. The first task is designed to test your daring, so we are not going to be telling you what it is—"

"How does that test your daring?" Bella interrupted. Tom groaned.

"Well, Anastasia—" started Bagman. Bella hissed at him, dangerously.

"That name is not for show and tell. I allow only certain people to call me that. Not even my godfather calls me that. The name holds a lot of power over me. I do not wish for it to be used just by anyone," Bella said, piercingly. Bagman looked properly chagrined before clearing his throat.

"Well, Bella, daring is adventurous courage. Without knowing, you could jump head first and show what you're really made of."

"Then, that doesn't sound very daring or adventurous or all that shit. It sounds stupid, dangerous, and very…Gryffindor-ish" Bella added. Cedric coughed to hide his snicker and Snape even smirked. Tom groaned once more. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked a little put out.

"Well, aren't you a Gryffindor?" Bagman challenged, lightly.

"Um…my last name is Slytherin. What do _you_ think?"

"Ana…shut up."

"_Anyway_, before I was so rudely interrupted, we are not going to tell you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard…very important. The first task will take place on November the 24th of, in front of the other students and a panel of judges. The champions are _not_ allowed _any_ help from teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament" Crouch said. Dumbledore chuckled and everyone looked at him. Some in annoyance.

"Miss Potter is obviously exempt from that."

"_WHAT?_" demanded four teenage voices. Tom looked very put out suddenly.

"He's her _magical guardian_. First and foremost actually" Dumbledore said, lightly. Tom glared at the old man and cleared his throat, awkwardly. Crouch sighed.

"Yes, well. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. The will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, all champions will be exempt of end-of-the-year exams," Crouch said. Tom looked down at Bella in anger. Snape looked poisonous. He swept out of the room.

"I think that is all. Good night," Crouch said, leaving before Bagman could say anything. Bella sighed and stood up. She glanced at Tom. The two other foreign champions were being escorted out of the room by the door leading to the grounds by their own headmasters at the moment. Fleur glared at her contemptuously and Bella offered a sweet smile.

"Bella, Cedric, I suggest you go up to bed. I'm sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate for you" Dumbledore said, with a smile.

"Hmph. The only three people I wish to see right now are standing outside the door. YOU THREE! NO ONE LIKES EAVESDROPPERS!" Bella called. There was a thump and the door flew open. Cedric gaped at the three teens standing outside the door.

"You're a Champion?"

"Foolish _sorella_."

"You're impossible, Princess."

Bella smirked at them and hooked arms with Hermione. She turned to Tom and smirked.

"And you always tells me that I'm unperceptive when we duel."

"You _are_. He distracts you" Hermione said, matter-of-factly. Bella glared at her sister.

"Shut up, Mione. How are the masses?"

"Gryffindor…pretty good. Ron is miffed but that's normal. He's just jealous. Hufflepuff is rather pissed at you. Ravenclaw is indecisive. Slytherins…because of Draco, they're actually fine. They didn't want a Hufflepuff to be the Champion anyway. No offense, Diggory" Hermione added. He gave an unsure chuckle. The way the four acted was strange.

As if they were _reporting_ to Bella. But Cedric supposed that they _were_.

"Drake, you okay?" Bella murmured. Draco looked down at her with unfathomable eyes.

"If you get yourself killed, I'll make sure you stay in hell."

"Who said that I was going to hell?" demanded Bella. Draco smirked and kissed her cheek, affectionately.

"I did, little sister. Now, can I go to sleep now, Mudblood?" demanded Draco. Most of the teachers gasped. Cedric stared in horror as Hermione laughed.

"Yes, Draco. Goodness, obviously the news hasn't gotten around. I identify with the term Mudblood and am trying to make it a positive thing" Hermione explained to the stricken McGonagall. Tom snickered.

"Go to sleep you four. Monday. Eight o' clock. Don't be late."

"We won't" Bella said, quietly. She turned to Blaise whom was looking at her curiously before glancing at Tom.

"Professor…"

"Yes, Blaise?"

"You may want to hide…hide _that_ more if you don't want anyone to find out" Blaise said, calmly. Dumbledore's twinkle brightened. Tom glared at the boy but Blaise was unperturbed.

"Get out."

Blaise laughed, quietly before grabbing Hermione's hand and towing the entire foursome out of the room. Cedric blinked at the room of professors before following almost immediately.

:::

**A/N: **I'm very annoyed that I never realized that most of Goblet of Fire is boring, boring, _boring_ details. When you get down to it, J.K. Rowling could have written that book in half as many chapters! But, besides that, you've seen a very…_flirty_ side of Tom. It amuses him to see Bella so stuck. She doesn't get it because she's conditioned it into herself that she _cannot_ and _should not_ like Tom. Tom…Tom doesn't give a shit about _anything_.


	41. Chapter XXXVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, George W/DM/FW, DM/CW, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** So, this is moving pretty fast. Dammit, Jo, you obviously have too much time to put in all these Goddamned details. Oh, well. This is the weighing of wands, Rita Skeeter, Rita Skeeter meeting a _very_ protective Lord Slytherin, and the first task. And we meet _another_ new character! One of my favorite characters, actually.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 13****th**** of November 1994**

**2:00 PM**

Bella glared Colin Creevy into silence as she walked to the meeting room. Her wand was polished as always but it hadn't been working as well for her lately. She knew exactly why, somehow, but she wasn't quite sure how to _say_ it. She walked into the room and Bagman stood waiting.

It was a fairly small classroom. A not completely unfamiliar witch with long jeweled fingernails was giggling at whatever Bagman was saying. Krum was standing in the corner of the room, moodily and Fleur was speaking with Cedric. She continued to toss her hair back and laugh.

"Ah! Here she is! Our fourth and rather unwilling champion. Come in, Bella, come in" Bagman said, enthusiastically. Bella looked at him with pursed lips.

"Hmph."

"Oh, it's just the wand weighing ceremony. Nothing to worry about. The expert is upstairs with Riddle. Apparently, Dumbledore is taking over his DADA class for him. He's been wanting to be a substitute for the class for some time, he said," Bagman said, off-handedly. Bella's lips curled into a slight smile at the mention of Tom. The reporter didn't miss it.

"Hi, Bella!" Cedric called, turning from Fleur and waving at Bella. Bella gave a soft smile and smiled back. Fleur scowled at the girl. Bella smirked.

"Hey, Cedric."

"Hello, I'm Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet. I'd like to have a few words on you, since you're the youngest Champion of course" the woman said. Bella tilted her head and knew suddenly who the woman was. She was Rita Skeeter…a woman who had destroyed several. Including, Gilderoy Lockhart's remaining reputation.

"_Sure_. I'd be _happy_ to speak with you. Follow me" Bella smirked, willing to indulge the woman. Bella led her to another empty classroom across the hall and Bella sat down on the desk, cross-legged.

"You won't mind, Bella, if I use a Quick-Quote Qui—"

Rita was cut off as Bella nailed her with an unnatural stare. Rita cleared her throat, awkwardly.

"Rita. Rita, Rita, Rita. Let's get something straight. If you're going to interview me, you'll get the honest truth. _But_ you won't be making up shit about me. I know you're kind. You'll do anything for a good story. Well, I'm not having it. You'll swear on your name to tell the truth and nothing but the truth about me before I let you ask me a single question. And you'll use a normal quill" Bella said, sharply. Rita glared at the girl suddenly.

"You don't want me as an enemy."

"You don't want me as yours."

"Fine. I promise on the name of Rita Skeeter that I will tell nothing but what I perceive as the truth about you in this article."

Rita's wand glowed slightly and Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"Perfect. Now, ask away."

"How did you enter the tournament, Bella? And why did you enter under a false name that everyone seemed to recognize?" Rita asked. Bella sighed.

"I didn't enter. It's someone's foolish attempt to kill me. Since I've been to Hogwarts, this is the fourth time I've almost been killed. And it wasn't a false name. My middle name is Anastasia. One of my many last names would be Slytherin. It's no secret" Bella said, leaning back and looking at Rita with a raised eyebrow.

"And how does Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion, feel about you being a Champion? And the general school population?"

"I didn't think it mattered what he thought. But, Cedric doesn't seem to mind all that much. I get that from his reactions. We just became friends over the summer so we don't talk m—"

"_Friends_? Just _friends_? You're a pretty girl, Bella. I wouldn't be surprised if he wished to be more than friends," Rita said, looking like a crocodile all of a sudden. Maybe it was the handbag. Bella found herself cringing at the thought and shook her head.

"Uh…thank you for the compliment. But, we're only friends. That is all. I'm trying to think about staying alive. I don't have a need for a boyfriend at the moment. And the general school population? Draco Malfoy is incredibly supportive. His exact words were 'you better win or I'll disown you'. Hermione Granger, my best friend and sister, is excited. Blaise Zabini continues to call me foolish because he's so worried about me. The Hufflepuffs are rather pissed at me. The Ravenclaws are indecisive. The Gryffindors and Slytherins are rather excited. The only one who doesn't really like me right now is Ron Weasley. But, I won't let that get me down" Bella said, nonchalantly.

"And what about your godfather, Lord Sirius Black?"

"He was upset. He's really worried because people _die_ during this tournament. But, I reassured him and I'll be perfectly fine. I already promised someone that I wouldn't die and I won't."

"And who may this someone be?" Rita asked, suddenly interested. Bella's lip curled into an inevitable smile and she sighed to herself.

"Someone that will be pissed if I divulged his or her name. So sorry, Rita. No can do."

"What about your parents? What do you think they would think?" Rita asked.

"I don't know. I'd like to think they'd be rather upset that I'd be putting my life in danger. But, I can't know that since they're dead. If you're reading Grindelwald, fuck you. Anyway, my parents right now are Sirius Black and Maya Granger."

"Maya Granger? And Grindelwald?"

"Hermione Granger's mum. She's the best. Hi, Maya! Oh and Grindelwald…let's not get into that. Maybe at a later date."

"Hmm…I'll let that one go. For now. Can you remember your parents at all?"

"Yes. I remember my mother's pleading with Grindelwald every time I encounter a dementor. I used to have dreams of her dying. If I owe anyone anything, that'd be my mother. She _died_ for me. Sure, my father died as well but it was to protect both me and my mum. But _she_ was a brave woman. She was given the choice to move, you see. But she didn't. And for that, I will love her forever. I miss her and I won't forget her even if one of my memories of her is her death" Bella said, passionately. Rita's lips curled into the inevitable smile as she stared at the teenager in front of.

Rita Skeeter was by no means soft; in the way that she could _destroy _a person with a single article but this girl, though rough around the edges and a complete tomboy in some ways, was getting to her.

"And what do you think of your fellow Champions?"

"Cedric's nice, I suppose. Great listener for when I'm complaining. Viktor Krum seems rather sullen. Fleur Delacour…she may be pretty but her attitude leaves something to be desired."

"And what do your teachers thi—_hello_" Rita purred, looking at the doorway. Bella turned and her face lit up with a silly grin at the sight of Tom Riddle. He smirked at her and leaned against the doorway.

"Giving an exclusive interview, hmm?"

"Of course. I have to give her the down and dirty about my fellow competitors. Is Ollivander here?" Bella asked, quietly. Tom nodded.

"He's here."

"Then I suppose I should go. Thank you, Rita. If I give another interview, I'll owl you first."

Bella wiggled her fingers and left the woman speechless. Tom snickered and looked at Bella as they entered the room across the hall.

"You just dismissed Rita Skeeter."

"I know. I also made her swear that she'd only tell the truth. And she got the brutal truth. Hello, Mr. Ollivander" Bella said with a smile. Ollivander dipped his head at Bella and she sat down next to Cedric.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, may I have your wand first, please?" he said in his quiet whisper that could be heard across the room. Fleur swept over to him and placed it into his waiting hands. He examined it before making a flourish. Red and purple sparks floated around the room.

"Yes, nine and a half inches…inflexible…rosewood…and containing…dear me" Ollivander said with surprise.

"And 'air from ze 'ead of a veela. One of my grandmuzzer's" Fleur explained, proudly. Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes as she shot a look at a very bored Tom whom was reading a book.

""Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands… however, to each his own, and if this suits you…"

Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps

"_Orchideous!_" murmured Ollivander. A bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand.

"Mr. Diggory, you next."

Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand.

"Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn… must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches… ash… pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition… You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.

Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said, "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I… however…"

He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes… hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees… quite rigid… ten and a quarter inches… _Avis_!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves… Miss Potter."

Bella gave a slight smile and handed him her prized wand.

"Not my preferred wand but it'll do" Bella said, softly. Mr. Ollivander looked at her sharply and tilted his head.

"Really? What _do_ you prefer?"

"A wand of elder, core of a thestral tail hair and fifteen inches long," Bella whispered, conspiratorially.

"Ah…I've heard of this wand," Ollivander said, calmly. Bella laughed and she could feel Tom's sharp gaze on her.

"I'm sure _you_ have. Not many others know of my beautiful wand. I don't use it. I actually haven't touched it in a very long time. Thirteen years. But, alas, I have a perfectly functional wand anyway. It will do. Your creations are generally the best," Bella said with a slight smile.

"Yes, yes. It was very difficult to find you wand, I believe. We went through almost the entire shop. Eleven inches, holly, and the core of a phoenix feather. Brother wand to Mr. Riddle's wand, correct?" Ollivander asked. This seemed to grab Rita's attention and she scribbled that down as well.

"Hmm…yes. You were incorrect sir."

"Incorrect?"

"I have used this wand to intentionally harm him. It hasn't turned against me once."

She got incredulous looks from most of the occupants of the room. Tom and Ollivander looked relatively unconcerned and unbothered. Tom was actually still reading but he seemed to sense when several occupants looked at him for confirmation. He lazily waved his hand, verifying her words.

"Was there ill intent?"

"Well, not really. Sometimes…well, when that happened, I just punched him."

She got horrified looks but she ignored them, widely.

"Then, alas, I wasn't incorrect. Mr. Riddle, may I see your wand?" Ollivander asked, turning his gaze onto Tom. He looked up from his book, sharply and suddenly a piece of wood was flying towards Bella. She caught it without even looking. As soon as her hand connected with the wood, a flash of golden and silver fire erupted from it and whirled around Bella. She gasped at the pure beauty of it and she could feel the shocked eyes on it. She met Tom's very bored eyes.

"Why does it seem as if my wand likes you better?"

"Because it probably does. I'm, generally, a likeable person as opposed to you… here, Mr. Ollivander" Bella said, handing over the magical wood. Ollivander held the wand, reverently and pierced Tom with a look. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Yew, 13½ inches and a phoenix feather from the same tail that Miss Potter's core came from. Does it still work well?"

"Of course. It works just as well as from when I was eleven."

"Which was ages ago, of course," Bella said, slyly. Tom glared at her and turned back to Ollivander. Ollivander was still staring at his wand, rather oddly.

"The magic that this wand has done…is _very_ strong. It has the same feel as Miss Potter's wand. A strange and potent magic that most cannot do" Ollivander said. Bella and Tom stiffened and Bella's skin lost color quickly. She glanced at the wall and then at Tom. Tom's eyes were guarded now. He walked forwards and took his wand from Ollivander slowly.

"Hmm. I wonder why" Tom said, steadily. He slid the wand back up his sleeve and Bella turned away, doing the same.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 14****th**** of November 1994**

**10:00 AM**

"You miss your dead mummy?"

"Where's mummy now?"

"Do you cry yourself to sleep?" taunted the Slytherins. Bella spun around and glared at the elder Slytherins that were laughing at her brutal honesty. She sneered and glared at them.

"Ignore them, Ana" murmured Hermione. She was still smiling from breakfast about the comment from Rita Skeeter's article.

"Hmph. Yeah, you jackasses, I miss my mother. At least she didn't look like an inbred gorilla. And yeah, I'm talking to you, Bulstrode. And by the way, I can see the family resemblance."

Millicent sneered, nastily at Bella before leaning back and assessing Bella with critical eyes. Bella knew she didn't look her best and her hair was mess but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Rita Skeeter had taken her words and made her into this tragic and mislead pretty teen. It hadn't been like Bella at all. And everyone at Hogwarts knew it and was looking at her strange because of it.

"I don't think you're very pretty at all. I think Rita Skeeter got it wrong. You look _disgusting_," Millicent sneered. Bella glared and brushed her bangs from her face.

"You think I care what _you_ say. Your face looks like the ass of a monkey, you stupid bi—"

"I don't think she's ugly."

Bella blinked and looked up to see Cedric Diggory looking down at her uncertainly. She offered a smile and it grew wider when she saw the looks on Millicent and Pansy's faces.

"Thanks. Mione, what's wrong?" Bella asked when she saw Hermione's expression quickly change. Her face could only be described as _very _hostile. She glared at Cedric and he blinked in surprise.

"Bella, come on. We've got to get to the library," Hermione said, sharply. Bella blinked in surprise.

"Why? We just came from there because you were complaining about Viktor Krum being there."

"Well, I changed my mind. Come _on._"

"You go on."

"Come _on_. I need to finish reading a book so I'll be able to kick Professor's ass later" Hermione sighed. Bella sighed. Cedric was frowning in confusion about which Professor they were speaking of.

"That's almost impossible. The man is about five times my age. He's been around for a while," Bella pointed out. Hermione groaned and threw her hands in the air.

"I tried. I have to go write a letter to mum. Go speak to Diggory or whatever. I'll be with Blaise and Draco. Do you know where they are?" Hermione sighed, resigned. Bella tilted her head.

"They should still be in the Restricted Section."

"Fine."

Hermione walked off, pushing past the hateful Slytherins and walking back to the library. Cedric sent a slightly nervous smile to Bella. She tilted her head in confusion. She turned and sent a vicious glare at the eavesdropping Slytherins. They only sneered back. She hissed at them and their bravado dropped. They slinked away from the girl, leaving Cedric and her relatively alone.

"So…how've you been? Since we became Champions, we haven't really been able to talk. So…the interview…" Cedric started. Bella sighed in annoyance.

"That interview is trash. She made me out to be some tragic character. She took my words out of context. I was talking about how much I loved my mother for doing that for me. That doesn't make me tragic. I have replacement parents. My Uncle Sirius and Hermione's mum. I'm fine with that. I don't get why everyone's making a big deal over it" Bella explained. Cedric nodded, slowly.

"Oh. So, your wand is the brother wand to Riddle's? That was an impressive show you put on with his wand" Cedric said, speaking of the gold and silver fire that erupted.

"Was it? I didn't do that on purpose. I suppose it's because I haven't ever touched his wand. He doesn't usually let me. It's not a huge deal. Anyway, thanks for that earlier. I know I look a mess and you didn't have to say that" Bella said. Cedric blinked before realizing that she was speaking of the confrontation from earlier.

"Wh-what? No, I think you're really pretty. Er…you're beautiful. You really are" Cedric reassured her. Bella's lips curled into a slight smile and her eyes lit up. She bit her lip.

"Thank you. No one's ever said that to me before. Well, except for my Uncle and Rita Skeeter but that's because she's insane and my Uncle loves me…thank you."

Cedric nodded and he fought the blush that was spreading on his face.

"I got to go now. I have a lot of homework and I need it done before tonight. See you later" Bella said with a smile. Cedric nodded.

"Wait! Bella…" Cedric called when she was halfway down the hallway. Bella turned, her face showing confusion.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…nothing."

Cedric watched as she disappeared around the hallway and he cursed himself. Bella had just turned the corner and was now gone. He had wanted to ask her to Hogsmeade but he had chickened out at the last moment. He didn't even think she liked him like that, according to Rita's interview.

And the way she looked at Riddle was as if…as if she would never see anyone else that could be as great as him.

It wasn't like a daughter looked at her father and knew that he was the best. It was something entirely different. It was so much deeper. She looked at him like a woman looked at a man that she loved with her entire being.

But, Cedric knew, somehow, that she didn't even realize it.

So he'd try his damn best to change her mind while she was unaware.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 22****nd**** of November 1994**

**9:00 AM**

Bella ate the rest of her porridge, distractedly and quickly. She had all but ignored everyone even as they tried to engage her in conversation. Hermione knew her worries but she had to tell Draco and Blaise and drag them to the library to help look for a way to beat her biggest fear.

"What's her issue? She's Champion. She doesn't have anything to worry about."

Bella ignored Ron's rather loud complaints to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. She realized Ron hadn't been on her thoughts lately. She had all but forgotten about her once upon a time best friend. He never talking to her anything of the sort and he always brushed her off every time he saw her. Ron never came to the dueling lessons because Tom had never let him actually _do_ anything.

They were growing farther and farther apart and Bella didn't she think she minded.

"She didn't do it on purpose. She confessed in Parseltongue. You can't lie in that language," Gideon snapped in her defense. Ron glared at his brother for taking Bella's side.

"Only Riddle understood her. And we all know Riddle always sides with Bella" Ron said. Bella swallowed the rest of her porridge and downed her second cup of coffee before standing abruptly. All eyes went to her and she jumped over the bench and walked, briskly past the Gryffindors and to the next table. Luna sat farther away with Ginny at the end of the table.

"Luna. We've got research," Bella prompted. Luna nodded and gave Ginny an apologetic look. Ginny looked a little put out that she was asked to join but nodded.

"I'll see you later, Ginny. Watch out for the wrackspurts I told you about. You're going to have an infestation soon," Luna said, dreamily. Ginny nodded before standing and walking to sit with the Gryffindors. Bella turned and saw Hermione hurriedly finishing her omelet. Bella continued her walk and didn't even notice Cedric open his mouth to say hello.

"Drake. Blaise, library. I have something to tell you guys" Bella said, interrupting their conversation with Viktor Krum and another Durmstrang boy. Krum looked at her, flatly. Draco looked extremely ignored.

"Vat is so important vat you must interrupt?" asked the other boy. Bella glared at him and he flinched.

"That is none of your business. Draco…Blaise…this is really important. I'm stressing out and about to start panicking. And Tom'll kill you if you let me start panicking. So, let's _go_" Bella said, quickly. Draco let out a long drawn sigh before standing. The other boy frowned.

"Vy must you go?"

"She's my little sister. She makes me feel like I'm obligated. Blaise, are you going?" Draco asked, curiously. Blaise shrugged and Bella groaned.

"Mione is coming."

"Okay. Let's go" Blaise said, standing. Draco shook his head, a sneer adorning his aristocratic face. He shook his head and turned to Krum.

"And _that_ is why Bella Potter is a better Seeker than you" he finished. Bella made a shocked noise before ducking her head and beginning to giggle. Draco smirked, victoriously and Luna sighed.

"You were talking about how good I am?" Bella asked with a delighted smile. Luna giggled, knowingly. Bella didn't even bother sending her a confused look. When it came to Luna, she was always confused.

"Wait for it…" Blaise sighed.

"And _that_ is why I'm better than _both_ of you."

"You asshole. We both know I'm better than _you_. I bet I could out fly both of you. Maybe in the future, we can race around Hogwarts" Bella challenged. Krum seemed to actually consider it.

"I look forvard to it" Krum said. Draco gave a nod before smirking and turning to Bella.

"Come on" Bella said, tugging the two Slytherins towards the door.

Viktor Krum watched the group as they met the beautiful girl called Hermione at the door. He watched her through narrowed eyes. She was gorgeous he decided but he hadn't gotten the courage to speak to her yet. He was even further intimidated because he _knew_. He knew what they were...

She was always with that Blaise Zabini. Viktor watched her eyes light up when it felt on the Italian boy. Blaise's lips curled into a slight smile and he offered his hand. Hermione took it gracefully and walked out of the room with them.

Viktor watched as the other Champion, Bella Potter jerked in the doorway and her hand flew to the large and ornate locket that she always seemed to have. She spun around and glanced at the long table and saw an empty seat. Viktor watched as her eyes fell to the ground.

"What's wrong?" he heard Hermione ask. The Potter girl shook her head and gave a sad smile.

"Magic. Hogwart's magic just shifted because of Tom. Tom's doing something again" Bella sighed. Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Something bad? Dark?"

"No…just different."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of November 1994**

**12:00 PM**

"I can't believe you haven't gotten a tour of the castle yet! You must come. I'll show you around. All three of you" the boy, Roger, said to Fleur. Fleur glanced at her two best friends, Apollina and Marie. They nodded.

"Zat would be wonderful" Fleur decided. Roger smiled and the two girls stood with him. Fleur knew she should be thinking about the First Task but her mind was on the Hogwarts professor that she had become increasingly interested in.

"We'll go to the Ravenclaw common room first…"

"Where iz Meester Riddle's classroom?" Fleur asked. Roger Davies didn't seem to even give a thought about her want to see Professor Riddle but he changed directions immediately.

"_Monsieur Riddle_?" Apollina asked, with a devilish smile. Fleur smiled, widely and nodded. Fleur tossed her hair back and the sight temporarily mesmerized Roger before he cleared his throat.

"This way, ladies. His classroom is the first one on the right. You might want to knock. He might be doing something" Roger said, uncertainly. Fleur gave a low and throaty laugh and she tossed her hair back with a glowing smile.

"I am sure 'e won' mind if we just peek in" Fleur said, calmly. Roger nodded, dazed by the sound of her voice. Fleur turned to boy and knew she would have to send him away. She glanced at Marie and she nodded.

"Roger, you can go now. We can find our way. _Oui_?" she asked, adding the French for Roger's benefit. Roger nodded and stumbled back to the Great Hall. Fleur cracked the door open and turned to her best friends.

"Disllusionment Spells" she reminded them. They nodded and withdrew their wands. They cracked them over their heads and they put them away as they melted away like chameleons. Fleur slipped inside first as the thinnest of the three.

And her eyes met quite a sight.

She saw the little Muggleborn girl with curly brown hair. She was sitting between the legs of the Italian boy. Her back leaned against his chest and they were reading some kind of medical journal together. The blonde girl and boy were speaking with each other, seriously. The blond boy was holding a scythe.

Tom Riddle and Bella Potter stood on a platform of some sort. There was wood debris everywhere and Bella held a stake in hand. She slinked forward like a fox, a grin on her face. Tom was smirking.

"I'm going to kick your ass all the way to America and back" Tom challenged. Bella smirked.

"Bring it!"

She jumped and gave a spinning kick. Tom grabbed her foot and shot a spell at her. She dodged in midair though she fell. She jumped up and tilted her head.

"I learned this new move the other day. I was practicing it and it worked pretty well. Wish to see it?" Bella questioned. Tom shrugged and threw a punch forward. Bell grabbed it and twisted it. Using his hand, she flipped herself up and grabbed his neck between her legs and twisting all the way over again. Tom was flipped by pure force and magic. He fell on his ass with a soft grunt. Bella laughed as she stood over him.

"You wanted to see it."

"It was a good move. Very good" Tom said, thoughtfully. Bella's eyes widened.

"You actually _complimented _me?"

"I'm allowed."

"No. You're not."

"Who said?"

"You can't during a duel because it distracts me."

"I distract you regardless."

Bella laughed under her breath before jumping into a butterfly kick. Tom grabbed her other foot and Bella hook her leg around his neck to keep from falling on her neck. She swung the foot in his hand around his neck and was hanging upside down. She jerked her legs and Tom fell forward and fell on his two hands. He pushed up as Bella rolled forward. She smiled at him.

"Ha!"

"Brat" he snarled. His eyes were red. Bella ran forward, cockily, and shot a spell. Tom cast a wandless Shield Charm. Bella gaped in shock and he smirked.

"I've got some tricks up my sleeve, brat. I've been around."

"For a while, you mean."

"Impertinent, bold brat!" he snapped. Bella laughed again and ran forward with her stake and wand. She muttered something under her breath and a blue jet of light shot out. Tom got hit in the side with it and he fell to his knees as the area iced over.

"What was that?" Tom demanded. Bella snickered and pointed her wand at his feet as he glared at her. His eyes widened and he jumped. One foot was caught with the spell and ice encased his foot. He fell onto it and it shattered. He winced at the chill of it.

"Both of us will yield?" she asked. Tom tilted his head.

"For now."

Tom turned and Bella ran towards him. Tom spun at the last minute and Bella tackled him and tumbled forward. She ended up straddling him, her stake at his temple. Both his and her wand was in Tom's hands and pointed at Bella.

"This is a draw" Bella said, annoyed that she hadn't won outright.

"No. I have two wands. I could kill you right now."

"I have a stake to your temple. My hand is on your neck. I could choke you."

"You wouldn't have the chance since I have two wands."

"Who won?" Bella asked. Fleur watched with never ending annoyance. Bella was still sitting on Tom and he didn't seem to mind. He was leaning up on his elbows, watching her with a curious look in his eyes.

"Tom Marvolo" the blonde girl said without looking away from the blond boy. Fleur could see the adoration that she held for him but the blond boy didn't return.

"DAMMIT!"

"Did you figure out what you're doing?" asked the brunette off handedly. Tom sat up suddenly and Bella fell back. Tom's arm wrapped around her back, easily and twisted her around until she was sitting on his legs, facing Hermione.

"Yes. I was practicing the Summoning Charm this morning as my back up plan. I'm going to go the easy way first" Bella said. Tom raised an eyebrow and glanced at the three disillusioned girls.

"The easy way?" he questioned.

"You'll see…"

* * *

**Hogwarts Grounds, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of November 1994**

**1:00 PM**

Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a how wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Bella supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Bella entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Bella returned, though she felt bad for not telling him about the dragons.

"Bella! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at her. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!"

Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old Wasp robes again.

"Well, now we're all here - time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them - "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different - er - varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too… ah, yes… your task is to collect the golden egg!"

Bella glanced around. Cedric had nodded once, to show that he understood Bagman's words, and then started pacing around the tent again; he looked slightly green. Fleur Delacour and Krum hadn't reacted at all. Perhaps they thought they might be sick if they opened their mouths.

Bella didn't feel anything. She was numb and it didn't bother her at all.

And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking… Bella felt as separate from the crowd as though they were a different species. And then – it seemed like about a second later to Bella - Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack.

"Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur.

She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon - a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck.

"Bella," Bagman said, offering the bag. Bella stuck her hand in, with confidence and her lips spread into a humorless and thin smile when she recognized the dragon she had taken out.

She could _feel_ the sympathetic looks given to her by Cedric and Bagman.

With the worst luck any person could have, she had taken out the Hungarian Horntail.

* * *

**Hogwarts Grounds, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of November 1994**

**1:10 PM**

"Bella…what is she going to do?" Hermione said, frantically. She was clutching Blaise's arm with sharp fingernails and he could _feel_ her claws through the coat he was wearing. It _was_ rather cold in the November air.

"She'll figure out something. She's not incompetent" Blaise said to her calmly. He had no reason to worry.

"Yes, but she's using the plan we came up with as her back up plan. She better have something freaking spectacular for her first plan because I thought that was her best bet. It's a fucking dragon, Blaise. A _dragon_" Hermione said. Blaise looked down at her with widened eyes. She had just cursed.

She typically didn't curse in school. Maybe during the summer but never in school.

Hermione was obviously _very_ worried.

"I know, Hermione."

"She will live. It is obvious. Or, my visions wouldn't come to pass and I'm sure they will" Luna said, smiling dreamily. She looked up into the sky and batted away invisible wrackspurts and nargles.

"Where should we sit?" Blaise asked. Hermione looked around for seats and then waved up in the stands.

He looked over to see Weasley glaring at him from the stands. He sent a smirk and Weasley redirected his gaze but then seemed to gasp in shock. Blaise followed his gaze and almost gasped himself. He nudged Luna and Hermione. Luna's gaze hardened.

"Is that…Charlie Weasley? Is he…really doing what I think he's doing?" Hermione asked in wonder. Blaise nodded, slowly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing in the least.

Draco Malfoy was leaning against one of the wood beams with his arms crossed. He looked rather bored yet not scornful. Charlie Weasley was towering over him with a devilish smirk. His hand was next to Draco's head, blocking him from moving on and he was leaned down, speaking to him in hushed tones.

"What is he doing? Why is he speaking to Draco?" asked Luna in soft tones. Blaise glanced at the girl and gave her a teasing yet roguish smile.

"Jealous?"

"Yes."

Blaise was surprised that the girl had openly admitted. Hermione was trying to listen through the roar of the crowd. She couldn't believe that Draco wasn't sneering at him.

He was a _Weasley_. Draco _hated_ Weasleys.

The group walked down quietly to spy on the duo.

Draco looked up, bored at Charlie Weasley. Well, he appeared bored but inside he was freaking out. But, Malfoys didn't show their panic on the outside. They opted for the arrogant look, the stoic look, or simply the bored look.

"Draco, I didn't think you'd come" Charlie said. Draco kept himself from shuddering. His voice was about to make the teenager melt. Charlie's wild red hair fell in front of his right eye, attractively.

"And why ever not? You don't even know me," Draco asked, coolly. Charlie gave a warm smile.

"You don't seem the type to support family members. And I remember distinctly that Ron said you can't stand the fact that Bella is your sister" Charlie explained. Draco's lips curled into disgust and he snorted. Charlie looked at him in surprise and Draco offered a smirk.

"First, Weasley…sorry, _Ronald_ is an idiot. I don't hate Bella at all. Second, what's with the face? Didn't expect to hear a _Malfoy_ snort? Listen here, Weasley. You've got a lot of nerve, trying to come over here and try to flirt with me. Get your facts straight before you even talk to me. Goodbye" Draco snapped. Draco turned to walk away when a hand slammed into the wood on the other side of his head. He was trapped between Charlie Weasley's hands.

Charlie was smirking down at him with mischief in his eyes.

"Observed and processed, Draco. And it's not Weasley. There are far too many of us. It's Charlie" Charlie said, simply. Draco sneered at him.

"Okay…_Weasley_."

"Oooh. You're a feisty thing, aren't you? I like a challenge" Charlie said, his smirk spreading into a predatory and feral smile. Draco's eyes narrowed.

Charlie Weasley was decidedly very different from the other Weasleys. He could actually smirk and he was very…well…_good-looking_.

"Yeah, a challenge you won't win. I've got other options. Better options than _you_, Weasley. I'm not limited to the options of men, Weasley. I'm bisexual. Thus, there are about one million magical people including Mudbloods that I'd rather copulate with before you" Draco snarled. Charlie stiffened and he leaned down to look Draco in the eye. Draco pressed himself to the wall once more.

"Is that so?" Charlie asked. Draco was once again pissed off at himself.

He was turned on by Charlie's aggressiveness.

"It is so. So, give it up" Draco snapped. Charlie snickered.

"I've never given up in my entire life. Over my dead body."

"That could be arranged. I could suck out your soul if you want" Draco said. He was aware that his brother, sister, and Luna could hear him. Luna looked less than pleased.

"I'd rather you suck something else" Charlie said, bouncing back from his annoyance. Draco gave him a faux disgusted look though a laugh slipped out. Charlie smiled, encouraged.

"Don't think so."

"Feisty. It's a turn on. I'll enjoy taming you" Charlie said. Draco glared at him.

"What am I? A horse?"

"No…you're a dragon," Charlie said, leaning down to kiss Draco's cheek. He fell sideways as someone knocked into him. He turned to see Luna. Charlie looked at the blonde thirteen-year-old coldly.

"You must be Charlie Weasley. Gin was telling me about you. What a pleasure to meet you" Luna said, with a sweet smile. But her eyes were calculating. Draco frowned at Luna but allowed her to grab his wrist.

"And you're Luna Lovegood. I'd like to say it was pleasure to meet you but it wasn't. But, it was a pleasure to meet _you_, Dragon. See you later" Charlie said before brushing the back of his hand down Draco's cheek. Draco stiffened and looked around. No one but Ron Weasley and Molly Weasley had seen. Luna glared at Charlie and held Draco's wrist tighter.

"Goodbye, _Weasley_. Luna…that kind of hurts" Draco said, glancing down at Luna's hand. Luna blinked and her eyes became dreamy again. She smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come on, Draco. Let's find a seat with Mister Sirius and Miss Maya" Luna said, tugging him along.

Blaise and Hermione exchanged meaningful looks but left without saying much.

* * *

**Hogwarts Grounds, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of November 1994**

**2:10 PM**

Bella paced up and down the empty tent. She was last and all alone now. She could freak out now. She had the right to be overly worried. She shook her head and clutched her locket like it was a lifeline now.

The task had started at 1:30 promptly and it took about five minutes to release the dragon from its cage in the arena walls. Every Champion before her had taken less than twenty minutes so far, around fifteen minutes. Krum was in the middle of his now and she blocked out the shouts as best as she could.

"I can't do this…I can't do this" she muttered, her nerves finally getting to her. She felt a familiar arm wrap around her neck in a semblance of a hug. She leaned back into the taller figure and her head rested on Tom's chest.

"You can do this. You do know that, right?"

"I can't. I can't…Tom, there's a _dragon_ out there. A dragon that wants to eat me. And I don't even know if they understand Parseltongue or if it speaks a different dialect or something and I…I…" Bella panicked. She suddenly was turned around and Tom was looking down at her. She looked up at him with large green eyes. He pulled her closer and kept his hand around her waist, as if he didn't even notice.

He didn't say anything. Tom picked up the locket around her neck. He turned it, exposing the back of it. He pressed his lips to the cold metal and whispered something against it.

"_Thurisaz_" he murmured the name of the rune against it, putting powerful magic behind it. He pulled back from it just as the rune burned into it.

A long vertical line with a triangle attached to it by the base in the middle of it. Bella gasped in recognition.

It was a protection rune against all adversaries. But, it took a special type of magic for that. Very powerful magic and drained the caster for quite a bit.

Tom looked paler than usual and his eyes were slightly dazed but he stood up straight and looked down at Bella. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Blood activates the rune. You can do this. And you will" Tom murmured to her. Bella nodded and hugged him. As always, he didn't hug her back. Bella pulled away from him and gave a half smile. Tom walked back from her, never moving his eyes from her. He slid from the tent with minimal sound just as a whistle was blown.

Bella took a deep breath and withdrew her wand from her sleeve. Her eyes burned brighter with a confidence that wasn't there before.

She walked outside, slowly and she met with the deafening cheers of the crowd. She saw the Hungarian Horntail, hissing at her. It looked like a monstrous and overgrown black lizard with spikes on its large tail. She looked vicious.

Bella lost her nerve and she looked down at her locket. She bit her lip as hard as she could until she broke skin. Blood bubbled up and there were shouts as she stood there staring into the evil yellow eyes of the dragon. It was rearing back at her. Bella picked up the locket and pressed her bleeding lips to the rune. The blood was soaked up into the rune and burned brightly before the light dimmed. She felt the rune's protection settle over her.

She looked at the dragon before raising her head.

"**STOP!**"

The command rang out in the suddenly silent stadium. All of the cheers and jeers ended and they stared in shock at the young woman in front of them. She took a step forward and the dragon hissed.

"**My hatchlings, my nest, protect.**"

Bella had to struggle to make out what the Horntail was saying. She found that she was correct in assuming that dragons spoke in a different dialect of Parseltongue and she supposed she could tell the difference.

Bella spoke perfect and aristocratic English as well as Parseltongue. It was as if the Horntail was speaking Cockney in Parseltongue.

"**Wait! Wait! One of the eggs isn't yours!**" Bella protested. The Horntail hissed and reared back, preparing to blow fire. Bella sighed and wiped the blood from her lips.

"Shit. _ACCIO FIREBOLT!_" she shouted, throwing her wand in the air and pressing a good amount of her magic into the spell. There was a sound like a gunshot and there was the sound of something speeding through the air, whistling loudly.

Bella jumped just as the Firebolt flew to her and she swung her leg over, not even stopping the Firebolt. She flew headfirst at the dragon.

"_Astrapi!_" she shouted. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he recognized the curse. It was a considerably Dark Greek curse. Bella hovered in midair, her eyes bright with Dark magic.

A bolt of black lightening streaked from her wand and met the fire in the middle of the air. The force of the magic made everyone duck. There was a crackling sound and Bella flicked her wand. The bolt of lightening followed like a whip. Her hair was blowing back from her face and her robes billowed. The dragon reared back, trying to protect her eggs and herself.

"**OBEY ME! MOVE FROM THE EGGS!**" Bella screamed. The dragon made a low whine and flew from the clutch. Bella whipped her wand around, dispelling the lightening and throwing it into the air where it flashed. Bella angled herself and leaned forward, stowing her wand up her sleeve. She lay on the broom horizontally and wrapped her legs around it tightly.

"She's about to do her signature move!" cried out a voice in the silence. Bella laughed when she realized it was Colin Creevy. She zoomed forward and then dropped into a vertical fall. She heard cheers erupt as she raced towards the ground. She didn't realize until just then how high she was.

"Great Scot, she can fly! Are you seeing this, Mr. Krum? The Horntail is suddenly angry again? What is happening?" Bagman commentated. Bella gasped and rolled in midair and flicked her wand. The Horntail was breathing fire at her.

Bella made her broom go horizontal again and she swung on it as if it were a trapeze. She somersaulted up and avoided the fire that skimmed over her broom. There were screams and she landed on the broom as if it were a surfboard. She wobbled before jumping and sitting on it once more.

"All right, you overgrown lizard! I was trying to be fucking NICE!" she shrieked. She raced at it, her wand out and her eyes turning the color of the Avada Kedavra curse. She raced right at the fire and she lifted her wand.

"_ASTRAPI!_" she screamed once more. The black lightening came back, twice as powerful as before. It crackled with power. The dragon blew fire at her to match its powerful. She whipped her wand down and it cracked against the dragon's hide. The dragon gave a roar of pain and reared back. It's tail swung at her and crashed into her side. One spike almost pierced her side but was deflected by the rune magic.

"What kind of magic is this? The dragon's tail couldn't pierce her body?"

"SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO FREAKING CONCENTRATE! IT'S HARD TO MAINTAIN THIS TYPE OF SPELL!" Bella snarled. She glared at the dragon and whipped her wand down one more time. The dragon gave one more roar of pain and dark blood seeped from the scars she had just caused it.

Bella brought the front of her broom back and she flipped upside down, her legs wrapped around it. Her face held only the utmost determination. She swooped down and snatched the golden egg from the Horntail's nest. At the last moment, she brought the front of her broom up and swooped from the ground and flew straight towards the stands. She could spot her siblings. She swooped over high-fived each of them, not stopping before stopping in front of the judges.

They were staring, wide-eyed and she raised an eyebrow.

"Did you like the show?"

She glanced at the other Champions and they only stared in complete shock. She turned to the judges and swung off her broom. She grabbed it from the air and leaned on it, suddenly feeling the strain of the two powerful curses.

"Before we give scores, I believe you should get checked by Madame Pomfrey" Dumbledore said, giving her a look of concern. Bella nodded and leaned against her Firebolt.

"No…no…Blaise. Blaise…" she whispered, her eyes beginning to close. She fought to keep them open.

Going to sleep with magical exhaustion was a one way ticket to entering a coma.

"I'm here, sister. I'm here" whispered a voice. She looked up and saw Blaise was already in front of her with Draco and Hermione. Luna was towards the back with Sirius, Maya, and Ron.

"Potion…the potion I gave you" Bella muttered. Hermione glared at Blaise.

"You knew? She just learned the Goddamned spell! You should have told her something like 'foolish _sorella_'. Merlin!" Hermione snapped. Her voice went low when she mocked him and Blaise's lips cracked into a slightly amused smile. Blaise took his hand from his robes and produced a small vial with a blue pulsing liquid. He uncorked it. Bella took it from him.

She downed the foul tasting potion without any complaint.

The magical exhaustion disappeared but she still felt physically strained and exhausted. She blinked and looked at the judges. She leaned on Blaise and gave him the potion. He nodded, solemnly.

"Draco…you make a good potion" Bella muttered. Hermione turned on Draco whom was smirking at her.

"YOU KNEW TOO?"

"Hush, Mione. You would've worried too much if I had told you. My scores? I want to go bed" Bella mumbled. Dumbledore nodded.

Madame Maxime shot a 9 made of a silver ribbon out of her wand. Bella smiled and nodded.

"_Merci, Madame._"

Crouch was next and he expelled a 9 from his wand. Then Dumbledore, with an 7. Karkaroff surprisingly put up a 9 as well. For Cedric, he had only put up a 4.

Finally, Bagman gave her a 10.

"Thank you. Hi, Uncle Sirius" Bella said, stumbling towards her godfather. Sirius caught her and looked down at her, seriously.

"What are you playing at? Using two powerful curses in a row? You could hurt yourself like that" Sirius said, seriously. Bella tilted her head.

"I'm fine. I just took a potion and I'm good at lightening curses. It's all fine. And I didn't even get hurt. Hi, Maya" Bella said, her voice a little more coherent now as her dazed spell disappeared. Maya gave a nervous smile though she still looked a little more than panicked.

"You could've been hurt. I was scared the entire time!" Maya confessed. Bella laughed and lifted her locket.

"That has been taken care of. _Someone_ put a rune on my locket. The protection rune" Bella explained. Sirius and Maya nodded, understanding immediately.

"Er…Bella…"

Bella looked at Ron as the entire stadium began to clear out.

"What do you want?" she asked, coldly. Ron suddenly looked very nervous.

"Bella…I reckon whoever put your name in the goblet is trying to do you in. Nobody would want to go up against a dragon" Ron said, his voice shaking slightly. Bella was sure that Draco, Blaise, _and_ Hermione were glaring at him.

"Took you long enough. What am I supposed to do? Automatically, forgive you? When you didn't believe me?" Bella demanded, angrily. Ron looked at her with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Bella's gaze softened slightly and she looked away before turning back to Ron.

"Sorry don't cut it, Ron. If you want to be my friend again, you're going to have to work for it. I'm tired. I'm going to go to the DADA room. You guys are coming?" Bella asked, referring to Sirius, Maya, Hermione, Blaise, Draco, and Luna. They all nodded and shrugged.

"Goodbye" Bella said, flatly before turning, not a single regret in her eyes.

:::

**A/N: **Yes, they aren't automatically friends again. Something had to be done. Ron had to come to terms that Bella and him are of opposite worlds even if, currently, they're on the same side of the upcoming war. Note, I said 'currently'.

I wrote most of the Tom and Bella scenes to the song 'Dangerously in Love 2' by Beyonce. It's such a great song for them! Another song that is good for them will be featured in the next chapter, which is considerably longer than even this chapter. This chapter is actually my longest chapter so far.

Next Chapter: Yule, Dresses, and Cliffhangers


	42. Chapter XXXVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** I've decided to get rid of one of the pairings above, purely, because I like Charlie more than most of the other Weasleys. Dragon tamers are really hot. Anyway, something _really, really, really_ big happens in this chapter. This chapter is a lot longer than most chapters because a lot is going on. This is purely to advance romance. Plot can be put on hold for just this once. But, next chapter is…lots of plot development to make up for here. But there _is_ some character growth for Draco in this chapter. I suppose.

I wrote several scenes to the song Judas by Lady Gaga. I just felt it was appropriate. I can almost picture Bella singing the song…maybe I'll do a one-shot based on the song. And, I made a tiny little tribute to one of the best HP/LV stories around…maybe you'll recognize the little tribute to it. Also, I'm taking several liberties. I know the time period and certain releases are different but…some songs I just _had_ to use because they fit the mood. My sister loves Glee and she suggested all these songs. I conceded after not being able to find other songs.

Bless you all for the reviews and the begging for a new chapter. Here it is!

Pictures of dresses and such will be on my profile.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 10****th**** of December 1994**

**12:30 PM**

"What does she have to say to us? She's cutting into our lunch period" groaned Ron. Bella nodded, dismissively. Ron sighed. She still hadn't completely forgiven him for ditching her when her name had come out of the goblet.

"It must be something important. I wonder if it's just something for Gryffindor" Hermione said to Bella. Bella shrugged and she sighed. McGonagall looked at all of the Gryffindors.

"I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching—" McGonagall said. Hermione and Bella stiffened and exchanged _very_ excited looks. Most of the boys in the room let out a collective groans.

"That's why we needed dress robes! Oh, mine have been sitting in my trunk for so long that I almost forgot about them!" Hermione gasped. Bella nodded with a goofy and excited grin.

"It is a traditional part of the TriWizard Tournament and an opportunity to socialize with our foreign guests. The ball will only be open to fourth years and above, although you may invite younger students if you wish. Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start eight o' clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight. You may go now" McGonagall sighed. There was chattering and Bella stood up, bouncing excitedly with Hermione.

"Potter! Potter, a word" McGonagall called out after the loud noise of the Gryffindors. Bella turned and looked at McGonagall before grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her forward.

"Potter, the champions and their dance partners are to open the ball. I trust that you know how to dance" McGonagall said, sharply. Bella nodded with a smile.

"I do. I was raised as a pureblood in some ways. I do know how to waltz" Bella said. McGonagall nodded and then cleared her throat.

"Also, I…you are a very pretty girl, Potter. Be sure to pick a…desirable partner and not someone whom is…less desirable and unmannered. Understood?" McGonagall asked. Bella tilted her head in confusion and looked at Hermione for a translation. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Don't accept an invitation to the ball from a foreign rapist. Stick to Hogwarts."

McGonagall pressed her lips together in amusement but nodded once. Bella laughed and nodded.

"Thank you for the concerns, Professor but I'm sure that I can manage."

Bella and Hermione walked from the classroom and almost immediately someone was grabbing Bella's wrist. Bella gaped at Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. They were staring at her, earnestly.

"Bella, will you got to the Yule Ball with me?" they asked at the same time. Hermione shrieked with laughter as Bella looked bewildered from boy to boy. Her eyes held horror and she jerked her wrist form Seamus' hand.

"Uh…no."

They looked at her in shock before looking at each other and suddenly looked rather nervous.

"_Please_?" begged Seamus. Bella blinked.

"No."

"_PLEASE?_" demanded Dean. Bella backed away and then looked around. Everyone was staring at her in amusement. Hermione was still laughing at her expense and Bella knew she'd feel horrible if she rejected them both in front of everyone.

"No."

But feeling horrible was better than being even more humiliated.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 18****th**** of December 1994**

**6:30 PM**

Bella groaned in annoyance. In the past week she had rejected fifteen boys. All of them had struck her as desperate or just plain crazy. She almost wanted to pretend to be sick to get out of the Yule Ball deal.

And Tom had just been plain pissy for the week.

When they (Bella, Hermione, Draco, Blaise, and Tom) had been in the library and someone tried to ask Bella to the ball he gave them the Crimson Death Glare, as students called it.

Then he would deduct points for being annoying or something of the sort.

It wasn't that big of a deal to Bella. It wasn't like she was going to say 'yes' to them because all of them had seemed kind of crazy.

Hermione was smiling like a crazy person since Viktor Krum had asked her out to the Yule Ball. Bella didn't quite understand why she had decided to go with him instead of Blaise.

Blaise wasn't taking it too well. Draco had to physically restrain him in the library when Krum had strutted away with a slight smile on his face. Hermione hadn't even really noticed Blaise's anger. Hermione gave another annoying sigh.

"Would you shut the hell up? I'm trying to brood" Bella snarled at her sister as she stabbed her steak-and-kidney pie.

Every time she thought of who she wanted to go to the Yule Ball with, she only drew up the image of a tall and very _sexy_ professor. It was pissing her off beyond belief and she didn't even _want_ to think about it.

Thinking of Tom like that was just wrong. Because he was her professor and she was his student. It was just…it was wrong, logically but she didn't _feel_ like it was wrong.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Ron asked. Bella sighed.

"I keep getting asked to the Ball by nutters. That's my problem. I wish someone who actually was _sane_ would ask m…Cedric?" Bella said, looking up. Ron looked up also and Hermione's gaze had hardened considerably.

Cedric looked very nervous under Hermione's hard stare and she tilted her head though she didn't say something as she usually did. Cedric could feel another _angry_ stare on his back but he couldn't exactly tell where it was coming from.

"Uh…Bella…er…willyougototheballwithme?" he said as fast as possible. Bella frowned at Cedric in confusion. She looked at Hermione but Hermione had seemed to understand what he said. Hermione's eyes were narrowed and _very_ dark.

"Excuse me? I didn't catch that," Bella said, uncertainly. Cedric cleared his throat.

"Will…will you go to the ball with me?"

The question had almost every Gryffindor looking at her. Bella gasped but not because of the question. She grabbed the locket around her throat and she could feel the hot metal _burning_.

"I…I…I…" Bella stammered as she winced in pain. She leaned down to her locket and brushed her lips against it.

"**I'm still yours…I still belong to you…only you…only you**" Bella whispered against it.

She wasn't sure if she was whispering it to the locket or…someone else…

The locket cooled down considerably and she looked at Hermione. Hermione seemed to understand but that might be because she knew Bella so very well. Bella looked up at the nervous 17 year old.

"Yes. I'll go with you. Pick me up by the Grand Staircase" Bella said with a slight smile. Cedric sighed in relief and grinned at her.

"Great! See you later" he said. He looked much more relaxed than he had before. Bella leaned on the table and bit her lip.

"Bye…"

Cedric walked away and got clapped on the back by quite a few Hufflepuffs when he joined the table. Apparently, Bella's reputation of rejecting boys had preceded her. Lavender and Parvati were staring at Bella as if they'd never seen her before. Ginny was leaning forward excitedly while Gideon began to sulk.

"Did Cedric Diggory just ask you to the ball?" Ginny demanded. Bella nodded with a slight grin on her face.

"Yes…"

"He's is _so_ cute!" Lavender squealed. Bella blinked in surprise and looked at Lavender and Parvati and then shrugged. They looked at her in righteous shock.

"I never noticed. Maybe, but I've seen better. He's nice and at least he isn't a nutter," Bella said. Lavender giggled again and leaned in as Gideon's pout turned in a full-fledge smile.

"Better, you say? _Who_ could look better than Cedric Diggory?" demanded Parvati. Bella avoided looking at the head table and instead looked down at her plate. She could practically hear the grin growing on Hermione's face.

"Obviously, you haven't seen Professor Riddle. He's _gorgeous_."

Bella looked up immediately and she felt something overwhelm her and burn deep inside. She couldn't understand what it was and she turned a cold and hard gaze on Hermione. Hermione looked very surprised at her reaction.

"He's a professor, Mione."

"Yes, well, it doesn't stop him from being incredibly handsome," Hermione said, off-handedly. Bella didn't register the territorial hiss that she emitted and how the temperature in the warm room dropped several degrees.

Hermione leaned back slightly as Bella suddenly stood. A delicate frown marred her face and she closed her eyes as the feeling overwhelmed her. The locket was pulsing against her neck and she could _feel_ the pleased feeling coming from not only the locket but…somewhere behind her…

"Is something wrong, Bella? Bella?"

Bella rubbed her temples before blinking and looking at her concerned year mates. She offered a flat and chilly smile before tilting her head.

"I'm…I'm fine. I have homework to do. I'll just be getting Blaise and be going" Bella said. Hermione raised one eyebrow.

"Blaise? Why?"

"I'd just like to talk with my brother. I didn't know that was an issue with you. Jealous?" Bella demanded. She gasped when she realized that _she_ was jealous.

Bella couldn't believe what she had only just come to terms with…

"Well dammit. Now I really _do_ need to talk to Blaise" Bella moaned. Hermione frowned in confusion and watched as Bella looked at Tom, discreetly before turning to the Slytherin table and crooking a finger at Blaise and Draco.

Hermione watched in enthrallment as Blaise raised one eyebrow and Draco frowned. It was curious watching her siblings. They were having a completely silent conversation, similar to how Hermione and Bella sometimes conversed. It was fascinating to see it from the outside. Draco half rose but Bella ducked her head and Draco sat down with a confused frown. Bella jutted her chin forward at Blaise and then subtly looked at Tom. Blaise nodded before standing up and crossing over to her.

"I understand. The library?" he asked. Bella nodded. Hermione glanced at Draco and one shoulder went up. Blaise offered his arm and Bella linked arms with him, the two walking out in silence.

Blaise pulled her up the stairs and deep into the Library. They were right in front of the Restricted Section when Bella finally blurted out what she had just come to terms with.

"I think I fancy Tom."

She expected Blaise to gasp and announce her as a 'foolish _sorella_'.

"No, _really_? Took you long enough."

"What? What do you mean 'took you long enough'?" demanded Bella, mocking Blaise by speaking in a deep voice when she repeated what he said. Blaise laughed and pulled her down to sit down in the armchair. He thought he heard the softest of hisses but said nothing.

"It's quite obvious, honestly. Hermione knows it. I know it. Draco knows it. And Draco is rather dense when it comes to these type of things," Blaise said, waving his hand. Bella gave a small laugh before frowning and turning to Blaise.

"I…I don't understand. It was just very sudden. Hermione was talking about how…_gorgeous_ and handsome he was and I just sort of got…pissed off…" Bella trailed off. Blaise offered an understanding smile. He pulled down Bella and they sat on the floor across from each other.

Bella suddenly realized that she barely ever spent one-on-one time with Blaise. He was the most understanding of her siblings, however, and the deepest. He knew the human mind so he knew how to help them the most in this situation. He _understood_.

"And you just knew?" Blaise asked. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I don't even know why I do. Tom is sarcastic, obscene, immoral, potentially violent, and a complete jerk. He completely closes off and likes to wallow in his own misery like one of those people part of that fad…I think it's called a goth. He's selfish, angry, resentful, and hold a grudge for weeks," Bella said, pointing everything that was wrong with Tom. Blaise tilted his head as he took this in.

"But Bella…you're some of those things too."

Bella looked at her brother, sharply.

"What? How so?" Bella demanded. Blaise smiled.

"Granted, you _obviously_ don't close off. But, sometimes you prefer to wallow in your own misery and we allow that. You're just as sarcastic, use a _very_ obscence and rather colorful vocabulary, and though you _do_ have a _very_ loose sense of right and wrong, you obviously completely disregard it" Blaise said, matter-of-factly. He stopped to gauge the girl's reaction. Bella stared at brother in shock and Blaise took this as his chance to continue.

"You're potentially violent, somewhat selfish but...anyway, _you're_ a total hypocrite. You held a grudge against him for weeks too. Ana, you even made him write an official apology to the House of Black" Blaise pointed out. Bella groaned and leaned back in complete annoyance.

"Well, that's not the point! _Why_ can't I fancy someone like…Cedric?" Bella asked. Blaise shrugged and tilted his head.

"Most likely, because you're drawn to him. You're drawn to Tom because he is _Dark_. You are Dark. In fact, you're probably one of the Darkest people I know and I know the Malfoys. Evidently, you're unconsciously looking for something much Darker. Tom is probably _the_ Darkest magic user I've ever heard of. He doesn't show it but his magic…" Blaise said, trailing off. Bella nodded, slowly and sighed.

"There's just so much going on, Blaise. Fleur Delacour will be stalking Tom. She tried much too hard. Cedric will probably be like a leech. I heard that Gideon is planning to sneak into the ball and stalk me. And then, now this with Tom. All of this on top of my research" Bella sighed. Blaise raised an eyebrow in surprise and tilted his head.

"Research?"

"Oh. Didn't I tell you? I suppose I didn't. I intended it to be a solo project until I found more information but it hasn't been working out too well. When, I find the spare time I look up 'those we do not speak of'. But, nowhere does it refer to them as that. I need the specific name. I've asked so many people but they started choking over their own words. It's apparently called the Curse of the Damned but the books I need are in the Restricted Section. In the very _back_ of the Restricted Section. I can get away with the front since Tom is always there but…" Bella sighed. Blaise nodded in understanding.

"So…why didn't you ask Hermione to the Yule Ball?"

"I was going to. But, Krum…and then she said yes. She looked so excited so I didn't…" Blaise said, looking away. Bella felt a stab of sympathy when she saw the hurt in Blaise's eyes.

"She likes you too" Bella promised. Blaise gave the slightest of smiles but it was rather flat.

"I doubt that very much, Bella. I know her better than she knows herself. Hermione doesn't like me. She _loves_ me. But she doesn't realize it because she's almost as dense as Draco when it comes to her own feelings" Blaise sighed. Bella laughed, quietly and smiled at her brother.

"What am I going to do, Blaise? I can't…if I see Tom again…I'm rather impulsive, you know."

"I do know."

"I might do something I regret…if I'm alone with him. Something that we'll both regret. I'm a rather forceful person and I want what I want. And what I want, I usually get. And things get…_nasty_ if I don't" Bella said, quietly. Blaise laughed and shook his head at her. Bella looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think he'll mind all too much" Blaise said, off-handedly. Bella blinked in surprise and frowned.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing."

"No, seriously. What did you just say? What do you mean by that?" Bella demanded. Blaise gave her a slightly surprised look.

"Did I say something? I must've been speaking to myself…"

"_Blaise_" Bella groaned. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"_Ana_" he mocked her before standing up. His eyes flickered to the shadows and met slitted eyes before he blocked Bella's view and pulled her back to the Great Hall.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 18****th**** of December 1994**

**11:30 PM**

"**Nagini?**" Tom asked in surprise. He watched his snake slither across the room and onto the desk. She slithered up and perched herself on his shoulders. Tom was honestly surprised. Nagini typically hunted all night and slept all day. She was a chosen nocturnal.

Her scales were soft and dry against his bare shoulders. He was actually shirtless and was planning to go to his bedroom to retire for the night when Nagini had come in.

"**Tom, I've just witnessed a most interesting event. The young woman speaker was speaking with her brother…**" Nagini hissed. Tom glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

"**That is exciting news? She was speaking to Blaise. Anastasia never speaks with Blaise. I can imagine that they want to further their sibling bond. They are not exactly as close as Ana and Draco.**"

Nagini hissed, annoyed at him for cutting her off.

"**Yes, but that is not what I was speaking of. Do not interrupt. I can not understand your language…**_**English**_** so very well but I am not incompetent. They were using basic words and British slang. She said…she said 'I think I fancy Tom'**" Nagini hissed, her voice describing how pleased she is. Tom froze.

He processed what Nagini said and blinked. He looked down and around the room and anywhere _but_ his familiar. He was too deep in thought to hear the laughing hissed she was emitting into the silence.

She fancied him.

Bella Anastasia Potter fancied the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord Voldemort. The man who had killed _hundreds_ or maybe even _thousands _of people, directly or indirectly. He couldn't quite comprehend what her feelings completely entailed as he had had people fancy his face but she fancied _him_ as a person. That had never happened before.

Tom was not ignorant to the fact that he was _not_ a very nice person. On the contraire, he was probably the most malicious, manipulative, and scheming person in the entire wizarding world, _including _Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Any women that had showed an interest in him were typically scared off by his rather cold attitude and dare he think it…bookworm-ish qualities.

"**Are you quite sure, Nagini? I think you might be mistaken**" Tom said, his voice an octave higher. Nagini's hissing laughter got louder and Tom glared at her with annoyance. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice would be normal when he spoke again.

"**I am not mistaken. Because then the brother, Blaise, you call him, said 'No really? Took you long enough'. It seems that her siblings have been quite aware of this fact for quite a long time and Blaise, the brother, doesn't seem to disapprove. He seems rather impartial to the matter. And then, she listed out your bad qualities. Quite interesting**."

Tom suddenly looked offended to the point where he was staring at Nagini with open outrage.

"**What the hell do you mean by 'bad qualities'? I understand that I'm not that great of a person and I don't have a moral bone in my body but, really now?**" Tom demanded. Nagini bobbed her head in a nod and gave a hissing chuckled and leaned forward.

"**You are sarcastic, obscene, immoral, potentially violent, and a…what is that word…a goth?**" Nagini asked. Tom's eyes widened and he gripped his desk in anger.

"**What the…**"

"**Oh, right. She said you wallow in your own **_**misery**_** like a goth! That is right, that is right. And then Blaise said she was almost every one of those things. His theory is that she is drawn to you because you are **_**much**_** Darker than she is, though apparently she is very Dark.**"

Nagini tilted her head and looked at Tom through her slitted eyes. Tom sighed and shook his head. Nagini could see how frustrated he actually was about this. She internally debated on whether she should have let him know.

On the other hand, it gave her immense entertainment.

"**I don't understand. Why can't she just fancy that poncy boy…Diggory?**" demanded Tom. Nagini hissed.

"**Why does it matter so much?**"

"**I don't **_**know**_**. The stupid **_**bond**_**. It's controlling me and I can't even hate it because it's a **_**soul**_** bond**" snarled Tom. If snakes had eyebrows, Nagini would be raising them.

"**And this is bad?**" demanded Nagini. Tom looked at her as if she were bad.

"**It **_**is**_** bad. Because…Bella is a selfish person. A very manipulative and very impulsive and is used to getting what she wants. I **_**know**_** that I'm going to do something that I'll regret.**"

Nagini didn't see it fit to tell him that Bella had said the exact same thing.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of December 1994**

**10:00 AM**

"Alone? Isn't this a sight to behold?"

Bella looked up sharply from her book and looked up to see Tom. She leaned back in her seat and tried to relax. It was extremely hard she noticed. He looked rather casually dressed and two of the buttons on his black shirt were unbuttoned, showing his collarbone.

"Is it really? Am I really always with them?" Bella asked, calmly. Tom took a chair and swung it over and sat down on it backwards. He placed his arms on the top of the backrest. He rested his chin on his folded arms and looked at her with a vague expression.

"Yes. What brings you here…all alone?" asked Tom. He was scrutinizing her and his nose was wrinkled as if in disgust.

"I'm doing a project by myself for once. About those who must not be named. Why do you seem…disgusted?" Bella asked, worried. Tom cleared his throat and leaned back, inspecting his nails.

"You're wearing contacts."

He said it so flatly and his voice was filled with such disgust that Bella started laughing. She shook her head.

"What's so wrong with contacts? They work great it battle, I suppose" Bella commented. Tom shook his head.

"Maybe. If your opponent doesn't know you're wearing them. They're a filthy Muggle invention. I don't see how people wear them" Tom spat. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed to herself.

"You're ridiculous with this Muggle thing. I find them dead useful. What's so wrong with them?"

"They don't look good on women," Tom said, flatly. Bella blinked in surprise.

"And why not? Is it because they're women? So it's fine if men have it? Are you sexist?" Bella snarled in complete annoyance. Tom held up his hands and rolled his eyes are immediate defense and he shook his head.

"_No_. I…I find glasses inherently sexy on a woman."

Bella was floored. She cleared her throat and looked at him in alarm. He was staring straight at her and she had seen his lips move…no that she was looking at his lips.

Had he really just said that?

"Oh…_oh_" Bella muttered the last part under her breath. She looked up and Tom was smirking at her.

"Yes. Dark hair I also find very attractive, as you know. Veela don't have dark hair. It's why I'm not attracted to them. That and I have incredible resistance to their thrall. And the eyes…I like them to be very _unique_. Blue and brown are much too common" Tom said with a wave of his hand. Bella was staring at him in complete shock.

He was just off-handedly telling her what he found attractive in a woman. Bella tilted her head.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked. She prayed to any of the gods out there that her voice wasn't as whispery as it sounded. There was a tug at the corner of Tom's lips.

"I don't know. You seemed rather curious, judging from your expression" he said. Bella's eyes widened slightly.

"Did I?"

His lips twitched into half smile. He leaned forward until their noses were touching. Bella froze and his half smile seemed so much warmer. He looked at her with an unfathomable spark in his eyes. Bella suddenly noticed how long his eyelashes were…

"Mhmm."

"Oh" Bella whispered. Tom's nose brushed the side of her own nose as he leaned in even more. He suddenly pulled back, harshly and pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Bella was frozen where she was as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"Huh?" Bella muttered. Tom stood up, swiftly and looked down at Bella. His eyes were guarded again and flat.

"Piece of parchment, please?" he asked, his tone extremely strained. Bella handed him a piece of parchment and a quill from her bag. He scribbled something down on it, quickly.

"What is this?" Bella asked, softly. Tom pointed at it, not saying a word. She looked down and smiled. It was permission to go into the deepest part of the Restricted Section, which needed permission from the Deputy Headmaster or the Headmaster. She knew Dumbledore would never allow her back there and she wouldn't even ask.

Bella didn't trust him since the incident where he had attempted to get inside her mind.

"Thank you" she muttered. She stood up and got up on her knees on the table. Tom turned to her in surprise when she leaned in and kissed his cheek, softly. She pulled back and tilted her head. She felt rather unembarrassed, which was strange. Tom's eyes were wide and he gave a sharp nod before smoothly walking away.

Bella smiled softly as she slid off the table and watching him walk away, rather tense despite his smooth walk. She laughed under her breath before gliding from her books and into the Restricted Section.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of December 1994**

**3:40 PM**

"Go through the sequence one more time."

Bella carefully avoided eye contact with Tom as she once more went through the fighting sequence. Bella threw a punch and it caught the dummy in the face. The dummy's head snapped back and Bella thrust her palm into its chest. The dummy fell back roughly and Bella delivered a kick to the dummy's head. Her foot connected with its neck and there was a sickening crack as the head fell off.

Tom observed the girl's curious behavior and decided it was most likely because of what he had learned last week. Tom cursed himself under his breath. He was trying his best _not_ to think about it because he had come to terms with himself and that…whatever it was that had happened yesterday.

He wouldn't really _mind_ if Bella decided to be her usual forceful and impulsive and did something…something meaning snogging him. And Tom hated it because he knew that it was the bond using his very long sexual hiatus against him.

"How was that?" Bella muttered under her breath. She stared at Tom's feet and Tom sighed and stepped closer to her. Bella cursed under her breath. She was now staring at his chest.

Not that that was bad. Because in all honesty it was a _very_ nice view. _But_, the fact that he was wearing a tight white shirt and the first few buttons were _unbuttoned_, showing quite a bit of his chest.

"Blaise, did you find a date yet?" Luna asked, happily. She had been very moody since the run-in with Charlie Weasley. But, her mood had brightened considerably when Draco had caved and asked her to the Yule Ball.

"No. I'm going stag. I'm too attractive to go with any other girl," Blaise said, leaning back, his face showing no emotion whatsoever. But, he typically didn't show emotion so it wasn't anything different.

"I just think you couldn't find a date. You're ever so picky, Blaise" Hermione said, off-handedly. She was sitting in the same chair as Blaise and they were reading _The Art of War_ by _Sun Tzu_ together.

"Hush, _principessa_. I can find a date. I didn't want one. That is the end of it" Blaise said, sharply. Hermione looked at him in surprise before rolling her eyes and deciding that he was only being incredibly moody.

"Anastasia, again."

Bella glanced at Tom and suddenly froze up. He was staring at her with a raised eyebrow and he looked completely casual. But, his eyes were telling her that he knew.

He knew…Merlin, he knew.

"Bollocks" Bella muttered under her breath. She turned to the dummy and did the fight sequence once more. Luna was watching the two with a spark of interest in her eyes.

Tom was watching Bella carefully and his head was tilted as if studying her. He _was_ in fact studying her and he was cursing himself for not realizing that she _wasn't_ as ugly as he pretended that she was.

It was so much easier pretending that the girl looked like Satan's hell spawn than really looking at her. He looked away and groaned to himself quietly. Luna suddenly stood up and glanced at Hermione. The two nodded to each other before glancing back at Bella, easily.

"Anastasia! Come on, we've got to get dressed and it'll take _forever_ to do your hair. We're going to trim it and you look like you haven't washed your hair in _days_" Hermione said, matter-of-factly. Bella stopped in the middle of the fight sequence and jumped off the platform. She glanced back at Tom but he was still staring at where she had been standing before. His arms were crossed and his brow slightly furrowed.

"That might be because _I've_ been fighting this dummy for two hours straight. Tom, can I leave?" Bella asked. Tom waved his hand, distractedly before turning to Blaise and Draco.

"Draco…you may leave. I know your father. If you take as long as he does to do his hair, you may want to leave" Tom said, flatly. Bella snickered and walked out of the room, arm and arm with Luna and Hermione.

"Where to?" Bella asked. Luna smiled.

"The Room of Requirement."

They walked up the stairs, linked together and passed _several _other girls that were walking towards their own dorm rooms. Bella passed an annoyed Fleur Delacour who still looked a little put out from the incident the day before the Eve of Yule.

Bella's lips curled into a smirk when she remembered why…

"_Monsieur…Monsieur!" Fleur said, firmly. Tom looked up from his book and glanced at Fleur with a raised eyebrow. Bella, her siblings, and Luna were all sitting in the library. Bella had invited Ron to join but he was still upset at Hermione that she had supposedly lied about having a date for Yule to avoid going with him. Bella was sitting besides Tom's chair. She wouldn't be able to see him so well from her position on the ground._

_Hermione and Blaise were leaning against a bookcase, reading a book by Machiavelli. Luna was meditating as she usually did when they went to the library and Draco was reading a rather Dark book that he had nicked from the Restricted Section._

"_Mademoiselle Delacour?" Tom asked, calmly. He let his hand fall over the side of his chair and his fingers brushed the top of Bella's hair. She stiffened when he started to run his fingers through her hair though she didn't cringe away from it at all. She couldn't even move at that point._

_She was too pissed off because she suddenly knew what Fleur wanted to ask._

"_Monsieur…m'escorterez-vous à la boule de Noël?" Fleur said out in a rush. She had spoken so fast that she hadn't even taken the time to ask in English. Bella's eyes flashed and she glared down at her lap in anger and rage._

_Though, she knew she didn't have the right to even do so. She was going to the Yule Ball with Cedric and Fleur…Fleur was of age. She actually __**could**__ be with Tom._

"_Mademoiselle __Delacour, __Je dois rejeter votre invitation. Je suis tout simplement pas qu'en vous" Tom said, coldly and dismissively. Bella flinched as he rejected the girl and then told her that he wasn't into her. Draco raised an eyebrow at her action, questioning her silently. Bella shook her head minutely. Tom's hand had long since fallen away from her head and he was now twirling a lock of her hair around one of his fingers._

_Fleur looked infuriated, suddenly._

"_Why not? I am Veela" Fleur snapped as if it were to mean something. Tom gave a slight shrug._

"_Mademoiselle Delacour, I rather read than watch Veela. They aren't that attractive, really" Tom said, flatly. Fleur looked personally offended and she turned on her heel before storming away._

Bella chuckled to herself and got curious looks from Luna and Hermione. She shook her head with a slight smile.

"Just thinking of Tom's dismissal of Mademoiselle Delacour. That did a number on her too large ego" Bella laughed. Luna smiled, softly, though most likely not at Bella's comment. She smiled at everything. Hermione snickered.

"Yes, that was _very_ amusing. Hmm. We walk past it three times and wish for what we need to get the door to reveal itself" Hermione instructed the two other girls. Bella nodded and they started to walk back and forth.

_I need a room where we cannot be disturbed. Where we can get ready for the Yule Ball without nosy housemates trying to get in._

Her eyes snapped open and she watched the dark wooden double doors materialize in front of her. She smiled and opened the door softly before he mouth fell open in shock. Hermione jingled her bag and there was a great tumbling. Bella looked at her sister in surprise. She was smiling, sheepishly.

"Undetectable extension charm…I read ahead again" Hermione said. Bella rolled her eyes at her studious sister and Hermione withdrew three dresses and hung them on the rack before turning to her sister and friend.

"Well…lets get started."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of December 1994**

**7:50 PM**

Cedric Diggory glanced at his best friend from Ravenclaw, Roger Davies. They were both waiting for their dates. Roger was so nervous that he looked ready to piss himself at that point.

"I can't believe I'm taking Fleur Delacour…Merlin! What if I mess up when we dance? What if I spill my drink on her?" Roger stammered, nervously. Cedric gave his friend an amused expression but he was just as nervous as him. He glanced around and saw Fred and George Weasley standing with the famous Romanian dragon tamer, Charlie Weasley. Cedric wasn't quite sure what eh was doing there but he decided not to ask, as he didn't know them so well.

He saw Ron Weasley, sulking by the wall without a date. He was wearing maroon robes with a lot of lace and frills. He saw Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini waiting near the foot of the staircase, leaning against it, looking dashing in high-end robes that most likely came from Haven Alley.

Cedric wandered over to them and they looked up. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know where…" he was cut off when Draco and Blaise gazed up at the stairs. Cedric looked himself and his eyes widened.

Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood were walking down. Hermione looked beautiful in an elegant style, brown curls falling towards the side of her face. She floated down the stairs in a strapless aqua dress. It floated to the ground in pleats, silver heels just peeking out at the bottom. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl and her lips were curled into a soft smile. She stopped in front of Blaise. He gave her a soft grin.

"You look _bellissima_, Mórrígan" Blaise murmured. Cedric wondered briefly if that was a nickname like Anastasia.

"Thank you" Hermione murmured.

Luna smiled at Draco, dreamily. Her dress fell to the ground as well in a mermaid style. Around her thighs it was tight and then fell out in a wide circle. It was also strapless and the same grey as her eyes. Her blonde hair fell in wild curls around her and exposed her slightly pointed ears. Her gaze hardened when she saw Charlie Weasley but her smile didn't disappear.

"You look nice, Luna" Draco said. Luna gave one nod before glancing up the stairs.

"Gods, we've really made her look good."

Cedric turned and gasped suddenly. Bella was descending the stairs.

"**Merlin…**"

Cedric turned to see Professor Riddle leaning against the side of the staircase. His brow was furrowed in either annoyance or anger. Cedric couldn't exactly tell. He looked deep in thought and his head was tilted as he surveyed Bella, critically.

Bella was a sight to behold. She wore a crimson strapless dress that hugged the curves that he hadn't even known were there. Dangly silver earrings hung from ears and her locket with emeralds on it now was on a silver chain whereas the color had been indistinguishable. Her hair was shorter now and instead of going to the small of her back, went to the middle of her back in loose curls. Her bangs were pinned across her head in curls, covering the scar on her forehead. A tiara of what looks like small bones sat on top of her head. Black heels encased her feet and silver bangles were on her right arm.

Cedric had never realized just how beautiful she was. Her emerald eyes were flashing and her skin was alabaster. Her lips were painted red and there was the slightest smile on her lips. She was thin and lean though her arms obviously had muscle, though not masculine. The crimson train trailed down the stairs after her and Cedric was suddenly aware that he was not the only staring.

Bella stopped in front of Draco and Blaise first. They smiled at her and each of them kissed her forehead.

"You look beautiful, Princess" Draco murmured against her forehead. Bella smiled and wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her back for a moment. Bella turned to Blaise and he gave her a one-armed hug.

"You do, Ana."

Bella laughed.

"Thank you. Hermione, my…" Bella prompted. Hermione groaned and dug in her purse in annoyance.

"We tried to convince her not wear it. We weren't sure if it would look bad witht the tiara" Hermione said. She handed Bella the object and Bella slid on her glasses. It only enhanced her beauty. She laughed and tilted her head. The glasses were large and vintage horn-rimmed. She turned to Tom who was staring at her with an amused smile.

"You are too much, Anastasia" he sighed. Bella grinned and tilted her head.

"**Is that so? How do I look?**" she asked, her head tilted.

"It is so and what did I say in the library about glasses? It's true for you too."

Bella sucked in a quick breath, staring at him, her lips parted slightly, exposing straight white teeth. He made a slightly amused sound before tilting his head. Bella turned to her confused siblings and a _very_ confused Cedric.

"Are you teasing me? Are you serious?" Bella asked, quietly. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Quite. Do not forget. I do not lie. I manipulate the truth but that is not what I am doing at this moment. I am quite serious. **You look beautiful**" Tom said, his voice going extremely soft and sincere. Bella looked up to the ceiling before sighing.

"**I'd hug you but that'd just be awkward.**"

"It's best if you didn't. I don't like physical contact."

"I've noticed" Bella said, trying to keep her voice flat though there was a pleased sound to it. She turned to her confused siblings and a bored Luna.

She gestured to herself and then looked around before clearing her throat.

"Beautiful."

Draco, Blaise, and Hermione frowned for a moment in confusion before it dawned on them. Cedric was still confused and annoyed at being ignored.

"_Oooohhh_" they said, collectively. Blaise cleared his throat.

"Hermione, I think you should find your date. Krum is probably looking for you" Blaise commented. Hermione gasped and nodded before turning to look for Viktor Krum. Bella glanced at Tom. She smiled at him and tilted her head.

"**Dance with me during the ball some time**" she commanded. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Bold brat. We'll see."

"Hmm. We will. Cedric, come on. We have to open the ball" Bella said, turning to Cedric. He nodded at her and the two walked towards the door where Roger Davies already stood with Fleur Delacour. He did a double take when he saw Bella but quickly turned his attention to Fleur. Fleur glared at her and Bella offered an innocent smile.

"You look great, Bella" Cedric said, quietly as they lined up, ready to open up the ball. Bella gave a soft smile.

"Thank you. Merlin…I'm sorry, but I'm very distracted right now" Bella said, softly. She was looking up at the ceiling in deep thought and Cedric smiled and reached over to touch her cheek. Bella grabbed his hand in the next moment and then swung her other hand, which was clenched into a fist, at his face. Cedric didn't have time to react.

Another hand caught the punch and squeezed softly, grabbing Bella's attention. Tom was rolling his eyes at her.

"Calm down. You're much too jumpy. I'm assuming you found information" Tom said, calmly. Bella winced, softly and cleared her throat.

"Mhmm. I went into the Restricted Section of the Restricted Section. I found some information but not enough. And then...and then in the Room. It decided to give me information. And it wasn't…entirely pleasant…" Bella said, softly. Tom sighed.

"I will do my best to explain it to you. Do you know of _them_ or the Curse?"

"The Curse. I didn't get far enough to actually learn of them. It's all in Druhir so it was taking me a while to read it. It's much longer than the scrolls. But, it's serious shit" Bella sighed. Tom could feel Fleur Delacour's eyes burning into him. Tom's eyes widened...his Christmas gift from Grindelwald two years had been a book...ah hell!

"Ahh. I'll translate the rest tomorrow."

"That'd be appreciated. Does this have to do with my…tendency to use…you know…" Bella said, glancing at Cedric before looking back at Tom. Tom nodded.

"It has a lot do with the shape of your scar and that as well. Now, I really do need to go. Try not to throw anymore punches. You're too paranoid."

"You hypocritical git" she snapped. He smirked at her before turning away and beginning to hold conversation with McGonagall for a moment.

The doors opened and Krum led them inside. Ron glared at Krum and Hermione. He was evidently, shocked out how pretty Hermione looked. She gave him a slight smile and the couple took their place. She grinned at Blaise and he offered her a slight smile. Krum frowned at the secretive smile they shared.

Fleur and Roger followed and most of the boys held their breath as they stared at her. She seemed to be emitting a silvery glow. She shot Tom a smug look but he wasn't even looking at her. He was staring behind her.

Bella and Cedric came through and everyone released the breath they were holding. Bella was the complete opposite of Fleur in so many ways. She had a dark glow to her and it was mysterious yet everyone unconsciously knew it wasn't Light. It was the Darkest of the Dark and matched only one other in the room. Her red lips were pulled into the slightest of smirks.

As soon as the Champions were inside of the room, they began to dance. Cedric wasn't as graceful as Bella expected but it was fun dancing with him, despite it all. He spun her and they waltzed across the room. It wasn't the same pureblood waltz that she had learned. It was not nearly as smooth but it would do.

Soon, everyone was on the dance floor, waltzing beautifully. The Muggleborns looked rather confused and they were wrapping their arms around each other's necks and waists. Bella supposed it was their way of dancing.

"You're a brilliant dancer" Cedric complimented. Bella grinned.

"Not too bad, yourself."

"May I cut in?"

Bella glanced at the speaker and grinned. It was Charlie Weasley. She pulled away from Cedric and accepted his hand before Cedric could even say anything.

"You may. You're Charlie Weasley. Aren't you a little too old to be in Hogwarts?" Bella said with a bright smile. Charlie laughed, brightly and glanced at Draco. Draco was glowering at Bella from the spot where he was waltzing with Luna. Cedric nodded and took a step back.

"I'll get drinks," Cedric said. Bella nodded and Charlie and her began to dance.

"So what brings you here, Charlie?" Bella asked, curiously. Charlie glanced at Draco before looking back down at Bella.

"Your brother. He's intriguing. He has told me many interesting things about himself. He can use the scythe and he's learning to use sai swords?" Charlie asked. Bella blinked in shock at the news. She had no idea that he was learning how to use sai swords…

"What do you mean he told you?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow. Charlie laughed and his baritone made Draco look over with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Of course! He hasn't told you…we've been writing to each other since the dragon task. Well, I wrote him and he wrote back, telling me to piss off and snuff it. I wrote him back, asking about his hobbies and things like that. And we've been writing ever since" Charlie explained. Bella laughed and grinned.

"He never explicitly said his sexual preference but I have a good guess…"

"Oh, he's bisexual. But, inclined towards men more than women. Don't tell him I told you that. He'll have my head before the ball is over. Anyway, I got special permission from Dumbledore, under the pretense that I was here for the family" Charlie explained. Bella laughed.

"Tomorrow, I'm sending for Blaise's younger sister. She couldn't come today because of the ball but tomorrow…Uncle Sirius will Floo her over. It's a surprise for Blaise. Are you staying the night?" asked Bella. Charlie tilted his head with a slight smirk adorning his face.

"I should…do you think they would mind me staying in the sixth year dormitory with Fred and George?" asked Charlie. Bella shook her head.

"Doubt it. Dumbledore will side with you."

"And why is that?"

"Because he's gay too."

Charlie made a slight amused noise and he spun Bella around as the orchestra played. Bella knew that after this last waltz, her favorite band, the Weird Sisters would come out and collaborate with a few unknowns called the Griffins, a girl duo, whom had of course been Gryffindors in their Hogwarts years.

"Nice to know. Do you think Draco is interested? Even a little?" Charlie asked, suddenly sounding younger. Bella snickered and smiled. Her hair flew past and she knew she was being stared at. She was in the arms of someone even older than Cedric and the man was obviously attractive. But, she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Of course. I heard what happened from Hermione. She said it was quite amusing. If he is taking time to write to you, I'm sure he's quite interested. Why don't you cut in?" Bella asked. She pulled away from Charlie and he smirked. He cleared his throat and looked at Bella before looking himself up and down.

He was wearing classy and expensive-looking dress robes that looked to be made out of leather and _not_ the usual dragon hide. It was sleeveless and revealed scarred yet muscled arms. He wore black combat boots and he looked absolutely delicious.

It was too bad, for the girls that were ogling him, that he was gay.

"I think I'll do just that. How do I look?" Charlie asked. He tilted his head to the side. Bella inspected him. His wild red hair fell in front of his eye attractively and he had a roguish grin that Bella knew Draco would find intriguing and attractive.

"You look good. Okay, Draco loves the Griffins, which is strange because he _hates_ Gryffindors. Get the Weird Sisters to back them up while they sing and then ask him to dance. You can get into his good graces then because from the way he's looking at you, he doesn't seem too pleased that you're here" Bella sighed. Charlie nodded and glanced at the band setting up while the orchestra finished the waltz up.

"All right. I'll get right on that. Bella…"

"Hmm, yes?" Bella asked, distractedly. She was watching Krum and Hermione dance and Hermione didn't seem to be enjoying it very much. She glanced back at Charlie. He was staring behind his shoulder.

"Professor Riddle is staring at you. And looks rather pissed off" Charlie said, nervously. Bella snickered to herself.

"He's being an overprotective git. It's fine. Now, _go_" Bella commanded. Charlie nodded, confidently and swaggered past Lavender and Parvati. They were giggling with their Durmstrang dates. Bella walked towards Blaise who was staring with a wistful expression.

"Cut in" Bella instructed. Blaise glanced over at Bella and sighed, knowing that Hermione seemed a little more than unhappy. He sighed and then the song sung by one of the girls from the Griffins started up. Bella held up a hand before he could start towards her.

"No. Wait for it" she said with a grin. Blaise groaned.

"What did you do?" he demanded. She pointed over at Luna and Draco. Charlie was standing in front of Draco and Luna and his hand was outstretched. Parvati was giggling.

"Loony Lovegood is being asked to dance by _Charlie Weasley_" Parvati giggled. Ron frowned in confusion as he knew his brother didn't go that way. Draco frowned before placing his hand in Charlie's and Charlie pulled him over. Parvati and Lavender gasped and glanced at each other. Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode looked stricken that their crush was about to dance with a man. Draco was frowning and glanced at Blaise and Bella. Hermione was grinning widely and pulled Krum to the side.

Most everyone was looking at Draco and Charlie curiously. Luna looked openly hostile.

"She's going to be angry at you when she finds out you did this" Blaise commented. Bella pouted.

"But their _so cute_ together."

"That may be but you best hope that Luna forgives you for this."

The piano started up and the redhead that was part of the Griffins was playing with skill. The orchestra was set up at the bottom of the stage. The violins played softly in the background.

_Hmm Mmm_

_All my life_

_I've waited for the right_

_Moment to let you know_

_I don't wanna let you go oh_

The golden haired girl singing had a beautiful voice. Draco's hand was wrapped in Charlie's and his hand was on Charlie's shoulder, awkwardly. Despite looking rather uncomfortable, he withheld dignity. If there was one rule that purebloods never broke at balls, it was never rejecting a dance.

Even if the invitation to a dance came from the same sex.

_But now I've realized_

_There's just no perfect time_

_To confess how I feel_

_This much I know is real_

Bella smirked in triumph when Charlie grinned at her. Draco was glowering at her though he was looking at Charlie. Draco felt incredibly awkward and put on the spot but, he never backed down from anything. He wasn't a coward.

"I'm surprised that you didn't reject the dance" Charlie said, in his low and smooth voice. Draco smirked.

_So I refuse to_

_Waste one more second without you_

_Knowing my heart_

_Baby cause I don't_

As the words started, Charlie spun Draco out with skill and pulled him back in as the horns sounded. Draco almost gaped at him but he controlled his expression and raised a single eyebrow.

"Malfoys don't reject dances. It's rude."

"If you say so. You know you wanted to dance with me" Charlie said, cockily. Draco's lips curled into a slight smile though he rolled his eyes.

"You may tell yourself that to feel good about yourself, Weasley."

_Need anything else but your love_

_Nothing but you means a thing to me_

_I'm incomplete_

_When you're not there_

_Holding me, touching me, I swear_

_All of the rest could just disappear_

_And I wouldn't even care_

_As long as you're there_

Draco listened to the song as Charlie leaded him, effortlessly. To say he was a little uncomfortable by the song choice was a massive understatement. It wasn't like he hated the song. In actuality, he had the disc inside his MD player, his magic disc player.

But, the words weren't all true. He was perfectly okay with his scythe and sai swords. He didn't need a girlfriend _or_ a boyfriend. They were a liability that he wasn't going to be responsible for in the event that they died in the upcoming war.

_Take these words_

_Don't let them go unheard_

_This is me reaching out_

_I hope you can hear it now_

Charlie began mouthing the words to Draco. Draco could see that Bella was grinning while Krum had claimed Hermione for another dance. Most people _were_ dancing but there were quite a few who only stared at Charlie and Draco. It was mostly Muggleborns who didn't know that purebloods weren't to reject dances and gossips that wouldn't pass this up for anything.

_Cause baby my heart's at stake_

_Take it_

_It's yours to break_

_I'd rather try and lose_

_Than keep this love from you_

_Yeaah_

Charlie spun Draco before dipping him. Draco blinked in surprise as Charlie pulled him up and they waltzed around as if Charlie had been doing this his entire life. Ron was glaring at Draco and his brother with anger clear in his eyes. Ginny who was dancing, clumsily with Neville, stared with open curiosity.

Draco even saw the creepy little other twin, Gideon, sneaking around in school robes. He wasn't supposed to be there but…

_So I refuse to_

_Waste one more second_

_Without you_

_Knowing my heart_

Charlie touched his hand to Draco's cheek, briefly and gave a cheeky grin.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, love?"

"Don't call me that. You're nothing but an acquaintance. You have no right" Draco said, coldly. Charlie snickered, knowing that Draco was only doing this for show and because he was exceedingly uncomfortable.

_Baby cause I don't_

_Need anything else but your love_

_Nothing but you means a thing to me_

_I'm incomplete_

_When you're not there_

_Holding me touching me I swear_

"Are you sure about that? You spend quite a bit of time writing a simple 'acquaintance' letters, right?" Charlie asked. Draco sniffed, indignantly and glared at him.

"Half of those letters tell you to piss off."

_All of the rest could just disappear_

_And I wouldn't even care_

_As long as you're there_

"That is very true."

"Of course it is. My mentor and someone I'd like to call a friend once said 'I do not lie. I may manipulate and twist the truth until it's almost unrecognizable but I do not lie'. His words are truth in that matter" Draco said, matter-of-factly. Charlie nodded, slowly.

"I think I'll adopt that doctrine. It seems _interesting_."

Draco raised a surprised eyebrow.

_Each day and night_

_That I've kept this a secret_

_It'd killed me_

_It's time to share what I feel inside_

"Really, now? It's an old Dark doctrine that he simply rephrased. Merlin, her voice is beautiful" Draco said, off-handedly as he glanced to the singer. She was getting into it and the students and faculty watched her with complete surprise as she held the long note.

"It is. You're even more so. Just because it's Dark doesn't make it evil. Dragons are classified as Dark creatures though they aren't Dark _or_ Light. They are chaotic creatures with chaotic magical qualities" Charlie said, off-handedly. Draco blanched at Charlie's compliment but listened intently at what Charlie was telling him.

_I don't_

_Need anything else but your love_

_Nothing but you means a thing to me_

_I'm incomplete_

_When you're not there_

_Holding me touching me_

_I swear_

_All of the rest could just disappear_

"That's…an interesting way of comparing it. Why are you here?" Draco asked, quietly. Charlie's lips curled into a cocky smirk.

_And I wouldn't even care_

_As long as you're there_

_As long as you're there_

The song ended and Charlie stepped away and bowed. Draco inclined his head, slightly and sighed to himself as Charlie didn't answer. Charlie walked past him but stopped when they were standing right next to each other. Draco just reached the shoulder of Charlie.

"To see you."

Charlie continued on as if he had said nothing. Draco rolled his eyes at the cheesy answer and walked towards Bella as another song started up. Bella looked completely smug and her arms were crossed with a smirk, adorning her face. Luna looked a little more than aggravated.

"That was interesting" Draco said, calmly. Bella nodded.

"And…"

"Don't do it again" Draco snapped. Bella burst into peals of laughter and everyone glanced at her at the sound of it. She put her hand over her lips and turned away from him. Draco offered his arm to Luna and she snapped on in seconds.

"Draco, let's dance" Luna said, softly. Draco nodded and leaded her onto the dance floor once more. Bella took a sip of the drink that Cedric had brought her and her nose wrinkled.

"What are you drinking?" Bella asked. Cedric cleared his throat.

"Firewhiskey. But you're a bit too…" Cedric started. Bella had taken the large glass of Firewhiskey and downed it. She smirked at his shocked face and cleared her throat.

"I can hold my liquor."

She sighed and sat down and Cedric sat next to her, confused.

"Is something wrong, Bella?" Cedric asked. Bella cleared her throat and shook her head.

"No…just something on my mind. Something rather important but it has to wait until tomorrow" Bella sighed. Cedric blinked in surprise.

"Oh…do you want to go and talk about it?" Cedric asked. Bella shook her head, declining his offer and glancing back at the Griffins. They were playing a song but the Weird Sisters were getting ready to play a song.

And she had a sneaking suspicion that it was the only song she liked by the Griffins. She stood up and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Cedric but I really can't. I have to speak to my siblings about it first. However, I have a song to dance to and a Lord Slytherin to catch. I will dance the next song after this one with you" Bella said, dismissively. Cedric blinked in surprise before nodding, uncertainly.

"Why do you want to dance with Professor Riddle?"

"Because…he's my magical guardian. And I've never seen him dance. It'll be interesting. He likes to claim that he can do everything and anything. If he can't do this, then I can do just one more thing better than him" Bella said, cheerfully. She walked towards the other side of the transformed Great Hall.

She caught sight of Tom, reprimanding a Beauxbatons girl and a vaguely familiar boy from Ravenclaw. They had been snogging in the very corner of the room. Tom looked like he was having way too much fun scaring them, so Bella decided to spare the two.

"Tom!" Bella called, sharply. Tom turned and Bella waved the two away, subtly. The two rushed off but it seemed Bella was not subtle enough. Tom glared at her and crossed his arms.

"What?" he snarled.

"Dance with me" Bella commanded. Tom sneered at her and looked away. Bella smirked as she saw a look of uncertainty appear in his eyes.

"In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to do my job. I don't have time to dance" Tom said, coolly. Bella rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist, dragging him onto the dance floor just as the violins started up.

Tom sighed and grabbed her hand. Tom started to turn them in circles as if he weren't trying at all. Bella looked at him as if he were insane. She knew he knew how to dance.

Well, she didn't _know_ but she'd like to assume with how long he was alive.

The singer stepped up to the mic and began to sing once more, her voice just as beautiful but slightly different as the music was different.

_Out on your own,_

_Cold and alone again._

_Can this be what you really wanted, baby?_

Bella smiled at him and shook her head.

"Tom, I can actually dance. I don't have two left feet. And I know you can dance as well."

This simple statement made Tom begin to lead her in a waltz. She looked around her and smiled when she saw everyone staring at them in shock. It was good to know someone could actually dance.

Cedric was decent but nothing was better than a really good and _very_ attractive partner to dance with. Cedric was cute but Bella had always thought his pretty boy looks made him look like a ponce.

_Lacrymosa_

_Blame it on me _

_Dies illa_

_Set your guilt free _

_Lacrymosa_

_Nothing can hold you back now _

Tom spun her and suddenly, Bella couldn't look away. She smiled at him and he gave the slightest smile back and they began to waltz across the dance floor. She caught the eye of Blaise and Hermione as she waltzed past them. They grinned at her, encouragingly.

She didn't know how _Hermione_ knew about…_that_…but it was still encouraging her for something, all the same. Bella wasn't exactly sure on what but it was the thought that counted, she supposed.

_Now that you're gone,_

_I feel like myself again._

_Grieving the things I can't repair and willing..._

_Lacrymosa_

_To let you blame it on me _

_Dies illa_

_I'll set your guilt free _

_Lacrymosa_

_I don't want to hold you back now, love_

_I can't change who I am. _

Bella blinked when the next phrase came on. Tom seemed to anticipate the next notes and spun her out and spun her back in to the guitar and dipped her. The tone of the song and singer was softer yet still tough and firm at the same time.

_Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me._

He pulled her back up and they separated, touching her right hand to his right. They were walking in a circle and she smiled as he pulled her back into a proper dance posture.

_And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up._

_My love wasn't enough._

During the guitar solo, Tom dipped her and spun her out and then in once more, and they spun in a sharp circle. They danced across the elegant floor with all eyes on the pair. They were in front of Cedric and a half hidden Gideon and she winked at them. They were staring at her as if she were the giant squid.

She felt like she was on top of the world and her face showed just how pleased she was. Parvati and Lavender were staring as if she had just snatched a million galleons from under their noses. It was quite amusing.

_Lacrymosa_

_Blame it on me _

_Dies illa_

_Set your guilt free, honey_

_Lacrymosa_

_Nothing can hold you back now, love_

The ending was nearer. Tom spun her and pulled her close to him. He spun her out and spun her in before dipping her once more as the song ended. Bella laughed and gave him a slight smile and he returned one.

"Thank you" she said, brightly. He inclined his head and pulled her upwards.

"Now, I have to go give students detention."

And then he was gone. Bella walked towards Ron, dazed and saw that a good portion of the ballroom was staring at her though they certainly weren't silent. She inspected their expressions.

"That was fun" Bella said with a slight smile.

"You…Riddle?" Ron asked in shock. Hermione, Blaise, and Charlie walked over. Charlie looked a little amused and Ron turned his look of shock on his brother.

"You…Malfoy?"

"Yes, me and Tom were dancing."

"Yes, me and Draco were dancing" Charlie sighed. Draco and Luna glided over. Luna looked annoyed that Charlie was still there.

"I don't believe I granted you permission to use my first name, Weasley. Oh, the _other_ Weasley. I think I'll distinguish. You are Weasel. Your elder brother is Weasley" Draco said, snootily, almost. Bella sniggered into her hand and shook her head. She tried to bring her mind from the information she had learned today and currently it was working.

Ron opened his mouth to argue but he glanced at Bella again.

"Why are you wearing a crown of bones? Are they real?" Ron asked, curiously. Bella smirked.

"They _are_ real, in fact. Bones of someone's fingers. I found it in the attic of Grimmauld Place. I thought it was gorgeous. And I'm dressed up as someone. Take a guess" Bella said, with a smile. Ron stared at her in horror as she stroked the human finger bones, lovingly. Hermione laughed and smiled in approval, though she appreciated the blood more than the bones.

"Dressed up as someone? Is that what you're doing?"

Everyone towards to Cedric who was leaning against the table with two more drinks in his hand. He offered Bella a cup and she sniffed it, carefully.

"It's not aged enough, but it'll do" Bella sighed. She downed the Firewhiskey and turned to an amused Charlie and a horrified Ron. She rolled her eyes at her immature friend.

"Yes, I'm dressed up. But, not even Luna and Hermione knows. I'm sure no one will guess it. But, do have fun trying" Bella said, cheerfully. She turned towards Hermione and Blaise who were standing rather close to each other.

"Where's Krum?"

"Talking with his friends about Herm-own-ninny" Blaise sneered, nastily. Hermione turned on Blaise with an unimpressed look on her face.

"Stop it, Blaise."

"Make me, Hermione. I'm allowed to be upset. He doesn't know your real name so he butchers _that_ one" Blaise snapped. Hermione sighed. Ron frowned in complete confusion.

"Real name?"

"Why does this bother you so much? It doesn't bother me. All in all, it's rather amusing. The only entertainment, I've had all night. He's frightfully boring" Hermione sighed, airily. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Then, why did you come with him? Why didn't you reject him?" Blaise asked. Hermione looked him in the eye, her eyes turning dark, quickly. Blaise's own eyes did the opposite and lightened and liquefied.

"Because I wasn't going on my own. I wasn't just going to wait forever. Who do you think you are? You're not my father. I don't have one anymore!" Hermione snarled. Bella and Draco glanced at each other.

Blaise and Hermione never fought. Ever.

It was an unspoken rule in their tight-knit group. Draco and Bella went at it every other day but Blaise and Hermione had never even raised their voices at each other. It was strange.

And dangerous.

"Well, what if someone else was going to ask you? Merlin, how could you be so Goddamn _naïve_, Mórrígan?" demanded Blaise. Hermione glared at him.

"Naïve? _I'm_ naïve? And what am I _naïve_ about, Apollo?" snarled Hermione. Blaise glared right back.

"He _knows_! He knows what we are!" Blaise screamed at her. Hermione looked taken aback suddenly and Bella and Draco's lips quivered.

"He…knows…"

Bella closed her eyes as everyone turned to look at them for all the wrong reasons. She massaged her temple before opening her eyes again.

They were the color of the Avada Kedavra curse.

"Mordred. _You_, Apollo, are incompetent. When did you learn this?" demanded Bella.

Tom's eyes narrowed.

No, that wasn't Bella. That was _her_. It was Victory and only Victory. She suddenly looked so much taller and even more beautiful than she already was.

"Not long ago. When, I was having a conversation with him while Hermione was speaking to someone else. I did what was needed _without_ using my wand" Blaise said, stiffly. Bella glared at him.

"And you did not tell us, immediately?"

"You were busy."

"_Foolish_. Mórrígan, you _are_ naïve. And someone knows…dear Mordred. I can't deal with this right now. I will be outside. Do _not_ follow or I will not be held for my reactions. Especially, you two. Apollo, if you wanted to go with her, you should've asked her first. Mórrígan, if you wanted him to go with you, you should have asked. Enough is enough" Bella snapped. She turned on her heel and stormed outside.

She sat down on the closest stone bench and didn't see any teachers where she was. Snape was on the other side of the Great Hall by the carriages. Bella glared up at the starry sky.

"Fuck you, sky" Bella snarled.

"What did the sky do to you, Ana?"

Bella spun and stared at the tall figure in front of her. His head was tilted, observing her. Bella inspected him and swallowed hard when she took in, exactly what he was wearing.

He was wearing formfitting formal robes. The outer robe was open and revealed his crisp white shirt. The top two buttons were unbuttoned as they usually were. His pants weren't tight but definitely weren't loose.

"Er, nothing. I'm just rather upset" Bella sighed. Tom glided over to the seat next to her and sat down. Bella looked down at her lap and froze in surprise when she felt long fingers move one of her curls and tucked it behind her ear.

"I heard. Most everyone heard but precious few know what you are speaking on. Viktor Krum knows that you are those who we do not speak about and so he decided to take advantage of that" Tom clarified. Bella nodded, slowly.

"Yes. And I'm stressed. Very stressed. I think I've been doing too much in addition to this stupid tournament. Can you do me a favor?" Bella asked. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"It depends on the favor."

"Distract me. Please" she whispered. Tom nodded, slowly.

"So. You dressed up as someone. As have I, I suppose you could say. I believe I know who _you_ are."

"Who?"

"Persephone."

Bella's lips curled into a smile. She saw him smirk at her slightly and he ran a hand through his loose black hair. She thought it looked absolutely gorgeous loose. It looked like an inky wave of silk.

"You're the only one who has figured it out. How so?"

"Only you would twist Persephone's position like that. She was the Queen of Underworld, even if unwillingly. The crown of human bones shows that you are the ruler of death. It's quite simple for someone who is well-versed in the Greek myths" Tom said, matter-of-factly. Bella gave him a cheeky grin.

"Or someone who was alive during that time, like you."

"Don't call me old, brat" Tom snapped. Bella looked down at her lap again, the humor fading quickly and her unhappiness setting in once more. Tom looked at her, his face portraying concern. Bella wasn't able to even actually see it because it vanished in seconds.

"Didn't you say you were someone else as well?" Bella muttered. She suddenly felt a hand on her cheek. She looked up and her breath hitched in her throat.

Tom was giving her such a look. It was smothering her and making her feet hot inside and just so…wow.

"Yes but only if you were really Persephone" he whispered, grabbing her chin. He lifted her head all the way and leaned down until their lips were only centimeters apart.

"Who was it?" Bella breathed out.

"Hades."

"What are you doing?" Bella whispered. Tom gave a slight smirk.

"Distracting you."

:::

**A/N: **That's where it ends! This chapter is the ¾ of the Yule Ball. We have the final stretch and we get to see what happens next! Anyway, I enjoyed writing this chapter so much and writing Charlie is so fun.

The dresses were fun to pick out as well and I love how I made Bella wear glasses now that she knows what Tom finds rather attractive.

Next Chapter: Ends to Cliffhangers and Research


	43. Chapter XXXIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** So…how was that for a cliffhanger? I thought it was rather interesting. It wasn't a cliffhanger how you thought it'd be. So, I wonder what chose I'm going to make. Anyway, before we get to all that, we will see Tom's take on all that happened prior to said cliffhanger. Do you think you can survive until then?

Anyway, I wrote one of the scenes a while back. It's a conversation between Tom and Bella. It's a bit tamer than what I originally thought of…if you catch my drift…I remember stating in an earlier chapter that Bella is a sexual creature. She's strange that way. So, I had a scene with her acting that way but I decided to change it a bit because I felt it wasn't that big of a deal to show it _now_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XXXIX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of December 1994**

**10:00 PM**

"Fuck you, sky."

Tom stood in the shadows as he looked at Bella. Her green eyes were fixated on the stars above her and she looked so tired suddenly.

She looked much to old and wise for her age and Tom truly wondered what she had found out that could make her look like that.

"What did the sky do to you, Ana?" he asked, quietly.

Tom watched as Bella spun to stare at him. Tom observed her carefully and looked her up and down. She was truly beautiful that night. The crimson dress fit her curves and her dark hair brushed against the pale skin of her back. Her lips were painted red and Tom had to quickly look away from there.

"Er, nothing. I'm just rather upset" she murmured. Tom slipped over to the seat next to her and sat down. Bella looked down at her lap and Tom saw her long sheet of hair fall in front of her face.

For some strange reason, he wanted to see her face. He brushed back her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She froze in shock before glancing up at him, shyly. He kept his face expression controlled.

_He_ didn't even know what it would be. He was just as confused as her.

"I heard. Most everyone heard but precious few know what you are speaking on. Viktor Krum knows that you are those who we do not speak about and so he decided to take advantage of that" Tom explained. Bella nodded, slowly.

"Yes. And I'm stressed. Very stressed. I think I've been doing too much in addition to this stupid tournament. Can you do me a favor?" Bella asked. Tom raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

"It depends on the favor."

Typically, he didn't do anything for anyone if it didn't benefit him and most likely this favor would only benefit Bella.

"Distract me. Please" she whispered. Tom nodded, slowly.

This _could_ be used to his benefit.

"So. You dressed up as someone. As have I, I suppose you could say. I believe I know who _you_ are."

"Who?"

"Persephone."

Bella's lips curled into a smile. A slight smirk spread across his face in triumph and he ran a hand through his loose black hair. He was surprised that Bella seemed so intent on staring at the hand that had gone through his hair.

"You're the only one who has figured it out. How so?"

Tom almost snorted. How could he _not_ know?

"Only you would twist Persephone's position like that. She was the Queen of Underworld, even if unwillingly. The crown of human bones shows that you are the ruler of death. It's quite simple for someone who is well-versed in the Greek myths" Tom said, matter-of-factly. Bella gave him a cheeky grin. He resisted the urge to groan.

She most likely had a smartass comment to make.

"Or someone who was alive during that time, like you."

And there it was.

"Don't call me old, brat" Tom snarled. Bella looked down at her lap again, the humor fading quickly and her unhappiness setting in once more. Tom looked at her, his face portraying concern. Bella wasn't able to even actually see it because it vanished in seconds.

He didn't even understand why he was so concerned but he decided that it was the bond, though he knew it probably wasn't only the bond. He was truly concerned for her but he couldn't have _her_ know it.

"Didn't you say you were someone else as well?" Bella muttered. Tom blinked in surprise when a flash of inspiration made him place his hand on her cheek. She looked up at him.

Tom could see the innocence and darkness in her eyes. It was alluring. He truly hadn't _ever_ seen someone with such Dark eyes. And one of his most loyal was Bellatrix, whom had been driven insane by her love for the Dark Arts.

"Yes but only if you were really Persephone" he whispered, grabbing her chin. He lifted her head all the way and made a split second decision. He leaned down until their lips were only a breath away from each other.

"Who was it?" Bella breathed out.

"Hades."

"What are you doing?" Bella whispered. Tom gave a slight smirk.

"Distracting you."

Tom leaned down and kissed her. Bella was frozen as he kissed her. It was perfect. His lips weren't soft but the kiss itself was relaxing and it soothed her. It calmed her. She began to kiss him back, despite not knowing exactly how.

It was a chaste kiss but there was an underlying darkness. They sat there, kissing for what seemed like hours. Tom pulled back and looked down at Bella with unfathomable eyes. Bella stared at him, her lips parted slightly. They sat, staring at each other.

"What…what just happened?" Bella whispered. Tom cleared his throat and stood up, looking away.

He suddenly regretted what he had just done. He could see Bella looked scared of what would happen in reaction what they had just did. She looked around, looking to see if someone had just seen the illicit kiss that _wasn't_ supposed to happen.

"I was distracting you" Tom murmured, saying it firmly as if it was fact.

But both Bella and Tom knew that wasn't the truth. Tom had kissed her for some other reason, unknown to both and there was a general confirmation that they were just too scared to figure out why. Bella looked visibly shaken and she stood up. Tom turned away from her.

"I…I'm going back inside" Bella whispered. Tom nodded and grabbed the bridge of his nose.

"It'd…it'd be for the best."

Bella turned away and walked away with shaky legs. The kiss had taken a lot out of her, she realized. As she looked at the crowded Great Hall she sighed when she realized dinner had started. The orchestra was playing again while people dined with goblets of ice and such.

Bella walked slowly to her siblings, Krum, Luna, Cedric, Charlie, and Ron. There was a seat between Cedric and Draco for her. Charlie had claimed the seat next to Draco. Luna sat across from Draco with an annoyed expression on her usually serene face. Ron looked disgruntled with Krum who was speaking with Cedric instead of him. Hermione was sitting with Blaise and sitting so close that it seemed like she was sitting on his lap. Krum looked slightly annoyed with that. Hermione was frowning as Blaise was whispering to her in Italian, sharply.

Only two didn't look mildly annoyed or beyond that. Cedric and Charlie. Charlie looked accomplished despite Draco continuously scowling at him.

Bella sat down and everyone at the table glanced at her. Cedric was looking at her, concernedly.

Draco frowned at his sister. She looked…off.

Her eyes were wide but not in horror. She looked slightly shaky and she was shivering every few seconds. Her lips were parted slightly in shock but there was a rather pleased air about her.

It was weird.

"Are you okay now, Bella?" asked Cedric. Bella glanced at Cedric before a slow smile spread across her face. She grinning, widely and she shot Blaise a look. He looked up and Hermione looked intently. Draco was paying attention as well. Luna leaned over and whispered something in Hermione's ear and Hermione's eyes went wide.

"Mhmm. Later you three. Later" she promised. Blaise nodded in understanding. Bella turned to Cedric.

"Vat was vat all about?" Krum asked, curiously. The four siblings shot him feral grins and he almost cringed. Bella gave a harsh laugh.

"About that…it was about _you_. Blaise, is rather good at reading people. It's come to our attention that you know who we are" Bella said with a slight grin. Krum's eyes widened and Draco tilted his head with a slight smile.

"Draco, when was the last time you fed?" Hermione asked, curiously. Her eyes were crazed and glinting in the candlelight. She ate a leaf of lettuce from her salad as Draco thought.

"The day before yesterday. And I may I say…I'm absolutely _starving_" Draco leered. Krum cringed and he stood up abruptly. Hermione burst into cackles. Most of Hogwarts was used to either her or Bella cackling so they didn't really look at her. But several foreign students did.

"I'm sorry. Vat do you mean?" Krum asked, uncertainly. Bella snickered.

"Don't try to fuck with me or my siblings, Krum. You're _using_ Hermione. Don't try it. You obviously haven't seen her tattoo" Bella whispered. She glanced at Hermione's arm and it seemed blank.

"Why is it covered anyway?" asked Blaise. Bella frowned at the question and glanced away. She took a sip of the Butterbeer in front of her plate. She sighed.

"My scar needed a glamour and I thought…why not my sword? I'm bored. I want to play…" Hermione said, softly. Bella glanced at Hermione and rolled her eyes.

"You have a one track mind, sister."

"I want to play, Angel. Guess what?" Hermione said with a slight smile.

"Yes?" Draco asked, sighing. Luna and Hermione grinned at each other. Bella sucked in a sharp breath as she seemed to realize.

"Wait…_no_—"

"She's been drawn to Dark. Remember? By the Dark, himself. Want to know _how_ she was drawn?" Hermione asked with a grin. Draco's eyes narrowed and glanced at Bella, sharply. Bella groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, we would" Blaise said, softly. He tilted his head and tried to meet Bella's eyes. She glanced at her lap.

"Don't try that shit on me, Blaise."

"Try what?" Blaise asked, innocently. Hermione giggled.

"Later. _Later_" Bella insisted. Hermione shook her head.

Hermione met each of her male siblings' eyes and then coughed and touched her lips, as if covering her mouth. Blaise and Draco's eyes widened. Draco's teeth curled into a snarl and Blaise looked rather cold.

Charlie looked endlessly amused.

"Your secret conversations are quite interesting. I can barely understand what you're saying. Though, I'm sure I know what _that_ means. But with whom?" Charlie asked, curiously. Bella groaned and Ron shot her a confused look.

"I don't understand" Cedric said, frowning. Bella shook her head.

"Charlie…it's complicated. You'll…I suppose you'll figure it out by tomorrow. You strike me as rather smart. Draco wouldn't give you the time of day if you weren't intelligent. But, drop it. You two, drop it as well. Tomorrow we will discuss this. _We_…meaning…us, didn't even discuss it. So, I will speak to you after I speak with…the other person involved in this issue. Is that understood?" Bella asked, sharply. Draco glared at Bella but gave a curt nod.

"That doesn't mean this is over" Draco said, coldly. Bella nodded, slowly.

She turned back to Cedric and gave him a smile.

"Don't worry. It's nothing."

Cedric couldn't quite believe her. In the beginning of the Yule Ball, Bella had seemed centered. In control. She had seemed like her usual serene and snarky self. But, she was different now…somehow.

Her eyes were different. Her eyes were Darker. More tainted now. He didn't exactly mind as he was Neutrally inclined but…she seemed beyond him now. Not that he'd stop trying, of course but…

She looked satisfied. Triumphant.

Victorious.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26****th**** of December 1994**

**12:00 PM**

Bella yawned and rubbed her eyes as she stood on the Grand Staircase. Cedric stood in front of her, nervous. Hermione was waiting impatiently at the top of the staircase with a slight look of disapproval in her eyes.

"I had a fun night. Thank you" Bella said, softly. Cedric nodded and cleared his throat.

"I had fun too. It's nice to find a girl that doesn't just stare at me" Cedric said. Bella gave a happy laugh and shook her head. Cedric cleared his throat.

"Well, that's nice. Apparently, I don't fancy guys because of their looks."

Cedric's eyes widened in shock and Bella suddenly seemed to realize what she had said. She paled and looked up at Hermione. Hermione was frowning. Bella swallowed, thickly and Cedric cleared his throat.

"Well…good night" he said. He leaned to kiss her, his eyes closing.

Instead of his lips pressing against her own, it came in contact with her cheek. Bella had turned her head. Bella swallowed and pulled away. Cedric frowned at her in conclusion and Bella let out a sigh.

"I-I'm sorry…no today" Bella whispered. She turned, her hair flying behind her and whipping Cedric in the face. Cedric blinked in shock and looked down. Roger was staring shock as well.

Cedric watched as Bella walked up the stairs to her best friend and stop. Hermione was looking down the stairs. Bella looked as well and her lips curled into a heart-stopping half-smile. Cedric glanced towards the direction of her smile and he glared.

Professor Riddle was leaning against the stairwell of the staircase. He raised the slightest of eyebrows and then looked at Hermione. Bella nodded once and Professor Riddle frowned. He turned, feeling Cedric's glare.

He only smirked.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 26****th**** of December 1994**

**10:00 AM**

Blaise and Draco wandered in, tiredly. Blaise yawned once more and Draco stifled his own yawn. Draco knew he was getting strange stares because of last night but he didn't pay attention to them.

He felt strong arms wrap around his waist and Draco's eyes widened. He spun around and glared in anger and annoyance. Charlie Weasley gave a cheeky smirk. Draco raised one fist.

"I'm not in the mood, Weasley! Get the hell away from me!" Draco snarled. Charlie chuckled and yawned.

"Bella wants you two at the Gryffindor table. She has a late Yule gift for Blaise."

"What about _my_ Yule gift?" Draco demanded. Charlie smirked.

"I think _I_ and that dance was your gift."

"Then, she's terrible at picking decent gifts for me. Come on, Blaise" Draco yawned. Blaise nodded and the two trudged towards the Gryffindor table. Draco glared at the kids sitting across from his Mudblood sibling.

The two younger Weasley twins and their friends.

"You four! Take a hike!" Draco commanded. Gideon glared at Draco.

"No. Make us!" Gideon snapped back. Charlie cleared his throat and Gideon and Ginny gaped. Charlie winked at them and casually threw an arm around Draco's shoulder. Draco glared at the offending appendage.

"If you don't take your arm off of me, I'll cut it off."

"Kinky…" Charlie teased. Draco's glare turned even angrier. Gideon and Ginny blinked and looked at each other before looking back at Charlie who had yet to move his arm from around Draco's shoulder.

"Charlie! What are you doing here?" asked Ginny. Charlie smirked and cleared his throat, running a hand through his tussled red hair. Draco was still glaring at Charlie's arm.

" 'Visiting family'. Well, that's my excuse" Charlie said. He pushed Hermione over and Hermione stared at him in amusement. He pulled Draco down next to him, his arm still around the teen's shoulders.

"Get _off_ me! Or I seriously _will_ cut your arm off," Draco snapped, attempting to shrug Charlie's arm off. It didn't budge. Draoc sighed and rolled his eyes before beginning to eat some of Hermione's omelet.

"Get your own, you ponce."

"I _can't_. His arm is in the damn way. Let me just have some of yours" Draco snapped. Blaise rolled his eyes at his siblings. He was sitting next to Ginny and there was one more space available, for Bella. Ronald was sitting down the table with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan.

"Fine."

Draco ate half of her omelet before he was done.

"Where's Bella?" Blaise sighed.

"In the doorway" Hermione pointed towards the doorway and they turned to see Bella. Her face was devoid of makeup except maybe the slightest hint of eyeliner. Her glasses were perched on her nose. She wore her combat boots, showing that she was ready to duel someone at any moment. She held something or someone in her arms and they were covered in Bella's midnight blue cloak.

She walked towards the table until she was right next to Blaise.

"Blaise, someone's here to see you" Bella said with a slight smile. Blaise frowned as Bella handed him the cloak. He peeled away the cloak and a brilliant smile broke across his face. Hermione grinned as Gianna Zabini peeked out. She was grinning, brightly.

"_Fratello maggiore! Ciao, fratello! Mi sei mancato!_" she said, excitedly. Blaise hugged her tightly, running his hand through her thick curls.

"Gianna…_piccola_ Gianna. My little Gianna. How are you?" Blaise asked. Gianna grinned. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"_Bene! __La ragazza con gli occhi belli baciò il bell'uomo sulla guancia!_" she whispered. Blaise frowned and straightened. Gianna pouted at her elder brother's frown. Blaise cleared his throat and pierced Bella with a look.

"So…you talked about it with him."

Bella suddenly looked rather sheepish and she ate a gigantic spoonful of porridge before swallowing. She sighed and started pouring herself a cup of coffee. Blaise only looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Did. You. Talk. About. It?" Blaise demanded. Bella cleared her throat.

"Er…no. Not yet."

"Then why did Gianna just tell me that…" Blaise trailed off. Bella groaned and massaged her temples. Gianna frowned in confusion but shrugged it off as she began picking pieces of bacon off of Blaise's plate. Charlie was trying to work out what was happening.

"It was a _thank you _for get Gianna here. I didn't do anything wrong" Bella sighed. She took a sip of her coffee just as understanding dawned on his face. Bella caught sight of Charlie's arm around Draco's shoulder.

"Ah…so that's why Luna looked pissed off…have you won him over yet?" Bella asked. Charlie sighed, overdramatically.

"Alas, no. He threatened to cut my arm off…twice."

"Don't be sad. He hasn't done it yet. That means you're getting somewhere. Good morning, you four. Gideon, why do you look like you were just hit across the face?" Bella asked, frowning. Gideon was still staring at Draco and Charlie.

"You're here to visit _him_" Gideon said, thrusting a finger at Draco, accusingly. Ginny blinked just as Christine and Michael Brown frowned and looked at each other. Charlie grinned as Draco scowled.

"I really wished he hadn't. Why didn't you just stay in Transylvania or wherever?" snapped Draco. Charlie snickered and rolled his eyes. Draco looked down at his tea and proceeded to drink it. Bella smirked.

"Where does Charlie work again? What does he do?" she asked, innocently.

"He works in—"

"Romania. He's the Head Dragon Tamer of the reserve," Draco sad, absently.

Charlie looked at Draco, incredulously. Hermione was staring, her mouth wide open. Blaise and Gianna were giving him weird stares. Gideon and Ginny looked positively repulsed and Bella only looked triumphant.

"Is that so? How much does he make?" Bella asked. Gideon frowned.

"We don't know. He never told—"

"900 galleons a year."

"What's his favorite color?"

"He claims it's silver because of my eyes. But, it's really black because black can't clash with his hair" Draco said. He was now looking at his warped appearance in the back of a spoon. Now, everyone in the immediate area was gaping.

"Favorite food?"

"His mother's roasted chicken. I told him that he should try filet mignon and then he'd get a sense of what _real_ cuisine is."

"You said that? You're such a git!" Bella laughed. Draco's lips curled into a wry smile.

"Yes, it's one of my redeeming qualities."

"I can't believe you remember all that!" Charlie laughed. It was an uncertain one and it was slightly uneven. Draco smirked at the man and rolled his eyes.

"I do. You were rather obnoxious about it all."

Bella snickered and her smirk was almost identical to Draco's now.

"I can definitely see the family resemblance now" Charlie sighed. Bella and Draco frowned and looked at him in confusion.

"How so?"

"The smirks, the snickering, the holier-than-thou attitude—"

"I resent that!" snapped Bella. Draco raised an eyebrow. He looked extremely confused by the comment.

"But, I _am_ holier and better looking than most. Why not act that way? I consider it self-esteem" Draco frowned. Hermione laughed.

"Well, it's not. It just makes you seem like a git" Blaise commented as he entertained his toddler sister. Hermione nodded.

"It's true."

"Well, I'm better than most of you anyway. I'm not going to act like I'm _not_. That's just stupid."

"Don't get me wrong, love. I like your holier-than-thou attitude."

"Don't. Call. Me. Love" Draco snarled. Charlie ignored him.

"Anyway, there's also the Darkness about you two. And the fact that you like older men."

Bella choked over her coffee and Draco dropped his spoon. Bella gaped in disbelief and then looked at Draco. Draco looked ready to choke Charlie. Ginny blinked before turning to Draco.

"You're gay?"

"_No_! I'm…I'm impartial to gender. Not that it's any of your business, Weaselette."

"You figured it out…he figured it out," Bella muttered to Hermione. Hermione laughed and shook her head. Blaise was rolling his eyes.

"Neither of you was making it conspicuous. You two were making eyes at each other the entire time you were dancing" Blaise said, flatly. Hermione squealed.

"It was so adorable!"

Blaise and Draco looked at her strangely. She glared at them, defensively.

"Well, it was!"

"_Oh_, you're talking about Cedric and Bella. Yes, they look rather good together" Ginny said. Gideon scowled at his sister and she all but ignored him. Charlie gave her a questioning look before nodding, slowly.

"Yes. That's what I'm talking about. Cedric Diggory and Bella…"

"Is that all that we have in common? Because that's not a lot. I'd rather people _didn't_ know I am the blood brother of the Golden Girl of the Wizarding World."

Bella's eyes narrowed and she glared, fiercely at her brother. Draco didn't even seem bothered by it.

"I am _not_ anybody's Golden Girl. Just _wait_ until I kick your ass later."

"Oh, we're dueling today? Most of the time you just take up all of his attention. He's so intent on training _you_."

Bella suddenly stiffened as long fingers combed their way through her hair. She looked up and saw Tom's unfathomable face. His fingers didn't move from her hair.

"Right after breakfast. _You_ need to tell your siblings what you found. I'll translate it. And then you and Draco will settle your argument. Hermione, you will not be dueling today," Tom said, quietly. Hermione frowned.

"I heard what you did."

The room seemed to drop a few degrees. Tom turned his dark gaze on Hermione. She matched it with an insane gleam in her eyes.

"Did you really? And what is opinion on the topic? Not that I care."

"We all know, actually. I'm all for it, so there is no need to give me a death glare. I'm not so sure about Draco and Blaise, though" Hermione said, uncertainly. She looked at her male siblings. Ginny and Gideon were talking to their friends now, used to the closed conversation and when they weren't wanted.

"I…I'm still debating whether it's wrong morally. But you don't care about morals, now do you?" Draco said. Tom smirked.

"Neither do you, Draco."

"Touché."

"It's fine with me. I _know_ things…" Blaise said, mysteriously. Tom nodded and turned to Bella. She was sighing as she sipped her coffee.

"**We need to talk**" Tom hissed. Bella looked up at him and nodded.

"**We do. Now?**"

"**Now.**"

Bella twisted from her seat and stood up, gracefully. She sighed, quietly and then glanced at Draco and Blaise. Draco was bickering with Charlie now and Charlie was grinning.

And Luna was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, scowling…uh oh.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 26****th**** of December 1994**

**11:02 AM**

"You wanted to talk?" Bella asked. She was sitting on Tom's desk, facing the massive bookcase as he crossed to it. He began rearranging books as she sighed, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Hmm…yes. Would you like to start?"

"Sure. Why did you kiss me?" Bella asked. Tom turned back to her and saw that she looked mildly annoyed at that, though not angry, which he was glad about.

"I was distracting you."

"Were you really? Is that all because _now_ I have half a mind to beat the shit out of you. That was my first kiss, you know" Bella said, meaningfully.

Tom resisted the urge to groan and roll his eyes. He had never understood that with the women. Their first kiss was sacred or some shit like that. If there was one thing he didn't get, it was _that_. Or maybe women in general.

Especially, if it was a woman like Bella Potter.

"It was just a kiss, Ana."

"What if I didn't want to kiss you?"

Tom glanced at Bella, incredulously. Even Bella seemed shocked at what she had just said. She frowned in confusion and ran a hand through her hair. Tom, slowly, stopped organizing his books and turned to her, his arms crossed.

"You didn't want to kiss me? Because that wasn't the impression that _I _got."

"No, that's not it…I think. But, what if I only kissed you because I wanted to kiss Cedric?" demanded Bella. She even knew what she said was crazy. Cedric had attempted to kiss her but she had turned away because of Tom.

"You wanted to kiss Diggory?"

The question was cold and Tom's stare was wintry. He knew that if she said 'yes' he wasn't responsible for his actions. Tom was a possessive creature and he _didn't _like sharing unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Well…I don't know. You confused me. I like him. He's really nice and he understands me" Bella said, earnestly. She didn't know why she was saying this. She _did _want this but, she needed an excuse. She didn't want to talk about it all.

"He understands you? Don't make me laugh, Ana. He doesn't even _know_ you. Not like I do" Tom said, coldly. Bella pouted.

"He could."

"No. He couldn't. He wouldn't understand why you're so different. He wouldn't understand Hermione's condition. He wouldn't understand Blaise's illness. He wouldn't under Draco's need. He wouldn't under you…and I" Tom said, softly. Bella looked away, knowing he was completely right and hating it.

Hating how she couldn't have normal friends because she was so different.

"I know. I know. It's not fair, though! I _should_ be able to kiss him. Not that I wanted to but…" Bella trailed off. Tom looked at her with a slight smirk.

"Are you still adverse to me kissing you?"

"Hmph."

Tom rolled his eyes and walked towards her before kissing her softly. She made a humming sound against his lips and Tom pulled away. Bella was staring at him, almost cross-eyed.

"Merlin, this is _so_ wrong. I'm snogging my teacher."

"And since when did _I_ care about _right_ and _wrong_?" Tom asked, his lips curling into a sneer at the idea of morality.

Bella only laughed before pulling herself closer to him and closing the distance once more.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 26****th**** of December 1994**

**12:10 PM**

"_What_ did you do for an _hour_?" demanded Draco, his face showing his displeasure as Bella wandered in with Tom. Bella smirked and tossed her hair behind her hair from jumping onto the platform. Charlie watched in amusement as Tom crossed to his desk and took out a book to read. He sat down on top of it and began to read.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know? Ready, Drakey-poo?" Bella teased. Draco glared at Tom with annoyance written all over his face. Luna was grinning.

"They weren't doing anything wrong, Drake. He translated a book for her. She has something rather important to share after you duel" Luna said, softly. Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead. Luna's silly grin grew.

"Thank you, Loony."

"Is _he_ trustworthy?" Tom asked, suddenly, looking pointedly at Charlie. Before Bella could even open her mouth, two others.

"Yes."

"No."

Draco glanced at Luna with surprise. He frowned and tilted his head at her and cleared his throat.

"Really? Will he sell us out?" Draco asked, softly. He sounded almost upset about it and Charlie glared at Luna. Luna faltered at the distressed expression of her crush and she looked at him, uncertainly.

"No…but I don't trust him when it comes to other things. He's magical aura…is not the same as his families'. His magic seems almost too…chaotic to actually have an inclination but if it were assigned one, it'd be borderline Dark" Luna said, softly. Draco's eyes widened.

"The dragons' magic has affected your own?" he asked. Charlie shrugged before nodding, confirming Draco's assumption. He cleared his throat and began to inspect the classroom.

"That's true. I've more or less _let_ it affect me. I don't wear the protective gear. It's annoying."

"That's a dangerous way to go" Tom said, softly. He hadn't glanced up from his book and Charlie briefly wondered if it was Dark. He cleared his throat, finally remembering that everyone was expecting an answer from him.

Well, maybe, except for Blaise who was still playing with Gianna.

"I'm closer to the dragons than most and the people I work with don't understand that the magic of the protective gear irritates the dragons' own magical core, making them much more vicious. And if I told them, they'd be promoted and might be better than _me_. Can't have that, can I?" Charlie asked, slyly. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds rather…Slytherin."

"Yes, well, I was never entirely as averse to the Slytherins as much as my family. I dated one. She was a terrible snog but that was probably due to the fact that she was a girl…" Charlie said, speaking more to himself. Draco rolled his eyes before looking at his nails.

"Which one?"

"Sai swords, love" Charlie said. Luna frowned.

"You're learning the sai swords? Why didn't you tell me?" Luna asked, softly. Draco shrugged and went to his satchel, withdrawing a pair of sai swords.

"You never asked. Let's get this on, Ana" Draco suggested. He turned and his mouth fell open. Bella was whispering to Tom. Their foreheads were touching and they were hissing together. Bella brushed her lips against Tom's cheek before turning away and looking at her amused siblings, Seer, and new friend.

"I was _so_ right! See, you two _are _similar! You both like older men…no offense, Professor Riddle" Charlie added when Tom sent him a death glare. Blaise looked slightly annoyed.

"So, you've _discussed_?" Blaise asked, emphasizing the word. Hermione snorted as she looked up from her book.

"Well, _obviously_, they've discussed. Quite possibly in silence. If you catch my drift…"

"It was caught, Mione. And _yes_ we actually spoke to one other. And what's going on is in fact, none of your business. If I deem it your business, I'll let you know. Now, Draco, let's duel. I'll try not to kick your ass too hard in front of your potential lovers" Bella said, flatly. Draco frowned in confusion.

"Potential lovers, you say?" he asked, slowly. Bella groaned.

"You are _so_ slow! Let's just get this started. We bow" Bella sighed. Draco inclined his head just as Bella did. He jumped just as the platform underneath him exploded. Draco smirked.

"You're getting predictable, Ana" Draco said as he landed, quietly. Bella smirked and tilted her head.

"Is that so, Draco?"

Her hand held her usual weapon of choice, a stake. She ran forward and Draco began swinging his sai swords with precision and practice. Bella dodged back and forth, like a snake being charmed.

"It is" Draco said, harshly. He was grinning.

Charlie watched in wonder as they sparred. Bella was shooting spells left and right and Draco merely dodged them. He looked like he was having fun as well. Bella threw her fist forward and Draco caught it. Bella threw her stake at him and Draco barely had time to twist one of his sai swords to block it. Bella kneed him in the stomach and Draco wheezed just as Bella kicked out with her left foot.

Draco fell to the ground and rolled before jumping upwards. He touched the corner of is mouth, feeling the wet blood. He held up his hands as Bella's hands curled into fists.

"No. No, that hurt like a bitch" Draco snapped. Bella laughed.

"Don't be a baby, brother."

"I'm not being a baby" Draco said, sulkily. Hermione and Blaise exchanged a look.

"Yes you are," they said in unison. Bella snickered and Luna laughed, lightly. Charlie was smiling, trying his best not to laugh at him.

"It doesn't matter now. I have something important to tell you" Bella said, the smile slipping from her face. She turned towards Tom and held out her hand. He handed her a scroll of parchment that she unraveled. Hermione and Blaise sat up straighter and she turned to Charlie. Charlie was already standing.

"It's fine. I'll be going. I'm trustworthy enough to watch you spar but this is confidential. I'm going to play pranks on Snape anyway" Charlie said, cheerfully. Tom looked up from his book, blankly.

"You have my blessing."

"Thanks, Professor Riddle! Bye, love" Charlie said, kissing Draco's cheek. Draco sneered at him but gave a slight wave all the same.

As soon as the redhead was out of the room, Tom was standing and waving his wand, sharply. He was chanting something under his breath and Bella looked at him in surprise as the doors and windows were outlined with gold before the light disappeared.

"Privacy wards."

"_Ah_…so, let's call this meeting to order. First things first. I was researching 'those who we don't speak about' because I was curious about whom they were since nobody can talk about them. I asked around and it seems that most of the older students _do _know about it but also haven't been able to speak about it since apparently, 1979" Bella said, softly. Hermione frowned.

"What do you mean they weren't able to speak about it?"

"I mean, they were physically impossible. One of the Ravenclaws, an older one said that her mother used to read her stories every night about 'those we do not speak of' and sang to her of their coming. But, one day her mother tried to sing to her but the words wouldn't come out. Her mother seemed to be ecstatic and told her of the 'Curse of the Damned'. She couldn't explain to me about that _either_" sighed Bella. Blaise nodded, slowly.

"My mother never told me that story" Blaise said, thoughtfully. And his mother was a talented storyteller. She always told the various murder stories of her past husbands and Blaise had always enjoyed them immensely as a child.

That was probably because he _was_ the child of the Black Widow.

"That's because you were born in…1979" Draco said, raising an eyebrow. They turned to Tom and a slight smirk was on his face.

"Do you know what this is all about?" Hermione asked, annoyed. Tom nodded, slowly.

"You're getting closer."

"I've heard it before. The song."

The five other people in the room turned to Luna. She was smiling, dreamily and she cleared her throat.

"I've heard it in the ancient dialect of Elven. It's even older than Druhir. You cannot speak of them in _English_. It's a relatively new language that holds little power. That is why spells are not _in_ English. But, languages that are older that hold much power can be used. Latin, for example, though not an extremely powerful language can be used to conduct magic. Greek is more powerful and that is why Bella's lightening spell was exceptional at the first task" Luna said, smiling. Bella blinked in shock and then grinned.

"_You_ are awesome, Luna."

"Thank you. My mother sang it to me when I was a child. But, as I said, I can't translate it directly into English because English is a weak language. If I wished to translate it, I would have to say it in at least four powerful languages before I could say it. I would need to give the words power and that is taxing on an Elf, let alone a half-Elf. Continue with your report" Luna said, softly. Bella nodded.

"So, I was in the library and I got a signed parchment from the Deputy Headmaster to go into the deepest part of the Restricted Section. There I found vague explanations of the Curse of the Damned. Apparently, it's not really a _curse_ per say. It is curse of those we do not speak of. The Damned, themselves. So, I found an alternate name for them. But…then…when we were in the Room of Requirement, a book came to me. It was in Druhir and it spoke of something very…different" Bella said, trailing off. She frowned and opened the parchment.

"_The Riders_

_The Curse was said to be created in the Ancient Times when creatures of magic and mortal roamed together._

_Even in the Ancient Times, there was a distinct separation of Dark and Light. The Guild of the Elves was one of the many Councils of that time as there was no set government. They were the only Neutral group of the age and thus had little to do with the power struggle between the Dark and Light. The Guild was a secretive sect of the creatures of magic but it was well-known that they were a group of Elven Seers._

_As they were what could be considered as prophets, they tended to stay out of the Blood Wars, the title of the millenniums old fight between the two opposing forces of Magic. They were constantly tempted and thus, stayed away from most warlocks and sorceresses._

_However, the Light Lord Merlin temporarily won the struggles for power. The Dark Lady Morgan le Fay swore revenge in the most extreme form. She was a talented witch, adept in Blood Summoning and surprisingly, politics. The Dark Lady Morgan was also a conniving and ambition woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted._

_So, the Dark Lady traveled to the land of the Elves and came across a little girl._

_The little girl was quite obviously an Elf. Her eyes were described as violets and her hair as the strands of the sun. The Dark Lady knew that the Chosen Prophets were typically children and so she had asked the girl her name._

_The young Elf's name was Anarya, as she was born on the Sun's Day, the Summer Solstice. Anarya knew what this woman had come for and spoke her piece._

'_You will be avenged' she said._

_The Dark Lady was curious as to know how she knew and asked her as such. Anarya was not just any young girl but the future Dark Seer, born on the day of Summer's birth_" Bella read. She turned to look at Luna, curiously.

Luna's lips were curled into a smile and it was such a knowing and curious smile that Bella couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering her since she had first read.

"Anarya is your ancestor?" Bella asked. Draco frowned before his eyes widened in shock.

"Her hair _is_ golden but her eyes aren't violet. But her birthday's on the Summer Solstice…why is that?" Draco asked, curiously. Luna gave a quiet little giggle.

"I _am_ a Descendant of Anarya. It's a title given by the Elves. There aren't many Elves left since they bred with humans but the ones that are left would refer to me as that. Anarya was daughter of the Dark Seer of her time. Every Dark Seer is born on the Summer Solstice. Summer Solstice is when the Light thrives so there must be balance. The Light Seer is born on the Winter Solstice because it is the beginning of a Dark time. The Neutral Seers are born on the Equinoxes" Luna explained. Blaise and Hermione nodded in understanding.

"Who is the Light Seer?" Blaise asked. Luna giggled, brightly.

"Dead."

Tom's eyes widened at the news and he frowned.

"How so? Not many things can surprise a Seer" he said, calmly. Luna giggled again.

"My mother killed him. The day he was born she saw him in her scrying bowl. She murdered him through it. She _was_ the Dark Seer and she knew quite a bit about Elven Magicks. That was her downfall. My father thought she simply liked to experiment. She did but she tried to mix Dark Magic and Elven Magicks. She died because they are _not_ compatible" Luna sighed. There was a slight tone of regret in her voice as she spoke of her mother. She wasn't smiling any longer.

Bella nodded in understanding.

"I see. The Neutral Seers?" Tom asked. Luna resumed her smile.

"Are full-Elves. They abide by their rules. Intervening with human affairs is a sin" Luna said. Bella blinked in surprise.

"Is it?" Draco asked, quietly.

"Yes. Continue reading."

"_Anarya sang to the woman as she looked into her scrying bowl_—" Bella stopped and she cleared her throat.

"I don't know if I can sing the song in English" Bella clarified. Luna sighed and closed her eyes in concentration.

She seemed to be whispering something under her breath and then her eyes opened slowly. The irises had disappeared and the black spot in the middle of her eyes was widening. Her pupils were huge and took up almost her entire eye.

Bella could almost see _into_ her eyes.

"_Angel and Serpent…_" she said, aloud now. She closed her eyes once more and jolted before she smiled.

"Nargles were affecting my visions. I couldn't See for a moment. Share your magic, Tom Marvolo. English may be a weak language, magically but you can _put_ magic into it. Empower your words" Luna commanded. Bella frowned in confusion.

"But the Curse of the Damned—"

"Isn't of effect _on_ the Damned" Luna said, mysteriously. Bella sighed and nodded, not quite understanding but turning towards Tom.

"Read it with me" she said, quietly. He nodded and held out his hand she slipped her hand into his, comfortably. They looked at the parchment in her hand.

"_Two Coming, Two Passing_

_Four Horsemen Far Surpassing_

_One deceitful of the Dark_

_May fall by the War Sword_

_Plague starts, Plague rides_

_As his brother, Death, arrives_

_Lightening strikes_

_As the Angel falls, into the arms of Serpents_

_Against the Light's calls_

_Ride fast, ride fierce, ride bold_

_Power strong and uncontrolled_

_Followers of Light_

_Fall down in fear_

_Lips are sealed_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_Apocalypse comes, Apocalypse sees_

_The Dark ruling for eternity_

_Eternity_" they said, together. They seemed to stumble over words from time to time but got through them. Hermione gaped at her in shock and cleared her throat.

"War Sword…isn't that what Dumbledore said my tattoo was" Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded.

"That's what I brought it up. And Blaise has the plague. He's obviously 'Plague'. And then Draco is the Claimer's Son, 'Death', I would think. You call me 'Angel' and I'm talented at lightening spells. I hang out with Slytherins a lot, too. The rest is self-explanatory," Bella admitted. She turned to Tom and he cleared his throat.

"I still can't speak of them," he said, softly. Luna smiled.

"You won't be able to until they all have what makes them who they are. Yes, Draco, you _are_ those people in the lullaby."

"Horsemen…Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I would presume?" Blaise asked, softly though his words were firm as he tried not to stumble through the words.

Luna nodded, confirming his educated guess.

"But…what about the Curse? Why can only we speak about it, even if we can barely speak of them?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella cleared her throat as she rolled up the parchment.

"About that…the Curse came to affect the moment _you_ were born Hermione. You're the oldest of us all. Most likely, on the night that night, you appeared, I suppose. Lips were sealed and they couldn't speak of us" Bella said. Draco nodded and then tilted his head.

"It's listed in order form oldest to youngest if you look. You, Hermione, and then Blaise. Then me and finally, Bella" Draco observed. Bella blinked before smiling and nodding. She took out a quill and unrolled the parchment. She jotted it down in the margins.

"Anything else you noticed?" she asked, curiously. Blaise nodded.

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It implicates which one we are. Obviously, Hermione is War. She has the sword and it's most likely why she loves _The Art of War_ so much. I'm Plague and I'm a Legilimens. I can 'plague' the human mind. I have the capabilities of destroying it. Then, Draco. He sucks out _souls_. He can communicate with dementors. He's obviously Death, itself. He's half dead anyway. Then you, Bella. You don't seem to have any title except of an 'Angel'. There's only one Horsemen left" Blaise said, carefully as he thought about it. Bella frowned.

"I know but I don't know where to find out about it."

Hermione laughed and they all turned to her.

"I do. We need a _Bible_."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 26****th**** of December 1994**

**1:40 PM**

"We've been looking for almost an hour! You're telling me that between _your_ library and Hogwarts', there's no _Bible_?" demanded Bella. Tom shrugged and sighed, annoyed as well.

"I was never religious. I wouldn't own a Bible. How are we so sure that the information that we're looking for is in the Bible?" Tom asked. Hermione glanced at him and cleared her throat.

"My grandmother was rather religious. She spoke of how the Apocalypse was referred to in it. I suppose since it's a magical school and most don't believe in God, there _wouldn't_ be a Bible" Hermione sighed. Bella frowned and crossed her arms in confusion.

Blaise blinked in surprise before grinning.

"A Muggleborn. If we ask another Muggleborn, they'll know" Blaise said. Bella grinned and nodded before tilting her head in confusion.

"Who would we ask?" she questioned. Hermione grinned before glancing into the corner of the room. He was sitting with Ron and Seamus and they were playing chess, rather loudly at that.

"Dean Thomas."

Hermione turned to Bella and Bella started forward. Draco grabbed her wrist and Bella turned to him, annoyance decorating her face. He only looked at her, fully amused by her reaction.

"What?" she snapped.

"You rejected them to the Yule Ball, correct? They won't be very willing to speak with you after you rejected them. I would think that they would be insulted if you decided to go and speak with them. Hermione, go over and ask" Draco said, carefully. Hermione nodded and Bella grumbled. She turned and saw Hermione cross over and sit down next to them.

"Oh, hi, Hermione" Ron said with a slight smile though he looked mildly annoyed. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Hi, Ron. Hi, Seamus. I actually came over to talk to _you_ Dean. And it's rather important" Hermione said, with a forced smile. Dean nodded, slowly, and looked very confused at the moment. Hermione kept him staring into her eyes. He looked too intimidated to even think of looking away.

"Uh…sure…"

"Are you religious?" Hermione asked. Dean nodded.

"I am. It's kind of why my mum had such a hard time of accepting witchcraft. Why do you ask?" he asked, curiously. Even Ron and Seamus leaned in to hear. Hermione's lips curled into a smirk now.

"What do you know about the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? There are four, correct? War, Death, Plague, and?" Hermione asked, carefully. Dean frowned and opened his mouth to say it.

"V—Vi—I can't say it…" he said, uncertainly. Hermione had already stiffened and turned to look at Bella. Ron and Seamus were looking at Bella no as well. Bella was half hidden behind a bookcase, speaking to someone who couldn't be seen.

Hermione already knew that she was probably talking to Tom.

Draco and Blaise were watching her.

"Victory…shall hold Victory as his own. Thank you, Dean" Hermione said, softly. She stood up and Ron frowned.

"Can't you sit down with us and talk for a bit?" Ron asked, hopefully. Hermione was frowning and she shook her head, softly.

"I can't…"

Ron grabbed her wrist and suddenly someone was next to her. Blaise's hand was on Ron's wrist and he was glaring down at him. He was pale as well and he looked clammy. Blaise swallowed, thickly.

"Mórrígan, come on" Blaise whispered. He gave a hacking cough. He wiped his hand over his forehead. Bella had emerged from the bookcase and she was staring at him, worriedly.

"Blaise…did you take your potion?" Hermione whispered. Blaise gave a slight smile.

"Of course…I need…I need a stronger dose. It's never happened before" he hacked. A small hand settled on his back. He turned to look at Luna who wasn't holding Gianna any longer.

"Where's Gia?" Blaise coughed.

"I sent her home. She says 'goodbye'. I don't think you want her to see you like this" Luna said, softly. Her tone was sympathetic.

"Like what?" Blaise asked. He blinked as the world began to spin.

"See you go through the plague."

And then Blaise's world went black.

:::

**A/N: **Aren't I fucking evil? MWAHAHA! You don't even get to find out what happened after Tom and Bella's talk. Their relationship is not clear because _they_ aren't clear on what it is. They both acknowledge that Bella is quite young as this points in time so they aren't doing much except for the occasional snog. At least they've acknowledged _something_.

Stubborn characters.

The Hermione arc is over and Blaise's arc begins! Fifth year is Bella's arc. Then, sixth year is Draco's arc. The summer after sixth year? Big things happen. But that's all I'll tell you for _now_.

I have a reason for Bella's arc being before Draco's. Draco…has some more growing it do. Bella is getting there faster than Draco. Draco is the most emotionally stunted because of his parents.

Next Chapter: Bubonic, Cedric Diggory, and Evil Horsemen


	44. Chapter XL

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** The Blaise Arc has begun. Blaise will be taking precedence at the moment over the Triwizard Tournament but in a subtle way. Poor little Blaise. I love him so much! His detached attitude is so _cute_! Anyway, this is going to be a bit fast-paced. A lot of Hermione and Blaise will be in this chapter because Blaise is going through some things as you've seen. It will be very sly though. A little bit of Draco and Luna will be seen, since people like her so much. I will also be including a goodbye scene from Charlie.

Personally, I think that setting Draco up with someone will be difficult. Tell me who you, prefer. Luna or Charlie?

Also, a few scenes of Tom and Bella. Let us just say that Tom is the _biggest_ moron in the world when it comes to women…and Bella is still a sexual person. Tom is a bit more subdued, which is understandable because he's older.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XL**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 27****th**** of December 1994**

**3:24 AM**

Blaise woke up, slowly. His vision was blurry and it didn't help that it seemed to be dimly lit in the room that he was in. He knew he was in the Hospital Wing at least. That wasn't much of a plus.

He rubbed his eyes and suddenly realized that he wasn't alone in the bed. He glanced around him and a slight smile spread on his face, despite the abdominal pain that was _killing _him.

Hermione was pressed against him, her head on his chest. His robe was covering her as there weren't enough blankets for her. On his other side was Bella. She was sitting up against headboard. She was sitting on Draco's leg, her head on his shoulder. She looked fast asleep. Draco was on the very edge of the bed, his arm around Bella's shoulders. They shared a blanket, leaving the thick wool one to Blaise.

"You're awake."

Blaise looked at the person who had whispered to him. His eyes met Luna's and she looked very tired. Blaise nodded, slowly.

"Will I live?"

Blaise was shocked at how raspy and rough his voice was. Luna gave him a sad smile and tilted her head. Blaise looked down at Hermione and ran a shaking hand through her thick curls. She didn't wake up but she did snuggle closer into his side.

"Will she be okay?" Blaise murmured. Luna blinked in surprise.

"I didn't say you would die."

Blaise gave her a sharp look.

"Will I?" Blaise asked. Luna's face didn't lose its surprised look. She leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingers against the arm of the chair.

"I don't know."

Blaise opened his mouth to ask once more about Hermione when Luna's words finally got through to him. He closed his mouth and then opened them again, not sure what to say exactly.

In his entire time of knowing Luna, she had never said 'I don't know'. That wasn't who Luna was. Luna was omniscient. She always knew what to do. She always had that little knowing smile. She never looked uncertain, unless it came to Draco and that was most likely because she had a crush on him.

Luna not knowing something, especially something so _important_, shook him to his core.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Blaise rasped. He didn't understand why his throat was so raw until he remembered a few flashes of vomit.

Ah, that was why…

"I cannot See. I've tried but I cannot See your future. I cannot See _anything_. I'm so sorry" Luna whispered. She looked desolate and Blaise shook his head. He couldn't figure out what to say.

"I…it…" he croaked. Luna stood and turned away from him. Her shoulders were hunched over and he raised his hand to grab her hand. He was shaking too hard from the coolness of the air to grab onto her steadily. Luna turned to look at him with wide eyes.

Her pupil was so much smaller than normal, he noticed. When her pupils were open, he knew that she was Seeing. But, she seemed almost incapable of doing such at the moment. He doubted that she could even see the nargles and wrackspurts around them now.

"It's not your fault, Luna. Don't think it's your fault" Blaise whispered. Luna nodded and stood. Blaise's reassurances did nothing to make her feel any better. She turned away from him.

"Thank you, Blaise. I'll be going now. The Room of Requirement. I believe I need to meditate. Maybe that is why my Sight is blocked…" Luna said, more to herself. Blaise nodded, slowly. His gaze was sad as he watched her seemed to melt away from the room though she had only moved through the shadows, carefully.

Blaise coughed again and suddenly he gave a dry heave. He leaned over and vomited in the bucket next to his bed. He vomited again and felt a hand rubbing his back. He looked up as he gave a dry heave, making sure that there wasn't anything else to vomit. His eyes met chocolate colored eyes.

"It'll be okay, Blaise" Hermione murmured. Blaise groped for the towel on the nightstand but Hermione had pulled him up and was wiping the excess vomit from his mouth herself. She kissed his cheek and tossed the tea towel onto the side table. She pushed him down and brushed his hair from his sweaty forehead.

"I'll take care of you. Just like you took care of me" Hermione murmured. Blaise nodded, slowly. Hermione lifted a potion from the bedside.

"She told you that if you woke up during the night, to take this. I don't understand how she thought that you were coherent to understand what she said, let alone remember. Here. Take just a sip. Open your mouth" Hermione coaxed, gently. Blaise opened his mouth slightly and a foul potion slipped between his lips and down his throat. Blaise suddenly felt extremely tired again.

Hermione pulled away the potion and Blaise's eyes dropped. Hermione leaned next to him. Blaise shivered again. Hermione blinked and then hugged him, tightly. She settled her head on his chest.

"Good night, Blaise."

"Good night, Hermione" he whispered back just as the familiar blackness returned.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 27****th**** of December 1994**

**9:00 AM**

"What are you doing in here?"

Blaise's eyes flickered open and he looked around him, remembering that his siblings were with him. A slight smile spread across his face and he looked down at Hermione who was rubbing her eyes. She gave a yawn.

Bella's head was buried underneath Draco's arm. She was trying to block out Madame Pomfrey so she could sleep in peace. It was nice to sleep here even if she was squished. She liked being with her siblings.

Blaise turned to Madame Pomfrey who looked like a cross of amused and annoyed. Next to her were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Riddle. Dumbledore was looking thoroughly amused at the entire thing. Snape looked gleeful at the idea of taking out house points. McGonagall looked thoroughly disapproving.

"Hmm…turn off the lights…it's too bright" Bella moaned. Tom smirked and waved his wand sharply. A bright light floated from it and flew into Bella's face. She gave a shriek of indignation. She glared up at him.

"**Fuck you!**" she hissed in anger. She leaned up and looked around, blinking before looking down at her brother who looked rather pale again.

"What are you doing in here? I thought I told you to _leave_" Madame Pomfrey snapped. Blaise blinked and tilted his head.

"I like my siblings with me. It calms me" Blaise said, softly. Madame Pomfrey's gaze softened before it hardened once more and she threw them all fierce glares that couldn't be surpassed by anyone, even Lord Voldemort.

"That may be, but it could stunt your healing" Madame Pomfrey snapped. Blaise smiled, softly. Sadly. Madame Pomfrey frowned in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Madame Pomfrey but I…I asked them to come back. For my sake. Purely because I don't believe I'm going to live very long" Blaise explained.

The statement caused several reactions.

McGonagall frowned and Snape actually conveyed confusion. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. Tom's eyes had widened, infinitesimally.

But, the reactions didn't cause his heart to agonize.

It was the soft cries of his siblings.

Bella had made a high hiss of distress at the admittance and she started to shake her head in horror. Draco was finally awake and a sharp rattling sound had erupted from his lips. Hermione had given an agonized shot that was cut of in seconds.

"Don't say things like that" Hermione warned, quietly. Blaise sighed.

"It is truth. I was much more comfortable with them here. I don't think I would've been able to sleep if they weren't here. I'm not usually in emotional or physical turmoil. I keep my mind and emotions in check and with that balance being deterred by my physical ailment, I need something to help me not focus on how disconcerting that is. I need them to keep myself calm both in mind, body, and emotion" Blaise answered, his tone even more emotionless than usual.

"I see…I suppose if it really helps you…" Madame Pomfrey said, unsure.

"What do you mean? They should be punished for sneaking out after curfew!" Snape snarled, maliciously. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"You'd have to punish me as well."

"Not to mention the fact that we were here _before_ curfew. Disillusionment Charms? Not that hard, especially if Draco does them" Hermione said, coldly. Snape sneered at her and cleared his throat.

"Mind your tone, Granger. Five points from Gryffindor" Snape snapped. McGonagall scowled at Snape but held her tongue. She cleared her throat.

"You gave some of your housemates quite a fright when you didn't return. They were concerned. Mr. Weasley thought that you had gone off to fight Grindelwald by yourself, leaving him behind. He was quite upset" McGonagall said, her tone taking a snappish quality when she referred to Ron. Bella frowned and slid off the bed and drummed her fingers against the wall. She began scratching at her skin and she twitched. Draco was frowning as well.

"I feel strange…it itches" Draco muttered. Hermione nodded, softly. The three siblings that _didn't_ have the plague flinched violently and looked down in horror at Blaise whose face had not moved from its emotionless mask.

"Blaise is hurt…" Bella murmured. Blaise turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I?"

"You're so stupid, Blaise. He's in immense pain and he's too closed off to say it. He needs a Numbing Potion and he needs to be tested again. For septicemic plague" Bella said, quietly. Madame Pomfrey frowned in confusion.

"I'm not very familiar with the plague as most wizards can't contract it. What is septicemic plague?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

Just as she finished her question, Blaise vomited in the bucket next to his bed. Hermione held his hair back as he vomited for about a minute and a half. She wiped the vomit from around his mouth and then looked down at the vomit in the bucket.

"It's plague in the bloodstream. And I believe he has it" Hermione answered. She poked Draco's shoulder and pointed at the bucket. Draco groaned.

"How do you know, Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore, curiously. Draco sighed.

"He just vomited blood."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of December 1994**

**10:00 AM**

_Dear Uncle Sirius and Maya,_

_I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. The Yule Ball was fantastic and I had so much fun. Cedric Diggory was a perfect gentleman so you don't have to hunt him down and destroy his testicles as you planned (Maya told me)._

_Hermione and Luna cut my hair but not too much. They kept complaining about how long my bangs were even though __**I**__ do mind very much. The dress that Maya picked out was gorgeous and I really love it very much. But, it was strange not to be wearing my crimson Yule robes. I didn't wear it earlier in the day either because I had my dueling lessons. And I'm obviously __**not **__lustful as I didn't do anything so don't worry. I'm not pregnant either._

_I miss you but I don't think I'll be able to write much as I'd like to. Something came up. I don't think Hermione has ever told you and I certainly haven't but Blaise has the plague. He's a Natural Legilimens, so there's a price, as you know. He was born with the plague and he has been able to keep it under control for fourteen years._

_But, recently, something happened. It can't be contained and so now he has the bubonic plague and has developed septicemic plague. That's when the plague gets into your bloodstream. I'm spending a lot of my time with him and trying to distract Hermione. She's very upset._

_Not to mention Luna who has been rather withdrawn now that she can not See what is going to happen to Blaise. I'm sorry and I miss you._

_Both of you and I hope to see you soon._

_Love,_

_Bella_

* * *

**Number 14, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of December 1994**

**4:00 PM**

"Is that Hedwig?"

Sirius looked up from the report that he was reading over on the possibilities of extending time travel before a smile broke across his face. He crossed to the window and threw it open and the snowy owl swooped in, two letters in her beak. She dropped one of Sirius' lap and another on Maya's.

Sirius ripped his open and began reading before his face fell. Maya was frowning as she read the first word.

"Blaise, their friend, has plague…what does Hermione's letter say?" Sirius asked. Maya bit her lips and looked down at the violent scrawl on the piece of paper. It just barely resembled her daughter's script.

"About the same…but…she didn't seem to have the same composure as Bella did when writing…" Maya said, biting her lip as she gave the letter to Sirius. Sirius grabbed the letter from her, his fingertips brushing against her hand. She jumped, slightly but went back to reading her magazine.

_Dear Mum and Sirius,_

_I'm freaking out. __Blaise is sick. Really sick…I don't know what to do. It's supposed to be impossible.__ I'm so fucking worr__—Wizards don't get what he's got…and no one has had it in the wizarding world before. They don't know what to do and Luna…Luna can't See if he's going to live._

_I can't focus on anything. Mum, what do I do? __I don't want to lose him. __Everything is falling apart and he's vomiting __**blood**__. And even __**he**__ doesn't think he'll live. I don't want him to die. He's the only one who can help me. He's the only one that I trust enough to let inside my head._

_Mum…he has the plague. The bubonic plague and septicemic plague._

_What do I do?_

_Love,_

_Mione_

"That is rather…violently written."

"The plague. She's around someone who has the plague," Maya said, sounding slightly stricken. Sirius placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He smiled at the woman who had become his best friend.

"Don't worry. She won't be able to get it. I promise. Wizards can't get the plague or many Muggle illnesses through natural ways" Sirius promised. Maya nodded, shortly, before frowning and looking at Sirius with solemn blue eyes.

"What do you mean by 'natural ways'?" Maya asked, curiously. Sirius cleared his throat.

"Blaise is a Natural Legilimens. That means he can't get to any mind without even trying. But like any gift, it comes at a price. I suppose getting an incurable disease by wizard standards would be it. He must be exceptionally powerful. There are a few Unspeakables that study those that are gifted like that" Sirius said, softly. Maya shook her head.

"She's so sad. I can feel it. She's trapped and I can't help my child," Maya murmured to herself. She looked down at her lap and Sirius pulled her into a tight hug as tears welled up in her eyes.

"It's okay, Maya. It's going to be okay," he murmured into her curly hair. Maya hugged him back just as tight and let the tears fall.

Tears for her daughter's violent grief.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of December 1994**

**10:35 AM**

"Happy birthday" Bella said, quietly. Tom looked up from the essay he was grading and inclined his head towards the girl. She looked a wreck and he knew that she knew it as well.

Her hair was pulled back in a messy braid and there were dark bags underneath her eyes. She didn't look as neat as she normally would but as least she didn't look like Hermione, he noted. Bella glided forward and sat down on the desk. She looked down at the essay he was grading.

"Vampires aren't vegetarians…they drink human blood. Not animal blood. Who came up with this shit?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom cleared his throat and looked down at it before marking a 'P' on top.

"Miss Meyer, a sixth year. They were given the assignment to create a thesis so they could write up an entire report on their thesis. Hers was about vampires and how their eyes turn gold when they drink animal blood. Which isn't true in the least but…" Tom said, conversationally. Bella sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"What are we, Tom?"

The taboo question was now in the open. Tom turned to look at her and then lowered his quill slowly. Bella was staring at her lap, emotionlessly. Tom stared at her with a curious expression.

"What do you mean, Ana?"

Bella gave him a flat look and cleared her throat before looking around, comfortably.

"This isn't right. Everything about it. You kissed me and now everything seems so different but…at the same time it doesn't. I don't understand" Bella said, quietly. Tom glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and sighed quietly. She wasn't getting too close to the truth…

"There isn't anything different, Ana" Tom started, slowly. Bella frowned at him.

"Hmm?"

"Kissing you…was…a mistake."

The moment the words came out, Tom realized his error. His eyes widened as Bella turned on him with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes were frosty.

He suddenly knew hands on the meaning of the words _'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'_.

And how true they were.

"Excuse me? 'A mistake'?" she said, as if testing him. It seemed like she was giving him the chance to backtrack but he already knew he had condemned himself to her rage.

So he stayed silent.

"A mistake. Okay. Then this was a mistake too" Bella said, softly. Tom turned to her in confusion just as her fist met the side of his face. Tom could feel blood filling his mouth and he fell to the side, grabbing the table. He turned to her with a furious crimson glare before swallowing the blood. Bella slid off the table.

"If it was a mistake, fine. Don't use me as if I'm just a toy or something to amuse you because I'm not. And I wish I _had_ kissed Cedric. He's a hell of a lot nicer _and_ less manipulative than _you_" Bella snapped, her voice thick with anger and hurt.

"Don't be a brat about this, Ana" Tom said, softly. Bella's eyes narrowed and she brought her arms around her neck. Tom watched wide-eyed as the locket slipped from around her neck.

"By giving it to you, it still gives protection. I'm not leaving it with just anybody. Take it back. I don't want it anymore. I won't be used," Bella whispered.

She dropped the ornate Slytherin locket onto his desk. It fell with a heavy clunk and Tom stared down at it, his eyes wide. Bella turned from him.

"See you later for our dueling lessons, Tom."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 3****rd**** of January 1995**

**8:16 AM**

"Term starts tomorrow, right?"

Ginny nodded at her older brother. Gideon's arm was hooked in hers and they didn't separate. They hadn't separated for long since their first year and they weren't planning to either.

"Yeah. My first class is…Charms I think. That sucks" Gideon sighed. Ginny giggled. Where her brother was good in Transfiguration, he could use a lot of work in the Charms department. It was the complete opposite for herself.

"Well, I have to get back to Romania. If you see Ron, let him know that I said goodbye. And that he has to work harder to get Bella to forgive him" Charlie said. Gideon nodded in agreement.

He thoroughly disagreed with Ron about Bella's supposed wanting of attention. If she wanted attention, it would be quite obvious.

"What about Malfoy? Don't you want to say goodbye to him?" Fred teased. George snickered at his brother. Charlie gave a half-grin and shrugged.

"Just tell Draco that I said goodbye" Charlie suggested. George turned towards the staircase and pointed with a wide grin.

"Tell him yourself."

Charlie glanced up and saw Bella walking down the stairs with Draco. Hermione's head was leaning against Blaise's. He was walking slowly down the stairs and wincing in pain every few moments. He was sore from being in his bed for quite a few days in addition to the strain that the plague was putting on him. Luna was standing next to Draco, her hand entwined with his. Charlie raised an eyebrow at that and walked forward.

Draco stopped as did the people with him. Draco raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"I'm leaving now" Charlie said. Draco looked around and was pleased to see that there was barely anybody in the Entrance Hall. Most were already eating breakfast in the Great Hall.

"Finally? Thank Merlin" Draco said with a smirk. Charlie rolled his eyes and took a step forward.

"There's a thing called personal space and you've just entered m—" Draco snapped. He was cut off by lips.

He stared wide-eyed as Charlie kissed him, softly. Charlie pulled away with a cocky smirk. Fred and George stared with dumbfounded grins. Ginny and Gideon's mouths were wide open in astonishment. Draco stared. Bella was grinning and Blaise's eyebrows were almost in his hair. Hermione had dropped Blaise's hand and brought it to her mouth to cover her gaping.

"Arse!" Draco snapped before throwing his fist forward. His fist slammed Charlie in the cheek and Charlie stumbled back at the sheer force in the punch. He turned to Draco. Draco's cheeks were stained pink and he looked angry as well as embarrassed. Luna was smiling, brightly.

Draco turned and stormed away. He pulled Luna along and Luna wiggled her fingers, saying goodbye.

"Goodbye, Charlie" she said, sweetly. Charlie gave her a fake smile.

"This isn't over yet, Luna" he said, his tone cheerful though the competitive glint in his eyes said otherwise. Luna laughed and waved.

"I never said it was" she said, her voice still lighthearted but with a slight edge to it. She sounded rather dangerous and determined. Charlie's fake smile disappeared as Luna and Draco disappeared inside. He glared fiercely at her back.

"Rejected!" called Fred. Charlie made a rude gesture at his younger brother and turned to Bella with a slight smile.

"That was _brilliant!_" Bella said, grinning. Blaise nodded, tiredly.

"That was…amazing. I can't believe he didn't automatically curse you. Or scream to file sexual harassment charges against you" Blaise said, smirking. He gave a cough and Hermione rubbed his back. Blaise gave her a slight smile. Hermione winked before turning to Charlie.

"I know Draco's ugly side. I've seen it. You are extremely lucky to have a soul at the moment" Hermione snickered. Charlie nodded and rubbed the blossoming bruise on his cheek. He sighed and turned to them. He ruffled Bella's hair.

"I have to be in Romania by three today and I have to stop by my parents' house. I'll see you guys later. Get good grades and all that rot" Charlie sighed. Bella laughed again and nodded. She turned to her siblings and took Hermione's hand. She dragged them towards the Gryffindor table. Draco was already sitting there with Luna and Ginny. He was glaring at the table in anger.

"Don't get upset about something so small as that, Draco" Bella sighed. Draco glared at Bella in annoyance but said nothing. He looked rather sulky.

"Where's the porridge?" Bella asked, curiously. Hermione gave her sister a look.

"Must you always have porridge?"

"Yes. Now where is it?" Bella demanded. Blaise pushed the bowl over towards her and Bella made herself a bowl. Blaise ate his croissant, slowly. He didn't want to vomit at the breakfast table.

Well…there went his appetite.

Oh, wait…it's back. He continued to eat and looked up when he felt curious gazes burning into his back.

"Yes, Christine?" Blaise asked. Christine blushed and looked down at her plate from being caught for staring. Hermione hid a smile behind her hand and she leaned on Blaise's shoulder.

"Uh…is it true that you have a…fatal disease?" Christine asked.

Bella's smile slid off and Draco turned his glare on Christine. Hermione's smile disappeared completely and was replaced with a grimace. Blaise's sad smile never left his face.

"Quite possibly."

"What do you mean 'quite possibly'? It either is or isn't" Michael pointed out. Blaise tilted his head.

"I don't know, then. There is a possibility that I will gain control of it with potions and won't die. And then there is the possibility that I will meet a young death. I do not know" Blaise answered, kindly.

"Don't talk like that" Hermione muttered. Blaise kissed Hermione's hair.

"_Cosa parlo è la verità, bella ragazza_" he said, softly. Hermione turned away from him and glanced at Ron who was glaring down the table. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Christine and Michael.

"I don't like talking about this. It's painful to see my best friend dying" Hermione murmured. Bella grinned and looked at her with mock hurt on her face.

"What about _me_? I thought _I_ was your best friend!" she said, dramatically. Hermione's lips quirked into a smile.

"No. You're my sister. Draco's my ponce brother. I'd call Blaise my brother too but that'd be weird."

"Ah…Loony, are you okay?" Draco asked. Luna gave a slight smile and nodded. She looked around her and her grin brightened by 1000 watts. Her pupils grew in size slightly and her eyes were wide

"I can See. Not really…but…I can See nargles and wrackspurts" Luna whispered to herself. Blaise grinned at her.

"That's great, Luna. I'm happy for you" he said, softly. Luna nodded in wonder before she turned to the door. Most in the room flinched as they felt heavy and Dark magic pressing on them.

Bella squared her shoulders and watched as Tom Riddle stormed into the room.

His eyes were a dark crimson, the color of drying blood. His face was drawn and his skin was tight. His face was twisted into what looked like a permanent scowl. His jaw looked clenched he was glaring at everyone who looked at him.

"Why does he look like something got stuck up his arse?" whispered Hermione. Gideon snickered, not too quietly.

Tom spun and hissed, menacingly. His teeth were in clear view and his canine teeth looked suspiciously like fangs. He spun around and stormed up to the Head Table. Dumbledore was looking at the man with curiosity in his blue eyes.

Tentative talking resumed in the normally thunderous Great Hall. There were occasional glances from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. It was typical for Tom to be in a bad mood at least once every year so most Hogwarts students knew _not_ to stare at him when he was angry.

"What's wrong with him? He's angry. Why is he angry?" Draco asked, curiously. Bella looked at her nails and then gave them a dry and sarcastic smile.

"It was a _mistake_. He called it a _mistake_. So I gave him back that Goddamned locket. He can protect it himself. I just can't deal with his shit anymore. Not on top of this tournament. I'll sort it out later" Bella said, sighing. Blaise raised an eyebrow at Bella and Gideon frowned in confusion.

"What did he call a 'mistake'?" he asked, curiously.

"None of your business" four voices said. Gideon looked offended and he turned away to talk to the laughing Christine and Michael. Ginny was rolling her eyes at her brother's curiosity.

"Did he really? I didn't think he would do that" Blaise said, slowly. Bella gave her brother a sneer.

"Just because you can get into someone's head, doesn't mean that you know everything about them" she hissed, quietly. She glanced over at Gideon and Ginny. She sighed, quietly, in relief. They were occupied and weren't listening to the current conversation.

"You just don't like that I know more about him that you know about him."

"You _don't_!" Bella snarled, rather loudly. She was standing now with a glare and a scowl decorating her face.

Several people turned towards the angry girl. Blaise's lips were curled into an amused smile. Bella slid down in her seat.

"You're angry with him because you were _rejected _and you feel used. You didn't expect that, now did you? But trust me, he had his reasons, _sorella_. He doesn't like not being in control and that is what happened. He lost control so he tried to fix it. But, he didn't. He just pissed you off," Blaise concluded. Bella took a sip of her coffee and crossed her arms with a raised eyebrow.

"And his reasons?"

"Were sound. And not my place to say. Why don't you ask him?" Blaise asked, curiously. Bella shook her head.

"No. He's going to apologize to me first. I'm not going to crawl after him like a puppy, Blaise. I have self-respect" Bella sighed. Hermione tapped her chin.

"His reasons…he lost control. In what way?" Hermione asked, curiously. Blaise gave Hermione a look.

"Not my place to say, Mione. I will not tell even you. And don't try to ask either Drake. I will definitely not tell _you_. You can't keep a secret from Ana" Blaise said before Draco could even open his mouth.

Draco gave him a rude gesture and Blaise only laughed.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 4****th**** of January 1995**

**10:45 AM**

"Unicorns?"

"Where's Hagrid?"

"Aren't they pretty?"

"Where's Hagrid?" Ron asked, even louder this time. Bella blinked when she realized that her teacher _wasn't_ the tall half-giant.

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank. I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher," the elderly witch said. Ron grumbled and Bella glared at him, annoyed. She was already on edge.

Dark magic was still upsetting everyone else's magical cores. Their grumbling was pissing Bella off and Bella already had to deal with the upcoming task that she still hadn't figured out.

"Don't you pay attention, Ron. Hagrid's a giant and now everyone is being pissy at Dumbledore and him. Get with it."

Ron looked at her in shock and turned back to Seamus and Dean. Bella scratched her arm. She was jumpy today and admittedly, she didn't know why. She didn't have DADA today. So, she didn't have to worry about being cursed in the middle of class.

"Thank you, Miss Potter. Now, follow me to the paddock" she insisted. Bella walked forward, slowly. Hermione was frowning in confusion.

In the paddock, the Beauxbatons horses were huddled together to one side.

But, Bella's eyes were on the two magnificent beasts in front of her. She stared as all of the girls 'oooooohed!' Bella was not staring at the white unicorn in front of her. Her eyes were on the beast next to it.

Large milky blue and decidedly _blind_ eyes stared back at her. The intelligent beast tilted its head in confusion. Bella walked up, slowly, even as Professor Grubbly-Plank warned her.

"Wait! No! It's vicious!"

Bella stretched her hand towards the black unicorn. A smile spread on her lips as her hand settled on the muzzle. Bella tilted her head as the creature nudged her. Bella kissed the muzzle.

"Nikita…"

The name was breathed, quietly. Bella hugged the great unicorn around the neck and she kissed it again. Professor Grubbly-Plank frowned as Bella spun around with a grin. She stared at her shocked siblings.

"Nikita. A _horse_!" Bella said, saying the word, pointedly. Nikita's ears pinned back and he gave snort of aggression. Bella laughed and turned back to the black unicorn.

"Shut up, Nikita."

"A _horse_…oh geez" Blaise sighed. He gave a cough and Hermione searched in her bag and shoved a potion into his hand without looking away from Bella. Blaise downed the potion and handed her back the vial. She tucked it back in her bag.

"I don't understand. Yesterday, he was kicking and he almost broke my leg…what did you do? How did you calm her?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked, incredulously. Draco was smirking.

"I don't know" Bella said, softly as Nikita made a quiet sound of appreciation.

"She has a way with animals?" Hermione suggested. Professor Grubbly-Plank gave her a disbelieving look.

Bella only smirked at her mischievously.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 4****th**** of January 1995**

**6:00 PM**

"Hey, you two. What's wrong?" Bella asked as she sat across from Fred, George, and Lee. Blaise sat down next to her and Hermione sat down next to him. Draco was on her other side just as Ron made a move to sit down. He glared at the blond and moved to sit elsewhere. Luna was with Ginny and Gideon for a change.

"Professor Riddle was a menace today. Moody had to stop him from killing someone," Fred groaned. Bella frowned as she piled fish and chips onto her plate. Hermione was forcing soup down Blaise's throat. He looked much paler and was coughing every few seconds.

Blaise picked up a napkin and coughed into it. He pulled back the napkin and stared at blood on it. He tucked it away from Hermione's curious and worried eyes. Bella frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean by 'a menace'? What did he do?" Ginny asked from a few seats down. Fred crossed his arms.

"He assigned so much homework it's not even funny. We have two essays to do. One on Inferi and one on dueling principles. Then we have to read fifteen pages. And during class…whoa" George said, worriedly. Lee nodded.

"He called up Adrian Pucey for a duel demonstration. He's a Slytherin. He's on—" Lee started.

"The Slytherin Quidditch Team. He's a Chaser" Draco and Bella said as one. They rolled their eyes at each other but turned back to Lee.

"That's kind of creepy. I keep forgetting that you're blood siblings so we have two Slytherins on Gryffindor turf" Lee said with a slight smile.

"Actually, three if you really want to be technical" Draco said, softly. Bella glared at him.

"Don't be. I'm not really on good terms with Tom right now. Anyway, continue."

"_Okay_, that's probably why he cursed Pucey so bad that now Pucey is in the Hospital Wing. Pucey got confident and threw some kind of Entrail-Expelling Curse at Riddle. Riddle _did_ say we could use any spell, even the Unforgiveables, though he said that they'd probably only give him a nosebleed. When Riddle dodged, he told Pucey that if he was going to use dangerous curses, he'd have to try harder since he had a protégé of some sorts that was a genius at those types of curses" Lee explained. Hermione beamed.

"I'm a prodigy?" she asked, with a bright smile. Fred and George gaped at her.

"He was talking about _you_? I thought he was making it up!" Fred gasped. Bella smirked.

"Nope. She is truly amazing. Vicious, which is probably why Tom enjoys teaching her so much."

"If she's half as vicious as Riddle was, then she's scary" George said, shivering. Bella smirked and leaned forward.

"She's even more so. So much that she sometimes loses control" she insisted, enjoying the terrified look on their faces.

"_Anyway_, that's creepy. I'm going to continue now. So, Pucey got even more mad when Riddle said that the kid was younger than him. Pucey tried to punch him. Then Riddle exploded the dueling platform and picked up a stake. He did this crazy jump kick and knocked Pucey down and then threw the stake down in a…not comfortable spot. He almost castrated him!"

"He did _not_! He took my moves! Bastard" Bella snarled. Fred and George frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean he took your moves?" Fred asked.

"I do that when we duel. It usually ends in a stalemate. It doesn't end as badly as Hermione's does. Usually, the room is in disaster. Blaise is rather quiet about his dueling. He's quick and brutal. He normally cuts off your movement. Draco just scares the shit out of you until you finally give up" Bella said with a slight smile. Draco's answering smile was smug.

"That's probably why our brother is so interested in you. He always liked the feisty ones" Fred said, leering. Draco's smile turned in a sneer.

"Speaking of your _brother_, tell him to stop sending me letters of apologies. It's becoming quite annoying" Draco said, flatly. George shrugged.

"Charlie's persistent. He won't stop even if you file sexual harassment charges against him."

"If I told my father we wouldn't even file charges. We'd chuck him into Azkaban" Draco snarled. Bella gave him a fond smile and ran a hand through his slicked back hair, messing it up.

"I remember when you used to shout 'My father will hear about this' all the time. Such a long time ago. Two, almost three years. You're not as intolerable. I suppose that's a good thing" Bella smiled. Draco glared at her and tried to flatten his hair once more.

"You're just as annoying."

"I love you too."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 6****th**** of January 1995**

**7:55 PM**

"**Anastasia…**"

Bella looked up from her books and glanced at Blaise, Hermione, and Draco. They were all looking at her in confusion. Bella blinked.

"Did you say something?" she asked. Draco shook his head. Blaise coughed and looked up at the clock. He took out another potion and downed the foul black liquid before placing it back in his bag.

"No…we…thought you said something in Parseltongue" Blaise coughed out. Bella scratched the back of her head and she turned. She looked down and saw Nagini.

"**Nagini. What brings you here?**" Bella asked, curiously. She wondered if the dear snake's insufferable master had sent her.

"**I wished to speak to you. Tom is upset. He's been ranting and he won't do anything except mess with that stupid trinket. Did you break my master?**" Nagini hissed, annoyed. Bella's lips curled into a dry smile.

"**No. I did not. He rants? About what?**"

"**I believe he said something along the lines of 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. He said that he doesn't understand why all women take everything so personally and are so touchy and emotional. He also said that of all the women he has ever met, you are the emotional and he hates how much you control you have over him. Did you break him? He never used to brood as much as he does now**" Nagini hissed, almost sounding like a sigh.

Bella blinked in surprise and she frowned. Draco, Hermione, and Blaise were looking at her curiously as she contemplated Nagini's words.

"**Is that so? Well, Tom is the most insufferable man I've ever met. He must **_**always**_** be in control and he likes to imagine that he knows everything. But, he doesn't know the first thing about women and he deserved that punch and more**" Bella spat. She glared at the ground and her expression softened as she let out a loud sigh.

"**And **_**I'm**_** touchy and emotional? Ha! He can't make up his blood mind half the time…I suppose I'm not angry with him. I'm upset because he **_**insulted**_** me. He won't use me and I **_**won't**_** apologize to him. He has to apologize to me.**"

"**He said the exact opposite…that **_**you**_** should apologize to him.**"

Bella seethed.

_Now_ she was angry with him.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 6****th**** of January 1995**

**8:15 PM**

"**I don't understand. She said that **_**I**_** was insufferable. She's one to talk! And that **_**I**_** don't know the first thing about women! What a hypocrite!**" Tom ranted as he paced in his office. Nagini hissed and bobbed her head in a nod.

"**She did. She said all of that. She also said that you're controlling and you don't know everything. She seems to think that you're full of yourself. You're also conflicted. You can never make up your mind. Remember what she said before when she was talking to her sickly brother. You're sarcastic, obscene, immoral, violent, and a complete jerk. You also close off and wallow in your own misery. **_**And**_** you're selfish, angry, and resentful**" Nagini hissed.

If she could grin, she would be. Her plan was _working_.

Just as Tom opened his mouth to shout in anger, the door slammed open. Bella glared at Tom with a flush on her cheeks. The young woman was breathing hard as if she had just run there.

"You. Are. _UNBELIEVABLE!_" Bella shouted. Tom glared at her.

"_Me_? _I'm_ unbelievable! So, I'm controlling?" he demanded. Bella sneered. She stormed up to him and jutted a finger in his face.

"As a matter of fact, yes! You always have to be in control! Because you're _so_ insecure!" she shrieked at him. Tom turned away from her and began pacing in front of her. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I'm not insecure! But, apparently I'm sarcastic, obscene, and I wallow in my own misery" he snarled at her, viciously. Bella rolled her eyes.

"You've got _that_ right. Spot on, Captain Obvious. Spot on" she said, flatly. Tom stormed up to her and looked like he was towering over her, which he was. He glared down at her.

"Don't sass me, Ana. I'm in a right state. It'd be best not to piss me off."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? My grandfather? 'Don't sass me'. 'Don't sass me'. Sod off" Bella snarled as she mocked him. Tom's hands formed claws as if he wanted to choke her.

"You _are_ so ANGERING!" he roared.

"And you call _me_ emotional and touchy?" she demanded. Tom snarled in rage.

"Because you _are_. You silly girl! You're so stupid! If kissing you was a mistake, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT! I DON'T FUCKING MAKE MISTAKES!" he screamed. Bella blinked and in another second, Tom had claimed her lips.

He kissed her roughly and Bella's fingers tangled in his hair. She yanked harshly and Tom kissed her even harder. She let out a soft groan and she pulled away from Tom and looked at him with dark eyes. A soft smirk was on her face.

"You lied…" she whispered. Tom stalked towards her like a hunting snake. Bella slid onto the desk.

"I manipulated the truth. It's different…" he whispered before he kissed her once more.

:::

**A/N: **And they are both now, once more, unclear on where they stand. Ah, well. The next chapter, will explore more of Blaise's illness. It was slightly unclear in this chapter, though there were little hints, like Blaise coughing up and vomiting blood. And Cedric was supposed to be in this chapter with some talk of the egg. But, I'll do the next task in the next chapter.

Next Chapter:Cedric Diggory, Eggs, Family, Gillyweed (I'm still with the alphabetical nonsense)

**_Fun Fact# 1_**: Originally, this was a FemHP/Sirius story that I got about a hundred pages into before I scrapped it and started this. Sirius was proven innocent in her 5th year and didn't die. Bella still lived at her relatives' house, however. A lot of the elements, such as debutante season was inspired by The Perfect Girl by slytherin-nette.

**_Fun Fact # 2_**: When I finally _did_ develop _this_ story enough, I never planned for Blaise or Draco to be big parts of the story. Hermione was always going to be Horsemen. Always War and she was always going to get psychosis. _Ron _was going to be a Horseman but then I really that I didn't really like him all too much. Then, I actually published the first few chapters and realized that now that Bella had a connection to Slytherin, I should use Slytherins. I immediately thought of Draco but didn't have any idea for someone else. I don't like the name Theo Nott. It bothers me. So, I elected Blaise, a suave Italian. Granted, he turned out different than how I imagined. He was _supposed_ to be a playboy Italian but turned out to be a quiet, reserved boy who was a pretty good flirt with girls that he thought were worth his time.

Ah, well.

More Fun Facts (if I have any) next time.


	45. Chapter XLI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** So…I don't have much of a note as last time. Tom and Bella have no standing at this point and are just going with it. Hermione is worried sick about Blaise. Blaise is hiding his pain so he feels _more_ pain. Draco is just being Draco. But he WILL be getting somewhat emotional at the end of the chapter. And Cedric gets to say hi and be a perv.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLI**

**Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 16****th**** of January 1995**

**12:00 PM**

"Did you see him _dive_ into the lake? It looks _freezing_" Bella said as they walked into the crowded and loud establishment. Draco nodded and Blaise was shivering from the cold though he had a slight fever.

He had snuck out of the Hospital Wing, despite Madame Pomfrey and Hermione's demands. Hermione had eventually given in because truly she had wanted him to come to Hogsmeade with them anyway. Bella guided them towards a table near the bar and raised her hand.

"Four butterbeers!" she called out. The bartender made a grunt, showing that he had heard. Bella grabbed the four butterbeers as he placed them on the counter and she served it around. Hermione gave Bella a knowing look.

"Don't you prefer Firewhiskey?"

Bella sneered at her sister's teasing and nodded. Hermione was looking at the door and she groaned. She placed her forehead on Blaise's shoulder. Bella glanced over and saw that Rita Skeeter had just walked in with her photographer. Bozo, Bella thought his name was.

"Ugh. I wish Augustus were here. He could suck out her soul" Bella sighed. Draco snickered.

"I'm available."

"Yeah. You can let everyone know that you're the Son of Death, while you're at it. Speaking of Augustus, where is your familiar?" Bella asked, curiously. Draco glared at his sister before drumming his long thin fingers on his table. He tilted his head.

"Dumbledore decided that Augustus was too dangerous. No matter. My parents adore him. He's much like a guard dog. But a bit more dangerous, don't you think?" Draco asked with a malicious leer decorating his face. Bella laughed, quietly and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're unbelievable, Draco. So, _your_ horse is a _unicorn_?" Hermione smirked. Bella glared at her sister.

"A _black_ unicorn. Nikita. I don't know but…I just knew his name was Nikita. So, I looked up. The name 'Nikita' is Russian. It is derived from the Greek name, Niketas, which means 'victorious'. That name comes from the Greek goddess, Nike. She was the personification of victory," Bella explained. Draco raised an aristocratic eyebrow.

"You named your unicorn a girl name? Now, I can understand when he got pissed at you."

"He got pissed because I called him a horse and Nikita is traditionally a boy's name. So piss off, Drake" Bella snapped.

"Now, who do we have here?"

The four children looked up at Rita Skeeter and Bozo. Rita Skeeter had a wide smile on her face. Bella raised an eyebrow. She had to deal with this carefully because this woman had destroyed Hagrid. She didn't want her destroying _Bella's_ fragile image.

"On a double date?" Rita asked. Bella gave a smile.

"Oh no. Draco is my blood brother and Blaise isn't really in any condition to actually be out. He's a little ill, Rita" Bella said with a smile. Blaise gave a half-hearted wave and Rita suddenly looked rather interested.

"Ill? Ill with what and why has he been allowed out of the school?" asked Rita. Hermione frowned and opened her mouth.

"I think you should mind your bu—" she started.

"Hermione!" snarled two voices as one. Rita spun around and caught sight of the ever-handsome Tom Riddle. Bella was giving her a careful and warning look. Hermione looked down at her lap. Bella gave Tom a smirk.

"So, you've finally decided to come out into the open. You're much too antisocial" Bella said, sounding slightly chastising. Tom rolled his eyes and leaned against Blaise's chair. Blaise glanced up at the man.

"Another fight?"

"Mind your business, Blaise. It was resolved" Tom snapped, annoyed. Bella laughed and Hermione and Draco watched her in confusion. Blaise nodded and glanced at the scarf that was tightly wrapped around Bella's neck despite it being rather warm.

"I've noticed. A scarf. It's rather warm in here for a scarf. Heh" Blaise said. Bella's eyes widened and she turned away from her brother. Rita leaned over to examine Blaise and Tom and then she turned to Bella.

"What on Earth is he talking about?" she asked, nosily.

"Nothing very serious. Bella and Tom are very combative people. Tom is teaching Bella to duel, you know. He has been since our third year. She _is_ to be Lady Potter and Lady of the Houses typically know how to duel. I suppose they got into another unexpected duel. When they get angry at each other, they tend to cause each other bodily harm. Sometimes they actually get bloody," Draco lied, smoothly.

He gave Tom the evil eye before pointing to his eyes and jutting a finger at Bella. She snickered and leaned her head on Draco's shoulder. Rita observed with blatant curiosity.

"Is that so. Professor Riddle what are you doing here?" Rita asked. Tom turned a raised eyebrow on the woman.

"I'm entitled to go into the Three Broomsticks, yes?"

Rita flushed in embarrassment before taking out parchment and a normal quill, slyly.

"A few months back, I saw an article on you. In Spella Daily. Is it true that you are still seeing this woman? There have been quite a lot of rumors that she has been spotted around the world, including America, Egypt, and China" Rita said, with a condensing smile. Tom tilted his head.

"I don't see how that is any of your business. Tell me, Ms. Skeeter, when did the Daily Prophet become a gossip rag?" Tom asked, coldly. Rita flinched and her stare hardened as she looked her challenger up and down.

"It's not gossip. It's fact."

"It _is_ gossip. What I do and what _she_ does is none of your business. I'd appreciate if you would stick your abnormally long nose out of my business and continued on your way" Tom snarled. Rita's hand snapped closed around her quill, crushing it in her hands.

Her beady eyes narrowed in anger.

"I could _destroy_ her and you."

"You don't want to threaten me Rita Skeeter. I'm not only powerful magically. I'm a political and financial opponent that you do not want to go against. Don't make me your enemy. Because I will be a formidable enemy that you could not _possibly_ win against," Tom hissed, dangerously. Rita's lips curled into an evil smirk and she placed her parchment back into her crocodile skin bag. Her eyes found Bella's and her eyes widened as an idea occurred to her.

"We'll see, Riddle."

She turned on her heel and stalked out. Tom crossed his arms as he glared holes into her back.

"She's going to make your life hell" Bella sighed. Tom gave her a look.

"I'm going to _put_ her in hell."

"I'll help you. She's annoying. And did you see the way she was trying to get a story. Merlin, she's annoying" Draco said, his lips curling in disgust.

Tom nodded, firmly in agreement.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 18****th**** of January 1995**

**8:00 AM**

"THAT BITCH! **THAT FUCKING BITCH! I'LL FUCKING **_**KILL **_**HER!**"

The first words had everyone look up from their conversation but the high-pitched hissing screams made most shudder. It even shattered a crystal goblet that a Beauxbatons student had brought from France.

Bella's shrieks were heard all over the Great Hall and Snape stood. He was definitely ready to take points. He was stopped when a horde of owls flew in with rolled up papers. They dropped them in front of students and they took one glance at the front page of the Daily Prophet before looking at Bella.

Bella's teeth were bared and her canines looked, once more, like fangs. The girl threw the paper back at Hermione who caught it, looking rather confused. Bella turned from the table and stormed up to Gideon. Her hand wrapped around his neck and he looked at her in horror.

"WHAT DID YOU DO? Why did you talk to her about _me_?" demanded Bella.

Gideon was quickly turning blue and Bella's grip was only tightening with rage. A hand wrapped around her wrist. She turned and saw it was Draco giving her a look. Another hand grabbed the wrist of the hand that was choking Gideon. She turned to look at Luna. She gave a slight tug, showing what she wanted. Bella dropped her hand from his neck.

"She…she…just wanted to know who you hang out with. A-and who you went to the Yule Ball with" coughed Gideon. He rubbed his neck where long thin bruises were evident on his neck. Bella glared at him, her eyes not turning its usual crimson but turning into the sharp and deadly color of the Killing Curse.

"So you told her that Cedric's my boyfriend and that I'm cheating on him with _you_? _And_ Blaise?" Bella whispered in a deadly voice. Gideon shuddered and shook his head.

"N-not a-a-at a-all."

"Then what the hell did you tell her?" Bella demanded.

"He told her what you said. I suppose he sounded a little too worshipping of you and twisted your words."

Bella turned sharply, twisting like a snake towards Christine. Christine flinched at her snake-y attitude.

"Did he? And what about Blaise? How did that happen?" demanded Bella.

"To spite me. I was talking bad about her when we left the Three Broomsticks. She probably heard me. She _was_ standing there. She saw me taking care of Blaise and stuffing potions down his throat," Hermione murmured. Blaise groaned in annoyance.

Their anger was nothing compared to the Dark anger radiating from the Head Table. Most people in the room turned to look at Tom Riddle. He had never been _this_ angry in Hogwarts School but at the moment he had fury written all over his face.

He stormed from the room with his robes billowing better than Snape's ever had. Bella watched and could feel his anger radiating off of him in waves. Most people seemed like they couldn't stand. Bella and her siblings watched unflinchingly.

"Come on. I just want to leave" Bella sighed. She picked four pieces of buttered toast off Gideon's place. Gideon opened his mouth to protest. Bella gave him the evil eye and he quickly shut up.

They walked out of the gossiping room. Bella's coffee was in one hand while she ate her toast with the other. Hermione's lips quirked into a smile despite their situation. Blaise looked even paler than normal and Hermione dug in the small purse that she carried around all the time now. She took out one of the many vials, making sure it was a green one.

A Calming Potion.

She passed it to Blaise and he shook his head, smiling.

"Stop mothering me.

"He's going to end up killing her. This is slander," Draco said, quietly.

"He won't kill her but you're right. This _is_ slander," Draco added. Bella nodded in understanding. She sighed, ready to endure all that was going to happen.

The foursome spoke in hushed tones in a deserted hallway until it was time for class. Bella cleared her throat and stood up straight. She saw people straggling into the corridor and looking at her. Hermione kissed Blaise's cheek for everyone to see and Bella plastered on a real smile, to show that everything was a lie.

"We have to get to class. Herbology, actually. We'll see you later. I'll be back to give you more potions during break, okay?" Hermione said, cheerfully. Blaise rolled his eyes and nodded with a slight smile.

"_And_ if you get sick go to Madame Pomfrey. You've been getting paler lately and you're losing a lot of blood. Hermione can tell and she told me that she saw you vomiting blood when she visited you last night in the Hospital Wing" Bella said, pointedly. Draco glanced at his best friend with wide eyes.

"Really? _Blaise_. Why didn't you tell me?" demanded Draco. Bella snickered and hugged her brother's arm. He completely ignored her hanging from his arm.

"Because Blaise can never tell someone who he's sick or feeling pain because he's emotionally stunted or something" Bella laughed.

"Slut!"

Bella's laughter edged off and her mouth fell open. Draco spun, quickly. Bella was now behind him and Draco's wand was out and he was looking around, his eyes like ice. He glared around, looking for the heckler but wasn't able to find anyone who was willing to fess up.

"Ana…" Blaise rasped out. Bella shook her head, looking at her feet. She looked him in the eye and though her eyes looked sad, her face was grimly determined.

"No. I'm fine. Come on, Hermione" Bella muttered. Hermione nodded, sympathetically.

The two hooked arms and walked away from the two boys. They walked to the greenhouses in silence.

"Bella…"

Bella stopped and looked at the tall gangly redhead in front of her. She gave a sad smile and a little wave.

"Hi, Ron. What's up?"

"I'm sorry about what that person yelled. It's not true. I know that and you should know it. You're not a sl…scarlet woman," Ron said, softly. Bella's lips broke into a true smile and she nodded, slowly.

"Thank you, Ron. Walk with us" she said, softly. He nodded and the three walked together in a comfortable silence.

It was almost like old times, Bella thought. But no, she realized. Hermione and Bella were beyond Ron. They could pretend that they were still friends but both Hermione and Bella knew that they could never truly go back to that comfortable trio that they had been in for the past three years. And definitely now that they were part of a prophesied quartet…they were very much in the Dark.

Whereas Ron was past the line of shadow, the dividing line. He was near the sun himself, Dumbledore. And that would just not do.

They entered the greenhouses before Professor Sprout could get there. Bella could feel the eyes on her and she wasn't quite sure if they were filled with pity, resentment, or amusement.

"Adding to your Weasley collection?"

"The Ravenclaws should watch it. You want someone from each house?"

"She's so full of herself. I don't understand."

"I _know_. She's not even that pretty."

The whispers weren't quiet. Not in the least. But, Bella didn't turn towards the spiteful comments. She was better than them. They weren't worth her time and she knew it.

She was Victory. A Horseman of the Apocalypse. The leader of them, even. She knew she shouldn't worry about them.

"Poor Cedric. Being led on by her…"

Bella squeezed her hand into fists, trying to keep control on her temper.

The bloody idiots. She didn't want _anything_ to do with Cedric. He was nice and all but she would never date him. She could even dated him if she wanted to. Sirius would interrogate him, Hermione would sneer at him, Draco would sneer at him, Blaise would treat him with false kindness, Luna would prophesy to him, and Tom…Tom would kill him.

Because it was quite apparent that Tom did _not_ share.

When Professor Sprout came in, it was clear that the class wouldn't be doing anything that day. She lectured on the properties of _Venemous Tentacula_ while Bella pondered on her current situation.

Bella acknowledged that everything wouldn't be going on like this is she was already actually in a relationship, which supposedly she _was _in. Tom was confusing and most of the time they fought and then ended up snogging. It was a weird relationship that Bella didn't want to talk about it. She honestly didn't want to risk another episode like the last one.

Nagini had caused _that_ one.

Bella tugged her scarf even tighter. There was a fierce red hickey on her neck at the moment and she didn't want anyone to catch sight of that. That'd just prove Rita's story even more.

And she didn't need any of that.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 21****st**** of January 1995**

**8:15 AM**

Bella had gotten hate mail for a few days and she was able to destroy a few that had been Howlers before they'd gotten started. She had learned _that_ spell from Uncle Sirius. He had received a few Howlers before for his numerous pranks but Bella's worst had come Thursday morning.

"More hate mail?" Ron asked, curiously. He had taken to sitting with them again now that the quartet had decided that it would be best if Draco and Blaise had taken to sitting with the Slytherins again.

"Of course, Ron. What else?" Bella asked. She actually thought some of the mail was quite hilarious though annoying. She opened the top envelope before crying out in pain.

An orange liquid that smelled a lot like petrol gushed over her hands. She gave a cry and looked down at her hands as the skin peeled from them.

"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" cried out Ron. Hermione's face depicted horror.

"It's…it's mixed with something else. A bit of Stinksap, I think. It's peeling her skin off…oh no. Come Ana" Hermione said. Everyone was watching as tears fell silently from the strong Bella Potter's face. She gave a sniff and looked towards the Ravenclaw table.

Fleur Delacour was giggling with her friends and looking at Bella with righteous expression.

"_Bitch_. You half-breed!" Bella said, angrily. Fleur's giggling got louder and she leaned over and giggled with a Ravenclaw student, a Chinese girl.

The giggling stopped suddenly.

"80 points from Ravenclaw for misconduct towards a student, Miss Chang. And a week of detention…with Filch."

Tom glided from the Ravenclaw table and towards Hermione and Bella. He held Bella by the shoulder and guided the two girls out of the doorway. He turned towards the Slytherin table and gave sharp shake of the head. Blaise and Draco settled in their seats and frowned as they watched Tom escort the two girls from the room.

Bella's hands were bleeding now and the peeling skin hung from her hands like ribbons. As soon as they were on the same floor as the Hospital Wing, Bella let out a sound resembling a sob. She walked into the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey looked up from her desk with a concerned look on her face.

"Oh dear, what's wrong?" Madame Pomfrey asked, bustling towards the girl.

"A girl in Ravenclaw and the Beauxbatons champion thought it'd be _funny_ if they sent her an envelope full of undiluted bubotuber pus and Stinksap. The combination makes skin peel off" Tom said, stiffly. Madame Pomfrey nodded.

"Poor girl. All of this has to do with that wretched Rita Skeeter, correct?" Madame Pomfrey asked. Hermione nodded, sadly.

"That stupid half-breed…I'll _kill_ her. I'm going to destroy her…and that little bitch sister of hers too" Bella whispered. Tom's lips curled into a half smile at her bloodlust and he ran his fingers through her loose hair.

"What Rita wrote was slander against the House of Black and Potter," Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded in understanding. Sirius had sent her a letter about it and had promised that if it got any worse then he would do something. Bella had had to beg him not to go and murder Rita Skeeter and had to enlist Maya to help. Maya had tied him to a chair.

Madame Pomfrey bustled to go get bandages and potions.

"And the House of Slytherin" Tom said, softly.

"Kick her ass, Tom" Bella said, quietly. Tom's lips curled into a smirk and he tilted his head as if listening. Suddenly, his hand shot through the air and curled around something dark. He lifted it up, between two fingers. His fingers were holding the wings, painfully.

"I will…hello, Rita."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 21****st**** of January 1995**

**8:40 PM**

Madame Pomfrey had finally found bandages and potions and watched from the doorway as Hermione left the Hospital Wing to reassure her best friends. Poppy Pomfrey watched as suddenly the air of the room changed. Tom's face softened and Bella sniffled again as she stared at the strips of skin hanging off her hands.

"Why would someone do that? Why would they believe _Rita_?" demanded Bella, quietly.

"There are cruel people out there. You, of all people, should know that, Bella" Tom said, softly to her. Bella nodded and looked at her lap. She winced when she flexed her hands.

"I know. I do but people have been calling me a slut and a whore in the hallways. I'm _not_" Bella insisted. Tom nodded, slowly.

"I know, Ana. But, it'll stop. I promise you, I'll make it stop. I have Rita right here in this jar. And I doubt that she's registered. You'll have your revenge. And I'll have mine. If you wish, I'm sure I can sue for slander" Tom reminded her. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I know but…I don't want any money. I want an apology. The most public apology. And I want her wand. I wish to snap it" Bella said, softly. Tom's lips curled into a dry half-smile.

"Your wish is my command."

"That's probably the _only_ time you're ever going say that, isn't it?" Bella asked, with a slight smile decorating her face. Tom leaned in and brushed his lips over her forehead.

Despite it looking like a paternal kiss on the forehead, Madame Pomfrey felt like she had intruded on something intimate. Bella smiled, brightly at Tom now and he stood up from his chair.

"It is. I have some business to attend to before my next class. Be good" Tom said, quietly. Bella rolled her eyes.

"When I am ever?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 21****st**** of January 1995**

**12:15 PM**

The doors to the Great Hall slammed open. Tom was smirking, victoriously and his arm was wrapped around a frazzled Rita Skeeter's bicep. She winced as his grip tightened. Dumbledore stood with a frown.

"What is the meaning of this, Tom?" Dumbledore asked. Tom glanced at the man.

"This is family business. Mind your own. Scrawny little Weasley twin-boy, Diggory, Blaise, Ana. Here now."

Bella stood and flitted to Tom's side. Gideon scowled at his nickname though Ginny was referred to as 'scrawny Weasley chit'. Blaise glided forward and held out his hand to Hermione as he passed her. She dropped a vial in his hand and he took a long drink of it before giving it back to her. He coughed and a fleck of blood fell from his mouth. His lips curled in disgust but if it was from looking at Rita or the blood, no one knew. Cedric trudged forward frowning. He stood behind Bella and the four children looked at Rita.

"I…I…I…" Rita stammered. Tom's hand tightened and she let out a cry of pain.

"I apologize for slandering your names in the newspaper known as the Daily Prophet. Bella Potter is not in a relationship with anyone currently. I twisted the truth that came out of Gideon Weasley's mouth and turned it into lies. I publically apologize and I'd like it to be known that…that…" Rita said, loudly. Her face was a burning red and she looked angry and embarrassed.

"Rita, Rita, Rita. I _could_ have you put into Azkaban. You've been slandering people's names from the moment you could talk…" Tom said, quietly and dangerously. Rita froze and she opened her mouth.

"I'm an unregistered Animagus and have been spying on Hogwarts for a story. I'm sorry" Rita finished. Cedric nodded.

"Apology is accepted," he said, kindly. Some of the girls 'awwed' at his kindness. Gideon shrugged.

"It's cool."

"In light of my disease, I'd say forgiveness is golden at the moment. Don't want to end up in hell for being a heartless bastard."

"I'm still not happy."

Everyone looked at Bella and her arms were crossed. Tom's lips curled into an approving half-smile.

"Did I not say your wish is my command? Rita!" Tom said before snapping at Rita. Rita withdrew her wand and held it out, shakily. Obviously, Tom had scared the shit out of her. Bella held her palm out and Rita's fingers unwillingly dropped the wand in the waiting palm.

"Miss Potter, is this necessary?" Professor McGonagall asked, her eyes wide.

Madame Maxime and Karkaroff apparently understood what was happening and had never expected such a cruel thing from the other Hogwarts Champion. Taking a wand was like taking an extension of ones self.

"It is, Professor. Because I _don't _like walking down hallways and being called a slut. None of the professors were doing a thing about it. Professor Snape even taunted me about and basically called me a whore himself. I _don't_ like being laughed at and getting hate mail. My skin peeled off, Professor, because of her. I believed I'm entitled" Bella said, shortly.

Bella ran a hand over the thin stick.

"Mahogany…dragon heartstring…9 ½ inches" Bella said, knowingly. Rita's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?" she asked, quietly.

"None of your business" Bella said, with a smirk. As her words ended there was an emphasizing crack. Bella held the two pieces of wood in her hand. A black sinewy string connected the two pieces together. Bella dropped the wand at Rita's feet and she gave a slight smile.

"_Now_, I'm happy. Thank you, Tom. Fuck you, Rita" Bella said before walking back to her table with a bright grin on her face.

Tom rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Five points from Gryffindor for language."

"It was worth it."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 23****rd**** of January 1995**

**4:00 PM**

"Bella! Bella!"

Bella spun around with wide eyes and smiled when she saw Cedric. He had looked a little hurt when she had professed that she'd never date him a few days back and now he looked rather confident.

"Oh, hello, Cedric! What is it?" she asked, curiously. Cedric cleared his throat.

"Do you know how hard it is to get you alone? You're always with Granger or Malfoy or Zabini. Or even one of the Weasleys" Cedric laughed. Bella grinned and shrugged, softly. She cleared her throat and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, well. Their my best friends. And they usually don't let me out of their sight anymore. Not after third year. Hermione got kidnapped last year and they don't want anything to happen to me either. I don't understand the reasoning. I can take care of myself but their worried."

"Oh, right. I heard about that. Um…about the egg. How far on it are you?" Cedric asked. Bella's eyes shot wide open and she groaned.

"I _knew_ I forgot something. I tried a couple months back but I forgot about it between everything that's going on. The Yule Ball and then Tom and I got into a rather violent fight because of his snake and then this…thing with Rita Skeeter. Oh jeez…" sighed Bella, shaking her head. Cedric gave a slight smile.

He found it adorable at how frazzled she was. He knew that she'd been telling the truth when she said she wouldn't date him but Cedric was definitely determined and he wouldn't give up.

"Er…take a bath."

Cedric knew those were the wrong words. Bella looked right offended.

"Er…_excuse me_?"

"No! No, I didn't mean it like that. Er…uh…take a bath…with the egg. And put it under the water" Cedric said. His face flushed a deep and bright red when he realized that Bella would have to be naked to take a bath. And the only bath was in the prefects bathroom…he was a prefect…maybe he could…

"What…okay…I suppose" Bella said, uncertainly. She looked at his red face and frowned before putting her hand on his forehead.

"Are you okay? You're a little red" Bella said, slowly. Cedric nodded, slowly.

"Er…go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Bella's mouth dropped open and she flinched from him. She cleared her throat and looked to the ceiling, mouthing something. Suddenly, she flinched violently and was looking behind Cedric.

"No."

Cedric spun around but the person who had said 'no' was already standing with Bella, dragging her away. Cedric spun back around and saw Bella being dragged away and the back of Tom Riddle. Cedric glared at Tom's back.

This. Was. War.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 23****rd**** of February 1995**

**8:00 PM**

"You're a genius, Blaise!" Bella said, throwing her arms around her brother. Hermione shushed her and glared at her. Despite the library being the group's second home, their first home being Tom's classroom, she still believed in being quiet. Madame Pince didn't even mind their loudness any more.

"I know. Gillyweed will be perfect for you. It doesn't require any magical concentration like spells so you're fine" Blaise said with a smile. Bella nodded in excitement and she crossed her arms. She glanced at Hermione.

"So, do you know where we can find some?"

"The greenhouses should have them. We can go down and get some now" Hermione said. Draco sighed.

"But, I don't want to move" he whined. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Draco, cease the whining."

"You three. Get up."

The four looked up from the hidden corner in the Restricted Section at Tom. He was staring at them. Bella waved and she pulled Tom down for a quick peck before turning to her siblings. Draco's face still held mixed emotions. Hermione was beaming, as she obviously preferred Tom to Gideon or Cedric. Blaise was completely serene though pale.

"Hello. You need them. Why?" Bella asked. Tom sighed.

"What you'll sorely miss."

"Well, shit" Bella sighed. Tom smirked.

"We have to pick one of them. So, come on, you three" Tom insisted. Bella nodded and waved them away. The three looked at each other and then back to Bella.

"Whichever of us doesn't get drowned will go pick up the gillyweed and meet you back here" Draco said.

Bella nodded and watched her twin half walk away with her siblings and her…whatever Tom really was because he certainly _wasn't_ her magical guardian.

Tom groaned when they finally entered Dumbledore's office because he knew exactly what the older man was trying to do, making _him_ bring up his students. He was going to try to get him in the lake.

"Ah, my dear boy, Tom" Dumbledore said.

Madame Maxime and Karkaroff looked up. A little half-Veela was hiding behind Madame Maxime. Tom sneered at Dumbledore and McGonagall was looking rather curious. Roger Davies stood with Professor McGonagall, looking confused.

"Pick one" Tom snapped.

"I am _not_ a trading good" Hermione snapped. Tom hissed down at her and Hermione looked ready to bite him.

"I believe Mr. Krum cares a great deal for Miss Granger, correct Igor?" asked Dumbledore. Karkaroff gave one sharp nod.

"Cares for me or who I am?" Hermione asked, bitterly. Blaise grabbed onto Hermione and slid a hand over her mouth before offering a smile.

"Hush, _bella ragazza_. I'm sickly, should I really be going underwater?" Blaise asked. He got surprised looks from most of the teachers.

"You know?" McGonagall asked. Draco snorted.

"Of course. We're not morons. Mermaids can't go _over_ water" Draco said, conversationally. Tom nodded. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled once more and he looked at Tom.

"Now, what Miss Potter would miss most is…"

"No. No, no, _no_. Dumbledore I swear to Merlin…" Tom snarled. Madame Maxime frowned.

"Dumbly-dorr, what iz ze meaning of zis?" she demanded. Tom glared at her and crossed his arms.

"He's trying to get _me_ in the water. I'm a grown man. I am _not_ going underwater. Draco, be what Bella will sorely miss. You're her brother. This is one of your duties" Tom said, shortly. Draco gaped at him.

"_No_. I refuse to mess up my hair."

"Draco, Blaise is _sick_. _Please_?" Hermione asked.

"Saying please does not help your case, Mudblood" Draco snapped. McGonagall opened her mouth to respond before remembering that Hermione identified with the term. Roger Davies didn't know this.

"Hey, calling someone that is _not_ cool!" he snapped. Hermione shook her head.

"I identify with the term. It's politically correct. Please, Drake" Hermione said, softly. Draco groaned.

"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Blaise. And I hate _you_" Draco said, pointedly. He was looking at Tom whom was smirking in triumph. Dumbledore looked slightly disappointed. Tom grabbed Blaise by the shoulder and then looked at Draco, challengingly.

"Happy swimming."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 24****th**** of February 1995**

**9:30 PM**

"All right. Bella?" Bagman whispered as he moved Bella a few feet farther away from Krum. "Know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah," Bella said, softly. She smoothed her one piece emerald green swimsuit and shivered. It was _freezing_ and now she knew why Krum had been swimming in the freezing cold water before.

Bagman gave Bella's shoulder a quick squeeze and returned to the judges' table; he pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, "Sonorus!" and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One… two… three!"

Bella dropped the slimy ball of what looked like rat tails in her mouth. She chewed it while taking off her sandals. She typically didn't have anything else but boots but she had taken a pair of Hermione's sandals.

She felt the painful growth of gills and her feet turned into fins. She could feel her lungs burning and she jumped into the water. She took a deep breath of water and she could feel like she was breathing again. She propelled herself upwards and out of the water, flipping. She landed near Blaise and gave him smile. He smiled back at her before she swam down, quick and fast.

She propelled herself and swam faster than she ever had. She just wanted this all to end. When she heard a muffled scream. Bella stopped where she was and turned towards the scream.

She could feel her hero complex kicking in.

Well, damn.

Bella swam towards the screams and stopped when she saw it was Fleur, trying to fight off a bunch of grindylows. Bella thought it over. She could kill the girl, let the grindylows kill her or at least maim her pretty face, she could maim the girl herself, or she could save her.

_To kill, to maim, or to save?_

Bella sighed before pointing her wand and mouthing the words. The grindylows were blasted back and Fleur looked at her in shock. Bella smirked. She had a bubblecharm over her mouth. Bella threw her fist forward and caught Fleur is the nose and even in the water, there was a satisfying crack. Fleur grabbed at her nose as blood flowed from it, attracting every predatory animal in the water.

_She temporarily maimed her and hopefully something would kill her. Mission accomplished._

Bella winked at Fleur before swimming back in the direction she had come from. She could _hear_ the singing growing louder. The haunting mersong sounded beautiful, almost as beautiful as the Elvin lullabies. But nothing sounded more beautiful than an Elf's singing prophecies. It just couldn't happen.

Bella looked at the crude dwellings of the mermaids and looked at them with something akin to fascination. They were by no means pretty. They had gray skin and long dark green hair. Their eyes were as yellow as their broken teeth. Yet, there was a haunting and horrible beauty about them.

Bella came upon the center of the underwater village. It was a town square with the choir of mermaid and mermen singers. They floated in front of a large statue of a merman with a trident in hand. Bella supposed it was their image of Poseidon. She bowed, respectfully in front of the statue, surprising the merpeople. She turned to the tail and saw Draco, the half-Veela girl, Hermione, and Roger Davies tied to it. Bella knew, instinctively that Hermione was for Krum.

She floated towards Hermione and there was a hissing sound from the merpeople. She ignored them and kissed her sisters forehead before floating away from her. The merpeople looked continuously confused by her behavior. Bella stroked her brother's face.

She slashed her wand down, putting force behind the mouthed words. The ropes were broken.

Bella cursed knowing that her time wasn't anywhere up, bubbles flying from her mouth. She grabbed Draco and propelled herself upwards. She wasn't as fast, of course, with extra work but still, she was fast. They broke the surface to cheers and Bella could feel herself choking. She ducked her head underwater and took another deep breath. She pushed Draco forward. He held onto her, his wet hair messy.

"It's okay. Tom! She took gillyweed. She can't breathe!" Draco shouted over the cheers. His shouts quieted people down. They began talking in confusion as Draco dragged Bella forward, despite his wet robes. She wrapped his arms around his sister and dragged her onto the platform. She wheezed before letting out an inhuman scream.

She was trying to say something.

"Oh Merlin. Parseltongue, Ana. Parseltongue" insisted Tom. Bella wheezed.

"**Can't breathe…**"

Her hisses came out sounded rather strange but he could hear it. Tom picked up Bella, cradling her before dropping her into the water. There were loud shouts and Draco was being wrapped in towels as he shivered. Tom turned back to the judges.

"She won."

Dumbledore nodded, gravely. He was watching Bella. Half of her face was under the water. Her eyes were darting back and forth and her hair floated in individual wet curls on top of the icy water. Her hand shot out towards Draco. He kneeled down and stuck his hand in the water. Bella lifted her face from it and kissed Draco's hand. He smiled down at her, softly.

"I appreciate it."

She made a slight noise, a questioning noise.

"That I'm what you'll sorely miss."

"You're…you're my brother. I love you" Bella rasped out. Draco could see the gills disappearing as Bella's skin sealed. Her webbed hands were returning to normal. As soon as the webbed hands turned into normal hands, Draco grabbed her hand and hauled her in. Madame Pomfrey threw a towel around her and Draco hugged her back for the first time.

"Love you too, Ana," he murmured into her hair. Bella could see Cedric coming up. He was dragging Roger Davies. She rushed to the edge just as Blaise got through the crowd and towards them. He jumped over from platform to platform before gracefully landing in front of Draco. He fell to his knees next to his siblings and hugged Bella, despite her being wet.

"Are you okay? I saw you in the water. You couldn't breathe…" Blaise murmured. Bella coughed and nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm worried about…about Hermione."

They waited in silence when a shark burst forth. They soon saw it was only the head of a shark, despite everyone screaming. Krum transfigured back and in his arms was Hermione. The moment she saw her siblings, she broke free of Krum and swam to the edge. Blaise broke away as her fingers slipped from the platform. Krum was behind her, trying to help her up. Blaise pulled her with incredibly strength, despite being ill.

His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug and she hung onto him. Blaise kissed her wet hair.

"_Oh Merlino, il mio dolce Mórrígan. Stai bene?_" Blaise murmured as he rubbed her back. Krum glared over as Hermione nodded with a slight smile.

"I'm fine, Blaise. I promise. Bella was first?" Hermione asked, anxiously.

"Of course. But she got back before the gillyweed wore off" Tom said, softly. Hermione gasped and dropped to her knees, next to Bella. Blaise sat down, much gentler and leaned his head on Bella's shoulder. Hermione let her head fall on Draco's shoulder and he didn't object to her physically touching him.

"You couldn't breathe, could you? Oh, Bella, are you okay?" Hermione asked, worriedly. Bella nodded with a smile.

"Of course. I'm fine. Oh, look it's Fleur and she's…" Bella said, looking to Tom. He waved his wand and the time was displayed.

"Fifteen minutes late. At least she has that sister of hers. Because it was _my_ job to get those that didn't come up. They would've been Summoned and that's not very fun" Tom said, maliciously. It seemed like he had done it before to several people and he found their reactions amusing.

"What's wrong with her nose? It's crooked" Blaise said, softly. Bella coughed.

"Cough, cough, I broke it, cough, cough."

"_What?_" Hermione shrieked. Bella shrugged.

"It doesn't matter now, does it. Come on. Now that she's back, the judges are going to give scores.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…" Ludo Bagman boomed as the Champions lined up with their hostages. Hermione stood closer to Bella than to Krum and her hand was backwards and held by Blaise. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows and then had to be saved by another Champion. She returned with her her hostage fifteen minutes outside the time limits. We award her 25 points."

"SHE BROKE MY NOSE!" Fleur cried out in rage. Everyone turned to Bella. Fleur was pointing at her and she looked incredibly angry. Bella saluted her.

"Karma's a bitch. And I saved you. If I didn't have such a large hero complex, I would've let you died. I was debating between maiming you or just putting you out of your misery, half-breed" Bella said, sneering the derogatory term at her. She knew if Sirius had heard her, he would disapprove quite a bit. But he wasn't so she didn't care.

"You are friends wiz a Mudblood! 'Ow are zey bezzer than a 'alf-Veela?" demanded Fleur. Bella smirked.

"Hermione deserves my respect. She earned it. From day one, you've acted like your better than everyone because of your pretty face. Well guess what, honey? This is reality. And a pretty face only goes so far and it only means one thing in the future and one thing only…it reassures you a job in a brothel. Unless you work to be something better. So suck it up and try not to lose and be reprimanded by someone who is three years younger than you," Bella said, solemnly. Fleur looked stricken and Bagman was frowning.

"Er…continuing on, Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble Charm, was the second to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside of the time limit. We therefore award him forty-seven points" Bagman said. The Hufflepuffs cheered and Cedric bumped fists with Roger, grinning. Cedric glanced at Bella.

The look was enough to tell Bella who _truly_ was the one that Cedric would sorely miss. She didn't know how to feel about that, especially with her sort-of, kind-of boyfriend standing next to her.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was third to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

Karkaroff clapped harder than most, looking extremely superior.

Bella only rolled her eyes.

"Finally, Bella Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "She returned first and well within the time limit. Despite, the delay because of her gillyweed's time limit of an hour, she was forced to stay in the water until it wore off. Despite her not being _out_ of the water, she is rewarded full points."

Bella's eyes widened and she grinned. Draco hugged her tighter. Obviously, the fact that Bella would sorely miss him had finally gotten through his superior head.

Bella blinked she was in the lead. She glanced over the judges and blinked when she saw how ill Mr. Crouch looked. Bella frowned but shook her head. She figured that she had 94 points over Cedric's 85. She was almost guaranteed to win.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

Bella grinned before turning to her siblings. She opened her mouth to say something when someone tapped her on her shoulder. She turned.

"Mademoiselle…"

Bella blinked at the Beauxbatons champion.

"Yes?" Bella asked, slowly.

"I weesh to speak wiz you."

:::

**A/N: **I'm finished with this chapter. I'm bloody proud of it since I wrote it all last night…or early this morning. I was exhausted but I couldn't go to sleep. I promised myself that I wouldn't sleep until I squeezed out another chapter. I'm sorry but now that I'm not in school anymore I have no inspiration. There's a lot of drama that I can take ideas from. I suppose my best friend can send me e-mails about camp drama.

And I might have to start watching Gossip Girl re-runs (NETFLIX).

Sorry about the limited Blaise business but if you look underneath at the keywords for the next chapter, you _might_ be able to figure out how I'm going to include him. You're definitely going to find out how his plague got out of control…heh. Heh, heh, heh. Er, I also have a new Bella. I didn't like my old Bella so I elected the beautiful Emmy Rossum to be her. I watched my new fav show on Showtime, Shameless and saw Emmy. All I could think was...dear Merlin, that's Bella!

Next Chapter: Crouch, Dreams, Essence, and Fleur (Not necessarily in that order)

* * *

_**Fun Fact # 3: **_I actually _don't_ hate Fleur Delacour. I just get the feeling that she can be very immature and stuck-up. She's gorgeous and she knows it, so she flaunts it. She isn't used to a man just passing her over and Fleur is _not_ stupid. She knows he's not gay. In fact she knows the very reason _why_ Tom's not paying attention to her…

_**Fun Fact # 4: **_I'm writing a new story called Samsara. Elements in it were _supposed_ to be in this story. For example, the Horsemen were supposed to be in Samsara. But, then I didn't have a decent plotline for _this _story. So, I took out the Horsemen and reworked Samsara's plotline. I almost always plan out the storyline before I write a story, Fanfiction or otherwise. Inside My Mind was a different story.

_Anyway_, check out Samsara. I love that thing to death. I love _this_ story to hell and back.


	46. Chapter XLII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** Like I said last chapter: Crouch, Dreams, Essence and Fleur. Not necessarily in that order. Since it's going be completely mixed up. I think the chapter after this is the Third Task. Yeah…it is. And with the Third Task comes an annoying Moody who hasn't made an appearance since he's insignificant with the lead-Death Eater (cough, Voldemort, cough, Tom, cough) there. He's just back up. Though, back-up is never as safe as the others. He was a bad Death Eater spy anyway (Really now? Letting people get you with Veritaserum and taking the boy away when he said stay? Can I say stupid? I think I can). Snape is way better. I love Snape, though he's not really in any of the story so far. He _will_ be making a comeback next year. And a toad shall be joining us in a few chapters, since in a few chapters Bella _will_ be 15.

That will be _her_ arc. All about her struggle to become who she's meant to be. I also kind of decided what I wanted to do about Draco's love life though it won't be apparent until the end of 5th year. I hope my choice doesn't get a lot of people angry…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 24****th**** of February 1995**

**11:00 AM**

"Mademoiselle…"

Bella blinked at the Beauxbatons champion.

"Yes?" Bella asked, slowly.

"I weesh to speak wiz you."

Bella's eyes widened and she a put hand on her hips. She tilted her head as if scrutinizing Fleur. It was a testament to Fleur's will that she wasn't fidgeting under the intense green stare.

"Fine."

"Bella!"

"Foolish _sorella_!"

"Princess…"

Bella laughed at the return of her brother's catchphrases. She shook her head and glanced a Tom. He was looking at Fleur, intensely. Bella's eyes widened in recognition. Blaise did the same thing every time he dueled with someone.

"**Are you mind-raping her?**" demanded Bella. Fleur didn't flinch at the harsh hissing.

"**No. I'm only checking of her intentions. You already got your skin peeled off. It's fine…what she wishes to talk to you about…take caution, love.**"

Bella froze at the nickname and turned towards him. Hermione was caught between frowning and laughing at Bella's expression. She was looking at Tom as if he were crazy. Granted, he probably was.

"What did you just call me?"

"Shut up and go."

Bella rolled her eyes and turned to Fleur. She was about to walk when a large cloak fell on her shoulders. She looked down at the familiar black fabric and nodded towards Tom. He rolled his eyes and didn't even shiver despite the fact that his button-down shirt was partially unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled up.

Bella admired his physique for a moment before turning towards Fleur and walked with her away from the growing crowd and to the opposite end of the lake. No one was there and Bella they'd have to speak, quickly. It was much too cold to be standing out here. She glanced as Fleur from the corner of the eye.

The beautiful girl wasn't shivering despite the fact that only wore a one-piece blue swimsuit and a towel around her neck. Bella decided that she probably put a Warming Charm on herself before going into the water, which was a rather good idea. Though, Bella would loathe to ever admit it to her.

"You wanted to talk to me? Is this about what I said earlier because if you're deciding to reform, that'd be great" Bella said, trying to break the intense tension. It obviously didn't work since Fleur still looked thoughtful.

They continued walking until Fleur suddenly stopped. Bella jolted to a stop and looked at the older girl.

"I don't understand" Fleur finally said, running a hand through her shimmery white-blonde hair. Bella frowned.

"You don't understand what, exactly?"

"I am most likely ze most beautiful girl at 'Ogwarts" Fleur said, sounding frustrated. She ran her hand through her hair again. Bella didn't quite understand _why_ she sounded frustrated about it. And she was a little miffed.

"Er…some people disagree."

"I know. 'E finds _you_ more beautiful. Why? 'E iz ze only one I 'ave ever met zat sees beyond ze Veela and isn't attracted to it. Why does 'e want _you_?" demanded Fleur. Bella's breath hitched in her throat and she blinked before frowning.

"I don't know what you mean," she said, harshly. Fleur gave a laugh and tossed her long platinum hair over her shoulder.

"Of course. Of course, you don't. I see, Bella. I see, 'ow 'e looks at you. Like you are ze only woman in the world that he could _ever_ possibly want. It's not fair," Fleur said, glaring at her. Bella blinked in surprise and an adoring smile spread across her lips.

She wondered if Tom really _did_ look at her like that. Fleur was beautiful, with bright blue eyes and long white-blonde hair. She was lithe and curvy. Bella knew she was beautiful herself and looked rather mature for her age, in comparison to last year when she had still looked like a twelve-year-old, but she didn't think she'd ever see herself as beautiful as Fleur, though apparently Tom disagreed, even if he'd never said it.

"You are perceptive, Fleur. How did you find out?"

"It izn't 'ard. Especially, for a Veela. 'E adores you and you adore 'im. And it izn't fair! You don't 'ave to worry about boys coming at you from everywhere. Zey don't want to know me. They want to 'ave me, as if I am simply a possession" Fleur spat. Her hand went through her hair again, making Bella think that it was something that she did when frustrated. Bella felt like she had been indirectly insulted once more. It must have showed on her face.

"Well, Tom…Tom's different. He's not one to let something like a Veela's allure distract him. And what do you mean I don't have to worry about boys coming at me from everywhere?" Bella demanded, annoyed at the insinuation that she was ugly. Fleur shook her head.

"You are not ugly, if zat iz what you thought I meant. You are pretty but…Monsieur Riddle iz…gorgeous. 'Ow did _you_ a fourteen-year-old get him?"

"Fleur, you have to understand that…that I've known him for years. I don't know how…you're going to have to ask him. And I wouldn't if I were you. He's really not happy with you at all. He's angry that you made my skin peel off" Bella said, softly. Fleur sighed and ran a damp hand through her wet hair.

"Zat waz not my idea. Zat waz Mademoiselle Chang's idea. She said zat you stole 'er boyfriend, Cedric. I waz upset because you 'ad Monsieur Riddle. So, I went along wiz it. I am sorry zat you were so hurt" Fleur apologized. Bella blinked in surprise and then she cleared her throat.

"Did you think about what I said earlier by the lake? After you yelled at me that I broke your nose…how is your nose, by the way?" Bella asked.

"Madame Pomfrey mended it for me. I did think about what you said. And I zink zat you are correct. I 'ave to be more zen a pretty face, if I want respect. And zat is why I wanted Monsieur Riddle. 'E didn't see my face. But, 'e likes _you_" Fleur said, as if accusing her. In a way, the jilted girl _was _blaming Bella. And in a way, it _was_ Bella's fault. Bella tilted her head.

"I suppose if you look hard enough, someone else will come along that doesn't see your face" Bella said, softly. Fleur frowned.

"I don't zink so."

"I _do_ and I suppose, if you're really sorry and you _show_ me that you're sorry, I'll help you. Trust me, Tom and my siblings won't like it since they openly despise you for hurting me but, I'll keep them on the straight and narrow" Bella sighed. She really hated this hero-complex. Even if she needed to save someone emotionally, she just had to do it. She hoped something could be done about that…

"Zank you. I zink. You won't find much" Fleur said, solemnly.

"We'll see."

They weren't enemies any longer but they were no where near friends. Not after the intense rivalry that had been ongoing. But, Bella supposed it was a start. She could becomes friends with this Veela.

"Oh and…" Bella trailed off.

"What iz it?"

"I'm sorry for calling you a half-breed. I'm actually not like purebloods. I'm a creature activist and I want to put into effect laws that will help people…like you. So, I'm sorry for that" Bella said, softly. Fleur gave her a brilliant smile that Bella couldn't help but return.

"And what about my nose?"

"I'm not sorry about that. The end."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of March 1995**

**2:00 AM**

_Bella watched not in horror anymore but fascination. She hadn't had a dream like this since her third year. She hadn't known a thing in her third year but now, now that she knew the identity of the fierce warrior woman, she couldn't help but want to be her. Because she __**was**__ her._

_The warrior woman was walking down a hallway, slowly. Towards singing. She wore a long fitting velvet dark green dress. It was drafty in the corridor, telling Bella that it was most definitely still winter. The woman turned, suddenly and she was standing in the middle of the atrium that Bella had been in before, years ago._

_In the middle stood the marble statue of Morgan le Fay as always. The marble statue was of pure beauty and carved, impeccably. The soft angles of the woman's face contrasted with her wild curls and blank eyes. The image of the woman wasn't beautiful but Bella could feel the Dark magic flowing from it in waves. The statue depicted Morgan le Fay, standing, her hands in a mockery of prayer, though her hands were pointed downwards. Carved on the statue's arms were binding runes._

_The warrior woman, Victory, Bella decided to label her, pulled up the large hood of her black cloak. Her face was different than Bella's was now._

_Victory's face was just as beautiful as Bella's though it held a mature look. Her eyes were just as bright as they had always been, though they seemed sharper and much more dangerous. Thick dark curls spilled down to the center of her back. The top lip was a little too thin though it only made her more interesting to look at. Her nose was thin and not too long._

_Victory walked into the atrium, exposing her to elements. Harsh winds were blowing the falling snow into her face, though she didn't stop. She knelt in front of the statue and closed her eyes. She wasn't praying. Bella could tell that though Victory __**respected**__ the greatest Dark Lady the world had ever seen, she would never worship her as a god of any sort._

"_What are you doing?"_

_Bella and Victory spun around and stared wide-eyed._

_Two women stood in one of the archways of the atrium. They looked staggeringly alike. One woman was slightly taller than the other because she was wearing heels. The woman with heels wore midnight blue robes. Around her neck was silver necklace that read, ironically, Toujours Pur. Her hair was excessively curly yet hung around her, making her look rather elegant yet young at the same time, despite the fact that laugh lines around her mouth. She looked like she was in her late thirties, early forties._

_The woman standing next to her was wearing battle robes of sorts. She wore black leather pants with shin high black leather lace up boots. Bella grinned. It looked like Hermione, no War, for she couldn't possibly the Hermione that Bella knew, had adopted one of Bella's own signature looks. She wore a white button down top with black sleeves. Over it was a long vest. The front appeared to be a corset before flaring out into a cloak. She didn't look any older than Victory did._

"_Just to think and angst" Victory said, calmly. War walked slowly towards Victory and placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_About?"_

"_The future. What we've done."_

"_Do you regret?" Maya asked, softly. War suddenly looked stricken at the thought and she stared at her sister with a peculiar look. Victory laughed and shook her head._

"_Of course not. Don't like at me like that Mórrígan. You do not have to annihilate me because of my supposed betrayal of the Dark. I love the Dark but once we're finished with this war, where do we go from there?" Victory asked, thoughtfully. Bella frowned in confusion._

"_We do what Luna said in the Hall of Prophecy."_

"_And then what?"_

_War looked lost for a moment. Maya seemed to have the answer_

"_Make a new world."_

"_But what if it sucks?" countered Victory. Bella frowned at the older version of herself. She angsted too much as an adult. She thought that was what was supposed to happen when she was a teenager…_

"_Then make a __**better **__one."_

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of May 1995**

**2:00 PM**

"Maya! Uncle Sirius!"

"Sirius! Mum!"

The two girls jumped on their respective parent figure and hugged them, tightly. Blaise and Draco hung back. Draco was looking at himself in the reflective glass before a hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him forward. Hermione crooked a finger at Blaise and he sighed, holding out his hand.

"Don't sigh, Blaise. You _need_ it. Now, suck it up and take your potion," Hermione snapped. Blaise glared at her.

"You're one to lecture, aren't you? Bella has to slip you your potion in your bloody tea" Blaise snapped. Hermione gasped and glanced at Bella. Bella was glaring at Blaise in annoyance while holding Draco's wrist. Draco was obviously trying to pull away to look at the clothing in the store but she held on, steadily.

"Thanks, Blaise. Now, I have to find a new way to give her the potion. Merlin, you're supposed to be the quiet one" Bella huffed. Blaise crossed his arms and glared at her before coughing, harshly.

"Blaise…"

"_Fine_!"

Blaise snatched the potion from her and downed it. The tiniest hint of a grimace appeared on his normally emotionless face before he handed the vial back to her. Maya was frowning and she looked at Blaise, carefully.

"Are you him? The boy with the plague?"

Blaise froze before nodding slowly. He was looking at her, carefully, recognizing her from those many years before when Bella and Hermione had first met his insane mother. Blaise watched as she stuck her hand out, despite the fact that he had Blaise. He frowned.

"I'm Maya Granger, Hermione's mum. Pleased to meet you" Maya said, softly. Blaise took her hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Blaise Zabini. The pleasure is all mine. Your daughter is under the impression that she's my keeper."

"Well, you can't keep yourself well, now can you?"

"_Chiudere l'inferno in su, Mione._"

Hermione froze and she turned a glare on him. Maya blinked in surprise. Had her daughter's eyes darkened?

"_Mi scusi?_" Hermione asked, dangerously. Blaise gave her a look.

"_Mi hai sentito. Io non mi sento bene. Basta smettere di tormentarmi_" Blaise said, harshly. Bella and Draco exchanged worried looks. Sirius looked on, curiously. Hermione looked hurt.

"Well, _I'm_ sorry. I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to return the favor. You saved me, I save you. If you don't want my help…"

"That's not what I meant, Hermione and you know it. I only want you to stop nagging and mothering me. I never had a proper mother and I don't need one" Blaise sighed. Hermione nodded, slowly before a smile returned to her face.

"'Ello, Bella."

Sirius blinked in shock at the girl in front of him. It was the Beauxbatons Champion that had made the skin peel off of her hands. Most of the group glared at her, with Maya's glare the fiercest. Sirius had to concentrate on his glaring. Maya's mother-hen glares were always amusing.

"Hey, Fleur. Your little sister, right?" Bella asked, amiably. Hermione, Blaise, and Draco stared at her in shock. Bella had refused to tell them _anything_ about what Fleur and her had spoken about.

"Oh, yes, zis is Gabrielle, my leetle sister" Fleur said. Bella nodded and waved to Gabrielle. Gabrielle hid behind her sister and waved, shyly. Hermione cleared her throat and grabbed Bella's hand. Bella shrugged her off.

"Remember what we talked about. What I'd do on one…well, two conditions?"

"Zere waz a second condition? I _did_ mean my apology. What iz ze second condition?" Fleur asked, curiously. Bella's lips curled into a smirk.

"I'm rather territorial. Back. Off. And then, I'll help you. All right?" Bella asked. Fleur's own lips curled into a slight smile and she nodded.

"Of course. Your brother…'e's being stalked by ze way" Fleur whispered to Bella. Bella glanced around when her eyes found the stalker. Her lips curled into a slight smile and she laughed, softly.

"Oh, that's all right."

"I suppose. Well, goodbye, Bella."

"Bye, Fleur" Bella said, smiling. She waved at Fleur as the two half-Veela walked away. Sirius frowned.

"Isn't she one of the girls who melted off your skin?" demanded Sirius. Bella shrugged and nodded.

"I suppose you could call it that. Yeah, that's Fleur, the Beauxbatons Champion" Bella said, softly as they walked towards towards the Three Broomsticks. Draco was frowning at her.

"But why were you talking to her? Aren't you mortal enemies?" Draco asked, curiously. Bella shook her head. She ran a hand through her thick dark curls and she tossed it behind her shoulder.

"No. We settled our differences after we had a little conversation. An enlightening one. I'm helping her with somethi…" Bella trailed off as a hand slipped over her eyes. She spun around and punched the offender in the stomach. There was a hiss of annoyance and Bella felt her hand aching.

"Dammit, Tom! You scared me!"

"Always be prepared, Ana. Black, Ms. Granger" Tom greeted. Sirius nodded at Tom. Maya smiled and waved. She glanced at Hermione, questioningly before Hermione gave a sharp nod. Maya beamed.

"Call me, Maya."

"Yes, Maya. Call me, Tom."

"What? Huh?" Sirius demanded. Tom offered Bella's godfather a flat look.

"It's fine. You can still refer to me as Riddle" Tom said, looking at him disdainfully. Bella shoved Tom in the side and he looked down at her in surprise. She was giving him a pointed look.

"Don't be mean to my godfather. Asshole."

"**You weren't saying that when I was kissing you…**" Tom teased. Bella sneered at him.

"Yes, I was. I was trying to ask you a question when you distracted me" Bella snapped. Tom rolled his eyes and Bella linked arms with Sirius. He looked at her in surprise before smiling down at her.

"Drake! Come here!" Bella called. Draco was looking behind his shoulder, frowning. Bella rolled her eyes and leaned back to pull him forward. She hooked arms with him.

"What's wrong, Drake?"

"I…I think someone's falling us" Draco said, slowly. Bella shook her head.

"You're imagining things. So, Uncle Sirius, I don't think I've ever properly introduced you to my blood brother. Blood brother this is my godfather, Sirius" Bella said, grinning. Draco glanced at Sirius, giving him a look over.

"You mean the blood traitor?"

"You little _snot_" Sirius growled. Bella pushed both of them and they looked at her in confusion. Bella crossed her arms and gave each of them a steady look.

"None of that, now. I'm not quite in the mood…" Bella trailed off, a smirk growing on her face. Sirius raised an eyebrow as she stared as someone in a dark cloak crept up behind the pale haired boy. Blaise, who was talking to Maya, Hermione and Tom, smirked when he saw whom it was.

Two muscled arms wrapped themselves around Draco's shoulders and pulled him flush against the other person. Draco made a noise and thrust his elbow back though he wasn't in a position to cause anyone hurt.

"_Draco_, what did I teach you?" Tom sighed. Draco's eyes glinted and he grabbed one of the offender's arms before throwing it over his shoulder while pushing his leg back, flipping the person over his shoulder. Draco's wand was out and his booted foot was on the offender's chest.

"Jeez, Dragon, you're touchy."

"Hi, Charlie!" Blaise, Hermione, and Bella chorused. Draco was still glaring.

"You asshole! How dare you show your face here again? After you sexually _assaulted _me!" Draco hissed, angrily. Charlie sat up and shook the snow from his hair. It had grown to collar length now and it spiked, messily. A large part of his hair was in front of one blue eye.

"I didn't sexually assault you, Dragon. I said goodbye" Charlie said. Draco sneered at him as he got up. Charlie leaned forward and kissed Draco at the corner of his mouth. Sirius and Maya's mouths fell open.

"What the hell?" demanded Draco.

"Just saying hello."

Draco growled at him and turned towards Bella. She was smirking.

"You didn't…" he said, softly. Bella shook her head and pointed at a victorious Blaise.

"You arse. I thought you were supposed to be sick. You shouldn't be in contact with this…sex offender" Draco said, his lips curling around the words in disgust. Blaise shrugged and cleared his throat.

"I'm tired of going to the dorm and hearing you complain. Or muttering to yourself while you practice."

"How _is_ that by the way? Your sai swords?" Charlie asked. Draco glared at the offending arm that had found its way around his shoulders.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Draco asked, pushing aside his cloak. It revealed dark trousers and a sai sword was strapped to his side. Charlie smirked and nuzzled his cheek against Draco's.

"Not really. So, Bella, this is?" Charlie prompted. Bella tossed her hair behind her shoulder and smirked. She had done a perfect imitation of Fleur. The only difference was that her hair was black and was more curls and waves than anything.

"My Uncle Sirius and that's Hermione's mum, Maya. Uncle Sirius, Maya, this is Charlie Weasley. Draco's pursuer. For some unknown reason…Draco is high maintenance" Bella sighed. Draco glared at his sister.

"Supportive, isn't she? Damn, Diggory. Dead ahead" Draco said, looking forward. Bella paled and glanced back. Tom had been abnormally quiet and he was frowning. Bella broke away from Sirius and he frowned.

"Isn't Diggory the boy who took you to the Yule Ball? What's wrong with him? You're rather picky…" Sirius trailed off. Draco snickerd.

"I suppose I'm not the only high-maintenance one" Draco smirked. Bella glared at her brother before glancing at Cedric who was talking to Roger Davies. Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe were hanging near them. Cho Chang spun as if sensing Bella and glared. Cedric turned as well and Bella groaned.

"Look, I like my comfort. I like expensive things. It doesn't make me high-maintenance. It means that I have high expectations. Okay, I'm turning around" Bella said. She walked ignoring Draco's struggles to get away from Charlie. Hermione smirked when Bella grabbed Tom's wrist and made him grab onto her wrist.

"_What_ are you doing?" Tom sighed. Bella glanced behind her shoulder and saw that Cedric was _still_ coming towards her.

"Drag me away. As quick as possible…I'm begging you."

"No. I like to see you freak out. It's _amusing_" Tom smirked. Bella groaned.

"Bella! Hey Bella! Wait!"

Bella shoved Tom hard and glared at him.

"**Thank you for nothing.**"

"Anytime."

Bella spun around and plastered a smile on her face. Cedric grinned at her before glaring at Tom. Tom had an innocent 'who me' look on his face that no one believed for a second.

"Hey, Cedric. What's up?" Bella asked. Cedric cleared his throat.

"So, you came to Hogsmeade after all!"

Bella cursed in Parseltongue. The last time Cedric had asked her to Hogsmeade was yesterday and she had said that she wasn't coming at all. He had accepted it without any doubt because he was, of course, a Hufflepuff and expecting the best of everyone. Bella just thought him gullible though rather sweet.

Unlike her moronic sort of, kind of boyfriend who was standing next to her and laughing his head of internally.

"Uh yeah. My Uncle Sirius and Hermione's mum, Maya came to Hogsmeade. Er…I don't want to hold you from your conversation. I think Chang wants to talk to you" Bella said. She made to move but Cedric dodged her. Bella glanced at Tom but he was already disappearing into Flourish & Botts.

"**Damn you, Tom.**"

"Oh, but I want to talk to _you_" Cedric insisted. Bella glanced at Maya. Maya and Sirius were snickering. Blaise and Hermione were talking and making their way into Flourish & Botts as well. They were most likely looking for books on warfare and medicine.

"Er, well, I kind of have to get to Flourish & Botts. Uh Drake's birthday coming up" Bella lied, fluidly. His birthday was on the 5th of June.

Apparently, Charlie knew the same.

"No it isn't! His birthday is in June. The 5th. Right, love?" Charlie asked. He had cornered Draco by the window display of books and was attempting to accost him in the middle of the street.

"**Damn you, Charlie. **Oh, right…"

"You forgot my _birthday_?"

"Shut up! I didn't. Fuck off, Drake."

"Fancy joining me at the Three Broomsticks for a drink? You like Firewhiskey right?" Cedric asked. Bella licked her lips at the sound of Firewhiskey. Draco seemed to notice as well.

"He'll kill you."

"I _know_. Cedric, I can't right now. I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to date you" Bella said, softly. Cedric didn't seem to want to give up.

Damn Hufflepuffs.

"I'm a Hufflepuff, Bella. We don't give up. We're hard working and determined" Cedric said, firmly. Bella groaned and covered his face with her hands before dropping them.

"I kind of got that, thanks. Cedric…I. Don't. Want. To. Date. You."

"That may be but I want to date you" Cedric said, firmly. Bella gave a shriek of annoyance and suddenly her wand was pointed at Cedric. He took a step back, with his hands up. The air around her was crackling. Maya's eyes widened as she recognized the light in Bella's eyes.

"Listen here and listen well, Cedric Diggory. I am not interested. I have a short temper and I'm about to _murder_ you. You might want to back away" Bella snarled. Cedric didn't seem to think as highly of her magical skill as her beauty. He didn't move. Bella shrieked and then she started.

This wasn't an out of body experience like it had been so many times before. With the revelation of her being Victory of the Horsemen, she felt what she was doing and it felt so good. She spun the wand like a baton and somehow, she knew it wouldn't be as strong as it would with her wand but…

Suddenly, she was on the ground and her wand wasn't in her hand. Two wands were pointed at her. She glared up at Tom. Cedric was on the ground and they seemed to have gotten attention from the Hogsmeade go-ers. Tom had pushed Cedric on the ground to stop Bella.

"**None of that, brat. Control yourself.**"

"**I am in control. He's stalking me. It's funny when Gideon does it! It's funny when Charlie does it to Draco. Cause we're all friends with him. But with Cedric, it's **_**creepy**_**. It's like he's trying to prove…something…**" Bella trailed off and glanced up at Tom. She brought her legs back before propelling herself up, standing.

"**You understand. He's trying to win you over because he believes that you fancy me.**"

"Fuck off, Tom" Bella snarled. She _didn't_ want to talk about her feelings at that point. Feelings were rather stupid especially the complex feelings she had for Tom. Tom smirked at her and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a baby."

"I'm _not_. You want to talk about it? Cause we can go and have a chat now" Bella challenged. Tom paled, considerably.

"No. It's fine."

"Thought so. God…I'm sorry, Cedric. But, I think I'd probably like you more if you, you know…backed off…" Bella trailed off. Cedric finally seemed to admit defeat. He nodded and Bella stuck out her hand. Cedric grabbed it and Bella yanked him up with all her strength. He stumbled and stared at her in shock.

"How could you just pull me up like that?" he asked.

"I'm strong."

"Er, right. Bella, I'll leave you alone. Sorry about all this…"

"Yeah, whatever. Just, _please_, stop bothering me" Bella pleaded. Cedric sighed and nodded.

"Yeah."

He turned and trudged away, looking decidedly disappointed. Sirius walked up to her with a weird look on his face.

"That was cruel."

"Yeah, I'm cruel. I don't care. Too bad. He's a freak," Bella snapped. A smile spread on Sirius's face and he shook his head. He ruffled his goddaughter's hair and she smiled back at him. She rubbed her hand along her arm, ending where she had her beloved charm bracelet.

Sirius looked her up and down. She was growing up, he noticed. It didn't make him sad. Most parents would be, he supposed. He was only proud of how mature she was. The only thing he regretted was that her parents weren't here to see her.

"Wait…where's your locket? The Slytherin locket?" Sirius asked. Bella's eyes darkened and she turned to Tom, who had wandered off again.

"Tom has it. I gave it back because I got really angry. And I never managed to get it back. It's fine. It doesn't hurt since it's not left unprotected. I think he keeps it no him at all times" Bella sighed. Sirius nodded and struggled to keep his smile from turning into a frown.

Without her beloved locket, she didn't look complete somehow.

Maya glanced around her at the splendid village that she hadn't visited last time. The Wizarding World never failed to surprise. Despite not being able to _do_ magic, she never felt left out. She didn't want to do magic. She was content in many ways. She had signed the divorce papers the week before last and didn't want to tell Hermione about it just yet.

The Muggle woman was happy about the confirmation that Hermione had given on her progress with Tom and Bella. Obviously, the two still went at it like a pair of dogs but Maya was sure that would mellow once they were actually _together_. Like, when they were out and all.

Maya watched Hermione and Blaise emerge from Flourish & Botts with bags of books. It appeared that Blaise liked to spoil Hermione, since Maya _knew_ that she hadn't given her money. Maya wasn't a freeloader but Sirius denied her the opportunity to work. He had essentially said that he would kick them out if she ever even thought about getting a job.

Maya was totally fine with that and so she spent her time writing, a hobby that she had had as a child.

"Fuck…"

Maya blinked. She was used to everyone cursing but she didn't think she had ever heard Blaise curse. Bella and Hermione seemed surprised to. Bella turned from Sirius and Tom stopped making circles with his wand.

"Drake…" Bella whispered, seriously. Charlie stopped harassing Draco. Draco elbowed past him and stared at Blaise.

"_IT BURNS!_"

The unholy scream had come from her daughter. Blaise began to take shallow breaths and was clawing at his arms. His breaths came, quickly and he fell to his knees in the snow. Bella and Draco ran over to him as Hermione fell next to him.

Maya expected her to give him a potion but she wasn't even.

"_Sanguis Implete!_" she was whispering, over and over.

Blaise cried out in pain as she whispered the spell. Hermione groaned and then turned to Bella.

"I don't know! I don't know…_he's _the Healer. I cause havoc, you conquer, and Draco sends them off. He heals. I don't…I don't know what to do" Hermione said, quickly. Maya was surprised at how she was looking to Bella as if she were the leader. As if she were the adult.

As if she knew what to do.

"_Diffindo!_"

Sirius cried out as the spell flew at Blaise. Maya shrieked when she saw blood spilled from Blaise's wrists. Draco seemed to understand and he dropped to his knees next to his brother. The students started screaming and running over. Tom was no where to be seen.

"Heal him! Now, Hermione. You have a clear shot. We don't have time to get him to the Hospital Wing. Stabilize him. You know the spells. You've read with him for months, almost two years now. You can't do this. I have faith in you" Bella said, firmly yet gently. Hermione nodded and her eyes darkened as she centered herself. Hermione began making intricate patterns once more and her eyes turned darker and dark until it was black.

The whites of her eyes weren't there any longer.

"_Sanguis Implete. Sanguis Implete_" she whispered. The more that the blood stained the ground, the more Maya grew worried.

The blood was quickly turning black.

"His blood…its poisoned. With the plague. The plague is poisoning his blood" Sirius said in horror. Maya frowned.

"Then how has he lived this long?"

"His magical core and the potions have been sustaining him. Hermione, stabilize his body and Draco and I will attempt to look at his magical core" Bella whispered. Sirius frowned.

Looking at a magical core was Dark magic.

"If it isn't dead" he said, cynically. Bella looked up with Avada Kedavra eyes. Draco's steel eyes were flashing and he glanced at Charlie who stood, frowning in worry.

"If it was, we'd know. We'd feel his unbearable agony. Only Hermione can feel it at the moment" Bella said as she slid open Blaise's eyelids.

"How come only her?" Maya asked. Draco looked at her.

"Because he is her Apollo. And she is his Mórrígan. From the beginning of the creation of time" Draco said, quietly. He turned to Bella who was hissing fast in Parseltongue.

"He has enough blood but its all black."

Blaise finally gasped and pointed to Bella.

"_Legilmens_."

Bella froze over him, her pupils dilated to the point where they barely there. She stared, unmoving and not breathing. She seemed to sway as Blaise held her in a mental connection. She finally took a deep, gasping breath.

"Heal his wrists, Mórrígan. He's fine" she said, as if surprised and relieved. Hermione blinked and frowned.

"What do you mean he's fine? His blood is—"

"I said _heal him_" Bella snapped, leaving no room for argument. Hermione glared at her but did as Bella commanded.

"_Sana Corpore_" Hermione said, harshly. A bright white light extended from her wand and seemed to be knit the skin together. The snow was stained with red and black blood.

"Now, we go explain to Madame Pomfrey that Blaise is going to live."

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of May 1995**

**3:55 PM**

"Excuse me?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

Dumbledore was looking at the group in contemplation. Professor McGonagall was frowning, trying to understand as well. Professor Snape's expression was unreadable. Tom looked slightly proud. Maya and Sirius stood in the corner of the room.

"His magical core is entangled with a symbiotic slime thing," Bella repeated. Blaise was on the bed, Hermione sitting next to him. Her hand was playing with the ends of his collar length hair. Draco sat at the foot of the bed while Bella stood next to Blaise, though there was room to sit.

"How did you see his magical core? That's illegal" Professor Snape said, maliciously. Bella sneered at them.

"He's a Natural Legilimens. He pulled me into his mind and showed me. Hermione was forced to use _legal_ Blood Magic to stabilize him. The potions were about to kill him," Bella said, pointedly looking at Madame Pomfrey. She looked angry at being accused of being wrong.

"What do you mean they were killing him? They were keeping the plague at bay!"

"Exactly!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Potter. Could you explain more?" Dumbledore asked, politely. Bella nodded and crossed her arms.

"As you know, every magical gift is delivered with a curse, or a price. We all have gifts, though I will not divulge that information. It isn't important at the moment. But, Blaise…Blaise was gifted as a Natural Legilimens. And in return, he was born with an impossible disease, the Bubonic Plague. He was able to keep it under control when younger, but as he grew, so did his illness" Bella explained. She sat down and turned to Blaise, looking for permission. He cleared his throat and sat up.

"Speak, Anastasia" he said in a tired voice. Bella grinned.

"Okay. So, at the age of 14, his plague got out of control. As you should know, blood is the essence of life. It supports the magical core and if there is no blood, there is no magical core. Blaise's blood is black. His blood isn't being oxygenated enough for him to actually be alive. He's not necessarily dead but…he's not completely _alive_ either. He's more alive than dead but he's not really…completely…_there_," Bella said, slowly. Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened.

"Miss Potter, if what you're saying is correct, Blaise is some kind of hybrid," Professor McGonagall said with wide eyes.

"Oh, he's not a hybrid. I know exactly what he is. That…is none of your business" Bella said, with a slight smirk. McGonagall glared at the impertinent girl. Tom sighed and shook his head.

"She can't say. It's not her information to hand out. She really can't. She's not even truly capable of saying what they are," Tom said, sighing. Snape and Dumbledore seemed to understand they exchanged glances.

"What does that have to do with the potions?" demanded Madame Pomfrey. Hermione frowned.

"I understand now. The potions were making him irritable earlier. I wondered why but I think I know now. The potions were stopping the plague. His body has been with plague for years now. To take it away from him is like taking away a drug of some sort. He _can't_ live without it. And so, the older he gets, the more he needs. It's like, the more you take of a drug, the more of it you want. It got to the point where it consumed him. His blood was overrun with it" Hermione said, thoughtfully. Bella glanced at her sister in surprise.

"And then, there was more plague than actual blood. He threw up a lot of his blood. You're born with a magical core. He can't live without the plague, so essentially it is _his_ essence of life. The magical core relies on an essence of life. The plague can be considered that. So, it ejected the blood that it didn't need and mixed the blood with the plague cells, making his blood black. The parasite living on his magical core is the plague, meshing with it," Hermione finished. Blaise blinked at her.

"How…how did you know that? It took me bringing Bella into my _sanctuary_, my _mind_ to get her to understand. I brought her inside my mind. How did you know?" demanded Blaise. Hermione smiled.

"Blaise, I know medicine almost as much as you. I am top in my year, besides you. And I _know_ you. After Bella got started, it wasn't that hard," Hermione said, with a slight smile. Draco tilted his head.

"So, we can fire-call your mother, telling her that you're okay" Draco said with a smile. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose we can. Merlin…I hope she doesn't show up…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of May 1995**

**4:30 PM**

"We're near the Forbidden Forest. What's over here that you want to show us?" Sirius asked, curiously. Maya looked around with newfound interest. The last time they had been there, she had not had the chance to look around. Sirius and her were holding hands and Maya felt comfortable.

Hermione had stayed with Blaise in the Hospital Wing. Tom had excused himself, saying that he had papers to grade. Maya wasn't sure where the other professors went, nor did she really care. Maya wasn't a big fan of the Snape guy. He looked like a complete asshole.

"Hold on. We're almost there" Bella sighed. She turned and Maya watched as they made their way to what looked like a paddock. Draco and Bella were whispering to each other in hushed tones and Maya strained to hear.

"…tell them…" Draco was insisting.

"I know…wish…could."

"…know…do. We…risk it. Plus…need…vote…tell…anyone" Draco whispered back to Bella. She nodded in understanding before they cleared the throat and looked up. Bella opened the paddock door and took a step inside.

Maya flinched when Bella let out a high whistle. There was snort from deep inside and Bella walked inside and towards a stall. Sirius walked, curious and Maya gasped when she saw what it was.

A black unicorn stood before her, majestically. Despite being what Maya had heard in fairytales, it didn't look serene _or_ scared. It looked rather vicious and kind of scary to her. It was easily taller than her.

"Hello, Nikita. Come here" Bella said as she swung herself over the low door. Nikita, the unicorn, snorted. Maya watched in wonder as Bella nuzzled the beast's muzzle. She reached in her robe and pulled out a piece of raw meat. She held out to Nikita. Nikita snatched it up, viciously. Draco's nose wrinkled.

"That's disgusting, Ana. You keep it in there?"

"Shut up. Don't you have a date to get back to?" Bella asked, curiously. Draco frowned.

"What?"

"Charlie. He came all the way from Romania because of you. Don't you think you should go say goodbye, at least?" Bella asked as she brushed the unicorn. The two siblings seemed to have forgotten that Maya and Sirius were even there.

"Should I?" Draco asked, uncertainly. Bella sighed.

"Draco, you're gay—"

"I _don't_ have a preference," Draco said, almost shrilly. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Forgive me, o' shrill one. You're _bisexual_. Charlie's into you. Luna's into you. You've made it clear that you can't choo—" Bella said, matter-of-factly.

"Wait! What? What do you mean Luna? Our Loony? Loony the Elven Seer?" Draco asked, shock coloring his face. Bella rolled her eyes and looked to Maya.

"You saw it, right you two? Two years ago when you came two came to Hogwarts" Bella said, softly. Maya brought her mind back to two years ago before nodding, slowly.

"I do. She looked at you a lot, Draco" Maya said, softly. Draco blinked when he realized who Maya actually was.

"You're the Mudblood's mother."

Maya's lips pursed but she nodded. To her surprise, a smile spread across Draco's face.

"She's taken care of my best friend when he didn't want to be taken care of. Hermione Granger may be an annoying, snobby know-it-all but she's a dedicated, bloodthirsty, and _Dark_ annoying, snobby know-it-all" Draco said, softly. Maya frowned.

"Thank you?" she said like a question. Draco snickered, obviously not wanting to talk about Luna and changing the subject.

"Thank _you_" Draco said, softly. He seemed surprised that he was thanking a Muggle, whom he believed to be scum on his boot.

"For what, exactly?" Sirius asked. Draco cleared his throat.

"For raising her. For making her my Mudblood sister."

Bella only smiled, approvingly.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 27****th**** of May 1995**

**9:00 PM**

Bella stared in horror at the Quidditch Pitch. They had destroyed her beloved Quidditch Pitch and had hedges growing from it. They were short and Bella imagined that they would be much taller for the task. Fleur was standing next to her and looking down at the hedges with disdain on her face.

"What do you zink of ze task?" Fleur asked. Bella blinked and shook her head.

"I think that this task ruined the Quidditch Pitch."

Bella glanced to her side and saw Cedric nodding. In the past month, he hadn't made any more passes at Bella, so though they weren't friends, they weren't enemies any longer. They even had friendly conversations.

"Hello there!"

It was Ludo Bagman, standing there with Krum. Fleur, Bella, and Cedric made their way to the stand-offish Champion and the boyish man. They climbed over the hedges and stopped in front of Bagman.

"Where's Crouch?" Bella asked. Bagman's smile slipped off for a moment before his boyish grin returned.

"He's a little under the weather."

Bella rolled her eyes. He wasn't 'a little under the weather'. From what Sirius had told her, Crouch was a right workaholic. He must be _really_ sick not to show up to this task debriefing.

"Well, what d'you think?" said Bagman happily.

"Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high. Don't worry," he added, grinning, spotting the less than- happy expressions on Bella's and Cedric's faces, "you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"

No one spoke for a moment. Then -

"Maze," grunted Krum.

"That's right!" said Bagman. "A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"That's not a maze," Bella said, flatly. Bagman's eyes widened and Krum frowned.

"What do you mean, Bella?" Bagman asked. Bella rolled her eyes.

"That's a death trap waiting to happen. What if one of us is critically injured? How will you find our bodies?"

Bagman didn't seem to have any words for that. Fleur stifled her giggle and went to ask her question.

"We simply 'ave to get through the maze?" said Fleur.

"There will be obstacles," said Bagman happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hagrid is providing a number of creatures… then there will be spells that must be broken… all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champion, Miss Potter, who is leading on points will get a head start into the maze." Bagman grinned at Bella.

"Then Mr. Diggory will enter the maze. Then Mr. Krum will enter… then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"

Bella, who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all. However, she nodded politely like the other champions, despite the slight ill look on her face.

"Very well… if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly…"

Bagman hurried alongside Bella as they began to wend their way out of the growing maze. Bella had the feeling that Bagman was going to start offering to help her again, but just then, Krum tapped Bella on the shoulder.

"Could I haff a vord?"

"Hmm?" asked Bella, extremely surprised.

" Could I haff a vord? Vill you valk vith me?"

"Okay," said Bella, curiously. She hadn't really spoken with Krum, as he had never expressed interest in talking to her.

Bagman looked slightly perturbed.

"I'll wait for you. Bella, shall I? It wouldn't be good for a young woman to walk back to the castle in the dark."

"I'm quite capable of walking back to the castle by myself. I don't fear the dark, Mr. Bagman and I'm a formidable dueler. I can take care of myself," said Bella, suppressing a smile.

Bella and Krum left the stadium together, but Krum did not set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he walked toward the forest.

"Why are we going towards the forest?" said Bella as they passed Hagrid's cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage.

"Don't vont to be overheard. Are you scared?" asked Krum, challengingly.

"No. I've met Grindelwald, the Beast of Ravenclaw, and dueled Rodolphus Lestrange and lived to tell the tale. I fear nothing anymore" Bella said, harshly. Krum's lips twitched.

When at last they had reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the paddock, Krum stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Bella.

"I vant to know," he said, glowering, "vot there is between that boy, Blaise, and Hermy-ownninny."

Bella, whom had thought that Krum had something more serious to ask, snorted. Krum's glowering didn't stop. Bella leaned against a tree and pointed her wrist towards herself, slowly. She was ready to hit him or at least curse him if he got angry enough to draw his wand against her.

"Blaise loves Hermione very much. And Hermione loves him very much. Not that that involves you at all. Karkaroff got you to ask her to ball, right?" Bella asked. Krum looked rather hesitant.

"I vanted to but she ignored me when I vas in the library. She vas irritated vith me. I didn't vant to irritate her more. But, the Headmaster told me it'd be good to ask her but I don't know why" Krum said. Bella's eyes glinted.

"Liar."

"Vat do you mean?"

"I can see it, Viktor Krum. _I have seen your heart, Viktor Krum, and it is mine_" Bella said. She drew in a shallow breath as she lost control of what she was saying. Viktor stopped and stared at her in growing horror.

Viktor looked at the fourteen-year-old in front of him. He could feel the growing dread, though he didn't know why he was so horrified by her. There was something Dark growing in the air.

From the moment he had seen Bella Potter, he knew something was different about her. The way she moved was like a snake and she was always aware. As if she were expecting someone to hurt her from behind. She didn't move like a fourteen-year-old. She moved like a veteran of a war.

"Excuse me?" Viktor asked. Bella blinked and her glowing green eyes made Viktor shudder. There was something quite old in her eyes. Viktor knew of the Four Horsemen and had quickly identified that Hermione was War with the old stories that Karkaroff had slipped him to clue him in.

But, he had never imagined that Bella was one as well. His mother had once sang him the old lullabies and he could hear his mother's voice singing one particular verse:

_Lightening strikes_

_As the Angel falls, into the arms of her Serpent_

_Against the Light's calls_

Viktor reminded of those three lines as he stared at the girl in front of him. The Angel of the lullaby. The three other Horsemen had been mentioned by name and the last has been simply called the Angel.

This girl was the Angel.

And she might be the most vicious of them all.

He watched as she spun, flicking her wrist. Her wand was in hand and she was looking into the forest.

"Vot is it?" Krum asked as Bella looked into the dark, her eyes bright and her pupils dilated. She noticed that she could see better that way, which was strange.

Bella shook her head, staring at the place where she'd seen or more like felt, the movement.

Suddenly a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. For a moment, Bella didn't recognize him… then she realized it was Mr. Crouch.

He looked as though he had been traveling for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim. His strange appearance, however, was nothing to the way he was behaving. Muttering and gesticulating, Mr. Crouch appeared to be talking to someone that he alone could see.

"Vosn't he a judge? Isn't he vith your Ministry?" asked Krum. Bella nodded once and cleared her throat.

""… and when you've done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent word there will be twelve…"

"Mr. Crouch?" asked Bella, cautiously. It wouldn't do well to curse him when he was already crazy.

"… and then send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she's bringing, now Karkaroff's made it a round dozen… do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will…"

Mr. Crouch's eyes were bulging. He stood staring at the tree, muttering soundlessly at it. Then he staggered sideways and fell to his knees.

"Mr. Crouch?" Bella said loudly. "Are you all right?"

Crouch's eyes were rolling in his head. Bella looked around at Krum, who had followed her into the trees, and was looking down at Crouch in alarm.

"Vot is wrong with him?"

"If I knew I would have fixed him already," Bella snapped. "Listen, you'd better go and get someone—"

"Dumbledore!" gasped Mr. Crouch. He reached out and seized a handful of Bella's cloak, dragging her closer, though his eyes were staring over Blla's head. "I need… see… Dumbledore…"

"Okay," said Bella, exasperatedly, "if you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go up to the-"

"I've done… stupid… thing…" Mr. Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. Every word he spoke seemed to cost him a terrible effort. "Must… tell… Dumbledore…"

"Get up, Mr. Crouch," said Bella loudly and clearly. "Get up, I'll take you to Dumbledore!"

Mr. Crouch's eyes rolled forward onto Bella.

"Who… you?" he whispered.

"I'm a student at the school. I'm Bella Potter" said Bella, looking around at Krum for some help, but Krum was hanging back, looking extremely nervous. She glared at him.

"You're not… his?" whispered Crouch, his mouth sagging.

"What? I don't understand" Bella said, confusedly. Crouch grabbed onto her cloak and shook her.

"You're not his?" he snarled at her. Bella threw her fist forward and knocked Crouch clear off of her. Krum blinked in shock at the force behind her punch.

"No, I'm not his."

Crouch let go of her.

"Dumbledore's?"

"Sure" said Bella, though if they were talking sides in the upcoming war, Bella was currently undecided. She would have to ask her siblings if they wished to choose a side before deciding.

Crouch was grabbing at her again and Bella knocked him over once more, sweeping her foot under his legs before standing straight almost motionless.

"Warn… Dumbledore…"

"I'll get Dumbledore if you let go of me," said Bella. "Just let go, Mr. Crouch, and I'll get him…"

"Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly, we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge."

Crouch was now talking fluently to a tree again, and seemed completely unaware that Bella was there. This didn't really surprise Bella as he was completely out of his mind.

"Yes, my son has recently gained twelve O.W.L.S, most satisfactory, yes, thank you, yes, very proud indeed. Now, if you could bring me that memo from the Andorran Minister of Magic, I think I will have time to draft a response…"

"You stay here with him!" Bella said to Krum. "I'll get Dumbledore, I'll be quicker, and I know where his office is -"

"He is mad," said Krum doubtfully, staring down at Crouch, who was still gabbling to the tree, apparently convinced it was Percy.

"Just stay with him and stop being a bloody idiot," said Bella, starting to walk away, but her movement seemed to trigger another abrupt change in Mr. Crouch, who seized her hard around the knees and pulled Bella to the ground.

"Don't… leave… me!" he whispered, his eyes bulging again.

"I…escaped…must warn…must tell…see Dumbledore…my fault… all my fault…Bertha…dead…all my fault…my son…my fault… tell Dumbledore…Bella Potter…the Dark Lord…stronger than ever…Dark Master…stronger…Bella Potter…the Angel...Dark Lord...the Angel...Bella Potter."

"I'll get Dumbledore if you let me go, Mr. Crouch!" said Bella. She looked furiously around at Krum.

"You can step in any time. Don't let me stop you" Bella said, sarcastically.

Looking extremely apprehensive, Krum moved forward and squatted down next to Mr. Crouch.

"Just keep him here," said Bella, pulling himself free of Mr. Crouch. "I'll be back with Dumbledore. Keep alert and make sure you keep your wand out."

"Hurry, von't you?" Krum called after her as Bella sprinted away from the forest and up through the dark grounds. They were deserted; Bagman, Cedric, and Fleur had disappeared. Bella tore up the stone steps, through the oak front doors, and off up the marble staircase, toward the second floor.

Three minutes later she was hurtling toward a stone gargoyle standing halfway along an empty corridor. She thanked Merlin and Tom that she dueled. It would've taken her much longer.

"Dammit, open up!" Bella shouted at the gargoyle. The gargoyle sat there and Bella groaned. She glanced up and down the corridor, searching for a teacher.

She would've gone down to the dungeons, but she was sure that Tom was patrolling the castle for the night. And she didn't want to risk running into Snape.

"Move! _Move!_" Bella shouted at it. The gargoyle half moved before it stopped once more. Suddenly, it slid to the side but not because of Bella's shout.

"POTTER!"

Snape had just emerged from the hidden staircase behind the stone gargoyle. The wall was sliding shut behind him and Bella couldn't suppress her groan at her obvious misfortune.

It was just her luck.

"What are you doing here, Potter?"

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore. It's Mr. Crouch… he's just turned up… he's in the forest… he's asking -" Bella said. She was cut off by Snape.

"What is this rubbish?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering. "What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Crouch!" Bella shouted. "From the Ministry! He's ill or something - he's in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just give me the password up to -"

"The headmaster is busy. Potter," said Snape, his thin mouth curling into an unpleasant smile.

"I've got to tell Dumbledore! You twisted, bitter old man," Bella snarled. Snape took a step back as she hissed at him even if she was speaking English, she sounded serpentine.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor and a detention. And the Headmaster is too busy for little delinquents like you."

Bella could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying Bella the thing she wanted, in light of what she had just said

"Look," said Bella angrily, "Crouch isn't right - he's - he's out of his mind – he says he wants to warn Dumbledore and I don't have time for your immature behavior. I don't give a flying fuck that my Uncle Sirius almost killed you! GROW THE FUCK UP!"

The stonewall behind Snape slid open in the middle of Bella's screams. Dumbledore was standing there, wearing long green robes and a mildly curious expression.

"Is there a problem?" he said, looking between Bella and Snape.

"Yes! She was just incredibly rude and out of line! I call for a suspens—" Snape said, looking livid.

"Professor!" Bella said, sidestepping Snape before Snape could finish, "Mr. Crouch is here - he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!"

Bella expected Dumbledore to ask questions, since he was Dumbledore, but to her relief, Dumbledore did nothing of the sort.

"Lead the way," he said promptly, and he swept off along the corridor behind Bella, leaving Snape standing next to the gargoyle and looking twice as ugly.

"What did Mr. Crouch say, Bella?" said Dumbledore as they walked swiftly down the marble staircase.

"Said he wants to warn you… said he's done something terrible… he mentioned his son… and Bertha Jorkins… and - and the Dark Lord…being stronger than ever and something about Grindelwald getting stronger…and he mentioned me twice. And my nickname…" Bella said, reluctantly.

"Your nickname?" said Dumbledore, and he quickened his pace as they hurried out into the pitch-darkness.

"Yes, Hermione calls me…Angel" Bella said, slowly. Dumbledore gave her a sharp look. It told Bella to continue.

"He's not in his right mind," Bella said, hurrying along beside Dumbledore. "He doesn't seem to know where he is. He keeps talking like he thinks Percy Weasley's there, and then he changes, and says he needs to see you… I left him with Viktor Krum."

"You did?" said Dumbledore sharply, and he began to take longer strides still. Bella took it in stride and matched the long paces.

"Do you know if anybody else saw Mr. Crouch?"

"No," said Bella. "Krum and I were talking, Mr. Bagman had just finished telling us about the third task, we stayed behind, and then we saw Mr. Crouch coming out of the forest -"

"Where are they?" said Dumbledore as the Beauxbatons carriage emerged from the darkness.

"Over here," said Bella, moving in front of Dumbledore, leading the way through the trees. She couldn't hear Crouch's voice anymore, but she knew where she was going; it hadn't been much past the Beauxbatons carriage… somewhere around here…

"Krum?" Bella shouted.

No one answered.

"They were here," Bella said to Dumbledore. "They were definitely somewhere around here…"

"Lumos," Dumbledore said, lighting his wand and holding it up.

Its narrow beam traveled from black trunk to black trunk, illuminating the ground. And then it fell upon a pair of feet.

Bella and Dumbledore hurried forward. Krum was sprawled on the forest floor. He seemed to be unconscious. There was no sign at all of Mr. Crouch. Dumbledore bent over Krum and gently lifted one of his eyelids.

"Stunned," he said softly. His half-moon glasses glittered in the wand light as he peered around at the surrounding trees.

"Dammit! I ask him to do one thing and to keep his wand out and he goes and messes that up," Bella snarled under her breath. Dumbledore granted a dark amused look.

"Indeed" said Dumbledore swiftly.

He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. Bella saw something silvery dart out of it and streak away through the trees like a ghostly bird.

Then Dumbledore bent over Krum again, pointed his wand at him, and muttered, "Ennervate."

Krum opened his eyes. He looked dazed. When he saw Dumbledore, he tried to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and made him lie still.

"He attacked me!" Krum muttered, putting a hand up to his head. "The old madman attacked me! I vos looking around to see vare Potter had gone and he attacked from behind!"

"Lie still for a moment," Dumbledore said.

The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow.

"Professor Dumbledore!" he said, his eyes widening. "Bella—what the -?"

"Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff," said Dumbledore. "His student has been attacked. When you've done that, kindly alert Professor Riddle and Professor Moody-"

"No need, Dumbledore," said a wheezy growl. "We're here."

Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit. Tom was striding towards Bella and he stopped in front of her.

"**Are you all right?**" he asked her.

"**Yes, yes. I'm fine**" she hissed back to him. He nodded and turned to Dumbledore.

"Damn leg," Moody said, furiously. "Would've been here quicker… what's happened? Snape said something about Crouch—"

"Crouch?" said Hagrid blankly.

"Karkaroff, please, Hagrid!" said Dumbledore sharply.

"Oh yeah… right y'are, Professor…" said Hagrid, and he turned and disappeared into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him.

"I don't know where Barty Crouch is," Dumbledore told Moody and Tom, "but it is essential that we find him."

"I'm onto it," growled Moody, and he pulled out his wand and limped off into the forest. Tom nodded and followed him into the Forest.

Neither Dumbledore nor Bella spoke again until they heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them. He was wearing his sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated.

"What is this" he cried when he saw Krum on the ground and Dumbledore and Bella beside him. "What's going on?"

"I vos attacked!" said Krum, sitting up now and rubbing his head. "Mr. Crouch or votever his name -"

"Crouch attacked you? Crouch attacked you? The Triwizard judge?"

"Igor," Dumbledore began, but Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs around him, looking livid.

"Treachery!" he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. "It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament, though he is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences - here's what I think of you!"

" Karkaroff spat onto the ground at Dumbledore's feet. In one swift movement, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff's furs, lifted him into the air, and slammed him against a nearby tree.

"Apologize!" Hagrid snarled as Karkaroff gasped for breath, Hagrid's massive fist at his throat, his feet dangling in midair.

"Calm yourself," Bella snapped. Hagrid's grip lessened but got tighter than it had originally been when he turned back to Karkaroff.

"Hagrid, no!" Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing.

Hagrid removed the hand pinning Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid all the way down the trunk and slumped in a huddle at its roots; a few twigs and leaves showered down upon his head.

"Kindly escort Bella back up to the castle, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply.

Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look.

"Maybe I'd better stay here. Headmaster…"

"You will take Bella back to school, Hagrid," Dumbledore repeated firmly. "Take her right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Bella I want you stay there."

"I can walk myself back, Headmaster" Bella said, sharply. Dumbledore nodded, understanding. The usual twinkle was _not_ in his eyes at the moment.

"I know. But, I'd feel better if you let Hagrid escort you" Dumbledore said. His voice gave no room for argument.

So, of course, Bella made room.

"Sir, I can walk myself back. I'm not a child."

There was a sharp hiss from inside the Forest and birds came flying from fear out of the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore watched, curiously, as Bella hissed, loudly as well. Karkaroff shuddered and Viktor Krum looked at her in shock. Bella looked like she was in thought for a moment before she hissed back loudly.

The hiss that responded was a sharp and annoyed hiss that made Bella's lip curl in annoyance.

"I've just been instructed to let Hagrid escort me back. Merlin, he's a bloody arsehole."

:::

**A/N: **I'm done today. I'm tired. I'm much too tired to do much of anything else. I had to squeeze out this chapter because I promised my best friend a chapter before she heads out to her house in the Swiss Alps. I _was_ going to go and leave you guys here for about a month _but_ I have work.

Aren't you lucky?

BLAISE'S ARC IS DONE! HE IS NOW WHOM HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE. I know it was a bit smaller than Hermione's but that's because he never had as many issues as she did. She had several issues and her issues aren't over yet either. They will be soon when three are united and Angel and Serpent find one another, I believe. Neither has been done, so oh well.

And about Bella's dream. It might seem really random. I mean REALLY, REALLY random but it isn't. It holds significance and dreams connected to that dream will appear. That means no more battle dreams. Oh well.

So, I'm too tired to write Samsara, right now. Maybe later. I don't have any fun facts. Maybe I'll find out more. I _am _thinking about posting the playlist for 5th year. I can't find my playlists for the past three years and I don't have a set playlist for this year. But, I do have one for 5th year and part of one for 6th year. If anyone's wants to look over the 5th year playlist (and maybe interpreting what it all means) you can look towards my profile in about twenty minutes.

Next Chapter: Eternal Glory, Eternal Power, Eternal Loyalty, Eternal Trust, Eternal Love


	47. Chapter XLIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** A lot of 'Eternals'. I'm sure a lot of you speculated on what I meant. Every eternal is in there in some shape or form. This chapter took a lot out of me and it wasn't because I didn't write it. Mostly because I wasn't sure how I wanted it. In the end, I deviated from the original plan. Oh, well.

And, a lot of are wondering about Draco's last person. She, yes she, will be coming in 5th year. Because, Lucius is a pureblood arse. That's all I'm saying. Draco won't be pleased.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 5****th**** of June 1995**

**8:00 AM**

"Happy birthday!" Bella said, grinning. She threw her arms around her brother and he raised an eyebrow at her, though he reached around her and patted her back while hugging her.

"Get off me, youngun" Draco said, teasingly. Bella rolled her eyes at her newly fifteen-year-old brother before turning to Hermione whom was holding two nicely wrapped gifts. Bella snickered when she remembered the grief she had given Hermione to wrap her gift.

"Oh, shut up. You're only about a month older than me," Bella laughed. She guided him to the Gryffindor table where a bunch of first years, cleared off. They obviously still weren't used to a Slytherin sitting at the table. They had probably been told that that wasn't allowed.

"Actually, I'm a month and three weeks. I'm almost two months older than you. So, until you turn 15, you're a youngun" Draco said, sounding rather superior about it. Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked for Blaise. Hermione sighed.

"You get four gifts, Drake, from us. One from each of us and then one combined gift. You will _not_ give us grief about your small gifts. Okay?" Hermione said, sternly. Draco rolled his eyes and gave a lazy wave of the hand. Hermione unsuccessfully tried to stifle her smile.

She handed him her gift first and he unwrapped it, quickly. He smirked at her and tugged her hair.

"Thank you. It's just like you."

The book looked brand new on the ground and it was in black leather. In Old English on the front cover was the word: Lícwíglung. The pages were yellowed and also in Old English. He touched it softly and adoring.

"You do know Old English, right?" Hermione asked, worriedly. Draco looked it over.

"Some. I wasn't as interested in it as I was in Latin. However, I will learn quickly. This books is near priceless. Where did you get it?" Draco asked. Hermione smirked, softly and looked to Bella who was whistling.

"Bella used her name to make Borgin from Borgin & Bourke's give it to her for a 10 galleons. I gave her the money and knew that you were interested in it. You're gifted in it, as a matter of fact, and you should _know_ how to use your gift."

Draco smirked at her and leaned back.

"I'm starting to appreciate you more and more…infinitesimally, that is" Draco said, adding a sneer at the end. Bella rolled her eyes and Hermione and her exchanged looks. Bella shook her head and handed her smaller gift to Draco. Draco unwrapped it and looked at it with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. It's manly looking" Bella said, defensively. Draco smirked and looked down at the single earring.

"What does it do? There's a faint magical signature on here. It feels like a mix of yours and…Tom's" Draco said, uttering Tom's first name for the first time. Bella smiled at that and tilted her head. She held up her wrist, her bracelet dangling.

"It's a Portkey. An illegal one, that is. Don't tell anyone. It's connected to my bracelet, the matching charm. It's password protected. I'll tell you later. But, it brings you to me wherever you are. We're stronger when we're together, even if we're formidable when separated" Bella said with a slight smile. Draco smirked.

"My father will have a fit."

"Your father's an arsehole and he can get on his bloody knees and kiss my ass if he tries to take it away from you."

"Such vulgar language."

The three sitting glanced at Blaise. One hand was behind his back, holding the joint gift while he held out another present. Draco reached out for it and opened it. He smirked at it.

"A wand holster."

"A wand holster than can become invisible. You need one. Bella cut yours to pieces in a duel, remember? Now, she won't know where it is. Oh, look" Blaise said, looking up. A snowy owl, Hedwig to be precise, was flying towards them. She dropped a parcel before flying off, presumably to the Owlery.

"Who?" Draco asked, slowly. Bella smirked.

Draco unwrapped it and gaped at what he saw. It was two leather nooses and a long golden chain that seemed to gleam silver, despite its color. He ran a hand over it and cleared his throat before picking up the note.

"Who is it from?" Hermione asked. Draco shook his head, smiling.

"Charlie. It's to connect the hilts of my sai sword and to hold them against my waist. The gold is….dragon gold. He got burned trying to get it" Draco said, softly. Hermione blinked in shock and she leaned forward to get a better glimpse at the dragon gold.

"Dragon gold? That's incredibly hard to get! They heat the gold with their fire and it gives it special magical properties. It's impossible to break it and if in contact with other metal, it influences the metal to have the same magical properties as it" Hermione rattled off. Draco rolled his eyes and slid off his robe. Some of the girls from Gryffindor look at his arms, appreciatively. Training with Tom made you bulk up some.

Draco was still thinner than Charlie though he was lean and his arms were rather nicely muscled. The girls from around the Great Hall observed him before seeing the glinting metal on his waist. Draco flipped the pair of sai swords from his waist, twisting them in his hands.

He glanced towards the Head Table and saw most of the professors staring at him. Tom was drinking his coffee but looking at the foursome, discreetly. He leaned over and whispered something to Dumbledore. Dumbledore's lips spread into a smile.

Draco flipped one sai sword towards Bella who caught it, twisting it, clumsily. He flipped the other towards Hermione, who spun it before grabbing it by one of the blades.

It cut through her finger and blood covered the blade. She licked it off, slowly and smirked at Draco's disgusted expression.

"Now I have Mudblood spit on my sai. Thanks so much" Draco snapped as he put the leather straps through his belt loops on his trousers. Hermione shrugged.

"Your welcome. I at least had the courtesy to the clean off the blood, right?" asked Hermione. Draco rolled his eyes and held out one hand.

She handed him the sai and Draco pulled one end of the gold chain through the large whole at the end of the hilt. He wrapped it around and touched it to the gold chain and it sealed. He held it up and it looked as if it were noosed. He did the same to his other sai sword before tucking the two sai swords in the leather straps. He shrugged back on his robe and looked down at Blaise.

"Where's my group gift?"

"You ungrateful git. Here. Be happy" Blaise snapped, throwing a long package at Draco. He blinked before frowning at his siblings.

"Part of it from Tom too. Hermione took some of her savings that she's had for a while. I had to withdraw some from my personal account and Blaise spent his own money too. So, be grateful" Bella said, sternly. Draco nodded.

He unwrapped it and he gaped at the gift. Most of the boys were gaping at the gift as well. Bella tilted her head as he ran his hands over it.

"It's made of blackwood. It looks different from mine. But it's the same thing. Instead of gold to hold together the birch twigs, it's silver. The bipod is genuine silver too. Do you like it?" Bella asked, smiling. Draco nodded, slowly.

"A Firebolt…my parent's were going to get me one but instead I got money to go shopping for myself. It's gorgeous. What's this?" Draco asked, looking at the handle. Bella laughed.

"That's from Tom. A key. To the Library. You _were_ angry that you didn't have one. So, I had Tom get one for you. Don't lose it. And despite the fact that you have a key, you'll have to offer blood, to show that you're related to me, if you ever go alone" Bella said, smirking at that thought. Draco rolled his eyes and sighed to himself.

"What will I do with my Nimbus?" he asked. Bella shrugged.

"Donate it to the school."

Draco sneered.

"I'd sooner use it for firewood."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 13****th**** of June 1995**

**5:00 PM**

"Is that the best you can do? You'll go up against much darker things in the maze. The other Champions might try to get you out of the way. I wouldn't put it past Krum."

Bella's hair was tied back in a long braid, yet tendrils of hair stuck to her forehead. She looked at Tom, carefully. He hadn't even broken a sweat. Hermione was watching curiously instead of reading like she normally did. Blaise and Draco were watching as well.

Luna wasn't there as she was studying for finals

Bella spun and pointed her wand to the ground. Tom jumped forward just as Bella slashed her wand down at him.

"_Lacta!_"

Tom was thrown backwards and he fell to the ground. He jumped back up, easily. Bella ran at him. Tom waved his wand at her and she began sinking into the platform. She sunk to her waist before she punched down and shattered the wood. She pulled herself out and was flat on her stomach when a foot landed on her back. Bella gave a grunt.

"You lose."

"Not…yet…" Bella hissed. She spun under his foot and hooked one leg around his ankle. She jerked hard and Tom landed with a grunt next to her. Bella stumbled upwards and Tom leaned up.

He began shooting spell after spell and some she didn't even know. She stumbled and he jumped up and knocked her in the back of the head. Bella fell forward, slamming her forehead into the hard wood. She could feel the blood dripping from her temple.

"Dammit" she muttered. She lifted her wand and took a deep breath.

She brought her thoughts to her and her siblings, laughing. They were sitting outside, underneath a tree near the lake. They were laughing at Draco's whining. He had asked Bella pierce his ear to put the earring in and he was whining at how much it had hurt.

"_Expecto Patronum!_"

A large serpent shot from the wand and Tom frowned in confusion as he watched slither forward. Suddenly, it vanished and Tom looked down at the spot it had been, curious.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!_"

The wand flew from Tom's hand and he tried to grab it from the air, though it sailed through his fingers and into Bella's awaiting hand. Her hand closed around it and she gave a loud sigh as she fell to her knees. A smirk decorated her face and she looked at Tom's shocked expression.

"I win" she gasped, out of breath from the exertion. She looked more beat up than she ever had before when fighting Tom. She knew he had been taking it easy on her and he still was, but she'd never expected that he had that much.

Tom's lips curled into a half-smile and he stepped towards her.

"**Good girl,**" he murmured to her. She gave a half smile and he brushed his lips against the corner of hers. Her smile spread into a goofy grin. He snickered at it and rolled his eyes. She sneered at him and turned towards her siblings.

"You were good" Blaise said, softly. Bella could here the 'but' in his voice.

"I know, I know. But good isn't good enough. I have to be the best. I get it" Bella sighed. Blaise nodded.

"But, you were still pretty good. You disarmed him" Hermione said, as Bella looked down. Bella's fierce eyes find Hermione's.

"But, he was taking it easy on me. I have to be the best. And I _will _be the best."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**9:00 AM**

"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.

"But the task's not till tonight," said Bella with wide eyes.

"I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."

She moved away, leaving Bella to think about it.

"I bet it's Maya and Sirius" Bella said with a slight smile on her face.

"Tell mum I said hi" Hermione prompted. Bella nodded.

"We'd better hurry" Blaise sighed. Draco frowned.

"Why?"

"We have exams. We have DADA exams first and Tom is always brutal, as you know" Blaise sighed. Bella couldn't hide her smile once more. She loved that her siblings were finally calm enough to actually use his name. It was weird for them to call him Professor Riddle. Well, to her at least.

Bella finished her porridge in the emptying Great Hall. She saw Fleur get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Cedric as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. Krum slouched off to join them shortly afterward.

"Bella, come on, zey're waiting for you!" Fleur said, with a smile on her face. Bella nodded, cheerfully and snickered at the look of shock adorning Cho Chang's face.

"Thanks, Fleur."

The two girls walked together into the room and Bella grinned at the people standing in front of the fireplace. Sirius and Maya stood in front of the fireplace with Remus. Bella grinned.

"Uncle Moony!" she said, with a grin. She ran up to him and jumped, hugging him tightly. Remus returned the hug and took deep sniff. He frowned in confusion and pulled back from her.

"You smell like blood. As if you been in a fight," he said, quietly. Bella took a step back. Maya and Sirius frowned.

"What do he mean, Bella? What does he mean that you smell like blood? You got in a fight?" Maya asked, rattling off questions. Bella smiled and shook her head. Every time she saw Maya, she was more and more maternal. It was actually a good change.

Bella had been raised by a man her entire life.

A slightly immature man at that. She had been raised to think about pranks and dueling. She had expressed limited interest in knowing how to waltz but that was about it. She hadn't even known about a period. She had to read it from somewhere and she knew that Sirius would be too flustered to talk about it.

"I was training _early_ this morning."

That wasn't a complete lie. She had snogged Tom early this morning and he had bitten her. He had actually drawn blood from her neck and she had to admit that it had felt fucking good. Remus gave her a doubtful look and looked at her high collar shirt.

"Is that so? Why is the smell coming from your neck?"

Bella groaned.

"Uncle Moony!"

Sirius reached over and pulled it down to look and stumbled back with a look of horror. A delighted look crossed over Maya's look as they all examined the purplish mark on her neck. There was the slightest of teeth marks where Moony had probably smelt the blood.

"_What_ is _that_?" Sirius choked out. Bella coughed.

"I…fell and hit my neck?"

"No. That's a _hickey_" Maya said, looking ecstatic.

If Bella didn't know better, she would think that Maya knew exactly whom the hickey came from.

"Where did you get a hickey from? I thought you weren't dating Cedric!" Sirius snapped. Cedric glanced over, hearing the conversation and gaped. Fleur giggled and looked at Bella.

"Really? Did 'e?" asked Fleur. Bella snickered and raised her eyebrows.

"Did he what? I was practicing."

"Where did you get it from? Bella Anastasia Potter!" Sirius said, angrily. Bella shook her head.

"It's nothing. I was dueling with Draco. He bit my neck to distract me," said Bella. Sirius glared at her as she inspected her nails. That was also the truth. Draco _had_ bitten her. But that had been after Tom bit her. And when Draco bit her, he didn't draw blood.

"You're lying to me."

"Mhmm. Whatever you say."

"Are you going to tell me the truth?" Sirius asked her sternly. Bella sighed.

"Uncle Sirius, look. I'm telling the truth and have to believe me. I don't care. But, right now, I have to get in the proper mindset so I don't die. So please, not now," Bella asked. Sirius faltered at that and nodded, relenting.

Bella didn't think it would be that easy.

"But, we'll talk about it later."

Of course, it wasn't.

"Sure."

"Bella Potter. Shame that you had to cheat to get in."

Bella blinked at Amos Diggory. He was ignoring his pleading son. Bella looked at Amos, coldly.

"Mr. Diggory. What is it?"

"You. And my son. Was he not good enough? Are you too stuck up to see that he's the only good thing you're going to get in life?" snarled Amos. Maya's eyes narrowed and she let out a haughty laugh that sounded much too pureblood in Bella's opinion. Maya pushed Bella behind her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Diggory, was it? You'll hold your tongue when speaking to _my_ child. I may have not birthed her but she's my daughter now and you'll respect your betters" Maya said, coldly. Amos sneered at Maya.

"You should let the magical people handle this, Muggle."

"I _said_ you will _respect_ your betters. I'm included in that category. Please, walk away, before I become angry. Because despite me not having 'magic', I can still tear your tongue from your mouth. I hope that's clear" Maya said, as if she were speaking on the weather. Amos glared at her.

"She's whoring herself out to the other people when she was dating my son! She is obviously not one of my betters!"

Maya sneered at him as if she had just smelled something disgusting.

"And you're any better, calling a child a whore? Calling _my_ child, a whore? Your son is a vicious stalker and his father is no better. You will mind yourself and turn back around before things get uglier than they already are. And I make no empty threats. Because wand or no wand, I will destroy your self-esteem and confidence until you are _nothing_. Not that you were much in the first place…except maybe in body mass" Maya said, maliciously.

Amos Diggory looked properly offended and Cedric was shocked into silence. Bella was grinning and Remus was hiding a smile behind his hand. Sirius was gaping at Maya with a cross look between awe and disgust.

Maya looked at Amos, flippantly.

"I thought the statement 'you're dismissed' was implied. Must I say it out loud? Because if I do, I have no trouble doing so. You're dismissed" Maya said, harshly.

Amos turned on his heel and stormed away, angrily. Maya blinked at the faces of their neighbors.

"Merlin, Maya. You _definitely_ be a Slytherin if you were a witch" giggled Bella with a grin. Remus shook his head.

"Most impressive, Ms. Granger. It takes a lot to quiet someone like Amos Diggory. He takes thing rather personal" Remus said, softly. Maya laughed and looked at Sirius.

"What's that look on your face?" she demanded, smiling slightly.

"Now, despite the fact that you're a Muggle, I'm sure my mother would have loved you."

"Sirius…I don't think it's possible for your mother to love anybody. She sounds like a bitter, old, Kraken of a woman."

"No, no. She'd love you."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1994**

**Dusk**

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! In first place, with ninety-five points Miss Bella Potter, of Hogwarts School!"

The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. Bella grinned and pumped her fist up. Draco was cheering with her, while touching his earring. She smirked.

"In second place, with eighty-five points - Mr. Cedric Diggory, also of Hogwarts School!"

More applause.

"In third place, with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute."

The Quidditch fans roared.

"And in fourth place with sixty-five points – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Bella cheered for her newfound friend and Fleur gave her a reassuring smile.

"If I can not win zis, you win, Bella" she whispered. Bella nodded, firmly.

"I will."

"Promise me. Show zem zat we're not just pretty faces," Fleur said, sharply. Bella laughed and nodded.

"I promise."

"So… on my whistle, Bella!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Bella hurried forward into the maze.

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze. Bella felt almost as though she were underwater again.

She pulled out her wand, muttered, "Lumos."

After about fifty yards, she reached a fork. She looked at from left to right before deciding to take the left.

Bella heard Bagman's whistle for the second time. Cedric had entered the maze. Bella sped up, though she carefully paced herself. Her chosen path seemed completely deserted. She turned right, and hurried on, holding her wand high over her head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight.

She was glad that in this instance, she had worn her contacts. Though, she did like her glasses and she wore them to class and such, she knew that in duel and in this competition in general, it would only be a hindrance.

An advantage to her competition.

Bella heard Bagman's whistle blow once more. She laid her hand flat on her palm and used a basic skill that most wouldn't think of.

"Point Me."

It spun to face right, showing her that was north. She knew she'd have to go northwest to reach the center. Bella blinked when she realized that she had no obstacles in her way.

It was unnerving her.

Suddenly, there was someone next to her. Her fist flew out and caught Cedric in the cheek. He gave a shout and Bella's wand was out.

"What do you want?" she snapped, ready to curse him to oblivion.

Until she realized how bloody and beat up he was.

"Bloody hell. What happened to _you_?" she asked in shock.

"Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts! They're bloody huge. And scary" Cedric hissed in pain. Bella blinked.

"Oh…sorry I punched you. And I'm sorry for what my sorta adopted mum said. You aren't a vicious stalker. Just a bit strange" Bella laughed. Cedric attempted to laugh with her but only irritated the burn on his arm.

Cedric shook his head before waving his hand.

"It's cool. I'd better go" he said before diving down another path. Bella blinked before hearing a high cold laugh.

She saw the snakey face of Voldemort and the pretty face of Grindelwald staring at her. She gave a short shriek before slapping her hand over her mouth.

"We're coming for you, Bella Potter. We're coming for you" he laughed. Bella shook her head and stared at them.

"I…I'm not afraid of you."

"Yessss, you are. You fear usss. What we can do to you" laughed Voldemort. Bella shook her head and glared at them.

"_Riddikulus!_" she shouted. With a crack, the pair turned into a rod of wood. Bella stepped over it and walked, cautiously forward.

A sudden shriek shattered the eerie silence.

"Fleur? FLEUR!" she shouted.

There was silence. Bella knew that the screams had come from ahead of her. She ran as fast as she could, even through a yellow mist. She felt the world turn upside down but she didn't stop in her running, though she stumbled a bit while the world turn right side up.

Bella could feel the magic radiating from the cup and it sounded like Fleur was no longer running. Suddenly, she tripped.

"Fleur…Fleur?" asked Bella. The beautiful half-Veela was on the ground, twitching violently.

As if she had been cursed.

With the Cruciatus.

"Dammit! Fleur, I'm going to send for help for you. I promise" Bella whispered. She threw her wand in the air and shot up red sparks. Bella brushed the girl's hair from her face before taking off running once more.

"Crucio!"

Bella heard Cedric's agonized screams before she could get there. She could hear it from the other side of the hedge. She knew the Reductor Curse wouldn't work.

"_ASTRAPI!_"

The lightening bolt destroyed the hedge into ashes and a large pathway was now in it's place. Bella jumped through and pointed her wand at Krum.

"Stupefy!" she shouted. Cedric's screams stopped as Krum fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked as Cedric caught his breath.

"Yeah," panted Cedric. "Yeah… I don't believe it… he crept up behind me… I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me…"

Cedric got up. He was still shaking. He and Bella looked down at Krum.

"I can't believe I didn't realize… I thought he was in competent," Bella said, staring at Krum. Cedric snickered.

"I just thought he wasn't Dark," said Cedric. Bella shot him a sharp look.

"Being Dark isn't a choice. Being Dark in politics is. There's a difference. Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?" asked Bella, as if waiting for a debriefing. Cedric thought she was too used to her siblings little espionage missions.

"Yeah," said Cedric. "You don't think Krum got her too?"

"I think so. She was twitching from Cruciatus aftereffects. I just go to her and sent up sparks" said Bella. Cedric nodded.

"Should we leave him here?" Cedric muttered.

"No," said Bella. "I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him… otherwise he'll probably be eaten by a skrewt."

"He'd deserve it," Cedric muttered, but all the same, he raised his wand and shot a shower of red sparks into the air, which hovered high above Krum, marking the spot where he lay.

Bella and Cedric stood there in the darkness for a moment, looking around them.

Then Cedric said, "Well… I s'pose we'd better go on…"

"What?" said Bella. "Oh…you think…that I'll let you go?"

Cedric froze.

"You're funny, Cedric. I made a promise. To Fleur. That if she doesn't win this, I will. And I don't go back on my promises. And I _always_ win. It is inevitable that I am _victorious_."

"Stupefy."

Cedric fell to the ground, next to Krum and unconscious. Bella's lips curled into a smile and she gave a loud sigh.

"I win."

Bella walked away, feeling confident but she hit more than an few dead ends. But the increasing darkness made her feel sure that she was getting near the heart of the maze. Then, as she strode down a long, straight path, she saw movement once again, and his beam of wandlight hit an extraordinary creature, one which she had met before, only 2 years earlier.

It was a sphinx.

"You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."

"So… so will you move, please? I met the Beast of Ravenclaw. A celebrity to you, I'm sure. So if you'll move I can put in a good word for you, when I see her again," said Bella, knowing what the answer was going to be.

"No," she said, continuing to pace. "Not unless you can answer my riddle. It is against my nature, no matter who you know or do not know. Answer on your first guess - I let you pass. Answer wrongly - I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from me unscathed."

Bella groaned.

She had hated riddles (ALL RIDDLES, including Tom at times) since her second year.

"Okay," she said. "Can I hear the riddle?"

The sphinx sat down upon her hind legs, in the very middle of the path, and recited:

"First think of the person who lives in disguise,

Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.

Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,

The middle of middle and end of the end?

And finally give me the sound often heard

During the search for a hard-to-find word.

Now string them together, and answer me this,

Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"

"Spider."

Bella said this with a bored tone. The sphinx looked at her in surprise and a smile broke out on her face.

"You have truly met Onnisciente."

"I have. Her riddles are brutal. But yours was easy. Can I pass?" Bella asked. The sphinx nodded and stepped aside. Bella ran frowned just to meet an Acromantula.

"Well, damn you. I'm almost to the center and I have to meet your ugly face" Bella groaned.

The Acromantula seemed to take that to heart. It raced after her, killing intent obvious.

"_Impedimenta! Expelliarmus!_" Bella shouted. The Acromantula was blow back but didn't stop its pursuit of Bella.

"_ASTRAPI!_" she shouted. She whipped the lightening bolt down on the Acromantula's great body and it seemed to wrap around its entire body.

The Acromantula exploded where it was and Bella jumped to the side to evade the spider guts. A glint caught her eye and she froze. Spider guts got on her anyway.

She wiped a piece of one of the many legs out of her hair. Acromantula venom smeared her combat boots and the ends of her braided hair.

"Well, well, well. Look what I've got here…" Bella said, looking at the glowing Triwizard Cup.

It was silver with glowing blue glass making up the cup part. Bella looked at it wonder. Her hand reached out and closed around the handle.

Instantly, Bella felt a jerk behind her navel and she gasped. Her feet left the ground. She could not take her hand from the Triwizard Cup now. It was as if it was holding onto her and not the other way around.

She disappeared in a swirl of color and howl of wind.

Bella felt her feet hit solid ground and she stumbled forward, looking around.

Bella realized instantly that she was not on Hogwarts Grounds anymore. She could tell since nothing around here looked like it could be remotely near Hogwarts.

In fact, she knew exactly where she was. She'd come here more than once.

She was in Godric's Hollow.

And in front of her parents' graves.

She stared at the statue of her parents holding her and she smiled as she touched the base of it. A hand wrapped around her wrist and she turned to punch the person.

Words failed her when she saw who it was.

"Itty, bitty, baby Potter."

Bella tried to jerk away from Bellatrix Lestrange but the woman was holding her, steadily. Bellatrix was smirking at her, widly and Bella couldn't move from where she stood. Bellatrix grinned and jerked her head towards the person standing next to her. Rodolphus walked jumped forward and grabbed Bella's other wrist. He hissed in pain when he felt the spear charm on her bracelet poke at him.

"How's that little Mudblood brat of yours? Your pet? I owe her for stabbing me. I'll return the favor after we're done now," Bellatrix hissed at her maliciously. Bella sneered at her.

"I'd like to see you try. She's twice as crazy and three times as vicious now."

"We'll see when you're _dead_."

Bella glared as they tied her to the statue, her hands bound around her parents' legs. Bellatrix weighed Bella's wand on her hand before tucking it in her dress. Bella's lips curled in disgust.

"I owe you for defeating me. But, an impressive defeat it was. Where's that blood traitor now?" Rodolphus asked, taunting her about Draco's absence. Bella glared at him.

"I can do well on my own now. Trust me, in the face of danger, I don't have reservations in using the Black Arts."

Rodolphus looked at her disdainfully. Bella stuck her tongue out at him.

"Wipe that filthy look off your face, bitty Potter."

"Make me…_bitch._"

Bella's head snapped to the side as Bellatrix's hand connected with the side of her face. Bella's head slammed into the stone and groaned as she felt the blood welling to the surface and dripping down the side of her face.

"BELLATRIX!"

The high cold shout had Bellatrix dropping to her knees and looking in the direction of the scream. Bella closed her eyes, not wanting to see who she knew was there. She didn't want to see him.

The man she feared.

"My Lord…my Lord, she was being disrespectful. I'm sorry, my Lord" Bellatrix murmured, as if to a lover. Bella could only feel disgust for the woman in front of her.

"I thought I specifically instructed you not to damage the ingredients."

"I'm sorry, my Lord."

"You _will_ be punished."

"Yes, my Lord."

And suddenly, Bella knew that he was in front of her. She didn't want to look at his face. His terrifying face because it'd only make him all too real to her. That high and cold voice that she only head in the form of a Boggart.

"Bella Potter. Look at me."

Bella felt a long, thin, and finger run down her face. She opened her eyes, slowly and stared into the slitted red eyes of Lord Voldemort. His face was flat with slits for a nose and a thin mouth with no lips.

"The Dark Lord. You're the Dark Lord" Bella whispered. She didn't even struggle against the finger resting on her cheek. Voldemort and Bella were close enough to kiss and yet, Bella felt fear but no disgust whatsoever. She only felt incredible fascination.

"Do you fear me?" he asked in his sibilant tone. Bella nodded, slowly.

"Yes…" she breathed.

A lipless and terrifying smirk spread across Voldemort's face. He turned from Bella and Bella could only see his black robes and the back of his very bald head. Bellatrix was glaring at Bella in what could only be described as jealousy.

"Where isss he?" Voldemort demanded. Rodolphus bowed.

"He is bringing Wormtail. The rat was cowering."

"As is typical. Ah…I feel them coming" Voldemort murmured. He turned back to Bella and withdrew a black wand. He touched it to Bella's face and she took a deep breath.

"Ebony…13 ½ inches…Acromantula web," Bella gasped as she felt the information rushing into her. She couldn't have sensed the Acromantula web core if it hadn't been touching her skin.

"How very…nice. You can sensse the core of my wand" Voldemort murmured. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I can" Bella said, shortly.

Suddenly, her scar began to burn. She gave a cry of pain. Her scar had never burned this badly before and in truth, her scar had only burned maybe four times in her entire life. She held in her pain and kept her eyes open as she stared at the many walking in front of her.

He was tall and his skin was golden. He looked distinctly Indian. He was walking with a short man. They were making way to the center of the graveyard where a large cauldron sat. It was burning slowly over a fire and there was a sloshing potion inside. It was clear, like water, but Bella knew it was something dangerous.

"_Bella_."

Bella knew that voice anyway.

"Grindelwald."

His navy eyes betrayed who he truly was.

"It's such a pleasure to see you. I'm pleased that you could come to my little…get together."

"I was forced here" Bella said, flatly. Voldemort smirked and gave short little laugh.

"Then your invitation must have gotten lost in the mail."

"I wouldn't have come anyway" Bella said, defiantly. Grindelward raised a single eyebrow and pushed the whimpering Wormtail towards the potion. Wormtail was stripping off his robes and leaving himself in mere trousers.

"Would you have come if it was _I_ who invited you?" Voldemort asked, softly. Bella swallowed hard and looked to Bellatrix. Bellatrix's entire body language was screaming at Bella to say 'no'.

"Perhaps…"

"_Cru—_" Bellatrix shrieked. Voldemort spun towards Bellatrix.

"Trixie!" he snarled. Bellatrix stopped short and bowed her head before taking step back. Voldemort turned back to Bella who was looking at him, curiously.

"I'm honored."

"I'm sure" Bella said with a slight smirk. She felt rather weird _flirting_ with the Lord Voldemort but it didn't seem as out of place as it seemed to Rodolphus, who was surely shuddering internally.

He seemed a lot less unhinged than Bellatrix.

"Where's Rabastan?" Bella asked. Rodolphus glared at her. Grindelwald tilted his head.

"I heard of what happened to him. What the little mind reader did. Destroyed him, did he. He's barely in his right mind. Not quite what we need for this joyous celebration. But don't worry, little Bella Potter, you will see your old friend soon" Grindelwald said, softly. He turned to Voldemort who gave a sharp nod.

"Let us begin. Wormtail!" Voldemort barked. Wormtail jumped.

"Yes, my Lord" he said in his feeble voice.

"Get into the cauldron."

Wormtail climbed into the cauldron, with some difficult. He was wading in the deep pot and Bella could see the potion not reacting. She wondered why but she knew she wouldn't have to wait long to have the answer. Bella watched as Voldemort walked behind Wormtail. Wormtail wasn't paying attention in particular and was splashing about the water like a child. Bellatrix's lips were curled into a cruel smile as she watched. Rodolphus remained stoic.

Voldemort pulled a wicked looking silver dagger from his sleeves. He gave a slight secretive smirk to Bella and she returned it with a shocked and horrified smile.

"Flesh of the servant, unwillingly given, with the intent of a sacrifice to the Dark."

Wormtail spun around but it was too late. Voldemort's arm came down and he slit Wormtail's throat easily. Wormtail made a gagging noise as blood spilled from his throat and into the potion, turning it a bright red. He fell into the potion, his body disappearing.

Bella couldn't help the small feeling of satisfaction at seeing him die in the cauldron.

"Bone of the sister, his first kill, you will resurrect your foe."

Dust rose from a grave that was marked Ariana Dumbledore, from what Bella could see. She knew whom that was by the dates alone.

"So, you're taking a bone from Dumbledore's sister's grave. For shame, Grindelwald. What would Albus think now?" Bella taunted. Grindelwald turned to her, glaring at her sharply.

"You will be silent, bitch."

"And you know it."

The dust settled over the potion, sprinkled over it like a garnish on soup. Bella watched as Voldemort crossed over to her and ran a finger over her arm. Bella shuddered now at the cold finger.

"Don't shy away from it, Bella. Embrace the Dark" he whispered in her ear as he touched the cold silver to her arm. He slashed down and she gave a cry of pain as he carved a jagged like that resembled a lightening bolt when he was finished.

"I…already have" she whispered. Voldemort's cold smirk returned.

"I know."

He turned towards the boiling potion and held the blood covered silver dagger over the potion.

"Blood of woman and daughter who thrice defied you, accept three dropsss of blood" Voldemort said, as he tapped the dagger three times. Three drops of blood fell into the water and made it black in color. A hissed erupted from the potion and smoke raised above the potion in the shape of a lightening bolt.

It disappeared. Grindelwald smirked before the navy disappeared from the Indian's eyes, leaving white in its place, pupils and irises not in sight.

The Indian man fell lifeless as a navy mist floated into the potion and suddenly there was loud hiss. The potion was sparking and now white steam floated from the potion, despite it being black in color. Bella prayed that whatever in the potion had drowned. Voldemort watched in satisfaction as the sparks suddenly stopped.

Bella closed her eyes in hope.

"Robe me."

Bella's hope was dashed. She could feel the palm of her hand with the sign of the Deathly Hallows burning brightly.

_HELP ME!_

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:00 PM**

Draco felt a strange sensation come over him. His ear was burning and he turned to his siblings. They were all frowning as well. Hermione gave a low moan and Draco watched as Maya turned to look at her daughter with an obviously worried expression. Blaise was holding his head.

"God…it hurts. It hurts so much" Blaise whispered. Draco nodded. His head wasn't pounding but suddenly his back was hurting badly. His back was wear his tattoo of his scythe was burnt into skin in black, unbeknownst to all of his siblings. His back arched and he gasped.

Blaise was gripping at his leg, tightly, for some strange reason. Hermione was holding her arm where her own tattoo of her sword was. She shook and suddenly their mouths fell open.

"_HELP ME!_"

The inhuman screams silenced all. And it was because it wasn't their voice.

It was Bella's.

* * *

**Graveyard, Godric's Hallow, West Country, England**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:01 PM**

Bella watched in horror as Gellert Grindelwald in all his young glory stood before her. He was just as pretty as she remembered him with his navy eyes and curly blond hair. He really did look like a really tall girl. He could be Fleur's brother, except her spoke with a German accent.

"Master! Master, you've return!" Bellatrix sobbed, happily. Bella shook her head.

It was true. It was all true.

Gellert Grindelwald had risen again.

:::

**A/N: **Yo! How did you like it? I wrote most of the scene in Godric's Hollow in twenty minutes so sorry if it's shitty. I won't be updating for a few days, a week at the most or something like that. I have a graduation to go to. My cousin's graduating from college and she wants me to be there (but not my younger sister, ha!)  
This chapter was a little crazy but I have a fun fact, I think.

And an ANNOUNCEMENT: Bella's Arc will be in TWO PARTS! Bella's Arc will begin next year, power-wise but her emotional journey will not end until the end of her seventh year, which will be epic. I have such a heart felt scene where she reaches emotional maturity! It's going to be beautiful.

I hope you liked Maya in this chapter. She sounded like a bitchy pureblood, right? I hope so!

_**Fun Fact # 5: **_Maya is a star constellation! So, she's _perfect _for Sirius! Right? Right! Please tell me I'm right.


	48. Chapter XLIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** I'M BACK EARLY! I got back before I thought I would so…here _you_ go!

This is part two of the last chapter. The Eternals that were depicted last chapter was: Eternal Loyalty, Eternal Trust and Eternal Love (For all of you, let it be known, Bella and Tom do _not_ love each other. Tom considers them friends with benefits. Bella is just…go with the flow, whatever). The Eternal Love is between siblings, as depicted by their carefree attitude. The second part of sibling Eternal Love is featured in this chapter.

So, the remaining 'Eternals' are: Eternal Power and Eternal Glory.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLIV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:00 PM**

"_HELP ME!_"

The scream silenced all and everyone turned to look at three siblings. Bella's voice had emerged from their mouths, in unison and they all looked like they were in pain. Blaise slashed his wand down, hissing a Cutting Curse under his breath.

His pants leg ripped away from the knee down and the skin on his leg was a bright red. He hissed in pain as he touched his hand to it. It looked as if someone was drawing in gold ink on his tan skin. He growled as Hermione ripped away her sleeve. Draco groaned and was holding his back.

"Are you guys okay?" Maya asked. Sirius was frowning.

"What's happening?" Sirius asked.

"Our…sister…in trouble…" hissed out Draco. Sirius blinked.

"What do you mean in trouble?" Remus demanded as Sirius wasn't responding well to the news. He seemed shocked. Hermione shook, violently.

"She called for us. She's calling for us. Right now. She _needs_ us" Hermione whispered. Draco rolled his shoulders back and Blaise was staring in wonder at the tattoo that extended up his entire left leg. Hermione looked down and saw the two prongs on the end of it.

"What is _that_?" she asked through the burning of her tattoo.

"A spear…" Blaise whispered. Hermione blinked and she stared at the dark sky.

"Draco…we need to get to her."

"No…just wait. We'll get to her when she screams for us. She is Victory, Mione. She will conquer" Draco said, calmly.

Hermione could only hope that he was right.

* * *

**Graveyard, Godric's Hollow, West Country, England**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:02 PM**

Gellert Grindelwald observed the girl tied to the statue of her parents and her younger self. She looked slightly fearful yet determined. Her bright green eyes held the terror yet was overshadowed by sheer defiance.

He could see how she was the fated Angel that would deliver the Dark.

But all in good time, he reminded himself.

He had to bring her over slowly, if at all. It was Tom, no Voldemort at the moment, that would ultimately make her choose. He could see the fascination in her eyes when speaking to him when he looked as he did. He wondered, briefly, how she looked at him when he looked as normally did.

"My wand, Bellatrix…" Gellert said, softly. Bellatrix bustled towards him with the 15 inch wand. She backed away, bowed, as he took the possession from her. Gellert turned sharply to turn to Bella Potter.

"It is time…to call them back, Voldemort" Gellert said, softly. Voldemort inclined his head and crooked a long finger at Bellatrix. She rushed forward, rolling up her sleeve as Voldemort pressed a finger to the Dark Mark on her left arm. She was panting in pleasure at the pain coursing through her body.

The air was suddenly filled with the swishing of black cloaks. Between the graves and behind the statue, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and wore masks, to protect their identity.

The Death Eaters fell to their knees at the feet of Voldemort, kissing the hems of his robes. Voldemort looked thoroughly disgusted at the display, which Gellert frowned at. He had once reveled in the groveling of wizards at his feet.

The girl had changed him.

For the good or bad, it was too soon to tell.

"My Lord…my Lord" murmured the group of Death Eaters. Voldemort took a step from them and looked away. They stood and bowed to Gellert as well. Gellert didn't mind that they were, in truth, devoted to Voldemort. Gellert only wished for the Dark to finally have a standing. Ruling, he decided, would be Voldemort's job, though he had not yet told Voldemort of his coming career change.

"Welcome Death Eaters. Thirteen years…thirteen years since we all last met. Yet you answer the call as though it were yesterday," Voldemort said, softly. The Death Eaters nodded, adamantly. Voldemort gave a hissy laugh.

"Yet…none of you wondered where I was? What I was doing? In truth, I am disappointed. So. Very. Disappointed."

The Death Eaters all cowered, slightly. They shivered, for fear of what their Lord would do to them.

"You're going to lecture them?"

Voldemort turned to Bella. Bella had called attention to herself. With the way she was looking at them, it would seem that she was only attending a mixer that was getting, steadily more boring.

"Hush. You will be addressed soon enough" Voldemort said, sharply. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Who are you? My father? 'Cause he's over there, six feet under."

"Shut up" Voldemort snarled, sharply.

Bella jerked back and frowned in confusion. The command had somehow, sounded so very familiar. But…she couldn't exactly place whom it was. But, it continued to haunt her.

"Guilt. I smell guilt. Here you are, whole and healthy, yet none of you worried about your Lord or your Master. Out of sight, out of mind, I believe the saying is. You, whom have sworn eternal loyalty, should _not_ believe in that saying. A disappointment. Fools…" Voldemort said, sharply.

A Death Eater fell to his feet, kissing his hem.

"My Lord…I am sorry! We are sorry!" shouted the Death Eater.

"You should torture him. That's not good form for servants, interrupting you, I mean."

Voldemort turned his dark gaze onto the observing Bella. He sneered at you.

"And you are an expert in these things?"

"No. But, it's common sense, rather."

Voldemort seemed to want to pinch the bridge of his nose but instead his hand fell to the wand in hand. He pointed it towards the offending Death Eater whom was trembling at his feet.

"_Crucio._"

The agonized screams were much louder than they would have been if Voldemort hadn't been vaguely annoyed with Bella's outbursts. She was getting increasingly more annoying yet, her fears were still there.

It was clever, hiding behind her annoying antics, to hide the growing fear.

"Shut up, Avery. You are embarrassing yourself. Perhaps, you will redeem yourself. Perhaps not" Voldemort said before moving on to the next Death Eater.

"Lucius, my slippery friend," he whispered, halting before him. "I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius… Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay… but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?"

"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert," came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. "Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -"

"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?" said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. "Yes, I know all about that, Lucius… You have disappointed me… I expect more faithful service in the future."

"Of course, my Lord, of course… You are merciful."

"Yes, I know. I am merciful. My patience and mercy only goes so far. Do try to remember that, Lucius. You are one of my most faithful but my wand might just…_slip_" Voldemort said, softly.

Bella couldn't shake the feeling that when he spoke to Lucius, he was lying. And quite good. She wasn't sure how she _knew_ he was lying as he was an excellent one from what she could tell but…

"You are all pitiful and do not deserve my mercy. Not like Bellatrix, my most loyal. Not like Rodolphus and Rabastan. And not like the Death Eater that returned to me without prompt. He is now station at Hogwarts, carrying out a task that has supplied me with a chance to return form my extensive hiatus. My slippery friends, I have returned an asset to our cause. And we have a guest…" Voldemort said, his lips curling into a smile. The Death Eaters finally got a good look at the defiant soul that escaped torture from Voldemort twice so far.

"It is I, Death Eaters. But, we shall not dwell on my return and disappearance. Let us look on at Bella Potter. For there is a matter that must be immediately cleared" Gellert said, shortly.

He was not one to deal with Death Eaters. They were not exactly his cup of tea, though he adored Bellatrix. She was almost like a daughter to him. If she wasn't such a fanatic, he was sure that he would have requested that she call him 'Father'.

But, then again, she never would. She'd continue to call him 'Master' or 'Master Father' and that was just weird.

Gellert turned to Bella with an intense look in his dark blue eyes.

"It has come to my attention…that you are the owner of a wand."

"I'm sure every witch of wizard is the owner of a wand," Bella said, flatly. Gellert shot her a cold and navy stare.

"Don't be smart, child. You are the master of a wand that is said to be the most powerful wand in the world. It has been known to be called the Deathstick. The Wand of Destiny…" Gellert continued as he paced back and forth in front of the girl.

"You can't take it from me."

Gellert froze in his pacing and turned towards the girl. She was staring at him with blank eyes now. A dry smile was spread across her face. She was smiling at something and he wished to know what.

"Of course he can take it from you, filthy HALF-BLOOD!" roared Bellatrix. Voldemort's hand tightened over his wand for the slightest of seconds. Gellert glanced at Bellatrix.

"Trixie, darling, be a dear and take it down a notch" said the young Gellert Grindelwald. Bellatrix backed away and bowed to her Master.

"Sorry, Master. She was disrespectful to you, Master."

"I know. I know. It was to expected, honestly. Now, child, tell me why I cannot take what was rightfully mine until that fateful night thirteen years ago."

"I don't expect you to understand, Gellert Grindelwald, as you don't understand the nature of the Wand yourself. For how can you claim something that was never yours?" asked Bella. Voldemort smirked and turned away to hide it. Gellert walked up to her and pointed the dragon heartstring wand at Bella's face.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"The Wand is a key element in what we called the Deathly Hallows. The Cloak shields us from Death. The Stone recalls Death. The Wand brings Death. There is a quote from the Bible that will always stay with me: _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death_. 1 Corinthians. Chapter 15. Verse 26. Now tell me, Gellert Grindelwald, how can I be Victory if I cannot conquer the last enemy? So now, do you understand? Do you understand how you are _not_ all that you think that you are? That you are _inferior_…to me?" Bella whispered, tauntingly.

Gellert's eyes blazed at the jeers that he was receiving at the hands of a child. Gellert turned from her sharply. The Death Eaters held their breath and Gellert sneered at her.

"I? Inferior to _you_? I have gone further than anybody to avoid the one thing that thwarts all. How can I be inferior to a foolish child who doesn't even know how to properly wield all of that power she holds inside?" demanded Gellert Grindelwald. Bella smiled.

"You must go along the path to immortality. You must walk along that path that destroys your very self. But I…I must only hold what is rightfully mine and it is given to me. But, you say I cannot wield my power. Do you wish…to test that theory?" Bella asked, softly.

Gellert slashed his wand down and the ropes were cut from Bella. She fell to the ground and Gellert pointed his wand at her.

"_Crucio!_" he snarled.

Gellert watched in amazement, as she didn't scream. He knew she was in pain. He could see her eyes. She was biting her lip bloody to keep from screaming. Voldemort was staring, impassively. Gellert couldn't be more proud of Voldemort's self-control. He could tell that the man just wanted Gellert to stop, though he'd _never_ admit it to himself or anyone, for that matter.

"How…_interesting_. You do not scream. Why not?"

"Because…you aren't worth it" Bella whispered. She spat the blood from her lip at Gellert's feet and awarded him a defiant smirk.

Gellert had had enough.

"Bellatrix…give her back her wand."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:25 PM**

"I don't understand."

Dumbledore didn't think he'd ever confess it but the complexity of the intimate bond between the siblings perplexed him more than anything. Draco Malfoy had just finished explaining to the old Headmaster the outburst. He looked increasingly frustrated. The other judges, bar Crouch, were surrounding the three teens.

"Sir, we've explained as best as we _can_. Bella's in trouble but…she'll handle it" Hermione said, sharply. She gave another hiss of pain and grabbed her arm.

"She's close…dammit, she close. So close…" Blaise snarled through his teeth. Madame Maxime frowned.

"Close? Close to what?" she asked.

"She's close to it."

"Close to _vat_?" demanded Karkaroff. Draco glared at him.

"We can't explain it! But, she's hurt. Something's going on. Three drops of blood were taken from her. I know. She's my blood sister. Someone took our blood! And used it in a potion of sorts! It's Necromancy. I would know. I can do it without Potions, though I don't. Someone is bringing someone back using Bella's blood" Draco blew up. Dumbledore's eye widened.

"Oh…it's him. Isn't it?"

"Him? You mean Gellert damn Grindelwald? Who else would they be able to resurrect with the blood of mother and daughter of those that thrice defied? I can hear it through Bella. Her pleads…everything that's happening is echoing through my mind and I can't help her because I can't get to her…" Draco said, obviously upset by that fact. Blaise touched his arm.

"You know we would be there if she wanted us there. Ana doesn't want us there" Blaise said, softly. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Bella fears him! Bella can't handle this" Draco snarled. The judges stared at the arguing boys and Hermione placed hands on their shoulders to keep them from fighting.

"But, Ana can. You're forgetting that Anastasia Slytherin is in this tournament. Not Bella Potter. Anastasia Slytherin is strong where Bella is not. Trust your sister. She is stronger than you give her credit for. She will not break. She will not give up. And if she can not…be strong for her" Hermione said, solemnly.

Her eyes were dark as the sky.

* * *

**Graveyard, Godric's Hollow, West Country, England**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:26 PM**

Bella stared at Gellert as she rolled her neck and cracked her knuckles. Bella shrugged off her long black jacket and let it drop to the ground, leaving her in the high collar black shirt with no sleeves and dark trousers tucked into her combat boots.

"You want to duel? Okay, then. Let's duel" Bella said. She looked at Gellert whom was smirking in amusement.

"I do hope you're better than you were in your second year. You were dreadful."

"Do you wish to see? Let us bow" Bella said. She swept into a low, mocking bow and twisted into the air, flipping, as a spell towards her. It hit the ground as she landed in a crouch. She laughed.

Gellert was staring at her in shock. He flicked his wand at her. Bella gasped as she fell backwards, hitting her head against the stone. She stumbled back up and brought her hand to her head. She could _feel_ the skull fracture.

"_Crucio._"

Bella fell to her knees as the spell got to her. She once more didn't scream. She let out a sharp pant as the white hot knives feeling left once more. Gellert was smirking at her. Bella stumbled upwards.

"A little break? That hurt, didn't it, Bella? Do you want me to make you scream?" he taunted. Bella tilted her head but said nothing. A spell shot towards her and she dodged once more.

"I said…do you want me to make you scream?" he snarled.

He flicked his wand and mouthed his signature spell.

Bella felt a curious feeling come over her and suddenly she wasn't there anymore.

_Just answer no…it was easy enough…_

"_Make me."_

_The voice was her own but it didn't come from her. She was standing in a blissful white room. There was no one there. She wasn't in that ugly graveyard anymore with the vicious Death Eaters and Grindelwald or that…interesting Voldemort._

_Just answer no…say no…_

"_Make me!"_

"_Make her…" a familiar voice whispered._

_Bella could feel someone behind her and she spun around. There was her a woman that so much like Bella but there was something wrong. This woman had the same bright green eyes. The same nose and the same pale skin as her._

_But, she was taller. Her face was a bit more angular than Bella's face. And her hair was a flaming red. Bella stared in wonder at the woman who was protecting her mind from the curse._

_JUST SAY NO!_

"MAKE ME!"

Bella was breathing harshly and her eyes were glowing a bright Avada Kedavra green. Grindelwald was looking at her in shock. The Death Eaters were staring and their eyes depicted their shock as well. Voldemort looked slightly smug.

"Make me, you sick bastard! Make me like you made everyone else before. Make me like you made my mother die for me, as if you gave her a choice. Make me like you made everyone else bow to you. Make me you, COWARD! MAKE ME!" Bella shrieked. She was pointing her wand at him, breathing hard.

"You think I'll cower before you, because of my age? Because you scare me? WELL, GUESS WHAT YOU SICK BASTARD? I won't! You can't make me do anything I don't fucking want to do. What I want to do…is kick your mother fucking ass."

Suddenly, she starting spinning her wand like a baton. She could feel the electric charge of her brain cells leaving her. She could feel her body shutting down once more and gathering in her wand.

"_KVEYKVA!_"

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_"

Gellert realized the curse he had sent at her too late. Voldemort's eyes had widened and his wand was now up. Gellert didn't ever imagine that the girl would use Black Magic. She was gifted in it, he could see. Very powerful.

The cursed lightening of the Elves met his own spell. The bright white and black lightening crackled in the air, making everyone's hair stand on ends. The green jet of the Killing Curse was being driven back towards Gellert and he pushed his magic through, trying to subdue the powerful witch.

"Stop this madness, child. You'll kill yourself as well" Gellert shouted over the crackling. Bella smirked.

"Make me."

And suddenly, standing behind her, Gellert could have sworn that he saw her.

A woman with bright flaming hair and the same green eyes. She was staring at him with the same defiance that Bella had in her own eyes. She had on the same clothing from when he had killed her thirteen years ago.

He had never noticed how alike they looked. The girl may have her father's unruly hair and mischievous smile. She may have his Quidditch skills and other things that Voldemort had told him about but this girl was her defiant mother through in through.

The only two people in the entire world who had showed him open defiance to protect what they called their own.

Bella was protecting her free will.

Lily was protecting her free spirited daughter.

Lily Potter's hand fell on Bella's shoulder and Bella looked back at her. Bella looked shocked for a moment before she grinned at her and Lily Potter awarded a slight smile before turning a determined gaze onto her murderer.

"Make her."

Lily's voice floated over to him even if it was a whisper. Everyone could hear the dead woman's words clearly.

"I…I can't" Gellert whispered to himself, under his breath. Lily's triumphant smile lit up.

"You can't."

Suddenly Gellert flew back as the curse broke through the Avada Kedavra. Bella stumbled backwards as Lily's supportive hand disappeared and she hit the statue behind her. Lily knelt beside her daughter and gripped her hand. The Death Eaters rushed forward to subdue her.

"_Accio!_"

The Triwizard Cup Portkey returned to her and she vanished with the spirit of her mother in a swirl of colors, leaving a shell shocked Gellert Grindelwald, angered Death Eaters, and a smug Voldemort in her wake.

Voldemort disappeared with a pop not a second after.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**10:39 PM**

"Lily…LILY!"

Draco looked up at Bella's godfather from the bottom of the bleachers. He was pointing towards the ground and everyone was screaming. Dumbledore turned to see Bella Potter kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath, the Triwizard Cup in hand.

Standing next to her, kissing her cheek and hair was a translucent Lily Potter. Her bright eyes were the only physically there part of her. She was deathly pale and she whispering in Bella's ear. Bella nodded, exhausted.

"Love you, Mum."

"I love you too, my little Bella."

Dumbledore walked swiftly over to Lily as she stood with a glare painted on her face and she thrust a finger at the man.

"You will pay for your mistakes, foolish senile man! You will pay for your exploits. _J__e ne te quitterai point que je ne t'aie vu pendu_. I will not leave you until I have seen you _hanged!_" Lily Potter's specter spat.

She turned on the spot and was gone. Draco hissed out a breath and Dumbledore turned to the boy.

"She has crossed back over. That was powerful magic at work, Headmaster. To cross over the bridge of Death and to return…is powerful magic, indeed" Draco said, softly. Dumbledore nodded, knowing to trust the boy when he spoke on Death.

He did not trust him on anything else.

"Bella…Bella what has happened?" Dumbledore asked. Bella cleared her throat and looked at him with dark green eyes.

"He's back…Grindelwald is back."

Her proclamation carried through the silent Quidditch Pitch. Bella coughed and she spat up blood. She shook and brushed her hair back.

There were dark circles under her eyes, showing her how exhausted she was. Bella stumbled to her feet and she looked up.

"And…and…Voldemort. Voldemort was there."

And suddenly, the scream erupted. Bella stumbled and two strong arms wrapped around her. Her arms wrapped around the person's waist and she clung to them as if they were anchor to life itself. She buried her face in their chest and shook her head.

"What's going on? What's happened?"

Bella didn't look to Cornelius Fudge. She shook her head as Tom held her in a strange semblance of a comforting hug. She let out a dry sob and she began to shake as Tom leaned down.

"**It's going to be okay. It'll be okay, Ana. Shh…**" he murmured to her in a surprisingly soft tone. Bella gave another sob and there were screams all around her. Bella shook her head.

"What's going on? I _demand_ an explanation!" Fudge shouted. Tom glared at the man in anger.

"Shut up! In case you need a hearing potion, I'll tell you what everyone else heard. Grindelwald is back."

"What? That's impossible!" shouted Fudge. Tom shook his head and pulled himself away from the distraught girl. She looked at a lost without Tom to hold onto before he took off his cloak and gave it to her.

She didn't have the jacket that she discarded in the graveyard. Bella flipped the cloak onto her and she shivered.

"Go. Go and handle this."

Her raspy voice silenced all. Bella finally felt the shock of her evening and she let out a sob. Tom leaned down as if to whisper into her ear.

"I'll take care of this."

"I know…"

He leaned back and turned from the group. He turned to the band of teachers.

"We need to collect the other Champions now. Dumbledore, someone must check the Portkey and where it led. There may be strong evidence on what happened. Others need to secure the wards. Grindelwald may be planning to attack tonight" Tom said, sharply. Dumbledore nodded. Fudge looked put out.

"What about me? I want a full explanation!"

"Not. Now!" Tom snarled. Dumbledore looked at Bella with a strange look.

"Stay here, Bella."

Bella could only nod at the old man's instruction. Then everyone was moving around Bella, leaving her where she was and the crowd was getting dangerously close to her little circle. She shook her head and suddenly a hand closed around her arm.

"It's all right, girl, I've got you…come on…hospital wing."

"Dumbledore said stay" Bella slurred. The spell…the Kveykva had taken a lot out of her. And she wondered briefly if her mother appearing was the work of her magic as well, because if it was, it was rather scary.

"You have to lie down…come on now…look like you're about to throw up."

Someone began half-pulling, half carrying her across the grounds and to the castle. She felt her stomach churn and all she wanted were her siblings. She just wanted them to comfort her. She wanted them hold her because she had a distinctly bad feeling about all this.

"What happened Bella?"

Bella could finally place the voice. It was Mad-Eye Moody.

"Cup was a Portkey. Took me to the graveyard in Godric's Hollow…Voldemort was there…Lord Voldemort" Bella whispered. Her tone held the intense fascination that she had felt when looking the man in the face.

"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?"

Bella frowned. No one called him the Dark Lord but her, her siblings, Luna, and the Death Eaters…

"Killed Wormtail. Used him…in a potion. That returned Grindelwald to his body" Bella muttered. Suddenly, Moody threw open a door and deposited Bella into a seat.

"The Dark Master got his body back? He's returned?"

"And the Death Eaters came…and Grindelwald and I dueled."

"You dueled with the Dark Master?"

"Got away…used terrible magic…threw off Grindelwald's Imperius. I shouted make me and…my mum appeared. I did terrible magic…terrible Black magic…" Bella whispered. She shook her head.

"Here, Bella. Drink this…drink this."

A potion was shoved in her hand. Bella sniffed it and deemed it a Sense Sharpening Potion. She needed one. Everything, despite her contacts was going uncomfortably blurry. She was just so, _so_ tired…

She downed it and everything came into perspective. She looked at Moody who was looking rather anxious and deliriously happy. Suddenly, she knew.

"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts."

"I know who it is" Moody said, anxious to get on with the story. Bella pushed herself up in the seat and her grip tightened on her wand.

"So do I. _Stupefy_!" Bella shouted.

"_Protego_."

"_Sanguis Coque!_" Bella shouted, using Hermione's signature move. Moody blocked it once more and a red spell that was obviously a Stupefy met his face. Bella scrambled back as the disguised man stumbled backwards.

"**TOM!**"

The screamed hiss had the door slamming open. Bella blinked in surprise when she saw it was Tom, holding her black coat. Behind him were Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape.

Bella was shocked to see the cold fury in Tom's face and his eyes were narrowed pieces of onyx. Dumbledore had the same look upon his face. Bella jumped onto the desk and bared her teeth at the man she had knocked out.

"What spell?"

"I fired Hermione's specialty. Mine isn't strong enough to break through a Shield Charm. I couldn't risk a lightening curse in such a small, enclosed area. Then a simple Stupefy" Bella whispered. Tom glared down at the Stunned man.

"Severus, please fetch us a Veritaserum" Dumbledore said, coldly. Tom held up a hand.

"No. I'll get what we need out of him _without_ the Veritaserum."

"_Ennervate_" Tom whispered. His dark eyes held a fury never seen before and Moody blinked awake.

He took one look at Tom and a scream of fear broke the silence.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of June 1995**

**11:00 PM**

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Bella" Dumbledore prompted. Sirius was pacing the room as Maya sat, her arm around Hermione's shoulder. Blaise was sitting next to Hermione and Draco was sitting on the arm of Bella's chair.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow? Look at her! She's exhausted. She's just had the shock of her life, seeing Voldemort and Grindelwald return and then seeing her dead mother."

"No…If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."

Bella took in a deep breath and cleared her throat. She then fell silent once more and shook her head.

"I want Tom."

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked, surprised at her request. Draco kissed his sister's hair. She crossed her arms defiantly and shook her head.

"I can't tell the story if Tom isn't here. Because I refuse to repeat my story" Bella muttered under her breath. Dumbledore nodded and prepared to call for Tom when the door swung open.

Dumbledore decided that Tom probably had a Bella radar because he always seemed to know where the hell she was.

"I'm here. Speak" Tom said, softly. He stood next to Dumbledore awaiting the story. Bella nodded and cleared her throat. She still felt increasingly exhausted but the urge to puke had went away with the Calming Potion that Dumbledore had given her.

"It started when I heard a scream. It was Fleur. I ran to find her and got through a few obstacles. And I found Fleur. Fleur was twitching on the ground and I recognized the symptoms of being under the Cruciatus Curse for an extensive amount of time. I shot up red sparks because she's…I suppose, my friend. I hear someone else cast the Cruciatus Curse then. It was on the other side of the hedge that I was at," Bella said, softly. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if to hold herself together.

"I used the lightening curse that I used against the dragon. It made the hedge explode and I was able to Stun the attacker. He had been torturing Cedric. It was Krum" Bella explained. Blaise's eyes widened.

"Krum? But why?" he demanded. Bella shrugged.

"I don't know but I think…I think something was wrong with him. Anyway, I Stunned him. I told Cedric about Fleur and that I thought that he got her too. Cedric agreed and sent up sparks for him. Cedric said that we should go on. I…I…I told him 'Oh, you think, that I'll let you go?' And he was surprised. Very surprised. He froze. And I told him that I made a promise to Fleur. I promised her that I'd win if she couldn't. So, I knocked him out with a Stun" Bella said, softly. Sirius seemed surprised by this, as if he didn't expect Bella to be so ruthless.

"Then, I went on and met a sphinx. She was easy to get past compared to the Beast of Ravenclaw. So, I got to the Cup without anyone in my way. And as soon I touched it, I was Portkeyed away to Godric's Hollow. The graveyard where my parent's were born. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were there. They tied me to the statue of my parents and I. They taunted me. I taunted back. Bellatrix told me to wipe that filthy look off my face. I told her to make me. She slapped me. That's…that's when _he_ came" Bella said, her voice taking on a tone of wonder. Sirius frowned.

"Who? Grindelwald?" Maya asked. Bella shook her head.

"No…Voldemort. He yelled at her because she slapped me. He said that he told her not to damage the ingredients. He asked me if I feared him. I said yes" Bella said, softly. Blaise looked at her sharply.

"Why would you say that? They could have used it to their advantage" Draco snapped at her. Hermione glared at her brother.

"It would be evident on her face. You know how she gets every time she sees a boggart. Piss off, Drake and let her finish" Hermione said, shortly. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"He turned away after that. He asked for Grindelwald and Rodolphus said he was getting Wormtail ready. Grindelwald came out not too long after that in the body of an Indian wizard, I think. He possessed him. Voldemort and I spoke for a moment about inconsequential things. Voldemort commanded Wormtail to get into the cauldron. He did and Voldemort said 'Flesh of the servant, unwillingly given, with the intent of a sacrifice to the Dark'. And then he slit Wormtail's throat. Wormtail died. Then he waved his wand and said 'Bone of the sister, his first kill, you will ressurect your foe'. It came from a grave marked Ariana Dumbledore" Bella said, quietly.

Dumbledore suddenly looked older than normal and he looked as if he actually felt his age. He looked down at his desk and his eyes had lost their ever present twinkle. Bella actually pitied him.

Typically, she didn't have any feelings towards Dumbledore. He was annoying and she was still angered by the attempt to use Legilimency on her and her siblings in their third year. It had hurt quite a bit but it was probably all for the best. She _did_ understand somewhat who she was.

"Please continue" Dumbledore said in a tired voice. Bella gave him a pitying look. He gave a slight smile at her small moment of compassion.

"Voldemort…Voldemort came up to me and picked up my arm. He made jagged line in my skin…a lightening bolt. And then he said 'Blood of woman and daughter who thrice defied you, accept three drops of blood'. He dropped three drops and then Grindelwald escaped the Indian man's body. It…he dropped dead. Grindelwald went inside the cauldron. And all I wanted was help. I screamed inside my mind. There was no one who could help me" Bella said, softly. Draco nodded.

"And that's when we screamed 'Help me' in Bella's voice. My back…I have a tattoo there was burning. Hermione's tattoo burned. Blaise _got_ a tattoo it seems. On his leg and since mine hurt like a bitch when I got it, I'm sure Blaise's did. Then what?" Draco asked. Bella cleared her throat.

"Well…then Grindelwald got back his wand and he turned to Voldemort. Voldemort called back the Death Eaters and began berating them for not attempting to figure what had happened to him. He was…talking to Lucius Malfoy and then he said that he was disappointed in Lucius. He didn't seem to mean it since he tortured one Death Eater that apologized. Lucius didn't even really say sorry. Lucius was strangely…_familiar_ with the Dark Lord. As if they were old friends only playing roles, I think" Bella said. Draco's eyes widened.

"My father was there?"

"Yes. What about it?" Bella murmured. Draco cleared his throat and looked out of the window. The Quidditch Pitch was deserted.

"I stand by you."

"I know. Thank you, Drake. Then, Grindelwald asked me about the Wand of Elder."

The three siblings stiffened. Maya frowned in confusion. Sirius looked vaguely surprised. Tom's expression was unfathomable as always. Dumbledore only looked wary.

"What about the Elder Wand?" Dumbledore asked, patiently.

"Where it was, I suppose. The fact that I'm its master. And I told him that he couldn't have it. Because it is _mine_. I told him that he was inferior to him. That he wasn't all that he thought he was. He told me that I was a foolish child who couldn't wield her magic. I asked him if he wished…to test that theory."

"You didn't…Bella! You dueled with him?" Sirius gaped. Bella nodded, slowly.

"He knocked me down and I hit my head on the statue. I think my skull in fractured. And then…he tortured me. The Cruciatus Curse. And Grindelwald got angry. He was very angry. Because I didn't scream. I refused to scream. So we dueled and I bowed. He put me under the Cruciatus again. I refused to scream again. He asked me if I wanted him to make me scream. I didn't answer. He asked again. I still didn't answer. And then he put me under the Imperius. He tried to take control of my mind" Bella said for Maya's benefit. Maya nodded.

"Honey, keep going" Maya said, softly. Bella nodded.

"And I didn't say anything. I was in this white room. And his voice was screaming at me to say no. I only said make me. Then someone whispered 'make her'. I turned and saw…my mum. Lily Potter was in that white room with me and she was glaring towards the direction of the voice. And her being there…I broke the Imperius Curse and screamed 'Make me!' I was so angry. I screamed at him 'Make me, you sick bastard! Make me like you made everyone else before. Make me like you made my mother die for me, as if you gave her a choice. Make me like you made everyone else bow to you. Make me you, coward! Make me! You think I'll cower before you, because of my age? Because you scare me? Well, guess what you sick bastard? I won't! You can't make me do anything I don't fucking want to do. What I want to do…is kick your mother fucking ass'. And then I did something stupid but it was the only thing that could have defeated him" Bella whispered. Dumbledore leaned in and looked at her.

"No one here will tell anyone."

"What I did was illegal and could earn me an X-level cell and a lifetime in Azkaban" Bella said, softly. She looked down at her lap, though she didn't seem ashamed of her actions in the least. Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"It was used as a last resort, correct?"

"Yes. I wouldn't have used it if it wasn't" Bella said, defiantly. She had thought Dumbledore was accusing her of using it just because she felt like it.

Dumbledore knew that he would have to get this child to trust him as she was the Chosen One. The one whom would defeat the Dark Master and the Dark Lord. But, everything was getting out of control with all the prophecies about her. He didn't know which one was valid anymore.

"Then, you will not be punished. No one will have to know."

"I used the Kveykva. The cursed lightening of the Elves. He cast an Avada Kedavra and we trapped in a deadlock. And he was so strong. He told me to stop. That I'd kill myself too. It had already thought I'd die. And then she came back. A hand was on my shoulder and I saw my mother. Grindelwald looked shocked as well. Mum said 'Make her'. I know Grindelwald heard over the crackling magic. He said 'I can't'. Mum had a triumphant look. She said 'You can't'. Then my spell broke through the Avada Kedavra. Grindelwald flew back. Voldemort didn't do anything. He stood there with a look that only said that he was…satisfied. Or maybe proud. I don't know. I Summoned the Cup and came back" Bella continued. She sighed and she could swear that she still felt her dead and damned mother next to her.

"I returned and I heard Uncle Sirius shout 'Lily! Lily!' Everyone saw my dead mother and started screaming. I was exhausted. The Kveykva drained my body…my _cells_ of the electric charge that it needed to function and it was only just starting up. And my mother told me something. She said…_You must be strong. You must never give up. And when people make you cry and you are afraid of the Light that burns your eyes, you can always run to the safety of the shadows. And he will be there and hold you for you are his all. You are his everything_. I didn't understand. She knew that I didn't. And then she told me that she had one more piece of advice before we'd meet again. _Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength._ She told me that she loved me and I told her I loved her too. And then she told you, Dumbledore. That you were a senile fool" Bella said, calmly. Dumbledore stiffened, reminded of the shouts of one deceased Lily Potter.

He didn't understand what he had done to spark vengeance. He was only trying to do things for the Greater Good.

"_J__e ne te quitterai point que je ne t'aie vu pendu_. That's what she said. She will not leave you until she's seen you hanged. What did you do? What did you do to anger my mother?" Bella asked or more like demanded. Dumbledore ran a finger over his long white beard.

"I confess, I do not know."

"Uncle Sirius always told me that she was a kind woman. A calm woman. What could you do so bad to make her yell that at you?" Bella asked. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"I still do not know."

"Then…Moody…Crouch…whatever. And now I'm here" Bella said, quietly. Dumbledore gave a loud sigh and he stood up.

"You have shown bravery beyond anything that could have expected of you tonight, Bella. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Grindelwald and Voldemort at the height of their powers. You have shouldered a grown witch's burden and found yourself equal to it - and you have now given us all and more that we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace… Sirius, would you like to stay with her?" Dumbledore asked, quietly.

"I'm not leaving her side. Neither is Maya. Neither is Mione" Sirius said, firmly. Dumbledore nodded and turned to the two Slytherin boys.

"I would suggest returning to—"

"Never. I will _never_ leave my sister's side. I will _die_ a thousand times over before I leave my sister's side. And it is _very_ hard to kill me, Headmaster" Draco said, firmly. Blaise nodded.

"It is the same for me, sir. We will not leave our sister."

"Very well. Come with me."

Bella stumbled upwards and strong arms wrapped around her. She looked up at Tom and he was looking at her for the first time, not with disgust at her weakness. But with pride and she gave a slight smile.

"**Carry me.**"

He leaned down and scooped her up from underneath the knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. Sirius looked at her in surprise and frowned.

"What's wrong with Bella?" he asked, worriedly. He still sounded tense. Hermione was solemnly silent. Maya was gripping Sirius' hand in a death grip. Draco stood with Blaise and Hermione. They were clinging to each other as if life depended on it.

"Nothing. She's just very tired" Tom said, softly. There was a trill of agreement and everyone turned to the phoenix. It was staring at Bella with a strange look. Bella gave a soft moan of pain as she felt the fracture in her head again. She had been kept conscious by her magic but now she could barely blink. She felt hot drops of liquid fall onto her head and a warmth spread through her body and to her toes.

"Thank you, Fawkes" Bella rasped. Sirius frowned.

"What was wrong with you?" Sirius demanded, worriedly. He seemed at wit's ends. Bella bit her lip and gave a soft sigh. Her eyelids were beginning to droop.

"I had a skull fracture. I was able to recount the tale but I suspect that I would have passed out by the time we got half way to the Hospital Wing" Bella murmured. Maya gasped and squeezed Sirius' hand tighter. She shook her head, tears littering her cheeks.

The group walked in silence to the Hospital Wing. A very harassed Madame Pomfrey was getting angrier by the second. Mrs. Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie, Ginny, Ron, and Gideon were demanding to know where Bella was. Luna was waiting patiently.

"Dementor! In the castle!" Draco suddenly shouted. Everyone looked towards him with shock written on his or her faces. Charlie was suddenly stunned. He turned to Dumbledore.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked.

"Someone…a dementor…my dementor in the castle. Someone's let a dementor in the castle. I have to go. I have to stop it from…sucking out souls" Draco said, frantically. Bella looked up from Tom's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. The bags under her eyes were more prominent than ever.

"Go…go. Charlie, go with him. Luna…stay with me. Stay with me" Bella rasped. Luna nodded. Mrs. Weasley was shaking her head.

"Wait? What? Bella…"

"_Please!_ Charlie, go! Now!" Bella commanded her eyes wild. Charlie nodded and turned to Draco. Draco was glaring at him.

"Don't just stand there, you redheaded imbecile. I'm _hungry_" Draco snarled. He grabbed Charlie's wrist and dragged him away. Mrs. Weasley bustled over to Bella and tried to run over.

"Bella! Oh Bella!"

Dumbledore blocked her path.

"Molly," he said, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. Bella has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. She has just had to relive it for me. What she needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If she would like you all to stay with him," he added, looking around at the others too, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until she is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."

Ginny and Gideon looked decidedly disappointed. Bella gave a low moan as she thought about what had happened. The shock had gone away and now she was scared. So very scared. She couldn't deal with anything at the moment. She could relive it anymore.

"We'll find a bed for you, Bella. And the rest of you, I'm sure. And Draco," Madame Pomfrey said. Hermione shook his head.

"No…she doesn't need us right now" Hermione said, softly. Maya turned to look at her in surprise.

"Whom does she need?" asked Maya. Blaise pointed to the man Bella was clinging to.

"Him."

Tom looked up with dark eyes but said nothing. He placed Bella down on the bed Madame Pomfrey directed him to. She didn't lie down and she scooted to the side. She held out her hand.

"**Please…stay with me**."

Tom sat down on the edge of the bed and Bella clung to him. Mrs. Weasley was frowning at the display in confusion. She was obviously trying to figure it out but she was too kind to say anything.

"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Bella," said Dumbledore. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He left.

"Are you all right?" asked Ginny. She sounded a little more than frightened. Bella shifted until her was resting on Tom's chest. His arm hung at his side and Bella's hands fisted in his shirt. Sirius didn't even seem to mind. He was still shaken up and gripping Maya's hand, tightly.

"I'm all right…I'm just very tired" Bella said, softly. Mrs. Weasley's eyes filled with tears as she placed a blanket over Bella.

Madame Pomfrey returned with a goblet filled with a purple potion.

"You'll need to drink all of this, Bella. It's a potion for dreamless sleep" Madame Pomfrey said. Bella held out her hand and leaned up. She swallowed the potion and she could instantly feel the affects.

"**Will you stay?**" Bella hissed.

"I might have something to do" Tom said, softly. Bella shook her head frantically.

"Don't leave me" she said, harshly. Almost desperately. Bella shook her head.

"**I feel…don't leave me. Please, I can't…**" Bella said, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

"Ana…"

"**DON'T!**"

The hitch pitched hiss made everyone including those not scared of Parseltongue cringe. Mrs. Weasley walked forward. Maya all but pushed her aside. Mrs. Weasley relented and Maya knelt by her adopted daughter's side.

"Is everything all right?" Maya asked, softly.

"Everything will be all right. **I won't go**" Tom sighed, admitting defeat. Bella nodded and fell back onto Tom's chest. He looked down at her and shook his head. She was unnaturally clingy when scared. He knew she'd bounce back but it was strange.

And Bella slept.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of June 1995**

**12:10 AM**

"Where's Dumbledore?"

Bella woke up to Fudge's voice. Tom was still there, running his fingers through her hair. She sat up and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He gestured to the side. Snape, McGonagall, Charlie, and Draco were on his heels. Draco's hand was wrapped around a dementor's wrist. He was glaring at it and it looked ashamed, almost.

"He's not here. This is a hospital wing. My daughter is sleeping, so you'll do well to be quiet" Maya said, sharply. Fudge looked shocked and then glared.

"What is a Muggle doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" asked Bella in raspy tone. Fudge looked at her in surprise and then at Draco and glared.

"You don't have the right to use my dementor. Refrain from glaring at me. The dementors will always be under my command. I might just say something to them that _you'll_ regret. It just takes _one_ word" Draco said, ruthlessly. Fudge paled considerably and looked away.

The door opened and Dumbledore came sweeping in. He looked quite annoyed and almost old. He had regained his youthful stride but he was most definitely feeling his old age at that moment.

"What has happened? Why are you disturbing these people?" Dumbledore demanded.

"He had Crouch Kissed!" Draco snarled. He glared at the dementor and the dementor tried to tug away from him.

"Try again. _Try. Again_" Draco snarled at the dementor. It settled down and Charlie gave Draco an appreciative look.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice; he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. "He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Bella had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"

But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.

"The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"

"By all accounts, he is no loss! From what I've heard, he is responsible for multiple deaths at the Quidditch Cup and the attempted murder of Bella Potter" Fudge said, pointing at the girl. Bella leaned up and pressed her back against Tom's chest.

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time.

"He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on Grindelwald's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Grindelwald to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Grindelwald has been restored to his body."

Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.

"Grinedlwald… returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…"

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort went to free him from his father and used him to capture Bella. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Grindelwald to return."

"See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, and Bella was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, "you - you can't seriously believe that Grindelwald is…back? Come now, come now… certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon Grindelwald's orders - but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…"

"When Bella touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, she was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "She witnessed Grindelwald's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."

Dumbledore glanced around at Bella and saw that she was awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Bella tonight."

Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Bella, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are - er - prepared to take Bella's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. He was glaring at Fudge. He seemed to have figured out what this was all about.

"Certainly, I believe Bella," said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Bella's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has been happening since the summer."

Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Bella before answering.

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort and Grindelwald has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a girl who… well…"

Fudge shot Bella another look, and Bella suddenly understood.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," she said quietly.

Everyone jumped. None of them had realized that Bella was awake except Tom, Dumbledore, and Fudge.

Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.

"And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the girl very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And being called well…"

"I assume that you are referring to the rumors of Bella being what we will call…promiscuous. I can assure you, those are lies" Dumbledore said, shortly.

"But, you must admit, that she _does_ associate with a quite a few people of the opposite gender. More so than normal girls…" Fudge said, quietly.

"I'll have you know, sir, that I'm not promiscuous. I'm not a slut. And I see Cedric Diggory as a friend. Gideon Weasley is a stalker. Blaise Zabini is my _brother_. Draco Malfoy and I have exchanged blood. We're blood siblings. It's not my fault that I'm not exactly a 'girly-girl'. Do you think I would have won this if I was? I'm not just a pretty face. If I have to kick ass, it'll get done" Bella said, harshly.

"Language…" Mrs. Weasley said, quietly. Bella gave her a slight smile before turning to Tom.

"Bella…I'm sure that you hit your head and imagined the whole thing…" Fudge said. Bella gave a loud hiss and she stood up from the bed. She stumbled over to Fudge and Tom sat up to watch her. Bella shoved up her sleeve and exposed the jagged cut in her skin. Fudge blinked in surprise.

"Explain this, Minister. The Dark Lord sliced into my skin and took three drops of blood. Explain how my _dead_ mother appeared before me and saved me. Explain to me how that happened. I _saw_ him. I _fought _him. And I can't let you sit here and deny it. Grindelwald is back!" Bella demanded, angrily. Fudge glared at her and pushed past her. She stumbled and suddenly a sword was pointed at Fudge. He blinked in surprise and stared at the brunette.

"I've had enough, Minister. You can try to discredit my sister but I draw the line at physically harming her. You will relax and keep your hands to yourself. Do I make myself clear?" Hermione asked, coldly. Maya stood.

"Hermione…"

"Stay out of this, Mum."

"Excuse me? Who are _you_?" demanded Fudge. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Her sister. Pay attention, Fudge. Hermione, calm yourself. Sit down somewhere. We'll work out your bloodlust later" Tom said, quietly. Hermione scowled but nodded. She sat back down but didn't put her sword away.

"Before we move on, let us focus on the current problem, please. The dementor" Dumbledore said, pointing at the dementor Draco held. Fudge nodded, happy to get off the current subject.

"Right, well, we'll have to send him back to…" Fudge stopped. Draco was holding up a finger.

"No. He's not going anywhere. Because I'm _hungry_. I haven't eaten in days" Draco said, sharply. The dementor started squirming and make frightened rattling noises. Fudge frowned.

"I don't understand…"

"Third year, Minister. I told you about the depleting number of dementors. The boy" Tom sighed. Fudge's eyes widened as Draco slammed the dementor in the wall and then latched his mouth onto it. Ginny and Gideo began screaming. Maya looked horrified, as did Sirius. McGonagall took a step back. Mrs. Weasley had swallowed her own scream.

The dementor turned to dust underneath Draco's lips and he looked back at Fudge with a healthy flush on his previously pale skin. His hair didn't lack luster anymore and it shined. He wiped his mouth.

"I just devoured Crouch's soul. It was black…and crispy. Dammit, it's nasty…" Draco sighed. Bella rolled her eyes and tripped back to the bed where she settled on the edge. Draco turned on his heel and walked past Charlie to sit next to Luna.

"Kinky" Charlie said, softly. Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened as Draco gave a weak chuckle and rolled his eyes.

"Hmph. Right."

"Now that…_that_ has been handled, please, Minister. Grindelwald is back," Bella pleaded. Fudge shook his head, fiercely and ignorantly.

"And the first thing that must be done is to remove the dementors from Azkaban and put them in isolated camps to keep them from the people that you've sworn to protect," Dumbledore said, gravely. Draco gave a shout of outrage.

"No! You can't do that!" he shouted in anger.

"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's, and by extension Grindelwald's, most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join them the instant they ask them!" said Dumbledore.

"They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Grindewald can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

"They are _not_ behind him! They're _mine_" Draco snarled. Fudge glared at him.

"Mind your business, _boy_."

"Shut. Up."

The snarl filled the now silent room. It was suddenly very cold in the room and Draco's eyes were steel in color. His fists were clenched, tightly. He took a step towards the short man.

"The dementors are mine. They follow _me_. I am the only human in this entire world, as far as I know, who can speak to them as I can. Who can command them in such a way that they _must_ obey. If I tell them that they cannot join him, they will not. End. Of. Story" Draco snapped to both older men. Dumbledore blinked in surprise and looked rather thoughtful.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Draco nodded, shortly.

"I am extremely sure. I would bet the Malfoy name on it. They follow me as their leader. They may be unruly and wish to get souls at any cost but they would _never_ disobey me. The dementors in Azkaban are not to be moved. They will guard the prison. If they fail in their duty, I will deal with it" Draco said, calmly. Dumbledore nodded, accepting it.

This boy was a good asset. The Light would need him…yes…

Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.

"The second step you must take - and at once," Dumbledore pressed on, "is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before…he was more persuasive than Grindelwald, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"You - you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants - people hate them, Dumbledore - end of my career -"

"You are blinded," said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, "by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any - and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now- take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act - and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Grindelwald and Lord Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"

"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad…"

And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Bella's bed, her hands over her mouth. Everyone was staring at Fudge.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit."

Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -"

"You fired him!" Bella cried out in outrage. Fudge ignored her.

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Grindelwald and Voldemort. If you are against them, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

"He called them there. He talked to them. I _saw_ them" Bella added. Tom squeezed her shoulder.

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Bella's bed.

"Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Bella's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances…"

He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Bella's bed.

"There is work to be done," he said. "Molly… am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to the lips, but she looked resolute. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

""Then I need to send a message to Arthur," said Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad," said Charlie, standing up. "I'll go now."

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -"

"Leave it to me," said Charlie.

He clapped a hand on Bella's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, and pulled on his cloak. He turned to Draco and leaned down to kiss the boy. He succeeded and pulled back. Draco punched him across the face and Charlie left stumbling.

"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also - if she will consent to come – Madame Maxime."

Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. Sirius, are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Keep Maya safe, she'll be a good asset when speaking on ways to stay discreet amongst Muggles. Tom, I'd like to speak with you as well, later."

Maya looked rather confused but nodded, slowly.

"Understood. But at this moment, alas, I have something to attend to. It is important and imperative that I handle this at this very moment. It will help, Bella," Tom said with a slight smirk. Snape looked confused for a moment at how Tom knew this, before nodding.

Tom's eyes glinted with triumph for a moment before he nodded, sharply. He turned to Bella and stood. She looked lost without him.

"Don't leave me…" she whispered. Tom leaned down and discreetly brushed his lips against her cheek.

"I have to go. Stay here with your siblings. Do not leave this room. Understand me?" Tom asked. Bella nodded. Tom held out his wand and Bella touched her wand to the tip of his wand. It glowed gold for a moment before he stepped back.

"**The moment that you wake up, I'll be here. I swear. Okay?**" he said, compassionately. Bella nodded with a weak smile. Tom took off down the hallway and out of the room. The moment he was gone, Mrs. Weasley made to sit down on the bed. Draco was running towards Bella and settled down next to her. Hermione laid down at the edge of the bed and Blaise laid his head on Bella's leg. Mrs. Weasley blinked in shock.

"They always do this. When one of them is hurt. They did this when Blaise was here. That's how I'm on first terms. On his bad nights…they'd somehow know and be here" Madame Pomfrey said, quietly. Mrs. Weasley nodded, slowly. Luna blinked.

"_Light meets Dark in the stillness between._"

Bella froze and sat up with her siblings, staring at Luna.

"What did you say, Luna?" whispered Bella. Luna grinned.

"My Sight…is back."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of June 1995**

**2:10 PM**

"No! Absolutely not!" Sirius roared. Bella, Sirius, Maya, and Hermione were up in Dumbledore's office once more. Dumbledore looked benign yet very tired. Hermione was shaking her head. She only wanted Bella to be with her.

"It's the only way for her to be safe. It will only be for a few weeks until we can get Headquarters set up" promised Dumbledore. Sirius began pacing again and he shook his head fiercely.

"You said…you said after I blood adopted her, that I could keep her. Because she was blood!" Sirius shouted. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Lily's blood, Sirius. I said you could keep Bella because I didn't think Grindelwald could ever come back. I deeply believed him to be gone forever. I have my theories on how he came back but I am not sure quite yet" Dumbledore said, softly. Bella shook her head.

"But, sir…I met Petunia. She's terrible. She has such terrible things to say about _us_. About witches and wizards. She call us _freaks_" Bella said, softly. Dumbledore gave a pitying look.

"I'm not asking you to stay the entire summer, Bella. I'm asking you to stay there until the 30th. That is all. You will be collected on the night of the 30th and you may stay at Headquarters for the rest of the summer" Dumbledore insisted. Bella shook her head.

"No. I'll stay until the 30th. The 31st I spend at Grimmauld Place for my birthday party. Yes, Uncle Sirius, it's _not _a surprise anymore. Then, the 1st of August, I will go to Headquarters. That is my final deal. Otherwise, it's a no go and I'll go to Malfoy Manor for my summer" Bella threatened. Dumbledore stiffened.

"That's a very dangerous thing to do."

"No, it's not. Grindelwald can't hurt me…he _won't_ hurt me. He knows" Bella said, shortly. Dumbledore frowned.

"He knows what?"

"He _knows_, Dumbledore. Just as you do" Bella said, softly. Dumbledore's blue eyes widened behind his half-moon glasses.

"And _you _know?"

"Of course I do. And _that_ is why, I can go out in public and don't have to go to Aunt Petunia's" Bella said, stubbornly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Bella _please_. You _must_ go. Grindelwald may not harm you and perhaps, he has told Voldemort but I'm sure they wish to get on their side. To kidnap you" Dumbledore invented. Bella sighed, knowing she wouldn't win this battle.

She would try.

"But, sir—"

"Bella, go."

Bella spun to her sister and looked into her tired dark eyes.

"What?" Bella whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"You have to go. To be safe. We'll do something on your birthday. Something fun, I swear. But, you have to go for now. They'll be keeping low. It's basic guerilla warfare. They won't attack, I'm sure of it. But, just in case" Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded, knowing her sister was right.

War was her department.

"Okay. Fine. I'll go to the Dursley's."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of June 1995**

**2:30 PM**

"Dumbledore, I'm sorry that I couldn't meet you at an earlier time. But, as I said, I had things to take care of" Tom said, shortly as he sat down across from the old man.

Really, he had gone to the Ministry to go pick up…ahem, _steal_…a Time Turner.

He kind of figured that he'd need it.

"Yes. My dear boy, I've come to trust you a great deal" Dumbledore started. He knew he'd have to say this just right. He didn't pretend that Tom was Light.

He knew that the man's aura was very much past the shadows. But to have such a powerful wizard on their side…it almost guaranteed their win. But, convincing Tom would prove to be difficult.

"Have you really?" Tom said, sounding rather bored. Truly, he was excited for what was coming up next.

"As you know, and seem to believe, Grindelwald has returned."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"Bella is not safe, you see. The entire wizarding world is not safe. Grindelwald is a threat as is the entire Dark side of politics. It must be swiftly eradicated before the danger grows too great," Dumbledore said, slowly.

"I see. And how does that involve me?" asked Tom.

"You are powerful wizard…" Dumbledore started. Tom sighed and cleared his throat, cutting off the older man.

"Let's cut to the chase, Dumbledore. What is it that you want from me?"

"Tom…I'd like you to join the Order of the Phoenix."

:::

**A/N: **I am finally finished with Goblet of Fire! I bet none of you saw the end coming! Ha! I know this chapter is really long but I couldn't find a good place to stop. I'm sorry but this is kind of unbeta'd. I just wanted you all to have it because it might be a bit longer before I can update again.

I love this chapter and I love how Bella is being really dependant on Tom. Also, Tom may be a little bit strange and quiet in this chapter towards the end. Why he's doing that…will be explained. I have an awesome plan for the interlude. It's going to be really sweet and from…DUDLEY'S POV!

Next Interlude: Her Arrival


	49. Interlude IV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, I'm back early again. I'm writing this from my dad's computer and I don't have any of my notes on this computer, so bare with me. It'll be okay though but not my best interlude. I'm probably going to be rather ashamed of this entire interlude but whatever. It's just Dudley.

This is it, the end of the fourth year. It's going to be sad and good all the same. I'll go back and edit the last chapter when I get my computer because I don't have the document on the computer I'm writing on. Sorry.

Dudley's stupid POV is way overdone. I'm taking a spin on him even though he'll still be an asshole.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude IV**

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 3****rd**** of July 1995**

**1:00 PM**

Dudley Dursley was a boy who lived a completely normal life. There were no witches and wizards like his freakish aunt who he had just found out about little more than one year ago. He had friends, a loving family, and he was glad that there was almost nothing that would ruin it.

Almost nothing.

And of course she _did_ have to ruin his previously normal life.

He stood behind his parents as he looked at the girl in front of him. She was pretty, he guessed, in her own way. She wasn't blonde and blue-eyed like the girls Dudley preferred. She was in fact, the complete opposite.

Bella Potter had long black hair that was in thick curls and waves to the point where it could be considered messy. She had bright green eyes and big glasses that didn't take away from her unorthodox beauty. If Dudley was being honest, he was sure that she could be considered a real-life version of that princess that the girls used to talk about in primary school.

Snow White, he thought.

She was thin and not tall but she had lean muscles from what he could tell. She was wearing dark pants tucked into black combat boots that looked like they were made for boys. She wore an oversized shirt that fell to her waist and a big black belt over the shirt. A silver heart shaped locket glinted from neck. Around her right wrist were many bangles, with a key hanging from one. On her other wrist, her left one, she had a charm bracelet, each charm glinting almost maliciously.

"You're lucky we're gracious enough to take her in" Dudley's mum said, sniffing. The man with long black hair to his waist glared at the woman. Next to her was that woman that had lived in the house down the street last year. She was just as pretty as Dudley remembered her.

Then, he remembered that she hung with freak now.

"I don't want to be here. I'm unlucky to be here. So, stuff it" Bella Potter said, flatly. She had a trunk behind her and she was tapping her wand on the trunk. She rolled up her sleeves and slid her wand in a holster. Dudley could faintly make out a lightning bolt scar on her arm. On her left hand was a strange mark on her palm.

"Don't be nasty with me, girl. You'll be living here. You'll have to follow our rules" Vernon Dursley said. Bella scoffed at that and turned to her pseudo-parents.

"Do I have to go? I couldn't even say goodbye…" Bella said, softly. Dudley got the impression that there was a specific person that she wanted to say goodbye to. The man with long hair sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know, I know. But we'll get you soon. Remember, the 30th. And then you'll have your party and then we have to go" Sirius White, Dudley thought he was, said. Maya Granger nodded and kissed Bella's forehead.

"Everything will be fine, darling. I promise. We'll see you soon. Hermione says goodbye" Maya said, softly. Bella nodded.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"With Blaise and Draco" Sirius White said. Bella's mouth fell open and she shook her head in disbelief.

"She went to them? Without me? Where?" Bella demanded. Maya cleared her throat.

"Bella…I don't want you going to find them. You understand. We'll even invite Draco and Blaise to your party this year. But, you _must_ stay here. You didn't explain to me why you think he won't be after you, and I _do_ expect and explanation but, your suspicions could be wrong. And I don't want you dead. I'm not going to tell you. Be good" Maya said, shortly and severely. Bella glared at her and shook her ehad.

"Maya! I didn't get to say goodbye to my blood brother and…and _he_ keeps the nightmares away. I made him sit there with me every night until I could leave the hospital wing. I can't and I don't have my locket and I didn't get to tell him his yearly, 'hello, stranger' and…" Bella trailed off shaking her head. Vernon and Petunia looked deeply confused but decided it was a freak thing. Dudley wasn't too sure.

"Bella! You'll see them soon. Don't start hyperventilating. WE have to go now. We have meeting with the Order. You'll be watched to make sure you stay out of trouble. Because you're a magnet for it. Okay?" Sirius White asked.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say to one Bella Potter.

"What do you mean I'm being _watched_? I've _killed_ people, Uncle Sirius! I don't need to be _watched_. I've been dueling with one of the most powerful…one of us! And have won…once. I don't need to be watched. Especially, when I can handle thing. My. Self" Bella said with a sneer adorning her pretty face. Sirius rolled his eyes and shook his head. Maya sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Bella. You're not all powerful. You can't use your…stuff…here. This is Muggle territory. He's taught you many things but apparently, blending in, was not one of them. So, if you're to be the Savior or whatever Dumbledore is spewing, you'll have to learn to sneak around. Be a Slytherin and be good" Maya snapped. Bella sighed and nodded. She threw her arms around the two of them and they hugged her back, tightly.

"I'll miss you" Bella said. She obviously had no more fight in her. Dudley didn't think he'd ever seen a girl fight with her parents, adopted or biological, as much as she had in the last minutes that he knew her.

"We'll miss you too. We love you" Sirius murmured. Bella nodded, unable to say anything. She backed away from them and look at Sirius.

"If you…see him…tell him…that…I…" Bella started. Sirius' eyes were widening and Maya was getting more and more excited by the moment.

"Would like to duel with him the moment I get back. And I want my locket back. Immediately," Bella finished, quickly. Maya groaned while Sirius looked instantly relieved.

"Will do. Riddle will be ecstatic" Sirius sighed. Bella grinned and waved as the two walked down the street. She turned to Dursleys and her happy expression vanished. Petunia grimaced at her.

"You'll be upstairs, second door on the right. Be in the kitchen in five minutes. You'll be earning your keep here. That means chores, you little spoiled brat" Petunia snapped. Bella raised an eyebrow.  
"That's a new one. Mostly people just call me a bitch."

Petunia looked offended at the term and she stormed away. Dudley expected the girl to struggle up the stairs with her gigantic trunk and the bag in her hand. She walked up with little problem as she carried it up the stairs. Dudley went to watch the telly and groaned when the doorbell rang once more.

"Diddykins, can you get that?" Petunia called from the kitchen. Dudley grunted and stood to open the door. He trudged there and gaped at the sight he saw.

Three people stood in the doorway and he someone was leaning against the tree in the yard.

The three people in the doorway were teenagers. The only girl had curly brown hair pulled into a plait. She was wearing a tank top so a vicious scar could be seen running shoulder to shoulder. A tattoo was on her arm. She wore long trousers and sandals. Her eyes were a dark, dark brown. Her eyes were almost black. She had a smirk adorning her pretty face.

The boy standing with his arm around her shoulder was tan with short black hair. His eyes were a light hazel, almost golden. His tan skin declared his nationality to be Mediterranean. He looked foreign, anyway. He wore a short sleeved t-shirt and dark jeans. His clothes looked very expensive, despite their simplicity. This boy looked very bored.

The last boy was taller than both teens next to him. He had short pale hair that was slicked back except for a single lock of blond hair hanging in front of pair of silvery grey eyes. He had a long pointed pace. He had a sneer adorning his face. This boy was wearing a black suit that looked extremely expensive to the point that Dudley was sure that this boy had more than Dudley would EVER have.

"Um…who are you?" Dudley grunted. The pointy looking boy stepped forward.

"I'm looking for Bella Potter."

"Uh…oh, right. Mum, there are three teens in the door! They're looking for Bella Potter!" Dudley shouted into the house. The girl made a face of disgust when Dudley gave her a lecherous look. Petunia said something but it was drowned out by a noise from above. Bella ran downstairs, her eyes wide. Dudley was shoved aside as Bella jumped into the arms of the blond boy.

"Draco! Merlin, you came! I thought you weren't going to say goodbye!" Bella cried out. Vernon lumbered into the hallway with Petunia and they stared, curiously. Vernon had a greedy look on his face as he took in the richly dressed people.

"Of course not. You'd forget my beautiful face, little sister" Draco snorted. The foreign boy rolled his eyes.

"She wouldn't forget your face, Drake. We've got these days of summer just to remind us of each other" the foreign boy pointed out. The beautiful brunette nodded.

"Blaise is right. The time we have to spend apart will keep us in each other's hearts. No matter how sappy it sounds" the girl snapped as Draco shot her an amused look.

"Oh get over yourself, Mudblood. But, Hermione is right."

Dudley gaped. It was Hermione, Maya's daughter. He couldn't believe that the ugly duckling had turned out _that_ pretty.

"Shut up. I'm trying to remember this. I'm hoping that the good old days like these is what I'll dream at night instead of those nightmares…" Bella sighed. Hermione hugged her friend, tightly. Dudley tried to not fantasize about being in her arms instead of Bella.

"Listen here, little sister. I know that it's going to be all right. You won't dream about all what happened. You're going to dream about the fun that we had together. And someone else, I'm sure…" Draco teased. Bella glared. Hermione sighed and made a short little sob noise. The three teens turned to look at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry but I shouldn't have told you to come to be safe. I don't want to see you go" Hermione said, her lip quivering. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Someone is PMSing. It's not forever, Mione. It's not. Even if it was you know that I would never let it get me down. You guys are what make me better" Bella said, smiling though her eyes glistened with unshed tears as well. Blaise hugged Hermione and kissed her hair.

"Don't be melodramatic, Mione. We'll see her in less than a month" Blaise said. Draco nodded.

"Don't cry. No needs to say goodbye" Draco sighed. Hermione nodded and grinned. Bella frowned suddenly.

"How did you get here?"she asked. Hermione smirked.

"We were side-Apparated here" she said, softly. Bella frowned as Blaise and Draco smirked as well. She crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"By…who?"

"Me."

Bella spun and gaped at the man leaning against the tree. Dudley heard his mum gasp as well. The man was incredibly handsome with dark hair pulled into a low ponytail. Despite the ponytail, he looked like a no-nonsense man. A smirk was on his face and he had dark eyes flecked with crimson. He was tall, about six feet compared to Bella's five feet five. Bella's lip quivered.

"Tom…" she whispered. Her lips spread into a smile.

She ran at the man and tackled her. He fell to the ground, glaring at her as she sat on him. She was grinning.

"Oh my God! You're the best!" she said, hugging him. He raised an eyebrow at her as he grabbed the collar of his shirt. She yanked him up and he blinked in surprise. Dudley, Vernon, and Petunia gasped as she kissed him, shortly. She dropped his collar and he fell back again.

"Nice warning, brat."

"So, I'm a brat, now? I thought I was a bitch. I didn't say goodbye to you" Bella murmured as she slid off of him. Tom rolled his eyes.

"That's why I'm here now."

"No…you were being nice! _Nice!_ It's almost laughable!" snickered Draco. Tom glared at the boy and sneered.

"Shut up, Draco. I'm not nice."

"Yes you are! You did this for me!" Bella grinned. Tom rolled his eyes and stood before yanking Bella up as well. She stumbled and hugged him. Tom didn't return it but stared down at her and sighed before patting her head.

"I have to go. They're supposed to be in Diagon Alley. And Maya and your mutt are going to find them now. I have to bring them back" Tom sighed. Bella frowned and crossed her arms.

"Don't call my godfather a mutt, asshole!"

"Don't call me an asshole, brat."

"None of that now. Don't we have to get back?" Draco demanded. Bella's grin fell and she sighed to herself.

"Right. Time to say goodbye…"

Tom kissed her cheek and she gave a silly grin that he snickered at. Blaise answered her.

"No. Time to say see you later. Never goodbye."

:::

**A/N**: There it is! I'm not proud of it but it isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. So, I have a major announcement to make next time and I'm sure you'll all like it. It has to do with this story and how long it'll be. Anyway, I love you all and I hope you like this interlude. Do me a favor and speculate on Part 1 of Bella's Arc. It always makes my day to see you guys trying to guess but always being wrong. It means that I'm keeping you on your toes.

Next Chapter: The Summer (Dun, dun, duuuun)


	50. Chapter XLV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Hmm…here is Bella's terrible experience at the Dursley's. I'm just going to let you know now, that I wrote most of the scenes with Bella to the song _It's All About Me _and _Rock Star_, the latter by Prima J, the former by Chelsea Staub, I think. She is a spoiled pseudo-pureblood princess. That's why Draco calls her Princess. Tom spoils her rotten and Sirius isn't much better. Maya even encourages it to a point. That's one of her major flaws. So be prepared for a crazy stuck-up Bella. She _is_ around Muggles. She thinks she's the shit. Let her think that.

And Tom is a total jackass here.

AND STICK AROUND AFTER AND READ MY AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE! IT'S IMPORTANT! A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLV**

_"I have seen your heart_

_And it is mine"_

_Voldemort (J.K. Rowling)_

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of July 1995**

**8:00 AM**

Bella groaned as she rolled off her bed. She sighed as she jumped up. She smoothed her dark wife beater and her work out shorts. She had feel asleep in them after training the night before. She had snuck her reflex bag, a small punching bag, from the workout room in Grimmauld Place. She had went to bed around 1 in the morning, dodging the bag as she threw her fist forward again and again.

Her hair was sticking to her forehead from the dried sweat from the night before but she didn't think she cared enough to actually go take a shower at the moment.

It wasn't like she was allowed to go anywhere important.

And she _wasn't_ trying to impress anybody.

Tom was off doing Merlin knows what for the Goddamned Order and even then, Bella wouldn't feel the need to impress him. Bella cracked her knuckles and neck. She felt some tension leave her. She popped her spine and she sighed, the tension leaving her all together.

The entire night she had been thinking of her mother. In all the crazy things that had happened after _that_ night, it was the first time that Bella allowed herself to remember the specter of her long dead mother. The mother that she loved and respected with all her heart.

Her parting words kept replaying in Bella's head, annoyingly enough.

"Time to go help with breakfast…" sighed Bella. This was her first chore of her entire time at the Dursleys and she was _not_ looking forward to it. At all.

In truth, Bella had _never_, _ever_ even tried to cook. She had been a kitchen of course when she was younger. She used to talk to Kreacher all the time. He had listened and he actually _liked_ her, since even when six years old, she hadn't been the biggest fans of Muggles. She had found them rather rude. He still hated Sirius, though.

Bella snickered at that as she made her way downstairs.

Vernon and Petunia were downstairs already. Bella had passed Dudley's room and she knew he was still snoring like the fat tub of lard that he was. Bella rolled her eyes and stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Breakfast, right?" Bella drawled. Petunia shot her a sharp look.

"Listen here, girl—" Vernon started. Bella cleared her throat and made a show of stroking the length of the holly wand strapped to her arm.

"I'm sorry but I think you're talking to the wrong person. My name is Bella. I insist that you use it in the future" Bella said, shortly. Vernon cleared his throat and gave her a look of disdain.

"Listen here, _Potter_—"

"Slytherin-Black-Potter…and perhaps Riddle fits in there too…" Bella said, thoughtfully as she crossed over to the gas stove and stared at it. Vernon was quickly turning purple.

"Listen here, _you_, your aunt and I are doing a great thing to take _you_ in. We didn't want any part of this freakish world that you're from but out of the kindness of our hearts—"

"You were paid off. Who paid you off?" Bella said, looking at Vernon with knowing eyes that seemed to unnerve the Muggle. Vernon cleared his throat.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. As I was saying—"

"Vernon, may I call you Vernon? Yes? Thank you. Vernon, no one and I mean _no one_ has _ever_ lied to me before and I won't tolerate it from you. I _despise_ being lied to. I am also probably one of _the_ most powerful witches you'll meet, magically, yes, politically, and perhaps financially. So, I advice you, strongly, to tell me the truth" Bella said, softly. Vernon cleared his throat and swallowed, thickly.

Bella wasn't sure if he actually _swallowed_. It was incredibly hard to make out his neck, if he had one in the first place.

"That man…the man that you…_kissed_" Vernon said, his voice showing absolute disgust as if it was Tom's fault.

This pissed Bella off to no end.

"That was a friendly kiss. He's my _magical_ guardian. I don't live with him but he watches over me at school. If you would pay attention, he didn't kiss me back. He was rather annoyed by it. Now, he paid you off? How much?" Bella asked, curiously. Vernon glared at her.

"Is that any of your business, young lady?" asked Petunia, annoyed at the girl's bold attitude.

"Who are you? My mother? Because she's been dead for almost fourteen years now" Bella said, flatly. Petunia flinched at the mention of her dead sister and looked back down to the pack of bacon that she needed to be cooked.

"Come make this bacon, Bella" Petunia said, quietly. Bella turned to the stove and glanced at Vernon. He was still glaring at her.

"Forty-thousand pounds," Vernon said, smugly.

"That's about two thousands galleons…wizard gold. Wow, he ripped you guys off. But, that's Tom, for you. Cheap as hell and twice as mean," Bella sighed. She glanced at the skillet in the front of her and looked at it as if it were a complicated math problem. Petunia was staring at her like she was stupid. Bella glared at her defensively.

"What? I've never made bacon before. I have a house elf…servant for that. And my Uncle Sirius can't cook either. I'm afraid you'll have to show me," Bella said, lightly.

At that moment, Dudley came lumbering down the stairs, still in pajamas. He did double take when he saw Bella before he remembered that she was staying with them for a while.

"Who was that girl you came with the other day?" Dudley asked. Bella didn't even look up from the skillet as Petunia put the butter in and told her to watch the bacon and the boiling water for the boiled eggs.

"She is what we call, in the wizarding world, out of your league."

"No really, who was she?" Dudley demanded. Bella rolled her eyes and put one hand on her hip before raising an eyebrow. Dudley looked determined to get the answer out of her, even if it meant attempting to beat the crap out of her.

"My sister, Hermione Granger. She was your _neighbor_ for about half her life. Admittedly, she looks older but still…anyway, she's out of your league. She's probably a master swordswoman. She's top of our class at school, smartest girl in Hogwarts, probably. Now that I think about it…she's _way_ out of your league," Bella said as she watched the bacon sizzle.

It was turning brown now and Petunia was making eggs. She frowned, not sure what to do…well…she said it had to be cooked. It didn't look all that cooked to Bella, so she waited.

"I'll have you know that I'm boxing champion at my school and a champion weight-lifter" Dudley bragged. Bella turned from the stove for a moment and leaned against the stove, not worrying about the flames.

"I've escaped my parent's murderer since I was eleven. Once when I was eleven, once when I was twelve, and again past June. At thirteen, I fought one of four convicts from the wizarding prison. After turning fourteen, I killed someone. They were trying to kill Draco, my brother. So, I killed that bastard. I'm probably a black belt in two martial arts. I do mixed martial arts. How about that?" Bella said, flatly. Dudley was looking at her in horror. Vernon looked just as horrorstruck. Petunia was frozen.

"How…how did you kill him?" Dudley stammered. Bella blinked.

"Er…I think I either broke his neck or I electrified him. What is that burning smell?" Bella wondered. She gasped before turning around and staring at the burnt bacon and the water. She groaned. Petunia was staring at her in wonder.

"You burnt water…that's not _possible_!" Petunia snapped. Bella sighed and looked up to the heavens.

"Damn. Er…the bacon's ready?"

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of July 1995**

**12:00 PM**

"What do you mean we can't come into the Order meeting?" demanded Ron Weasley. He was glaring at his parents, angrily. Fred, George, Gideon, and Ginny looked just as outraged. Hermione kept her anger inside though her narrowed gaze probably frightened the redhead adults the most.

"This is for Order members only. Please understand that," Mrs. Weasley snapped. Ginny stomped her foot. Hermione rolled her eyes at that. Ginny didn't normally act so bratty but lately…

"That's not fair! We're just as involved. Bella is our friend," Ginny cried out in anger. Mr. Weasley looked ready to tear out his hair and he glanced back to the kitchen. Most of the Order members were waiting patiently.

"Yes, children, but this is for adults only…"

"We're adults!" Fred and George cried out. Mrs. Weasley looked fed up now and looked ready to blow when a hand touched Hermione's shoulder. The hand was familiar. It had corrected her grip on her sword several times.

"Enough. Hermione, let's go" Tom Riddle said.

The children looked at him. He was standing tall and his eyes were narrowed. Hermione looked up at her mentor with a smirk adorning her face. Her eyes were only curious.

"Hard day at work?" Hermione goaded. Tom sneered down at her.

"I remember a buck-toothed eleven year old who was polite, smart, and respected authority. What happened to her?" Tom snapped. Hermione rolled her eyes as if it were obvious.

"She met Bella."

"Ah…and the little brat causes problems without her being here. Hermione, inside," Tom directed. Ron gaped and he looked outraged. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked just as confused as the other teens.

"Professor, is that really a good idea? I thought it was Order members only," Mrs. Weasley said, uncertainly. She knew of Tom Riddle's reputation and she saw how he treated Hermione. As if she were his protégé. He treated the two others boys that way as well, from what she had seen. But Bella was a little different…

"Yes, well, say hello to the newest Order member. Hermione, inside. Now."

Tom Riddle didn't listen to any more uncertainties as he dragged Hermione inside the room. The adults frowned as she sat next to him. Hermione wished at least one of her siblings were with her at the moment. Draco was at Malfoy Manor, most likely enduring his father's excitement at Lord Voldemort's return. Blaise was in Spain with his sister and mother. Apparently, Gianna's first kill was coming up and Ms. Zabini was scoping out a man for her precious three year old to come up with a plan to murder.

"Ah, Tom. And a stowaway?" asked Dumbledore, looking at Hermione with sparkling eyes. Hermione met his eyes with a slight smirk.

"No. An Order member," Tom said, flatly. The adults, excluding Sirius and Maya, suddenly were in uproar. Several were glaring at Hermione as if she had no business there. Dumbledore held up his hand and the group was silenced immediately.

"I'm not quite sure I understand. She's only a student," Dumbledore stated. Tom nodded, sagely before leaning back and pointing at the girl sitting next to him.

"Yes. However, she can probably fight better than most in this room. You _do_ know who she is, Dumbledore. Her and her sister" Tom said, quietly. Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling.

"I do. However, I don't know which is which."

"We are preparing for a war. I like war. I'm probably the most skilled battle strategist you have on your side. No offense, Professor Dumbledore, but I read _The Art of War _by _Sun Tzu_ when I was a little girl. I think I know what I'm talking about" Hermione said, lightly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting. I would have thought that was Bella."

"She always wins, Headmaster. I am impartial. I do not choose sides. I only thrive in the middle. Sir, it wouldn't be prudent to let me fight. I may decide to fight for the other side. But, do let me and Bella sit in on these meetings. It involves her. You want her to be your Savior but if you can't trust her, you'll get nowhere" Hermione said, slowly. Dumbledore nodded, understanding.

"Do you really know as much as you say?"

"Yes. I am not good with politics but I can teach. I can come up with battle strategies. Bella is good at speaking with people but it won't be effective since no one believes her at the moment. But, she's a better duelist than me. She bested Tom once, I think. She can kill with her bare hands and she has no qualms about it," Hermione stated, firmly. The Order members looked at her, some disbelieving and some shocked.

"Are you sure about this, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione looked to Maya. Maya looked hesitant.

"Mum? May I?" she asked, softly. Maya tilted her head.

"Tell me why you want to join the Order," Maya ordered. Hermione took a deep breath and then cleared her throat.

"I hold no loyalty to Dumbledore. He is simply my headmaster. But, I would _die_ for Bella. I am loyal to her and her alone. Even if she picked the Dark, Draco, Blaise, and I would follow her to the ends of the Earth. I trust her with my life. I would _murder_ and _kill_ and _destroy_ for her. I want to help her. To protect her because I _know_ she can't always protect herself. Bella thinks she's invisible. But, she needs us" Hermione explained, solemnly.

Tom looked pleased with that so Hermione smiled and continued on.

"I can do this. Let me protect my sister. Because if you don't…I'll have to do it without your help. And my ways aren't always legal. I'm a psychotic and I suffer from ASPD. I won't feel bad if I have to kill one of you in this room to protect my little sister. My siblings mean the world to me and I'd destroy any of you who even tries to hurt them, directly or indirectly."

The words made shivers run down even Dumbledore's spine.

"I see. And what of Bella?"

"She despises being lied to. She hates people keeping things from her. But…what she hates most…is someone denying her. And denying her will only lead you to destruction. Like I said, she always wins. It's in her very nature. Denying her entrance to your little club will only piss her off. And last time Tom really pissed off Bella, Bella stabbed him in the stomach with a wooden stake," Hermione said, flatly. Tom's eyes narrowed.

"I thought I said never to speak of that again," he snarled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

"I'm going to beat the crap out of you," Tom threatened. Maya rolled her own eyes. Hermione had spent too much time with Bella. She probably didn't pay any mind to his threats anymore.

"Sure. Do you understand, sir? Why you need us? Why we're invaluable?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore nodded, slowly.

"I do. I'm still not sure. I understand you but…Bella is still just a child…"

"She killed her first person before I did."

The adults stared.

"What was that?" Dumbledore asked, his mouth slightly hanging open in shock. Hermione crossed her arms and leaned back.

"She killed a Death Eater last year. We were at the World Cup. Draco got hit with a curse. Bella went ballistic and shot a lightening curse at the person. He dropped dead. She broke someone's neck as well that night. Bella Anastasia Potter is anything but a child. She is a coldblooded killer. Tom has trained her since we were third years. He trains her more than the rest of us because he knows what she has to do," Hermione said.

Mad-Eye Moody finally seemed fed up.

"Albus! You can't possibly let children be in the Order! They haven't lived through a war—" Moody shouted in protest. Hermione's booted foot was on the table and her wand was pointed at Moody. Her sleeve was rolled up so she could draw her sword at any moment.

"Constant vigilance, Moody. I'm not a child. I've done things that could earn me a place in Azkaban. I'm no child. Not for two years. Not since I got psychosis because of my stupid mistakes. Bella may seem like a spoiled child to all of you but she is anything but. You have seen her as a whiny spoiled student and yes, I'm talking to _you_, Professor Snape. She can be spoiled and she is rather whiny sometimes but that is not her. She is cruel, cold, and vicious. I don't care what you say but you don't know her. You know the Girl-Who-Lived. You know Bella Potter. You _don't_ know Ana. You do _not_ know Anastasia. You can't treat her like a five-year-old if she's your Golden Girl. You cannot treat her like a puppet. You need to treat her like an adult. Or she will be act like a child and do nothing for you" Hermione said, shortly. Dumbledore to Tom and Tom was lazily making circles with his wand.

"Tom, what do you think on this?"

"I brought her in here, didn't I? Hermione Granger may possibly know more about Bella Potter than _anybody_" Tom said, lazily. He was looking at the ceiling, as if this were all tedious.

"But…" prompted Dumbledore. Tom leaned forward, slamming his hand on the table. The younger members jumped.

"_But_…I _do_ know Bella Potter better than anybody. Hermione is right. Bella is a charismatic and passionate young woman. She is worried about tedious teenybopper shit like clothes and such. But, she is a merciless killer who will not hesitate to murder any _one_ of you in your beds, excluding Black and Ms. Granger. If I got her angry enough, she'd try to strangle me in my bed as well. And if she tried hard enough, she might succeed. Bella Potter is neutral. And if you want her to pick a side, you better make her a good offer or she'll damn you all pick the other side. She's a survivor. She'll do what she needs to do to survive and win."

"What do you mean the Girl-Who-Lived is neutral!"

"That's not possible!"

"Bella can't be neutral!"

The cries of outrage erupted. Sirius was gripping the table before he looked up at Tom. He stood up and everyone looked at him, eager for what he was going to say. Hermione rolled her eyes. They were all gossip mongers.

"Now, now, please calm down. We will handle that issue, separately, I think. Let us move on to ideas for headquarters," Dumbledore commanded. Sirius slowly sat down and glared at Tom.

Hermione leaned back with a smirk on her face.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of July 1995**

**1:00 PM**

Draco continued his History of Magic homework essay. He knew it was early in the summer but he wanted everything finished. His father was a little more excited than usual and he was ordering house elves, left and right, to ready the manor for an important guest.

"Son, be ready by three o' clock. Is that understood?" Lucius asked, rather excited. Draco nodded, slowly.

"Sure, Father. Who is coming that is so important? The Minister?" asked Draco. Lucius gave his son a rare smile. Draco blinked in surprised and raised an eyebrow at his father.

"A friend. A very old friend of mine that your blood sister has had the pleasure to meet, I believe" Lucius said, calmly. His nose wrinkled slightly at the mention of Draco's blood sister but he said nothing against her.

Draco had blown up the first time Lucius had said something bad about her. It hadn't been and Lucius had definitely refrained from doing it again. Narcissa admitted that she rather liked Bella and wished to meet with her again soon. Draco had told both parents about her birthday party and they wished to accompany him there.

"Is that so?" Draco asked, carefully. He was nervous about this old friend of his father. It could quite possibly be…but why would he refer to _him_ as his an old friend?

"Yes. You are to be on your best behavior. And I wish for you to…put on a show."

"A show?"

"Yes, a show. I want you to show him your potential and introduce him to your familiar" Lucius prompted. Draco tilted his head.

"Father, why is it so important for me to impress this 'friend' of yours?" Draco challenged. Lucius gave his son a sharp look. If Draco weren't the Son of the Claimer, he would have cringed. But, his father no longer intimidated him.

"You'll see."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of July 1995**

**1:30 PM**

The meeting was over and Sirius was still glaring at Tom. The other members had exited and Dumbledore had asked a reluctant Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to leave and settle in one of the bedrooms until the found an appropriate headquarters for the Order.

Sirius stood up once more

"How do you know that? That's she neutral? Why wouldn't I?" barked Sirius in anger. Maya gripped Sirius' arm, hard. He settled into his seat again and he looked at Tom.

"Maybe you're not as close to your goddaughter as you'd like to think" Tom said, coolly. Sirius glared.

"And _you_ are?"

"Yes, Ana and I are quite acquainted," Tom said, his eyes glinting maliciously. He licked his lips and Sirius' nose flared. He seemed to understand _exactly_ what Tom was saying.

"YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Sirius jumped over the table and Maya fell back, gasping. Sirius tackled the surprised Tom. The two men began wrestling. It was evenly matched before Sirius grabbed Tom's throat. Dumbledore was frowning and stood up, his wand pointed at the two. He flicked it and Sirius flew off Tom. Tom had an innocent look on his face.

"What? Did I say something? We _do_ know each other," Tom said, insincerely. Sirius was crouched and growling.

"What did you do to her, you disgusting _freak_?" snarled Sirius. Tom stiffened at the attached name and he closed his eyes as if to center himself. His eyes flashed open and they were red. Sirius' eyes widened at the dark crimson of his eyes.

"I am not a freak, you _mutt_. I did nothing!" Tom shouted. He stood up and didn't even bother straightening his robes. He glared down at Sirius and didn't even draw his wand. His hand was already clenched into a fist.

"Yeah, that's not what I got from that statement! How acquainted are you with my _fourteen-year-old_ goddaughter, you sick perv?" demanded Sirius. Dumbledore's eyes widened in understanding. He glanced at Tom. Tom scowled, angrily. His hands were so clenched that his knuckles were bone white.

"I am her teacher. I am her mentor. That's how acquainted I am with her," Tom snapped. Sirius scoffed.

"That's not what _I_ saw! When she was in the Hospital Wing she couldn't bear to _touch_ anyone except for you. What did you do to her? What are you doing—" Sirius started. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Stop!" Hermione snapped.

"Stay out of this!" roared Sirius and Tom together. They glared at each other. Hermione flinched, slightly. Maya glared at both men.

"Both of you, stop this. Now. We will not have any brawling. We're all mature enough to handle this. We will pick up this discussion when Bella is here to explain what this is all about" Maya snapped at both of them. Tom sneered.

"The mutt wouldn't listen anyway. I'm her teach—"

"Cut the crap, Tom Riddle. I _know,_" Maya said, shortly. Tom stopped short and stared at her in shock. Maya gave him a challenging look and he glared at Hermione who only shrugged.

"Dumbledore! You're letting a teacher do inappropriate things with my child!" Sirius shouted. Tom snorted.

"Yeah, right. I initiate nothing. She tried to _rape_ me after we dueled. Maybe, you should help your child control her unusual sexual appetite. She told me before the third task that I was sex on legs. And then she attempted to _undress_ me. Randy brat," Tom sneered. Dumbledore looked endlessly amused by all of this. Sirius looks scandalized by Tom's words.

"Why don't you control your sexual urges? Can't you get a girlfriend without preying after my child? And Bella doesn't have _any_ sexual appetite! My child is an _angel,_" Sirius snapped, though he was stretching the truth. Tom gave a harsh laugh.

"Your child's nickname may be Angel but she is far from it. Hermione, tell him!" Tom snapped. Hermione bit her lip.

"I don't feel comfortable speaking about this without Bella being here…can't this wait?" asked Hermione. Sirius growled and Maya grabbed him by the ear.

"None of that. You are a human being. Your Animagus may be a dog but you're still a human being. Act like one," Maya said, sharply. Sirius stopped growling. Dumbledore sighed.

"This conversation will continue when _all _parties are present. Is that understood?" Dumbledore clarified. Sirius glared at Tom. Tom gave a sharp nod.

"Yes. Then she can testify herself. I am completely innocent."

"I find that hard to believe," Sirius snarled. Tom snorted.

"Like I care what you think."

"You should care. I forbid you from seeing Bella until we've got this sorted out and a restraining order against you," Sirius said, flatly.

Tom stopped immediately and leveled a dangerous look at his…'whatever Bella was to him's…godfather.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Now get the fuck out my house, pedo-Tom."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of July 1995**

**2:59 PM**

Draco waited in the Entrance Hall with his father and mother. Narcissa had a slight smile on her face. Lucius looked even more excited. He was glancing at his pocket watch every three seconds now. It was disconcerting, to say the least. The great clock down the hall chimed three times, telling Draco that it was now exactly three o' clock.

Four raps on the door.

Lucius snapped his fingers. Dobby walked forward. Or more like trudged to get the door. He opened it with a little difficult. Draco's eyes widened as he stared at the man who walked through the doorway as if he owned the place.

He was tall and skeletal. His head was completely bald and his skin was a pale grey. His red slitted eyes flashed as it took in everything in the vicinity. Long black robes hung off his skinny frame. His hands were like giant spiders. His fingers were long and spindly. He was holding a black wand in his hand.

"Luciusss…"

"My Lord, we welcome you to our humble home," Lucius said with the slightest of smirks.

Draco hid his snort. The Malfoys were anything but humble. Draco was certainly not humble and his father had essentially tried to mold him into a mini-Lucius.

"Narcissa, what a pleasure to see you again. Are you well?"

Narcissa offered a genuine smile at the man. Draco frowned in confusion. This was the terrifying Dark Lord. Wait…Draco could see the caution in his mother's eyes as she swept into a curtsey.

"Very, my Lord. And this is my son, Draco," Narcissa said, gesturing towards Draco. Draco met LordVoldemort's eyes without flinching. Voldemort's lipless smile never faltered. It seemed to grow wider.

"Draco," snarled Lucius, quietly. Voldemort held up a hand.

"A little fight in you. You bow to no one, do you?" Voldemort questioned, his smile suddenly gone. Draco blinked and swallowed quietly. Something about this man was unnervingly familiar to the point where Draco just wanted to sit down and figure it out. Draco wasn't one for sitting around.

"Death bows to no man, sir," Draco said, respectfully. Another lipless smile.

"And you believe yourself to be Death? How so?" Voldemort questioned. Draco cleared his throat.

"Death is not something you can escape. Not many have escaped me when I'm really angry. It's almost impossible since I have the capabilities of a dementor," Draco said, honestly. He cursed himself. He didn't understand why he was telling the enemy so much about himself.

He didn't understand why he trusted him.

* * *

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 10****th**** of July 1995**

**10:00 AM**

Bella's feet were on Petunia's pristine glass table, her heavy boots still covered in mud and dirt from the third task. She had a quill tucked behind her ear as she read through her book, quickly. Sirius had helped her charm her books so that they looked like normal Muggle books to Muggle eyes. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulder.

The door slammed open and Bella jumped, dropping her book. Her fist was curled into a fist. Bella saw Dudley run in with a weedy boy that looked slightly familiar to Bella. They pushed Bella aside and sat in front of the telly, turning it on. Bella sneered at them.

"Lay a hand on me again and I'll knock your brains clear from your skull," Bella snapped. Dudley flinched but the weedy boy glared at her. He looked her up and down before a lecherous smile spread across his face.

"Who the hell is the bird? She's hot but she's rude."

"_She_ is also a black belt in mixed martial arts. And would prefer if you looked at her face instead of her chest," Bella growled. The boy blinked in surprise before adopting an impressed look. He extended his hand.

"Piers Polkiss."

"Bella Potter. Dudley's cousin. And I'm not available," Bella snapped. She sighed and continued to read her assigned DADA pages. Tom had _not_ gone light on the summer homework.

Bastard.

Bella wondered where her letters were. Sirius, Maya, and Hermione hadn't written to her in days. Tom never wrote so Bella wasn't particularly concerned. Blaise and Draco weren't writing but Bella knew that Gianna was going to do her first kill, or at least planning one, this summer. Draco was apparently entertaining a guest at Malfoy Manor, according to his vague letter from a few days before.

Suddenly, an owl swooped in through the open door.

A snowy owl to be precise. Hedwig fell onto Bella's shoulder. Bella smiled at her loyal owl and kissed her feathers. Piers looked at her as if she were crazy.

"People are weird from where I come from."

The idiot boy seemed to take it as an answer. Bella snorted and took the parchment envelope from Hedwig.

"Go up to my room and help yourself to a treat, Hedwig," Bella commanded. The beautiful snowy owl gave her an annoyed look. She was admonishing Bella for being too lazy to go get her the treat herself. Bella shrugged and the snowy owl took off, annoyed.

Bella opened it lazily and began to read:

_Dear Bella,_

_I'm not supposed to be writing to you, according to Dumbledore. Especially, since I'm in the Order. Yes, I'm in the Order. So, I thought, screw it, Dumbledore. I'll fucking write to her if I want to. Though, I'd never dare say that to him. I may not care for him but I still respect authority, no matter how unhealthy you tell me it is to respect authority figures._

_Ron, Gideon, and Ginny are angry with me because I'm in the Order and they're not. They keep bugging me for information but there isn't much to talk about. I'll fill you in when you get here since I got you in the Order too. We have been officially inducted. We'll handle that when you get here. Fred and George surprisingly understand and they rather stay neutral at the moment. I'm not sure why but they won't explain their reasoning._

_Anyway, the real reason I'm writing: Sirius found out about you and Tom._

_Tom decided to announce you're neutral to the Order. I know, I know, you're going to be might pissed off but __**focus**__. Dumbledore stopped everyone from reacting too much. He said that they would handle that later before they went to brainstorming about ideas for a headquarters. I think Tom knows a place but he went to see if it's habitable._

_Anyway after that, Sirius asked how Tom knew that and he didn't._

_Tom decided to be a nasty bugger and said that Sirius didn't know you all that well. Sirius asked if he knew you better. Then Tom decided to act like a lecherous moron and said that you and him were well acquainted. And then he licked his lips…HE LICKED HIS LIPS! __**You're**__ the one who sexually accosts him after very single one of your duels. Sirius yelled that he was a sick bastard and jumped across the table and they were wrestling. Sirius grabbed Tom by the neck. Dumbledore had to separate them. Tom denied every accusation that Sirius yelled at him. Sirius didn't believe him at all._

_Mum broke it up, finally. She told Tom that she knew and he instantly stopped. Then he said that he initiated nothing and that Sirius should help you control your unusual sexual appetite._

_Sirius then accused him of being unable to control his sexual urges and that you were an angel._

_That's when I knew that he was a complete nutter._

_Anyway, you have some explaining to do when you get home. Sirius is pacing a hole into the floor. Even Mum can't calm him down. Oh, and you're not allowed to see Tom anymore._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

_P.S. Sirius keeps muttering 'sex on legs'. Tom told him about that…that was quite funny._

Bella looked up from her letter and gave a loud groan. Piers and Dudley looked at her, curiously.

"What is it?" Dudley asked, nosily. Bella glared at him.

"None of your business. Family stuff," Bella sighed. She snapped her book closed and shook her head. She made sure that her letter was in her book before she looked down at Dudley. Piers was staring at her ass. Dudley was still looking at her with curiosity on his face.

"Keep your eyes to yourself. Dudley don't disturb me. If your mum is looking for me, tell him I'm doing homework" instructed Bella. Dudley waved her away as he turned to watched the television. Bella walked upstairs and entered her room. She dropped the books on the floor next to her trunk and got on her knees, opening her trunk

She didn't even notice the man lounging on her bed.

Bella looked down at her unusually organized trunk. Her clothes took up a lot of the space but it had an expansion charm. Scrolls and books took up a lot of space too. Most of the books weren't her schoolbooks. A lot of the scrolls were in Druhir. One or two were in French. Quite a few were in Latin. Bella didn't know Latin, so accompanying those was a Latin to English dictionary.

She opted to try her hand at translating those and trying to figure out the conjugations when a hand tilted her head up.

"Hello."

Bella stared up at Tom. He was laying on his stomach on her bed, his elbow on the bed. His face was in that one hand while his other hand was holding Bella's face up. Bella leaned up and seized Tom's face and kissed him, hard.

Tom placed his hand on Bella's cheek to keep her where she was. He bit her lip and she gasped into his mouth. Tom took control and Bella stood, slowly, not breaking the kiss as Tom leaned up. Bella slammed her trunk closed and got onto it, on her knees. They never broke away. Bella's arms went around his neck and she pulled herself closer to him.

Tom broke away and trailed open mouthed kisses down her jaw. Bella moaned as licked her jaw line.

"I thought…mmm…I thought…you got in trouble with…Sirius," Bella whispered as Tom kissed her neck. He bit her at the mention of that and Bella gasped. She fell slightly limp in Tom's arms when he hummed in agreement against her collarbone.

"I did…" he said against her neck. Bella tugged on his hair and he looked up at her, annoyance in his eyes.

"Then why are you here? Isn't there someone watching me out there?" Bella asked. Tom nodded.

"The Squib next door, Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher. We're fine," Tom insisted. He drew her closer again and kissed her, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Bella groaned into his mouth and shook her head.

"Not now, Tom. I'm just really not in the mood," Bella insisted back. Tom glared at her, annoyed.

"I'm a grown man, Bella. I have _needs,_" Tom asserted. Bella pressed her lips together to keep the snicker from coming from her lips. Tom's eyes narrowed and he let go of her and glared at the wall.

"Don't be like that, Tom. I'm just really…I don't know. Uncle Sirius said I couldn't see you. He's obviously really uncomfortable with all of this. So, I'm just saying…maybe we should refrain from doing anything, really, until I can talk to or at least _write _to Uncle Sirius," Bella clarified. Tom's face was remarkably similar to a pout.

"But, _I_ don't care."

"I do, Tom. He's my godfather. He raised me. He should know what's going on. And then I can mediate. I hear Maya did remarkable at that but she's a Muggle. If you start throwing curses, I'll have to handle that," Bella sighed. Tom snorted and sneered at her. She raised a single black eyebrow. He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"What do you mean if I start throwing curses? _He_ jumped across the table and attempted to strangle me."

"That may be but he'll get physically. I'm sure Hermione and Maya can restrain him. _You_ like to jump straight into the curses. And I don't want a physically impaired godfather. So, can you please wait. And don't come to my birthday party," Bella requested. Tom gave her a flat stare.

"Why? I will not back down from your mutt."

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound? You might as well say, _Stick it to the Man,_" Bella laughed. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't even born when that saying was typically used."

"And you were well alive when it was coined. Late 19th century, right?" Bella teased. Tom growled and kissed her, harshly, bruising her lips. He pulled back and Bella was giving an annoyed look.

"I'm not old. You wouldn't be snogging an old man," Tom said. Bella sighed and nodded, sagely.

"You are correct. I'm shallow, aren't I?"

"Not very shallow. Not as shallow as your brother. He's conceited _and_ shallow. You're more of an annoying brat who is somehow endearing," Tom said, softly. He was now sitting cross-legged on Bella's bed. She laughed, quietly and shook her head. She suddenly took on a very Draco sneer.

"There are no pretenses here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow," Bella said, pompously. She really did sound like Draco. Tom rolled his eyes and patted her head. Bella crossed her own legs.

"That's an oxymoron. You can't be deeply shallow."

"Shut up," Bella said, sticking on her tongue. Tom gave her a slightly lecherous look.

"Don't stick out our tongue unless you plan to use it."

"I _don't_ plan to use it," Bella said, withdrawing her tongue back into her mouth. Tom gave a loud sigh and shook his head.

"You're so annoying."

"So are you. But I tolerate you. So stop complaining. What are you getting me for my birthday?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom looked at her with an amused look on his face.

"Why should I get you anything for your birthday?"

"Because, I'm turning fifteen. It's the day of my birth. That's something to celebrate. I mean, where would the world be if I wasn't born?" Bella asked, innocently.

"Grindelwald and Voldemort would have taken over the world," Tom said, flatly. Bella nodded.

"Exactly. I don't know about Voldemort but Grindelwald is _definitely _incapable of ruling the world. I don't care _how_ pretty he is. He's too annoying," Bella said, confidently. Tom hid his smirk, well.

"Why don't you ever laugh?"

Tom's smirk disappeared. He looked at Bella in wonder.

"What? I laugh."

"No you don't. You chuckle or snicker. Why don't you ever laugh?" Bella repeated. Tom shrugged. His hair was loose from the ponytail. It was a little too long for Tom's taste. He knew he'd have to cut it soon enough. He always did his own haircuts. He wouldn't dare let _anyone_ near his hair.

"I never had a reason to. Give me a reason to laugh and I'll laugh," Tom suggested. Bella's lips twitched into a smile.

"Then that's my goal for the upcoming school year. I'm going to make you laugh" Bella vowed. Tom's lips twitched.

"Good luck with that."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 19****th**** of July 1995**

**9:00 PM**

Hermione stood in the doorway of the drawing room. Ron, Ginny, and Gideon had finished trying to grill her about the Order meeting earlier that day. She always denied them any information and they always were angry with her until the next morning.

"Sirius?" Hermione said, quietly.

Sirius looked up from the couch. He blinked when he saw it was Hermione standing in the doorway with a solemn look on her face.

"Er…what is it, Mione?" Sirius asked. Hermione licked her lips.

"I knew."

"Knew what, Hermione?" Sirius asked, sharper now. Hermione tugged on one curly lock and looked Sirius in the eye. She wasn't ashamed at not telling him and she wasn't going to back down from this confession.

"I knew. About Tom and Bella. Bella really fancies him. A lot. More than she should. And even though Tom pretends that he doesn't care, he really does. Bella didn't tell me that she fancied him first. She told Blaise, first. But it was really obvious that they adored each other. Even, Fleur, the Veela girl, could tell. They don't do anything wrong. I swear. They've probably snogged before but I'm pretty sure that it's Bella who initiates almost everything" Hermione said, quietly. Sirius frowned.

"You're only pretty sure. I don't approve of this. He's so much older than her and it's just…wrong" Sirius sighed. Hermione cleared her throat and continued on.

"I know you think it's wrong but I don't. And if it were wrong, Dumbledore would have done something about it. Maybe, you should talk to Bella before you jump to conclusions. I got a letter from her a few days ago. She told me to give this to you. Read it and tell me if you still think this is wrong" Hermione commanded. Sirius took the offered piece of parchment and nodded. Hermione turned around to leave before looking over her shoulder.

"And it's not wrong to love my mum either. I think she feels the same."

Sirius blinked in surprise as she left him sitting there with the letter in hand. He swallowed before looking down at the words of his goddaughter.

_Dear Uncle Sirius,_

_I heard about you finding out. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry that I lied about it to you. But, I care for Tom. A lot. I don't like lying and I feel like such a hypocrite for lying to __**you**__. But, Tom makes me happy. I'm sorry if you don't like that but it's true._

_You think it's wrong but I don't. And I'll convince you. I'll tell you how it happened:_

_It was the beginning of fourth year. Tom was avoiding me. Not talking to me at all. And when he did, he called me 'Miss Potter'. I don't know why but that annoyed me the most out of anything else. Tom calling me 'Miss Potter' just seemed so wrong. It bothered me more than anything. And so I told him that I wasn't Miss Potter and that I was his Ana. He still called me Miss Potter._

_I asked him what was wrong. Apparently, Nagini said that I fancied him. I was suddenly very confused. I didn't understand. I wasn't able to answer. So, Tom said that the question was never asked. I played along and we left, awkwardly._

_Everything was normal except, I couldn't look away from Tom. Something was different and I didn't know what. Then, in October, a Veela girl named Fleur Delacour came. She was instantly enamored with Tom's face. It made me angry. The first thing I said when I saw her was 'Oh, hell no.' That was the day that we found about the Triwizard Tournament._

_And then my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Tom immediately believed me. All I had to do was tell him that it wasn't me and he believed me without thought. The day of the dragon task, I was so nervous. Tom came into the tent and he saw how scared I was. So he put a protective Rune on my locket. Without me having to ask or anything. He told me that I could do it and I would._

_And then the Yule Ball came. Cedric Diggory asked me to the ball and I said yes. Hermione began talking about how handsome Tom was. I don't remember why but I do remember that I was unconditionally jealous. I realized that I might fancy Tom. So, I told Blaise. I told Blaise that I couldn't understand __**why**__ I would fancy someone like Tom._

_Tom is so many things__: __sarcastic, obscene, immoral, potentially violent, and a complete jerk. He's selfish, angry, resentful, and hold a grudge for weeks._

_But he's caring. And sweet. And kind. And he's not using me. Continue reading and you'll realize that I'm telling the truth._

_The night of the Yule Ball, he called me beautiful. I could hear the other people around me. The other boys. Their whispers of how I looked hot or sexy or something of the like. And, I felt special when Tom called me beautiful._

_Don't you want me to feel special?_

_And then we danced and it was amazing. It was the most fun I had all evening, I think. Then, Viktor Krum ruined my evening. He was using Hermione because Karkaroff told him to ask her out to get to me. It was so angering that I had to step out. Tom followed me._

_I asked him to distract me. He did. I told him earlier that I had dressed up like someone. He guessed correctly. I was Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. I know you would approve of my melodramatics but at the same time, wearing the crown of bones felt strange. Felt right._

_He said he was someone to. And I asked who he was. Tom told me Hades, the God of the Underworld._

_And then he kissed me. I could have pulled away but I didn't. I didn't want to and I won't say I regret it, Uncle Sirius, because I don't. And then it stopped and we were __**both**__ confused and didn't know what had just happened. We didn't want to talk about. Didn't want to speak about it so we went out separate ways._

_We needed to talk._

_And so we did. He said it was just a kiss. I disagreed. I knew it was something different. I knew something was…weird about everything._

_So, it continued on like that. _

_And then suddenly, on his birthday, I brought up the fact that he kissed me and I didn't understand since everything seemed the same yet…as if I were more aware of something. He suddenly clammed up and told me that kissing me was a mistake. I was so angry._

_I felt used._

_I punched him in his face and I gave him back the locket and left. I felt a hell of a lost worst that I thought I would. I thought I'd feel powerful or happy that I wasn't being used anymore._

_I just felt miserable._

_Then, Nagini came and told me that he was ranting about me. How I was touchy and emotional and of all the women he's met, I'm the most emotional of them all. He was telling Nagini that I was controlling._

_I went to his office and he had the nerve to be angry about something to. I yelled at him that he was unbelievable. Somehow, I think that Nagini told him some of the things that I said. He yelled and asked how he was controlling. I yelled at him that he was controlling because he was insecure. I snapped at him and told him to sod off._

_He yelled at me that I was angering. I used his words against him and we were both just so angry. I wanted to bash his head into the desk. I could that he wanted to do the same to me. He then told me that I was stupid. Because if kissing me was a mistake, wouldn't have done it._

_And then he kissed me again. And I felt like I was on cloud nine again._

_Then, Tom made enemies with Rita Skeeter. She used me against him. She slandered the Slytherin name by calling me a slut and making up shit about her. I was so angry but he was even angrier. He was furious. Rita's an Animagus. Unregistered._

_Tom kidnapped her and made her walk into the Great Hall and confess that everything was a lie. He publically humiliated her. She confessed that she was an Animagus and then she gave me her wand to snap. I snapped it._

_The fact that he went to such lengths touched me._

_And then, after the third task, I was shaken. I couldn't bear to even touch anyone else. Tom was my anchor. I couldn't trust anyone at all and I didn't understand it. I couldn't even really touch my siblings. In his absence, I could touch my siblings as a substitute but any other time I just couldn't do it._

_Tom has helped me so much, Uncle Sirius. He doesn't take advantage of me, honest._

_We talk about stupid stuff sometimes. It's fun. Just talking. I can talk about my siblings and how annoying they are sometimes. I can talk about the most random things with him and he understands._

_Please, could __**you**__ understand?_

_That it's not really just me snogging him. It's not just casual snogging and he's not being a perv._

_It's different. When I need to snog him, I do. But no matter what anyone else says, we don't do that. Don't listen to what he's saying. We sit and talk. He listens to me say stupid things and we tease each other and it's so easy just to ignore everything else going around me._

_I trust him._

_With my life._

_With my soul._

_Let me keep that._

_Please._

_Love,_

_Bella_

And then Sirius wept.

:::

**A/N: **There it is. It seems humorous and then serious in some parts. Blaise will be getting his own little one-shot of what he's doing. I felt putting him would be out of place. I'm going to put it in my little one-shot collection that is called Do You Wanna Touch Me but maybe later. I'm trying to figure out what the next chapter will be about.

Sirius is crying. Aww…

It'll be explained in the next chapter. Let's just say that Sirius has just figured something out very important.

ANYWAY! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TIME! I'm so excited for this announcement:

Inside My Mind will only go up to the end of Bella's seventh year. Then there will be an epilogue. I already know how I'm going to end it and it will be EPIC! This story is about the maturity of the main characters.

BUT: The sequel, yes a sequel, will about the war and politics. Most of Bella's dreams will take place in THAT story. I already have the entire beginning planned for the sequel. The sequel will be in six parts, which means six years. Then there will be an epilogue. The sequel is being developed.

After these two stories, I'll be going on a hiatus to focus on my novel. It takes up a lot of my time in addition to this. Then, I'll be back and writing. Samsara is…I have a writer's block right now. Sorry about that.

Next Chapter: Another Order Meeting, Gideon's POV, Draco's House Guest, and an Arrival


	51. Chapter XLVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Sirius was crying in the last chapter. You'll find out why in this chapter, first thing. Gideon hasn't been getting any love. Personally, he is one of my favorite characters even though he's annoying OC. I've taken the personality of plenty of characters in the actual Harry Potter series so he isn't a total OC. He has some McLaggen in him, definitely (the stalking thing. Remember how he stalked Harry in HBP to give him tips?). Then, we'll have a few more things with Draco. He has to endure Voldemort so, be warned, he'll seem a little different. Then another arrival of our favorite girl and newest Order member!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLVI**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 19****th**** of July 1995**

**9:10 PM**

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked up, quickly, wiping his eyes as Maya looked at him, curiously. Her bright blue eyes didn't shine with pity so it made it a little better for Sirius. Maya walked into the drawing room and sank onto the floor next to Sirius. He was gripping the piece of parchment, tightly and Maya touched his cheek.

"Sirius? Tell me what's wrong," Maya said, softly. Sirius said nothing. He all but threw the piece of parchment at her. Maya looked down at the parchment and skimmed it quickly.

She looked back up at Sirius, her eyes showing the understanding she felt. Maya looked at the man in front of her and sighed. She had never seen him cry or feel sad. He never showed his sadness. Even when he was distressed over Bella's meetings with Grindelwald, he never cried or gave in to the anger and stress.

But over the past few days, Sirius had blown up at anything and everything. During an Order meeting, he had to be physically restrained when Tom had sauntered in as if nothing was wrong. And then Tom had made snide remarks and every time someone said Bella's name, Tom would give Sirius sly looks.

Then Snape made a remark on Sirius' short fuse and it was hell on Earth.

"What about this letter bothers you, Siri?" asked Maya, softly. Sirius shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"It's…it's nothing, Maya. I've got it under control."

"No, you don't. You don't have to be embarrassed or strong, Sirius. It's only us. Hermione's not here. Bella's not here either. You don't have to hide from me," Maya said, quietly. Sirius took a shuddering breath.

"My little girl…Bella…she loves him. She loves _him_. Or at the very least, cares for him. He's Dark. I don't care what Dumbledore says. He's worst than Snape! He made me think that he was using her. Raping her. For his own _sick_ amusement!" Sirius spat. Maya leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder and sighed.

"Bella isn't a little girl anymore. And Sirius, Professor Riddle is…different. And Bella cares for him. A lot. You can see it. You saw how she relied on him. How she was dependant on him. If you love your goddaughter—" Maya started. Sirius sat up, quickly and Maya fell against the couch. Sirius was looking at her in annoyance.

"Of course, I love her!"

"I never said you didn't. I know you love her. She loves you too. But, Riddle cares for her too. He was baiting you, Sirius. Don't you see? He does it to Bella too. He was testing you. I don't know why but he _was_ testing you," Maya said, soothingly. Sirius leaned his head on Maya's shoulder. Tears were falling from his eyes still. Maya stroked his hair.

"What's wrong now, Sirius?"

"I feel like I've failed Lily and James. Again."

Maya froze and she looked down at the man next to her. She wrapped her arms around Sirius as he sobbed into her shoulder. She kissed his forehead as he shook.

"No, Sirius…no…"

"I couldn't keep them safe. I…I was their Secret Keeper. The Fidelius Charm…it kept their position…secret. Only…only…_I_ could…say where they were," Sirius sobbed. Maya nodded and didn't hush him. She knew this was something he _needed_ to say.

He needed to admit this one failure to himself.

"And I thought…I thought…I _knew_…we had a traitor among us. And I…thought…that it was _Remus_. We all thought it was Remus. But…but it wasn't. It was Peter. And I…and I told them to switch Secret Keepers! To Peter…the rat! And then he betrayed them to Voldemort!" Sirius wept. Maya stroked his hair and shook her head. Sirius clung to her like a child and she could only share his grief.

"Oh, Sirius. You didn't fail them. You took in their only daughter. You raised her to be a beautiful and strong young woman," Maya said, solemnly. Sirius shook in her arms.

"No! I've failed them again. I'm making so many mistakes! Last year, I let…she was _drinking_ Firewhiskey! She went _clubbing_. She's only fourteen! And this year…I'm a failure! She's snogging a sixty-year-old man! I'm letting him take advantage of her," moaned Sirius. Maya pushed him up so that he looked at her with hallow and sad grey eyes.

"No. No, Sirius. That was my fault. I let her go to Italy with him. And I don't regret it. Bella cares for him so much and he cares for. You have to understand that I don't condone pedophilia. But with them, it's not somehow. They're connected in such a way. They understand each other to the point where sometimes they don't have to talk to communicate. They just seem to know on a basic level when the other is uncomfortable and they fix it. And Tom doesn't have the maturity level of a sixty-year-old man. He wouldn't have baited you like that if he did," Maya said, solemnly. Sirius looked at her with a look of wonder. There was hope in his eyes and Maya only wanted to make that hope grow.

She only wanted her Sirius to be happy.

"You're my voice of reason," Sirius said, softly. He yawned and Maya couldn't hide her smile. He was like a baby. He had finally cried himself into exhaustion.

"Of course. I'll always be there to be your voice of reason," Maya promised. Sirius nodded.

"You really don't think I've failed James?" Sirius asked. Maya smiled at Sirius.

"I didn't know them but the only way you could fail him is if you left Bella to fend for herself for selfish reasons. And you would never do that," Maya said, solemnly. She knew that Sirius would _die_ before he left Bella, no matter what side in the war that she would choose.

"Thanks, Maya. If they did know you, they'd love you. I love you," Sirius murmured, tired. His head dropped on Maya's shoulder and his eyes slid closed. He didn't seem aware of what he had just confessed.

Maya's lips were parted in surprise and her tongue darted over her teeth in one sweeping motion.

"I…I love you, too."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 21****st**** of July 1995**

**1:00 PM**

"Draco," called the high voice. Draco looked up from his almost completed Potions homework. Voldemort was standing by one of the bookcases in the library, a large tome in his hand. Draco swallowed as the tall and skeletal man crossed over to the table he was at.

"Yes, sir?" Draco asked. He had opted for 'sir' the entire time that Voldemort would be there. Voldemort seemed to find it endlessly amusing that Draco refused to call him 'my Lord'. But he didn't seem to mind which confused Draco.

Wasn't he supposed to torture anyone who even _looked_ at him wrong?

"Tell me about your sister," Voldemort commanded. He sat in the high-backed chair across from Draco. Draco tried to formulate a quick story but an idea struck him. Draco leaned back in his chair.

"She's the oldest of all. She's learning Italian and she has curly, bushy brown hair. She identifies with the term Mudblood—" Draco said, saying the plainest things about his elder sister. Voldemort let out a high and cold laugh. No, it wasn't a real laugh.

It was hollow and strange sounding. As if he didn't really find it amusing. Voldemort seemed to only found it exceedingly annoying. At least he hadn't cursed Draco yet.

"I am speaking of the other sister. The pretty one," Voldemort added.

"I think Hermione's extremely pretty," Draco said, through his teeth. He only typically thought that if Hermione's hair wasn't a bush and her mouth was closed. Because when she opened it…Merlin, was she annoying!

"The beautiful sister with eyes the color of one of my favorite spells. The Avada Kedavra. Perhaps you've heard of it," Voldemort said with a hissy chuckle. Draco swallowed and leaned back, crossing his arms.

"Bella…Bella is defiant. And she hates Grindelwald and everything that you stand for," Draco lied. Voldemort didn't seem to believe him at all.

"You _do_ amuse me, Draco. That is most likely the reason that I refrain from torturing for your insolence. I have met Bella Potter and she doesn't seem as against what I stand for as you portray her to be," Voldemort said, off-handedly. Draco looked at Voldemort, defiantly and went back to copying the Potions terms from his book and re-phrasing it.

"She is. She hates Grindelwald for killing her parents." Draco said, sharply. Voldemort nodded in agreement. Draco looked up at him with surprise on his face. He didn't think the man would agree with him.

"Yes…but she does she hate me?"

* * *

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 24****th**** of July 1995**

**11:45 AM**

"Petunia! Vernon! I'm going out," Bella called. She didn't get a response, which she didn't mind. Dudley seemed to hear and Piers dragged him to the door. Piers didn't seem to take no for an answer. He had been trying to impress Bella left and right.

"Where are you going?" Piers asked, curiously. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"That's none of your business. But if you must know, I'm just going to look around. I won't be here much longer so I'm trying to familiarize myself in case I end up around here again. Hermione showed me around a few years ago but it's been a while," Bella said, softly. Piers' eyes brightened and he cleared his throat and stood up taller. Bella couldn't help but note that Tom had five inches over him.

"Then we'll show you around!" Piers said, excited. Dudley groaned and shook his head.

"Piers! But the program we've been waiting for all week is coming on in fifteen min—" Dudley complained. Piers hushed him. Bella's lips curved into a mocking smile. She crossed her arms and nodded. She brought her pants leg up and sat that her wand was strapped there since she was wearing a tank top.

"All right. I'll humor you. Show me to the park," Bella commanded. Piers nodded and dragged a pouting Dudley out behind her. Piers began talking of nonsense before stopping and looking at Bella with a strange look.

"You have a very upper-class accent. Where are you from?" Piers asked. Bella smirked.

"London. My godfather raised me in London."

"Where are you parents?" Piers asked, confused. Bella stiffened and ran her hands through her thick dark hair.

"Dead. They were murdered when I was one," Bella said, quietly. Piers blinked and didn't say anything. It was an awkward silence. Bella could tolerate the two curious boys but she still found them annoying and nosy.

"Is the park around here?" Bella asked. Piers nodded and pointed towards the left. Bella could make out the small children and the slides.

"Right there. Come on," Piers insisted. Bella followed and Dudley continued to cast her strange looks.

"What is it?" Bella asked. Dudley pointed at her forehead. Bella touched her forehead and she realized her bangs weren't covering her scar. She laughed and she rubbed it, absent-mindedly.

"Oh…that. I got that the night my parents died. The guy was crazy. Tried to carve my face. My mum stopped him in time but he killed her. Then my godfather came and chased him away. At least, that was what I was told," Bella lied, fluently. Dudley nodded before pointing at her arm. The lightening bolt had scarred.

"What about that? It matches."

"I _said_ he tried to carve me. He did the same thing when I escaped from him in June," Bella said, flatly. She didn't want to talk about it. It still upset her to remember those hateful navy blue eyes.

"Oh…okay. Here's the park," Dudley said, gesticulating. Bella nodded and walked towards the deserted swings. Dudley and Piers followed her and stood near the fence, whispering to each other as Bella swung absent-mindedly.

Bella sighed as she thought. She was still stuck on Lily Potter's words. Not to mention she still hadn't gotten a response from her Uncle Sirius. She knew that he probably wanted to talk about this in person and she hoped that he understood. She hoped that he understood that her and Tom's relationship wasn't about sex or snogging or whatever.

That it was about forgetting all of her issues. She had far too many for a soon-to-be fifteen-year-old. She wasn't sure if her letter worked or not. Granted, she had spun the truth a bit in her letter about Krum but that wasn't what was important.

Suddenly, Bella saw Dudley and Piers stiffen. Bella felt hands wrap around her own and pull her back before letting her swing forward. She gasped and laughed when the person caught her as she swung back again. She looked back and laughed at the half-smile on Tom's face.

"You're such a child."

"Not really. And no, I won't kiss you," Bella murmured. Tom leaned down and Bella turned her head away from him, when he let go of the swing and she flew forward. As startled laugh escaped her lips and Tom caught the swing again and stole a peck. Bella laughed and made the swing come to a stop. She punched Tom in the arm and he rolled his eyes.

"If you're going to punch me, do it right."

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, curiously. She looked him up and down, appreciatively. He was actually wearing jeans though they were a dark wash. His white shirt was partially unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled up. Many single mothers were giving him the eye. Though, they were also glaring, jealous, at Bella.

"Came to visit you. I don't have an Order meeting until tomorrow. I'm supposed to be scouting for a headquarters. I'll probably suggest my father's old house. The Riddle Manor," Tom said, softly. Bella hummed and she stood up. She gave a little wave to Dudley and Piers and began walking with Tom towards the nearest bench, which was a little ways past the sandbox and jungle gym.

"Do you live there?" Bella asked, curiously. She was mildly aware that Dudley and Piers were following them. Tom seemed aware as well, judging by his light and mocking smirk.

"No. I would _never_ invite Dumbledore to where I live. It's where I keep the tamer part of my extensive book collections. The Library of Alexandria is kept in the vault. But, Riddle Manor houses the Light and a few Neutral books. I also have a few Muggle books," Tom said, off-handedly. Bella laughed.

"And by 'few' you mean, a few bookcases."

"Well, _some_ Muggles aren't stupid. Most, like the morons following us, are."

Tom spun around and set his narrowed gaze on Piers and Dudley. They froze and Bella snickered. She leaned her head on Tom's shoulder. The two teen boys took a step back, their hands up.

"Who are you?" demanded Piers. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"None of your business."

"Where are you going with my cousin?" Dudley demanded, clenching his fist in what he thought was dangerous. Bella laughed at this and Dudley blinked in surprise. Bella shook her head.

"Don't you remember? First, I'm a mixed martial artist. I could kick his ass if he _was_ kidnapping me. He's the man that brought my friends to visit me the day I came. He paid off your parents to take me in for the month. Ah…by the way, you ripped them off," Bella laughed. Tom snorted and turned back around, dismissing the two boys all together. The two continued walking towards the bench. Bella sat down and Tom sat next to her. Bella turned and threw her legs over Tom's lap.

"Your disgusting boots are on my legs," Tom said, his tone flat and annoyed. Bella smirked.

"Thank you for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. Deal with it. How were the Order meetings?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom groaned and shook his head.

"Annoying. Hestia Jones and Nymphadora Tonks wouldn't stop staring at me. I _taught_ Nymphadora" Tom said, sneering. Bella's lips quirked in utter amusement. She swung her legs underneath her and leaned her head on Tom's arm. He looked down at her as she yawned.

"You're my teacher, Tom."

"That's different. You don't really act your age. I always mistake you for a bit older. You're certainly more mature than Nymphadora. She has a cardiac arrest every time someone calls her Nymphadora. Other than me it seems. She has continuously been talking to me as if I'm her _friend_. I don't have _friends,_" snarled Tom. Bella snickered.

"Really now? What about Lucius Malfoy?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean Lucius Malfoy?"

"Last year, at the Quidditch World Cup, you will incredibly comfortable with teasing me in front of him. Typically, you're more uptight around people like Lucius. He looks at ease with you as well" Bella said, matter-of-factly. Tom blinked.

"First, I'm not uptight. And second, you're being incredibly perceptive," Tom said, sharply. Bella sighed and tucked a black lock of hair behind her ear.

"Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom shrugged.

"I don't know. I know what I'm giving you for your birthday."

"Do you really? What?" Bella asked, excitedly. Tom smirked.

"The first, you'll get at your party, though I won't be in attendance, as you asked. Your second part will be given later that night. Just be sure you are ready at six thirty, that evening. Bring your mask. And wear something nice," Tom commanded. Bella grinned.

"You're taking me to Club Piacere?"

"I never said that. It's a possibility that I'm taking you _somewhere_. And if your godfather doesn't chain you to the house," Tom said, calmly.

"I doubt that he will."

"You can never be sure with that mutt."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30****th**** of July 1995**

**3:25 PM**

"_YAH!_' Hermione cried out, slashing down. Gideon watched in shock with his siblings. Hermione was parrying and thrusting her sword like there was no tomorrow. Riddle was blocking her every move yet countering at the same time. Hermione's wand wasn't out and she was fighting with her left hand, though Gideon knew that wasn't her wand arm.

"Better. Your stance, Hermione! Firmer stance," Riddle called. Hermione let out a huff and she spun before slashing down again. Riddle blocked her and tried to sweep her out from under herself. She jumped and probably would have landed firmly if Riddle wasn't ready for that. He swept her legs from underneath her and she fell. She groaned as the point of Riddle's sword touched her neck.

"That wasn't one of my better fights, was it?" Hermione sighed as she scrambled up. Riddle's lips curled into a smirk. He shook his head.

"It wasn't. Why do you think that is?" Riddle asked. Hermione was swinging her sword back and forth, trying to get a feel of it, Gideon supposed. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a braid. Her hair only went to her shoulders. She looked like she was growing it long.

"I'm too excited about Bella getting here?" Hermione suggested. Riddle gave her a narrowed gaze before conjuring a chair. He sat on it and Hermione did the same, though she murmured the words. Gideon watched, curiously as Riddle rolled his eyes at her statement.

"Wrong. You're excited because Blaise is going to be coming soon. And that's _not _why you failed to defeat me. You've won before, have you not?" Riddle asked, clearly. Gideon watched as Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I don't know why."

"You rely on your anger and bloodlust. And it clouds your judgment. The times when you have won against me were flukes. Now, practice your katas. Tell your sister I said hello. I have something to do," Riddle said, calmly. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you want to say hello to her? She'll be here soon. And we have an Order meeting a bit after she arrives," Hermione said, calmly. Riddle frowned.

"I saw her two days ago."

Hermione stared at him in shock before bursting into laughter. She was shaking with the laughter.

"You mean to tell me that even after Sirius said not to go see her, you went."

Gideon wasn't too sure about that, in fact. Sirius had been acting completely hostile towards Riddle for a while now. More so than usual. He had reserved that behavior for Snape at first but now all of his attention was focused on Riddle. Gideon briefly wonder what Riddle that made him enemy # 1 in Sirius's eyes.

"He's _her_ guardian. Not mine."

"Exactly."

"Well, he's not my father. I can go wherever the hell I want."

* * *

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 30****th**** of July 1995**

**4:00 PM**

The doorbell rang right on time. Bella had gotten a note from Maya that said the time they were coming but nothing past that. Petunia and Vernon were standing next to the door, waiting to kick her out. Dudley was watching, curiously. Bella opened the door and smiled at the group of people waiting to escort her to Grimmauld Place.

"I need an entire Guard for all this?" Bella asked.

Mad-Eye Moody and a few others were standing at the door, waiting for her. Petunia shuddered at Moody's magical eye. Bella was only amused by it all.

Remus Lupin stood right next to Moody, looking shabby and lined as always, though still endearing. Bella hugged him, tightly and Remus patted her back with a smile on his face.

"Oooh, she looks just like I thought she would," said the witch who was holding her wand aloft. She looked the youngest there; she had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet. "Wotcher, Bella!"

"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said a bald black wizard standing furthest back - he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear - "she looks exactly like Lily except with James' coloring."

"Except the eyes," said a wheezy-voiced, silver-haired wizard at the back. "Lily's eyes."

Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled grey hair and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously at Bella through his mismatched eyes. One eye was small, dark and beady, the other large, round and electric blue - the magical eye that could see through walls, doors and the back of Moody's own head.

"Are you quite sure it's her, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating her. We ought to ask her something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"

"Bella, what form does your Patronus take?" Lupin asked.

"A snake…a viper, I think," said Bella, confidently.

"That's her, Mad-Eye," said Lupin.

Very conscious of everybody still staring at her, Bella slid her wand from her back pocket.

"What are you doing keeping your wand there, girl?" roared Moody. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!"

"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" the violet-haired woman asked Mad-Eye interestedly.

"Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" growled Mad-Eye.

"Elementary wand-safety, nobody bothers about it any more." He stumped off towards the kitchen.

"And I saw that," he added irritably, as the woman rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.

"I don't normally keep it there. I have a wand holster," Bella said, softly. Mad-Eye suddenly looked quite happy about that, though it was hard to tell with all his scars.

"How are you?" Remus asked. Bella bit her lip and crossed her arms, rubbing them self-consciously.

"Uncle Sirius…where is he?" Bella questioned, not really answering Remus' question. Remus frowned at Bella's question and Bella swallowed, guiltily.

"He didn't want to come. He was quite against it actually."

"Oh…alright. I have my things ready. Who are they?" Bella asked, wishing to get off the topic of her somewhat estranged godfather.

"This is Nymphadora -"

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder, "it's Tonks."

"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Remus.

"So would you if your fool of a mother had called you Nymphadora," muttered Tonks.

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt." He indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed.

"Elphias Doge." The wheezy-voiced wizard nodded. "Dedalus Diggle -"

"I've seen you before," squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his violet-colored top hat.

"Emmeline Vance." A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl inclined her head.

"Sturgis Podmore." A square-jawed wizard with thick straw-colored hair winked.

Bella amused herself by thinking thoughts of what would happen to him if _Tom_ or _Sirius_ had seen him wink at her.

"And Hestia Jones." A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved form next to the toaster.

Bella inclined her head at each of them as they were introduced. She wished they would look at something other than her; it was as though she had suddenly been ushered onstage. She would have liked this more if the Guard consisted of Sirius…even though he wasn't talking to her. She also wondered why so many of them were there.

"A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you," said Remus, as though he had read Bella's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Yeah, well, the more the better," said Moody darkly. "We're your Guard, Potter."

"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Lupin, glancing out of the door. "We've got about fifteen minutes."

Petunia and Vernon seemed annoyed by that.

"If you'll be staying, we should go. Dudley stay here and make sure…nothing goes missing," Vernon commanded. Dudley nodded, understanding. He was more tolerant of his wizarding cousin. He didn't mind someone being 'not normal' as much as his parents.

"Yeah, Dad."

Vernon and Petunia pushed past the people, rudely, jostling Tonks who almost fell onto Bella.

"Er…you can come into the kitchen," Bella said. The group of witches and wizards followed her into the crystal clean kitchen. A charred skillet was in the garbage can.

The same skillet that Bella had once again attempted to use to make bacon.

And failed. Epically.

Bella opened her mouth to ask about the Order and Grindelwald

"We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," warned Moody, turning his normal eye on Bella. His magical eye remained focused on the ceiling. "Damn it," he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, "it keeps getting stuck - ever since that scum wore it."

And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye.

"Get me a glass of water, would you, Bella," requested Moody.

Bella crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean glass and filled it with water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy her.

"Cheers," said Moody, when Bella handed him the glass. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down; the eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. "I want three hundred and sixty degrees visibility on the return journey."

"How are we getting to Grimmauld Place?" Bella asked.

"Brooms," said Lupin. "Only way. You're too young to Apparate alone, they'll be watching the Floo Network and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey."

"Remus says you're a good flier," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice.

"She's excellent," said Lupin, who was checking his watch.

"But…I'm fine with side-along Apparition. I'd prefer it, actually. I want to get to where I have to go as soon as possible," Bella said, softly. Remus looked at her in surprise and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Have you been side-along Apparated before?" Remus asked. Bella nodded.

"I have. Several times. I'll be fine. And I believe that I have my first Order meeting tonight," Bella said, licking her teeth. Several of the members of the Guard reacted to that.

"About that…is it true that you're neutral like Professor Riddle says?" asked Emmeline Vance. Bella stiffened and crossed her arms.

"Tom says a lot of things."

"Tom?" Tonks asked, curiously. She obviously had an enormous crush on Tom. Bella swallowed before nodding.

"I'm on a first name basis with him. He has taught me a number of things."

"Like how to be a killer?" Mad-Eye asked. Bella looked at him, sharply. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her answer. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"What did he exactly _tell_ you?"

"That you are a coldblooded killer. And you've already killed someone. You are cold, cruel, and vicious. That's what your sister, Hermione said. But, Professor Riddle said about the same. You're a merciless killer who wouldn't hesitate to murder any one of us in our beds if we did something wrong. But you don't seem mean at all," Tonks said, off-handedly. Bella looked at her with a blank expression.

"I don't look mean. But, I _can_ be mean. If you wish me to be. Tom knows me better than anyone. Even my brothers and sister don't know that much about me. They are all extremely perceptive. You will do well to listen to what the two of them say about me," Bella said, cryptically. She got surprised looks, including one from Remus.

"Is that why Sirius wouldn't come?" Remus asked, curiously. He watched as Bella stiffened considerably and her hand wandered to her throat. She didn't seem to find what she wanted and so her hand dropped to her side, limply.

"Ah…no. That is another issue, entirely."

"We have about a minute left. Maybe, we should go out," Remus suggested. The others filed out and Remus stayed back. Bella tried to make her way after them when Remus grabbed her arm. She stopped and looked up at him.

"Are you okay? You're just acting…differently. So is Sirius. He seems very upset. He won't leave Maya's side and he always seems more upset when Riddle is there," Remus said.

Bella plastered a very fake smile on her face. Remus could see right through it but didn't call her on it. Bella's smile crumbled a little under his knowing eyes.

"I'm fine. Just fine."

"If you say so…you'll Apparate with me," Remus said. Bella nodded and the two walked out, grabbing Bella's trunk on the way. Bella turned to see Dudley standing in the hall.

"Well…see you later," Bella said, giving a little wave. Dudley waved half-heartedly.

"See you around, Bella. Right?"

Bella shrugged.

"Probably not. I'll be pretty busy. I might get sent back here next summer, so see you then," Bella said, kind. Dudley nodded and waved back. Bella attempted to keep her nose from wrinkling at the Muggle.

She still found him annoying but he had his uses.

"Come on, Uncle Moony," Bella said. Remus nodded and they went out the house and went around to the backyard. Mad-Eye was casting temporary Silencing Charms around the area. Bella rubbed her arms and Remus pointed the sky.

Bella looked up at the familiar sight of red wand sparks.

"That's the first signal. Wait for it…" Remus commanded. Then, green wand sparks. Bella grabbed onto Remus' arm just as he twisted in the air and disappeared.

Bella gasped as she was forced through a thin tube. It was constricting and uncomfortable. Bella stumbled when they landed on the deserted London street. Everyone was there in one piece.

"Welcome home," Remus said, softly. Bella nodded and her eyes were unfathomable. She dragged her trunk up the stairs and ran her hand over the door.

"Open up," she whispered.

The others watched as the door responded to her voice. It swung open with a loud bang. They clapped their hands over their ears, preparing for Walburga Black's screams.

"Ma'am," Bella said, as soon as Walburga caught sight of her. Walburga's scream did not sound. Walburga dipped her head at the girl and Bella smiled.

"Bella, at least one current Black respects the old ways."

"Of course, ma'am. Please, continue to retire," Bella said, quietly. She was tense. She could almost _feel_ her godfather's eyes on her.

"Kreacher!" Bella called. There was a pop and the grimy house elf was in front of her. He nuzzled her leg.

"Mistress! What can Kreacher do for Miss Bella?" asked Kreacher. Bella kneeled down and patted his head.

"You can go and bring my trunk to my room."

"Of course, Miss Bella."

"The Order is meeting down in the kitchen, correct?" Bella asked. Remus looked at her bewildered. Tonks frowned.

"How did you know?"

"Tom's down there. I _always_ know where Tom is," Bella said, as if it were the most normal thing to say or to even know. She walked down the stairs and opened the door. The people in the Order that were there, immediately looked up. Bella didn't look at her sibling or Tom first. She didn't look at Dumbledore or Maya.

Her eyes found her godfather's hollowed eyes. Bella swallowed and her hands clenched into fists.

There was an empty seat between Tom and Hermione. And then there was an empty seat next to Sirius. Dumbledore was looking at her without a twinkle in his eyes. Bella wasn't sure what to do. She knew that if she looked at Tom, her resolve would crumble.

"Ah, they've finally arrived. Our newest addition to the Order," Dumbledore said. Bella held up a hand.

"No. I am not part of your club, Headmaster. I will not be inducted. I will not bind myself to a war that I have no business in. My goal is one thing and one thing alone. I want to kill Grindelwald. That is all I'm here for. I'll take down _anyone_ who gets in my way of that. That is the only reason I'm here," Bella said, softly. She crossed over to the seat next to Sirius. He looked up with her brightened eyes.

"Is this seat taken?" Bella asked. Sirius shook his head and allowed a slight smile cross over his face. He looked at Tom, victoriously. Bella sat down and looked over at Tom. He had a light smirk on his face.

"**I'm sorry.**"

"**Your godfather is a spoiled loser.**"

Bella rolled her eyes and turned to Sirius. He was looking at her with a peculiar look in his eyes. Bella grabbed his wrist and kissed his cheek. She hugged him and he gave her a one-armed hug.

"We'll talk later," Sirius murmured. Bella nodded. Dumbledore turned to look at the group before leaning back.

"I believe, before we get started, we have something to speak on that I said we would discuss when Bella arrived. Bella, your side in this war has come up in discussion. Maybe you can clarify," Dumbledore suggested. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I'm up to it. Politically, I'm neutral. I find some ideas of the Dark, useful. For example, equality for _all_ creatures and people. That includes Veela, werewolves, vampires, centaurs, and elves. I don't give a flying _fuck_ what you have to say about that. You won't change my mind about that. However, the idea of Grindelwald ruling the wizarding world is…disturbing. He's a pretty boy who doesn't have any hold on his temper. _But_, some ideas of the Light, I like. Though, the Wizengamot is severely unbalanced at the Ministry is corrupt," Bella said, calmly. Severus Snape sneered.

"What do you know about politics? In what way is the Wizengamot unbalanced?" Snape demanded. Bella glared at the man and crossed her arms.

"More than three-quarters of it are made up of Light wizards. That's unbalanced. And I'm not only speaking politically-wise. The Wizengamot denies most magically Dark wizards because they think they're evil. Well, _I'm_ not evil and I'm probably one of the Darkest people. I've had a Legilimens tell me that I'm the _second_ most Darkest person he has ever met. He travels frequently," Bella said, sharply. Snape looked at her with utter surprise on his face. She leaned back with a scowl and then cleared her throat.

"And trials? Don't get me started. Criminals don't even have legal representation! Where is their attorney?" demanded Bella. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"That's a valid point."

"_Everything_ I say, in this particular field, is valid. I've wanted to change the legal system of the Ministry since I was three years old. Creatures are trialed unfairly. Azkaban isn't fit for human habitation. And they don't even have a proper _warden_. That's unacceptable," Bella said, passionately.

Obviously, some people disagreed with her. But, Maya looked appalled. Hermione also looked a little angry at that. Snape seemed to be shocked into silence though he didn't show it. Dumbledore seemed a little annoyed.

"_But_, what people in Azkaban have done are less than human—" Dumbledore started. Bella glared at him.

"Sir, you can't change the fact that they're human. Bellatrix Lestrange, for example. She absolutely crazy. She suffers from ASPD. She has done terrible things. Things that you like to call 'less than human'. I call it survival. She did those things because she had to survive. People were trying to kill her too, correct? Was she supposed to just stop? I don't think so," Bella said, silencing him. Dumbledore blinked in surprised and leaned back. He tried to put a benign smile on his face but he didn't quite succeed.

"Right. Well, let us move on. This is our last meeting here at Grimmauld Place. Professor Riddle has so kindly allowed us to use Riddle Manor for our Headquarters. Everything is in order, it seems and we will be able to move there as soon as tomorrow morning. If that is okay with you, Tom," Dumbledore said. Tom was leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He looked at Dumbledore, slowly and gave a one-shouldered shrug.

"Don't touch my books."

"Good. Now, we have time for one more matter to be brought up. Grindelwald."

Bella stiffened.

"What about Grindelwald, Professor?" Hestia asked. Dumbledore glanced at Bella.

"We'll speaking about his abilities—"

"His Imperius is strong," Bella said, quietly. Dumbledore blinked in surprise and Hermione cleared her throat.

"He has the ability to possess people," Hermione added, helpfully. Bella nodded.

"I'm not sure if he retained that ability after he was resurrected but he might have. His Crucio is also incredibly painful. He has some wandless magic abilities. I remember that from first year. And he's also young. He looks about twenty-years-old. He'll probably have the capabilities of hand-to-hand combat if you have to misfortune to face him," Bella added. Dumbledore nodded and looked to Bella.

"Anything else?"

"He talks. A lot. He doesn't seem to like the Death Eaters very much. He has a short temper, so taunting him is not ideal."

"I see. That's it then," Dumbledore said. He stood and Bella supposed that meant the meeting was adjourned.

She wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. On one hand, it had been incredibly boring. On the other hand, she now had to talk to Sirius. Bella turned to see Tonks trying to chat up Tom. Bella's eyes narrowed and she spun around. Sirius seemed to have seen the look on her face as she jumped over the table. She landed in front of Hermione.

"Hey," Bella said with a smile. Hermione grinned at her sister before wrapping her into a tight hug. Bella returned it just as totally and Hermione smoothed down Bella's wild curls.

"I missed you, Mione."

"Miss you too. Have you heard from Blaise or Drake?"

"Yes and no. Blaise, Gianna, and their mum are still hunting in Spain. He said he'll visit for my birthday but he has to help his mom hunt after that. Draco is entertaining a houseguest but apparently he's leaving today. So, he said he can come but his parents want to talk to me or something. But, Draco's let was three lines long, so I didn't really hear much. You?" Bella asked, not letting go of her sister.

"Not much either. Well, Blaise's letter was pretty long but Draco's was three lines long too. We'll ask him what was up tomorrow," Hermione suggested. Bella nodded before a hand tapped her shoulder. She turned to see Maya. She spun and hugged her pseudo-mom.

"Maya! I missed you," Bella smiled. Maya nodded and hugged her, silently. She pointed towards the door.

Sirius stood in the doorway, waiting for her. Bella's smile slipped away. Maya pulled Bella towards Sirius. Maya pecked Sirius on the lips and he gave her a sad smile.

"I'll make sure no one disturbs you," she murmured. Sirius nodded and Bella was ecstatic that Maya and Sirius seemed to be in relationship but at the same time, she was extremely nervous.

The pair walked up the back stairs to avoid the others. She entered the master bedroom with Sirius and sat down on the bed. Sirius was looking at her with dark eyes. Bella bit her lip, fiercely. She wasn't sure of what to expect. Sirius was standing by the closed door.

"So, you and Riddle, huh."

That almost made Bella's carefully put up walls drop right then and there. Bella's lip quivered and she nodded, slowly. She wasn't sure of what to say and Sirius crossed to the night table at the side of the bed and opened the first drawer. He pulled out a familiar piece of parchment.

"When I got this letter from you…I cried," Sirius said, quietly. Bella blinked and a tear escaped her left eyes. She shook, with suppressed sobs. She felt like she had disappointed him somehow. She had never wanted that.

"Why?" Bella whispered.

"I felt like…I failed Lily and James. Like I failed them again. And I felt like I failed you. Bella, do you know how I felt when he said those words. He said 'Yes, Ana and I are quite acquainted'. I felt sick. As if I were about to throw up. I thought he was using you. Taking advantage of _you_," Sirius said, quietly. Bella swallowed another sob and it came out sounding like a hiccup. She shook her head.

"No, it wasn't like that. You read it! You read it! It wasn't like that…it's _not_ like that. Uncle Sirius, I swear to God! He gave me the choice of ending things but it was me. I started it and I continued it," Bella insisted. Sirius didn't seem to be listening to her but Bella knew he was.

"I went ballistic. I tried to choke him. I was going to strangle him. He told me that you initiated most things. He told me how you sexually assaulted him. I didn't believe him again. I thought you were innocent. And then I get _this_ letter. I get this letter that verifies everything he said. Tom Riddle was telling the truth," Sirius sighed. He sat down next to Bella and crossed his hands as he looked down at the ground. Bella swallowed.

"Uncle Sirius…you didn't fail me. You didn't fail my parents…" Bella whispered. Sirius looked at her with sharp eyes.

"Why, Bella? Why couldn't you tell me? And why _him_? Why your _teacher_?" demanded Sirius in a harsh whisper. Bella took another gulp of air and rubbed her arms as if she were cold.

"Why couldn't I tell you? I didn't want you to react badly. I didn't want something like _this_ to happen. You're prone to violence, Uncle Sirius. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that it's _him_. I don't know why it's _him_. He's mean and angry and resentful. He's a terrible person. I know that. But, he's also kind, caring, compassionate, and a good man when he wants to be," Bella explained. Uncle Sirius gave her a tortured look. Bella didn't know how she could fix this but she needed to. She needed to change his mind about all of this.

"Why your teacher? Why a man more than forty years your senior? He's older than _me_," Sirius pointed out. Bella shook her head.

"I don't know why. I don't. I'm sorry, Uncle Sirius. I'm so…so…sorry," Bella said, sobs coming out between her words. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Bella buried her face in Sirius's chest. Sirius held her as she cried. Bella felt tears fall into her hair.

"I'm so, so sorry, Daddy. I'm so sorry! I love you," Bella wept. Sirius hold on her grew tighter as her body was racked with sobs and tears.

"Bella…why couldn't you tell me?" Sirius whispered. Bella clutched her godfather tighter and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. Daddy, I'm so sorry. But…I…I care for him. I _need_ him. Please understand that," Bella said, urgently.

And a twisted way, Sirius could. And then a thought struck him. A thought that he had not thought to think about in almost four years. Two simple words that had annoyed him to no end had come back to haunt him.

Soul Bond.

:::

**A/N: **There it is. Two scenes of Sirius crying. There's also a scene of Bella crying with her godfather. I know she called him 'Daddy'. It broke my heart writing that scene. I almost cried myself. I had my friend crying. She's reading over my shoulder right now. She's actually _blowing her nose!_ I know. Well, this chapter was pretty sad to write. Well, Bella's birthday is in the next chapter. The chapter after that is the confrontation between Tom and Sirius.

SPECTACULAR!

Next Chapter: Birthday, (Music) Box, Botin (THAT'S A WORD!)


	52. Chapter XLVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, I'm pushing out chapters like a MACHINE! It's exciting! I'm trying to get to the school year since I feel that it'll be the longest school year. Half-Blood Prince will get pretty long to. But, I _know_ for a _fact_ that seventh year will be the shortest and probably the most important year of the entire story. Then, I'll probably have a short hiatus to write my novel. I can get out about a 100 pages for _that_ in two weeks. So, a two week hiatus, and then I'll post the first chapter of the sequel.

OH AND THE CONFRONTATION IS _THIS_ CHAPTER! I CHANGED MY MIND!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLVII**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1995**

**11:20 AM**

Bella woke up to bright shining light. She groaned and buried her face in her uncle's side. Her hands were still knotted in his shirt like she had when she was a little girl. Someone shook her and she blinked, looking up, bleary eyed. Hermione and Maya stood over her with a bright smile. Sirius was rubbing his eyes and he gave a loud yawn.

Bella's head cleared and she remembered distinctly, the night before. She had fallen asleep, crying. Hermione grabbed Bella's hand.

"Everyone has already eaten breakfast. It's twenty past eleven. I think you've slept enough," Hermione said, brightly. Maya nodded in agreement. Sirius and Bella turned over in unison.

"Leave me alone," they groaned together before their eyes drifted to a close again. Maya and Hermione exchanged looks before they both got onto the bed and began to jump on it. Sirius and Bella blinked and almost fell off when they felt the bed rocking.

"Stop! Stop you guys!" Bella moaned. She fell back into the pillow, her hair spilling over the side of the bed. Sirius was still asleep. Apparently, he hadn't even felt it. Maya sighed and crossed her arms. She fell onto her knees on the bed with a bounce and Hermione followed her example.

"Bella! You're fifteen today!" Maya whined, playfully. Bella gave an indistinct moan that sounded vaguely like 'fuck off'.

Maya leaned forward and began to tickle Bella and Sirius. Sirius _did_ fall off the bed this time and Bella jumped up, rubbing her eyes. She yawned and Sirius was on the floor, rubbing his head and muttering under his breath.

"Meddlesome woman. I was having a great dream!" Sirius sighed. Bella still couldn't wake up all the way.

"I think this will wake them up," Hermione said, conspiring with her mother. They both produced steaming mugs and Sirius and Bella were suddenly aware.

"Coffee…" they breathed. Hermione handed her sister the coffee cup. Bella shoved her glasses on and took it, greedily and took a long sip, despite the scalding liquid burning her tongue. Sirius did the same and he let out a long sigh.

"That was refreshing! So, what's today again?" Sirius asked, scratching his head. Bella gave him a playful glare and rolled her eyes.

"My fifteenth birthday, Uncle Sirius!" she reminded him. Sirius nodded as if she had only just remembered.

"Oh, right. Are you sure you're not eleven?" he teased.

"In your dreams."

"Too true," Sirius said, darkly. Bella gave him a sad look but instantly brightened at the bright smiles on Hermione and Maya's faces. Sirius smiled as well and got off the floor as he finished his coffee. He began to place it on the nightstand but Maya gave him a sharp look.

"I don't want to find that there when I come back to get you after you shower. I want it in the sink and washed. And don't tell Kreacher to do it. You do it yourself. Do you understand?" Maya demanded. Sirius nodded, sheepishly.

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted. Maya grinned and Hermione grabbed Bella as she downed the rest of her coffee. She pulled her from the room, surprising Sirius and Maya.

"She needs to get ready!" Hermione insisted. Bella stopped, suddenly.

"Wait. Can you two leave? I have to…tell Uncle Sirius something important," Bella said, slowly. Maya and Hermione seemed surprised but they nodded with a smile.

"Okay. Hermione already picked your clothes. Just shower and by the time all of that is finished, lunch will be ready and you can open presents," promised Maya. Bella nodded and the mother and daughter duo left the two alone.

Their silence was not tense this time. It was quite comfortable. Bella opened her mouth but nothing came out. She closed it before opening her mouth once more.

"So…" she said, slowly. Sirius made a popping noise with his mouth.

"So…"

"Are we okay?" they asked at the exact same time. They burst into laughter and Bella grinned.

"Right. And with Tom?" Bella asked. Sirius crossed her arms.

"I don't like him. At all. I seriously doubt I ever will."

"But?" Bella asked, a small smile spreading across her face. Sirius sighed and shook his head.

"Who said there was a but?" demanded Sirius, playfully. Bella laughed.

"Uncle Sirius!" she whined.

"Do you really like him?" Sirius asked, sighing. Bella nodded, frantically.

"Does he treat you right?"

Another frantic nod.

"No more lies. No. More. Lies. And your virginity stays in tact until your forty," Sirius prompted. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Uncle Sirius…I've heard stories from Uncle Moony. You lost your virginity at fourteen. Don't be a hypocrite."

"Well…that was different," Sirius lied. Bella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She tried to run a hand through her tangled hair but she only got a hiss of pain as she tugged at a big knot.

"I don't do double standards. Revise that."

"Fine! Fine! Sixteen and not to _him_. He's _old_. And, Riddle and I will be having a chat. And…" Sirius said. Bella sighed and cleared her throat.

"No more lies," they said at the same time. Sirius waved Bella forward and he hugged her tight. He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

"You're not my little geeky seven-year-old anymore, are you?"

"No. Just because I wear glasses doesn't make me a nerd. And I'm not a little girl anymore, Uncle Sirius. I'm fifteen. I'll have a boyfriend…just so happens this one is older than me…by a lot," Bella said, giggling. Sirius let out a little grunt. Bella rolled her eyes and looked up at Sirius.

"Since we have no more lies…he's taking me out tonight. For my birthday."

Sirius' arms dropped from Bella, almost immediately. He stared at her before running a hand through his hair and began to pace. Bella bit her lip before tilting her head.

"Where?"

"I don't know. It's a surprise. But, I'm pretty sure it isn't a club. Because he said wear something nice. If he were taking me to a club, he would've told me. And he also told me to wear the mask since…we're kind of illegal," Bella said, letting out a nervous laugh. Sirius stopped and looked at her. Her nervous laughing stopped almost immediately.

"Right. Well, I suppose Riddle and I will have to talk sooner. What time is he coming?"

"He's coming to the birthday party because I asked him not to. He'll be here at six-thirty he said."

"Right. Well, you'll have to be a little late. Go on and get ready," Sirius said. Bella nodded and she walked out of the room, quickly. As soon as she disappeared, Sirius scrambled for a piece of parchment and a quill.

"All right, Riddle. You want to date my daughter? Well, I have eight simple rules…"

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1995**

**12:10 PM**

"Drake!"

Bella ran at her blond brother and jumped into his arms. She ignored a shocked Narcissa and Lucius as Draco hugged her back just as hard. He stroked her hair as she held onto him.

"Hey, Ana. I heard about…" Draco whispered as quietly as possible. Bella pulled back, though she didn't let go of him. She looked at him, quizzically. He glanced at Hermione and Bella rolled her eyes.

"You have one _big_ mouth."

"No. You didn't tell your big brother something important," Draco corrected. Bella shrugged and she hugged him before letting him go. She turned to a green inferno in the fireplace. Blaise stepped through with little problem. Bella couldn't even hug him if she wanted to. Hermione was on him like white on rice the minute she saw him.

"Missed you, brother," Bella murmured to Draco. He hugged her tightly for a moment before breaking away. Draco looked around and he sneered when he saw the number of Weasleys present. Fred and George were absent since they were visiting one Lee Jordan. The inferno turned green again and Luna stepped forward, a light smile on her face.

"Luna? Who invited Luna?" Ginny asked, surprised. Bella looked at her siblings. Hermione raised her hand.

"I did. She's one of us, right?" Hermione asked. Bella nodded. Luna smiled, brightly at Draco before turning to Narcissa and Lucius.

She fell into a low curtsy, her spring green robe almost touching the ground. They were done in the traditional Elf way, a high Mandarin collar and large billowing sleeves. They weren't nearly as long as true Elves. They came to the top of her shins. Brown leather boots encased her legs and she was smiling.

"Lord and Lady Malfoy. A pleasure to meet you," Luna said. Bella turned to the elder Malfoys. Narcissa seemed instantly charmed by the girl. Lucius looked rather unimpressed.

"Hello. And you are?" Narcissa asked, softly. Draco cleared his throat.

"Right. This is Hermione Granger, the Mudblood. You've met her, Mother. This is Luna Lovegood, the Elven Seer. And this is Bella Potter…the pretty one," Draco said, hesitantly. Bella frowned at him. Lucius and Narcissa seemed to understand Bella's label and Narcissa gave her a look of pity for some reason.

"Hello, I'm Bella Potter. Your son's blood sibling," Bella clarified. Narcissa nodded and was looking at her with a strange look. Suddenly, her gaze softened and she pulled Bella into a hug. Bella looked positively bewildered, along with her brother and Lucius.

"Happy birthday, Bella. You can call me Aunt Narcissa. And he will be your Uncle Lucius," Narcissa said, compassionately. Lucius' eyes widened and he looked at his wife.

"Narcissa…" he hissed under his breath. Narcissa glared at him and Lucius fell silent. Draco cleared his throat and Narcissa let go of Bella just as the fire turned green. Bella turned and frowned as a tall redhead stepped forward. The Weasleys went ballistic.

Draco went green.

"Salazar, give me strength…" Draco whispered. Narcissa and Lucius frowned in confusion. Luna only looked immensely annoyed. Charlie Weasley smirked and patted Blaise's back.

"Thanks for the invite. And you must be Draco's parents," Charlie said with a smirk. Draco swallowed and glared at his brother with terrified eyes. Blaise shrugged, bored. Bella hugged Blaise quickly. Hermione reattached herself to him immediately after. Charlie smirked at Draco and swept into a low bow.

The Weasleys were quiet as Charlie kissed Narcissa's hand. Narcissa was obviously impressed with him as well. Charlie bowed to Lucius. Lucius raised a single eyebrow and cleared his throat.

"And you are?"

"Charles Weasley, dragon tamer."

Charlie wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulders. Draco looked at it, uncomfortably and he was trying his best not to fidget in front of his parents.

"I hope you prove to have more manners than the rest of your family. You already have more money I presume," Lucius said, lightly. The Weasleys gasped and Arthur rose halfway. Charlie held his hand up, dismissing his family and Arthur sat back down. Sirius and Maya watched from the doorway.

"With no disrespect, my family has a great deal of manner, sir. And you are correct in presuming that I do make a very large salary, though most of it is consumed by my living spaces in Romania. My penthouse is quite expensive," Charlie said, making sure to lay on the luxury thick.

This _was _his future husband's father.

Lucius deemed him passable. It was quite obvious to the aristocratic man that both Charlie and Luna were interested in his son. It was too bad that his Lord had given him the task of enlisting the help of the Indian Ministry of Magic and to get that came a certain price…

"The famous dragon tamer? Are you not the Head Dragon Tamer in Romania?" Narcissa asked, fascinated. Charlie nodded and cleared his throat.

"My reputation precedes me. It is an honor that you have heard of me, Lady Malfoy," Charlie said. Luna smiled, brightly and subtly pushed Charlie to the side. Lucius looked amused.

"Lady Malfoy, you look absolutely lovely, today. You are absolutely free of nargles and wrackspurts. For a Seer, that is the highest compliment," Luna said, brightly. She _had _to do this right.

This _was_ her future husband's mother.

Draco was looking to the heavens and was rather embarrassed. He knew Luna fancied him but he had preferred not to do anything about it. That, apparently, was not an option any longer.

"Why, thank you," Narcissa said, smiling. Draco took both of his parents by the wrist and pulled them to the fireplace. Sirius waved at his cousin and she smiled, lightly, at him though she was confused.

"Draco, what has gotten into you? I was speaking to your _enchanting_ friends," she said, softly. Draco's eyes were wide and he was shaking his head.

"They are _not_ enchanting. They are _trying_ to get you to approve of them, so that they can have their way with me. Now is _not_ the time," Draco hissed, quietly. Lucius smirked at his shocked wife.

"Even, _I_ could see that, Narcissa. The Charles Weasley isn't so very bad," Lucius said, quietly. Narcissa frowned.

"I don't like him very much. He was much too touchy-feely. The Luna girl is quite sweet."

"I don't trust _either_ of them. Now, _leave_" Draco snarled. Narcissa glared at her son.

"Don't be rude or you'll be grounded until you turn twenty."

"Sorry, Mother. Please leave," Draco whispered. Narcissa nodded before glancing at Bella. Bella was looking endlessly amused. Narcissa felt bad for the girl.

Her Lord was _intensely _interested in her. He had referred to her many times as the pretty sister of Draco's.

Poor girl.

"Happy birthday, Bella," Narcissa called out. Bella lifted her hand and smiled.

"Thank you. Have a good day you two."

The two disappeared in green fire. The room was silent before a giggle escaped Hermione. Suddenly, the room erupted in laughter. Draco was flushing, incredibly. Charlie and Luna were having a glaring contest and neither was willing to blink. Luna was incredibly gifted at that. She _was_ a Seer. But, Charlie had sheer determination.

"None of that you two! And shut up!" Draco snarled. He grabbed both of them and Charlie started to fanboy.

"Oh my God! He's touching me! Willingly," Charlie said, excitedly. Luna kept her fangirling on the inside. She was taking deep breaths and smiling, brightly at Draco. He placed them next to each other and they glared.

"You sit there. I will sit with Bella. Charlie has my father's vote. Luna has my mother's vote. That's nice and all but you don't have _my_ vote. So, lets celebrate my sister's birthday and stop harassing me. For _once_," Draco snapped. Ron looked at him, snidely.

"What? You don't like all the attention? I thought you thrived in it," Ron said, annoyed that he was sitting with Bella. Draco snorted.

"You know the meaning of the word 'thrived'. Oh, what a bloody miracle. Someone has gotten the weasel a dictionary. Tell me to send that person a Christmas card," Draco said, mockingly to Blaise. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"I don't think Bella appreciates your fighting," Blaise said, quietly. Mrs. Weasley nodded in agreement.

"We don't need any of that at her birthday par—" Mrs. Weasley started. Bella shook her head. She was laughing her head off.

"No, no, go on. That was just too funny. Did you really introduce me as the _pretty_ one?" Bella demanded. Draco sighed and nodded. He messed up his hair. His parents had made him slick it back and Draco was _not_ going to a party with slicked back hair. His hair was now attractively messy.

"It has to do with my houseguest. He called you the pretty one. You've met him before. The guy with the Acromantula web wand," Draco sighed, cryptically. Blaise leaned forward as the others started having conversations. Hermione gasped. Bella only froze. That one seemed rather private. Charlie was talking with Ginny about the pros and cons of dating Draco. Luna was seemingly paying attention.

"Are you fucking _serious_?" Bella demanded. Draco nodded. Bella shook her head.

"We'll have to talk about that one later. _I _have a date tonight," Bella murmured, smirking. Draco, Blaise, and Hermione all looked at her in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me, Mudblood?" demanded Draco. Hermione glared at him.

"This is news to me."

"I thought you didn't like Cedric," Blaise said, under his breath. Bella grinned and shook her head. She was biting her lip, excitedly. She smoothed her hair. She was wearing a loose white shirt, a black blazer and red and black plaid pants tucked into her combat boots. She _would_ have worn that to wherever they were going but he _did_ say dress nice.

"I don't. I'm going out with Tom for a birthday dinner tonight," Bella said with a slight smile. Draco raised an eyebrow. Hermione had kept him updated on all the issues but…

"So, does your godfather know about all this?" asked Blaise, quietly. Bella nodded, smiling.

"He does. And the only rules are: no more lies and I'm not allowed to lose my virginity before sixteen and definitely not to him. I'm not sure I'll be able to follow that last rule," Bella smirked. Blaise and Draco made a disgusted look.

"I don't want to think of my sister in that position," Draco said, slowly. Bella rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Fuck you both."

"That's incest. That's Hermione and Blaise's department," Draco said, flatly. Hermione sneered and stuck out her tongue. Blaise kissed her cheek. She smirked at him and crossed her arms.

"Don't listen to him."

"Oh, trust me I don't. It just sound like wah, wah, wah, I'm a pureblood ponce," Hermione mocked. Draco scowled at her and suddenly food was in front of them. Maya and Sirius sat near Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"So, what's it like to be fifteen?" Ginny asked. Bella shrugged as she dug into her kidney-and-steak pie.

"I don't feel any different. I'm pretty sure I'm not taller. I'm still five foot five. I still have uncontrollable hair that can't choose between being curly or wavy. But, I do feel…lighter," Bella said, frowning. Gideon looked at her, curiosity on his face. She _did_ look different somehow.

"Spiritually or emotionally?" Mrs. Weasley asked, softly. Bella shook her head.

"Er…no. I mean _literally_. Am I not wearing clothes or something?" Bella asked, curiously. Hermione snickered.

"No. Your locket isn't there."

"Oh, jeez. Damn," Bella sighed, annoyed. Gideon blinked in surprise and looked at her with a frown.

"Did you lose it?" Ron asked.

"No. Ah…I'll get it back later," Bella sighed, annoyed. She ate her food with a little more vigor. Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat.

"Er…Draco, what extra classes have you taken?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Draco leaned back and frowned.

"Care of Magical Creatures. Even though most animals hate the sight of me. They either die or run. And Ancient Runes. I'm particularly gifted with summoning," Draco said. Gideon frowned as he leered at Bella. Bella glared at him and shrugged.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything," Draco said, innocently. Bella sniffed.

"You were thinking it."

"And Blaise, what do you take?" Mr. Weasley asked, not wanting to exclude the quite Zabini. Blaise leaned back.

"Care of Magical Creatures, like Draco. I'm not a big fan of animals. Except maybe horses," Blaise said. Bella, Hermione, and Draco snorted at this and began to laugh at the inside joke. Luna giggled. Ron looked angry that he wasn't in on the joke.

"What's so funny?" he asked, annoyed. Bella grinned.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just…Blaise, you're so ridiculous," Hermione laughed. Blaise shrugged.

"I do try."

"What are _they_ doing here anyway? They're a bunch of Slytherins!" Ron shouted out. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny glared at him.

"_Ron!_" they shouted, annoyed. Charlie was glaring at his younger brother, obviously annoyed.

"You're forgetting, Ron, that I'm a Slytherin, too," Bella said, coldly. Ron looked properly chagrined. Bella finished her kidney-and-steak pie. She turned to look at everyone else. They were pretty much finished too.

"So…presents?" Bella asked Maya and Sirius. Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Allowing you to go out tonight was my present."

Bella gaped and she felt the Weasleys looked at her, absolutely confused. Maya smacked Sirius' arm. He broke out into a grin.

"Tell me you weren't serious. Because this year, I was hoping for maybe a prank set or other," Bella said. Sirius shook his head.

"Not this year. Presents, you say? Kreacher, get rid of the dishes! And bring up the presents," Sirius commanded. Maya gave Sirius an admonishing look.

"_That's _why he hates you. You treat him terribly," Maya snapped. Sirius shrugged as he watched the small pile of present pop up in front of Bella. Bella picked up the one with the Weasleys name on it. Bella crossed her fingers.

"_Please_ be candy," she murmured. Maya gave her a glare.

"Candy is _not_ good for your teeth," Maya warned. Her dentistry training was kicking in. Bella groaned.

"I _still_ hope it _is_ candy."

Bella ripped it open and wasn't disappointed. She grinned and ripped open her Red Vines. She winked at Gideon and he flushed. Hermione shook her head as she looked at her.

"You have no shame."

"Relatively no shame," Bella corrected. She continued going through the presents and was pleasantly surprised when she _did_ find one from Maya and Sirius she ripped it open to see _two_ gifts.

One was a plain knife. The other was an ornate mirror. She turned it over and saw it was silver. The Black crest sat on the back proudly. Bella smiled at her pseudo-parents. Maya laughed.

"I picked the first gift. It can unlock any door. Just slide it in the crack and it'll break open. It'll also come in handy if you need to cut someone who gets too touchy-feely," Sirius said, smirking. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Hmph. Now, Maya, what's the mirror?" Bella asked. Maya smiled though she did give Sirius a sharp look of annoyance.

"Ah, yes. I was sure you'd like it. It's a two-way mirror. Say Sirius or my name into it and we'll respond back. We have the other mirror so as soon as something goes wrong, you can give us a call. All right?" Maya asked. Bella nodded with a smile.

"Thanks."

Draco handed her a package.

"It's a joint gift. From Hermione, Blaise and I. Be happy with it."

Bella unwrapped it and Bella blinked when she saw it. She took out two pieces of parchment.

" 'Get your wand and we'll talk'. 'IOU'. Nice. Really nice," Bella snapped. The Weasleys laughed, though the younger ones sounded thoroughly confused. Bella rolled her eyes when they each pulled out gifts.

"We're only joking. Here," Draco said, handing their real gift. Bella unwrapped it and a smiled spread across her face. A small black adder slithered from the box. Mrs. Weasley, Maya, and Ginny screamed. The adder hissed, sensing a threat. Bella blinked in surprised and then leaned forward.

"**No, no. It's okay. See, I can speak**," Bella insisted. The adder stopped, immediately.

"**Who are you? What am I doing here?**" demanded the adder. Bella swallowed and leaned forward with a smile.

"**I am Anastasia. It's okay. I'll protect you. I'll explain later. Are you a male or female?**" Bella asked, curiously.

"**Female. Your blond boy gave me a name. Sasha, I think he called me**," the adder hissed back at her. Bella looked up, blinking.

"Sasha?" Bella said, curiously. Hermione smiled.

"Sasha is Russian for man's defender. She is your familiar. Just like Augustus is Draco's familiar. Augustus protects Drake. Sasha will protect you," Hermione explained. Bella smiled.

"Thanks."

"Your welcome. Now, you have two more gifts," Blaise pointed out. Bella looked down at Luna and Charlie's gifts. Bella opted to open Luna's gift first. Bella unwrapped it and frowned at the single piece of parchment. Bella opened her mouth to say the prophecy but Luna held up her hadn.

"_As lightening strikes_

_Let us here War's cry._

_As Plague watches_

_Let Death ride.,_

_Victory vows not to lie._

_Do not betray his trust._

_For life, he shall be deprived of._

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had one lovely daughter he._

_Half to darkness, she be drawn._

_Half to light, she be shown._

_Light meets dark in the stillness between._

_Going under_

_Heart torn asunder._

_As she falls with Elder, rain and thunder._

_There the Angel goes, down, down, down_

_Going under_

_Her heart torn asunder_

_As she falls, rain and thunder._

_Catch her, catch her, don't let her fall._

_Oh, too late,_

_Rain and thunder_

_She's way down._

_She's gone under,_" Luna recited, perfect. Her voice took a deeper quality as she spoke the dark prophecy. Bella's lip quivered and she began biting it. She dropped the parchment.

"What was that?" Ginny suddenly said. Luna smiled.

"I'm a Seer. It is what I do."

"Gone under? What do you mean by that?" Bella asked, slowly. Luna laughed and shook her head.

"You won't die. Oh, no, no. But, all I've seen is under you go. Only flashes and those words came to me. Flashes of Cursed Lightening. Anger. Rage. Hurt. Betrayal. Grief. And Elder. I've been dreaming about that wand since you went to the Dursleys. Always the same thing. A flash of lightening and then you're dueling. I can never see with who," Luna said, softly. Bella swallowed and nodded. She absentmindedly stroked Sasha who gave an appreciative hiss.

"That was…a _cheerful_ gift, Luna. Thanks," Bella said, slowly. Luna smiled, brightly. She gestured to Charlie's gift. Bella opened it and smiled at the brand new wand holster. Her old one had been wearing.

"It's leather since I don't support using dragon hide," Charlie said, with a bright smile. Bella took off her frayed wand holster and she cleared her throat. The black adder licked her cheek and she laughed a little.

"Thank you. I suppose I'll be needing two anyway," Bella sighed. Sirius frowned at her words and crossed his arms.

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius asked. Bella licked her lips.

"It seems that by the end of the year, I'll be acquiring another Wand that I won off Grindelwald. I'll explain later," Bella sighed. Sirius nodded, understanding and Bella made to stand. Draco grabbed her arm and yanked her back down. Bella blinked as Draco reached into his pocket and produced a small black box.

"What is that?" Gideon asked, curiously.

Sirius glanced at the small black box that was the last present, apparently. Bella blinked when she realized that it was there and frowned at her siblings and friends. She looked at Draco.

"I was entrusted with this gift. Might I say, you'll love it," Draco said, calmly. Bella nodded, slowly.

"Well, open it, dear" Mrs. Weasley prompted. Bella took the black box, hesitantly.

As soon as her hand came in contact with it she gave a sharp gasp and shuddered, violently. Sirius gave a loud shout and reached forward. Most had their wands out and pointed at the box.

"It's cursed! Get it away from her!" called out Mr. Weasley. Bella's grip tightened and her mouth opened in shock as the black box flipped open.

A locket sat in the satin and gleamed, wickedly.

_Her _locket.

"No! Stop!" Draco called, his hand held out. It silenced all those screaming. He crossed to Bella and watched as she suddenly gave a loud and relieved sigh. Her fingertips caressed the locket, lovingly. Her lips were parted and curved into the slightest of smiles.

"There's a note," Hermione said. Bella nodded, slightly. Her eyes were wide with wonder and she slid the parchment out of the lining and her eyes went over the one word there.

"**Play.**"

A tune that was both mysterious and haunting floated from the locket. Bella tilted her head and everyone listened. They were transfixed as the music box sound floated from it, teasing them. Bella brushed her fingertips along the cold metal.

The haunting tune played once more. Other instruments floated in the background, though the music box sound was prominent. It sounded like strings, violins, violas, and cellos played behind it, making it sound even prettier.

"Beautiful…" Bella whispered.

It seemed to drift to an end. Sirius opened his mouth to say something when a loud organ began playing the same tune. Bella swayed back and forth as drums and horns joined in the great orchestra. The intricacy and emotion in the song soothed Bella more than anything ever had.

The sound grew louder and more intense.

Luna's lips were curled into a grin.

The repeating tune stopped and great drums were heard. Now, the end really seemed near. Suddenly, the horns and drums stopped, letting way to the music box tune again. It sounded different but there was still that beautiful sound in it that made Bella just smile.

"That was…wow…" Hermione whispered. She squeezed Blaise's hand. He nodded in agreement, slowly. Bella closed her eyes and put the locket around her neck. She could feel the magic pulse through the gold, rejoicing that it had been reunited with her. She felt a weight lift off of her.

"That's the necklace that you didn't have, isn't it?" Gideon asked. Bella nodded.

"You told what I'd like?" Bella asked, curiously. Draco gave a one-shouldered shrug and sighed.

"He bought you a broom. He gave you a key to his library. He gives you all the books you desire. He took you to Italy. He bought you an expensive Yule robe. There was limited options beside buying you a manor. So, I told him to get you a music box. I didn't think he'd compose an actual _song_," Draco sighed. Bella's lips curled into an adoring smile. Sirius was looking at her with a blank expression.

"He never does things halfway. It's fine. Come on. Let's do a four-way duel. Me and Drake versus Hermione and Blaise," Bella said, grinning. Blaise and Draco's eyes brightened in excitement and they both jumped up.

"We bow," Blaise dictated. The two boys inclined their heads to each other before Blaise slid off his overrobe, leaving him in a loose dark gold shirt and black trousers. Draco unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his pale but chiseled chest. Ginny took a sharp breath in. Luna and Charlie seemed to be salivating. Bella stood withdrawing her wand and bowing to Hermione. Hermione shrugged off her jacket, exposing her vicious scar and tattoo. She drew her sword.

Draco shrugged off his shirt and Bella gaped at the blazing black tattoo on his back. A scythe was depicted clearly with intricate designs around it. The blade was in silver ink and the staff was black and went past his waistline and most likely ended on his hip.

"_Kinky_," Charlie murmured. Mrs. Weasley gave him a sharp look.

"Charlie," she warned. Draco glanced over his shoulder and gave him a smirk. Blaise touched his side and looked like he was drawing a sword. A large spear was pulled from his leg. It was wicked looking.

On one end of the spear were two prongs. On the other end was a wicked point. Bella snickered as she saw it.

"That weapon is _hot_. I love it," Bella said, grinning. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"I do to. Did you know, my blood is _lethal_ now?" Blaise smirked. Bella blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow. She flicked her wrist, her wand falling into her hand. She shrugged off her jacket, slowly. She pulled her dark hair back and used a bangle to secure it in place.

"Is it now? The plague poisoned your blood. So, if ingested?"

"Perfect for espionage missions. If injected or ingested into a wizard, it can be caught, apparently. You're only immune to it by way of breathing in. I've tested it," Blaise smirked. Bella blinked.

"Really now?"

"I healed them. I didn't kill anyone," Blaise promised. Hermione rolled her eyes and began cracking her neck.

"I doubt that. _SANGUIS COQUE!_" Hermione shouted. The adults jumped out of the way and the others dodged. Draco had jumped to avoid the spell and Bella was on the ground. Draco landed on his hands and easily flipped back into place.

"That's kinky! Mum, don't shush me! You can't tell me that wasn't kinky. Did you not see how he fucking twisted? Did you not see how flexible he is? Lovegood, help me out here," Charlie said, staring at Draco as if he were God himself. Bella snickered as Draco flushed.

"It's truth, Mrs. Weasley," Luna said, softly. She was mesmerized as Draco cracked his neck. He was still shirtless.

"Summon your scythe anytime now, so we can get this show on the road," Bella commanded. Draco frowned and touched his back. The scythe shimmered into being in his hand and the scythe on his back was now gone.

"Okay, let's go," Draco said, swinging his scythe at Hermione's head. Hermione ducked and Blaise countered with a block. Bella snickered.

"_REDUCTO!_" she roared. Hermione ducked and Blaise was surprised enough to drop the hold on his spear. Draco and Bella laughed and took off running down the hallway. Hermione and Blaise glared.

"You guys suck!" Blaise shouted. They only heard laughter. The duo ran after the brother and sister, intent on destroying them.

"I'm going to watch. Draco's shirtless," Charlie said, flatly. He stood up and Sirius was smirking, amused.

"Down the hall, first door to your left."

Sirius stood himself and the group made their way to the dueling room. Bella and Draco were crouched, their teeth bared. Bella's eyes were the color of the Avada Kedavra. Her snake wasn't around her neck anymore. Sasha was on the side and looked pissed off. Bella's teeth resembled fangs.

Blaise and Hermione were standing and their weapons were pointed at the siblings duo.

"Bring it on, bitches," Bella hissed, her tone sibilant. She jumped, gaining height and landed her heel into the wood. It splintered and she ripped up a stake.

"First blood," Blaise said, quietly. Bella nodded.

"First blood," Draco confirmed.

Bella growled before jumping forward, in a tumbled before gracefully knocking Blaise's legs from underneath him. He fell and Draco tackled Hermione. Blaise tapped Bella's leg. Bella's leg fell limp and she growled. Blaise flipped his spear, ready to take first blood.

"Not yet, brother," Bella snarled. She jumped up, one leg, useless. She held up her wand and centered herself. She began casting a few spells that even Charlie hadn't heard of. But, they were definitely Dark. Blaise was having a hard time dodging.

Suddenly, Blaise stopped.

Black blood was staining his side and the tip of Draco's scythe was in his side. Hermione groaned. She was on the floor with a bruise on her cheek.

"Dammit," she snarled. Blaise rolled his eyes and jumped off the platform and grabbed Hermione's wrist.

"Focus. Don't give into your anger. Get Bella angry. Draco is the calm one like me. Bella's absolutely impulsive. You can do this," Blaise said. Hermione slashed down with her sword and Draco blocked it. Bella was murmuring to herself. She was on the ground, a knife in her hand.

While, Hermione tried to get past Draco, Bella was muttering something to herself. She was twisting the knife every which way every few seconds. The air seemed to be crackling. Bella's wand was by her side now and her muttering was getting louder.

"_Kveykva ferit_

_In infernalis_

_Kveykva ferit…_

_Kveykva…_

_Kveykva…_" Bella whispered. Her eyes glowed for a moment before dimming considerably. She stumbled upwards, looking exhausted and the knife was glowing. She flipped it and suddenly slashed at Draco's back. She only nicked his back but then she slammed the palm of her hand into his back. He fell and stared at her in shock. She stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah, well. You should've watched your back. I'm Slytherin, hun," Bella sighed. Draco shuddered, lightly.

"You bitch. Your knife…did something to me," Draco snarled. Bella nodded, sagely.

"It did. Oh well. Hermione's it's your turn."

Bella spun and then jumped, doing her signature butterfly kick. Hermione fell and Bella stabbed forward with her knife. Hermione thrust her sword forward.

Blood fell from Bella's arm. Blood fell from the hole in Hermione's hand. Hermione shook and she gave a sharp cry. Bella stumbled off the girl, holding her arm. She grinned at Hermione and held out her hand. Hermione grabbed it with her uninjured arm. Suddenly, the two girls spun.

Hermione had Bella in a chokehold. Her sword was at Bella's throat. Bella's knife was positioned at the back of Hermione's neck. Maya was snickering, lightly. Mrs. Weasley glared at the unorthodox woman.

"You find this funny?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. Maya stared at the woman, flatly.

"I do. Is that a problem?" she asked, slowly. She seemed to have cowed Mrs. Weasley for the woman fell silent.

"That was fun. Even though you're a bitch, Ana," Draco said. His scythe was now merely a tattoo now and his back was Healed, due to Blaise. Blaise waved the two girls forward.

"_Episkey_," he said, pointing his hand at Hermione's hand. The skin knitted back together and fresh pink skin sat there. Hermione smiled and her sword disappeared. Blaise repeated the process on Bella and she flexed her arm. It was good as new.

"Thanks. That _was_ fun. Uh…what's up with you three?" Bella asked, looking at Ginny, Gideon, and Ron.

"That was so cool!" Ginny crowed. Bella blinked and Draco smirked.

"Was it really?"

Even Ron nodded fiercely. An arm wrapped around Draco's middle and Draco scowled at Charlie.

"It _was_ cool. And so very kinky. Tell me, how flexible are you in bed?" Charlie asked, curiously. Draco's eyes widened and then narrowed. Mrs. Weasley seemed horrified at her son's question.

"Charlie!"

"It's an honest and _valid_ question. Are you as flexible in bed as you are when you're dueling?" Charlie asked. Draco broke away from the man.

"Play your cards right and you might find out," he finally said. Luna's eyes narrowed and she glared at Charlie. Ginny seemed pretty surprised at her friend's behavior. Gideon was still staring, stupidly, at Bella. Draco sauntered over to Blaise and began speaking quietly. Charlie seemed extremely happy.

"In your face, Lovegood!"

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1995**

**6:25 PM**

"Ah! Finally! I'm so happy that the Weasleys decided to move to Riddle Manor today," Maya sighed with a grin. Sirius raised an eyebrow. Maya frowned as she watched him scribble something on a piece of parchment and then cross it out.

They were in the study and Maya was on the floor, reading Witch Weekly for the third time that week. She only wanted to read the next one since she predicted that somehow Bella and Tom would make it in the next issue. It would be increasingly interesting to read it from someone else's point of view.

"Why? They're nice people," Sirius said. Maya nodded in agreement.

"They _are_ nice people. But, I don't like how Molly tries to tell me how to raise my children. I like watching my children duel. They're diverse kids. They enjoy it and I find it amusing how competitive Hermione and Bella are. Molly should stick to raising her own brood," Maya said, fiercely. Sirius' lips curled in a smile and he sighed, shaking his head. He finished his parchment with a flourish.

"I'm going back to work on Monday. I just wanted to tell you," Sirius said, softly. Maya nodded and shrugged.

"I'll be fine with Hermione. We'll be at Riddle Manor by Monday and I'm sure Bella will be spending all her free time with Riddle," she sighed. Sirius was about to say something when there was a light knock on the door. Sirius cleared his throat.

"Come in!"

The door swung open and Sirius blinked at the young woman in the doorway. Her dark hair was twisted back into a knot. Her scar was covered by wavy bangs that swept across her forehead. A spring green scoop neck dress fell just below her knees. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl, Hermione's of course. Silver heels were on her feet, making her about two inches taller.

Her silver heart locket wasn't in place at the moment. The octagonal Slytherin locket sat there and silver earrings dangled from Bella's ears. She gave a light smile and tilted her head. To complete the look was emerald, black, and silver Venetian mask. Maya grinned.

"You look beautiful, Bella," Maya said, sweetly. Sirius stared at the beautiful young woman in front of him and he could see in her Lily.

Since she was a little girl, Sirius had compared her to James. She had been mischievous and four-eyed just like James. But, now, all he saw was elegant Lily. She may be pale and four-eyed like James with unruly hair but her eyes were Lily's. Together, she wasn't Lily or James.

She was Bella.

"She's right, Bella. You look amazing," Sirius said, softly. Hermione popped her head in the doorway.

"Tom is here, early. And Draco and Blaise are composing a big brother speech," Hermione said with a wicked smirk. Bella groaned and shook her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose, another thing that Sirius thought was passed down from Lily.

"They're so stupid! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind," Bella sighed. She turned from Maya and Sirius.

"Hey, Mione, send Riddle in, please," Sirius commanded. Hermione nodded with a wicked grin. Bella gave Sirius a confused to look. The door was now wide open and Sirius could see Tom. He had Bella pressed against the wall. Her hands were against the wall and Tom's hands were on either side of her head.

Sirius watched with his eyebrow raised. Maya was grinning as Tom kissed Bella, sweetly. Bella's eyes were half closed and her arms wrapped, lazily around Tom's neck. Tom went to pull away but Bella pulled him back down and gave him another kiss. Tom finally pulled away and Bella smirked at him.

"Tom? Sirius wants to talk to you," Hermione interrupted. Bella glared at her sister and Hermione grinned, giving a shrug. Tom pulled away from Bella and walked lazily towards the open door to the study.

"Maya, could you leave us alone for a moment," Sirius requested. Maya's lip curled into a smirk.

"Of course. But, I do expect a full recount of what goes down _and_ a total count of injuries."

"Ms. Granger, I doubt that it will come down to injuries," Tom said, smirking. Sirius and Maya exchanged looks.

"Don't be too sure," they said in unison. Maya left the room and Bella frowned at Sirius. He shook his head and Bella shrugged before turning to walk to wherever Blaise and Draco were. Luna had gone home to write her first article for the Quibbler and Charlie had gone to help the Weasleys move their things to Riddle Manor.

Maya closed the door behind her and Tom crossed his arms.

"I have come to terms with Bella's affections for you. I don't understand it. I think you're an evil and sick bastard. But, obviously, she sees differently. So, lets set some ground rules," Sirius stated. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry but I'm a grown man—" Tom started. Sirius nodded, sagely.

"I realize that, Riddle, to my increasing disgust. _She's_ not an adult. So, she has rules. Now we have eight simple rules for dating my teenage daughter. Rule number 1—"

"I wouldn't call it dating, Black," Tom said, flatly. Sirius' hands clenched and he gave Tom a vicious grey glare. He was really getting tired of this man Goddamned back talk.

"Do you talk? Do you take her places? Do you give her gifts? Because that's called dating, old man. Get with it," Sirius snarled. Tom glared at the man but held his tongue. He didn't really feel like getting into a problem with Sirius.

"Rule number 1. You already broke it. You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them. I hope that's clear," Sirius said, sharply.

Tom was extremely disturbed by the evil eye that Sirius was giving him.

"Rule Two: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, not your 40's world, sex without utilizing a 'barrier method' of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate: when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you. So, if you have needs, satisfy them by wanking," Sirius snapped.

Tom was looking at Sirius as if he were insane. The dog Animagus probably was. The man _did_ have a list of these rules and he was actually reading them aloud to Tom, whom was a grown man.

"Rule Three: I have no doubt you are a popular guy, with many opportunities to date other women. Maya has told me that you are the most eligible wizarding bachelor at the moment. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry. And it will be less than pleasant," Sirius continued. He was still writing on the damned piece of parchment and for some very strange reason, Tom was actually getting a little nervous.

Not that he'd ever admit that.

"Rule Four: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka zipped up to her throat. If you take her to muggle London, movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided. Movies, which feature chainsaws, are okay. Quidditch games are okay. Old folks homes are better," Sirius continued. He finished his document and opened a drawer in his desk.

He pulled out an old wooden box with the Black crest on it. He opened it and withdrew a wicked knife.

And then he began _sharpening _it.

Tom kept the horror from his face but he could only think one thing: WHAT THE FUCK?

"Rule Five: Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a handsome, young, college-aged, Marauder but I'm also an Unspeakable. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a wand, my knives, and one hundred acres of Black estate. Do not trifle with me," Sirius snarled, giving Tom a sharp look.

Tom's eyes widened the slightest bit and Sirius seemed a bit happier now. He thought he was winning. Tom would commit suicide before he let Black think he won. Tom took on a bored expression, as if he weren't paying attention.

Even though he was. Sirius looked ready to throw those knives at him.

"Rule Six: Upsetting her means upsetting me. Upsetting me means that you will have a werewolf and an Animagus on your ass. I hope that you can run fast because you're going to need it. In my Animagus form, I can run twenty miles an hour. Werewolves run faster. I just wanted to alert you to that little fun fact. If you try any funny stuff, I will register you as a sex offender in every country in Europe," Sirius added. He pretended that he was going to throw one of the sharper knives. Tom instinctively began to dodge. Sirius let out a bark of hard laughter.

"Rule Seven: I do not want to get to know you. You do not want to get to know me. That is fine. We do not have to discuss politics or sport or whatever. But, be sure that I _will_ be looking at your history in the files in the Department of Mysteries and the DMLE. The only information I need to hear from _your_ mouth is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need to hear from you on that subject is 'early'. She has a curfew. She should be back here before midnight. If she is even _one_ minute late, you will find yourself without a vital body part," Sirius warned. Tom nodded, slowly.

What the hell? Bella's godfather was fucking _crazy_. Did he really have to be soul bound to the girl with the crazy ass guardian?

"Rule Eight: Be afraid. Be very afraid."

"Yes. All right. Can I leave…I'm leaving now," Tom said, looking at the fanatical man. Sirius held up a hand and looked down at his desk.

"Wait. My daughter explained her affections for you and it sounded strangely familiar. You see, Lily was an Unspeakable as well. She worked in the Death Chamber. But, as an Apprentice, she studied the Book of Bonds in a room right off the Love Chamber. I'm sure you've heard of the Book of Bonds. It's interesting enough that Bella _has_ a soul bond. And they are pretty confusing. Studies have shown that most people who have a soul bond that has been consummated have no idea _why _they are attracted to their partner," Sirius started.

Tom froze and a winning smile spread across Sirius' face. He looked unbelievable smug in that one moment and Tom was trapped. He had tried so _damn_ hard for no one to find out. It would be just tedious and annoying. But, of course, Bella's godfather _had_ to be annoyingly persistent, a Black, _and_ an Unspeakable.

"I asked her why you. She listed several bad traits of you. She said you were a terrible person. Interestingly enough, she backtracked and called you 'compassionate, kind, caring, and a good man'. _I_ think that's a load of bull. She doesn't know why. That leads me to believe that she's Imperiused or she has a soul bond. Which one? Pick wisely. If you pick the wrong one, I'll be obligated to carve you into a jack o' lantern for the upcoming Halloween," Sirius said, flatly. Tom crossed her arms.

"You already figured it out. What are you going to do? Destroy your goddaughter's other half? She'd _hate_ you," Tom said, coldly, dropping his hand into the pocket of his trousers. Sirius laughed and nodded. His laugh was a vicious bite and he suddenly stood up.

"That's true. But, I think I'll let you destroy yourself. If there's anything Bella and I share, it's the fact that we _hate_ being lied to. And you've been lying to her about this from day one, haven't you?" Sirius countered. Tom tensed and his hand closed around his wand.

He couldn't help but think of something else he wasn't telling the young woman. Something else that was equally important as the soul bond or even more so.

"I thought so. For someone as old as you, Riddle, you're incredibly stupid."

"You're the last one to be telling me that _I'm_ stupid, mutt," Tom snarled. He spun on his heel. He threw the door open and walked out quickly, leaving Sirius in the room. Tom stopped in the dining room. The fire in the fireplace was roaring. Draco and Blaise stood near it with an annoyed Bella.

Maya and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

"Before you leave…" Blaise said, almost cheerfully.

That's when Tom knew something was wrong. Blaise didn't do cheerful. He was morose and unemotional at best.

"What is it now?" Tom sighed. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"What did he say to _you_?"

"Ask him yourself. Now what is it?" Tom demanded. Blaise and Draco cleared their throats. Draco stepped forward and gave Tom a dark look.

"Hurt her and your body will be found on Hogwarts' Grounds," Draco started. Blaise nodded, sagely.

"In pieces," Blaise added. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose and Bella glared at both of them.

"Shut the hell up. Both of you," Bella snarled. Tom rolled his eyes, took a pinch of Floo powder, wrapped his arm around Bella's waist, and pulled her into the green inferno.

"_Caldero Hirviendo_," Tom said, clearly. Blaise's eyes widened and Bella blinked in surprise.

Soon, they were spinning and Bella once again, almost fell out of the fireplace once more. Tom darted forward and caught her before she hit the ground. She gasped and laughed when he pulled her back up. He rolled her eyes and she glared at him.

"Don't be an arse," she warned him. Tom shrugged. He wasn't really in the mood for banter.

"Where are we?" Bella asked. No one was really staring at them but that was probably because not many people had really noticed them yet. Bella flinched when she saw a group of witches reading a translation of Witch Weekly.

"Spain. Madrid to be exact. And we have a dinner reservation. Come on," Tom sighed. Bella followed him as he led her out of the small shop and out into Wizarding Spain.

Five pairs of eyes followed the couple.

* * *

**Restaurante Botín, C/ de Los Churchilleros, 17, 28005 Madrid, Spain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1995**

**7:20 PM**

"Are you serious?" groaned Tom. He looked behind him. Bella glanced behind and groaned. Those damned witches that had been reading Witch Weekly was following them in what they thought was a stealthy manner.

"I don't think we'll be able to enjoy a peaceful dinner. I don't think they'll _let_ us," Bella sighed. Tom sighed. He was increasingly annoyed. Not only did they have crazy stalkers with hair the color of the rainbow but he was still thinking about Sirius Black's not so subtle threats.

He had an idea of where to go instead but the image of Black sharpening those freaking knives…

"Ah, to hell with it," Tom sighed. Bella looked at him, curiously. She, herself, was increasingly annoyed with the prolonged silence. It was actually pissing her off to the point where she'd rather just go home and walk around London with Hermione.

"What is it?" Bella asked, a little more sharply than she would have normally asked that question. Tom shook his head and grabbed Bella's wrist.

"We're going to have to skip out on dinner in Madrid," Tom sighed. Bella blinked in surprise and cleared her throat.

"We're not going back to London, are we?" Bella asked. Tom shook his hair and ran a hand through his loose black hair. The group of girls a little ways behind them tittered as they caught up.

"No. No, come on. Let's walk before they catch us," Tom insisted. Bella and Tom began walking quickly. Tom led her through the crowds of people and the group of girls went even quicker. Bella glanced behind her.

"They're going faster," Bella said, quickly. Tom groaned and Bella bent down, hooking her heels off, once again five foot five. Bella looked around, as if she were searching for something specific. She seemed to have found it. She pulled Tom along now and the pair made it much quicker through the crowds.

"_Pido disculpas_," Tom said to the woman he bumped into. She gave him a appreciative look and then glared at the woman leading him around. Bella ducked into an alley. Tom sighed, relieved.

"Now, take us to wherever we're going," Bella commanded. Tom glared at her and took a step forward. Bella backed into the wall of the alley and she gave him a flirtatious look. Tom bent down and kiss her, softly.

"It really _is_ Tom Riddle!" a voice in heavily accented Spanish shouted in excitement. Tom pulled away from Bella, annoyed and he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her close.

There was a flash of light, annoyingly enough.

For the second time in two days, Bella felt as if she were being forced through a thin tube. It was getting increasingly uncomfortable, though no more uncomfortable than the first time she had been Apparated somewhere. She was annoyed that those damn girls had interrupted what had been very amazing.

But, she wasn't as annoyed as she was when they landed in an alley.

Not just any alley but an alley where it was raining.

"Damn," Tom cursed. He grabbed Bella's hand and the couple ran through the rain. Tom's white shirt was clinging to his pale skin and he was getting more than a few looks from the surrounding women under umbrellas. Bella was getting quite a few looks herself. Tom looked at the nearest street sign.

"We're still in Spain…where in Spain, exactly?" Bella asked, slowly. Tom cleared his throat.

"Barcelona. We're about fifteen blocks from my flat. I'll explain when we get there," Tom insisted. Bella couldn't help but notice that when Tom's hair was wet, it hung in thick pieces around his face. It enhanced his attractiveness. Bella's entire knot was wet and her kohl wasn't smearing, thank Merlin, but still…

Even though some part of her found this all amusing, she was more pissed than anything.

She was running, barefoot, wet, and hungry, through the streets of Barcelona because five rainbow-haired freaks. Damn those bitches…though, their faces when they caught Tom and Bella kissing in the alley was rather amusing. And she was going to Tom's flat…she wondered how long it would take until Tom realized that taking her to his flat wasn't a good thing for him.

Finally, they stopped outside a luxurious building. Bella smirked.

"Of course. You _have_ to live in a luxury apartment. Right?" Bella teased. Tom rolled his eyes at her teasing.

"Oh, shut up and get inside," Tom snapped, annoyed. Bella snickered and pushed the door open. She slid inside the warm and dry lobby. The doorman seemed to do a double-take when he saw Bella. He was young and attractive by normal standards, looking about twenty-years-old.

His eyes widened more when Bella slid off her mask. Bella might have found him attractive if she didn't have such high standards.

But alas, the young fifteen-year-old _did_ have high standards so she instantly dismissed him. The doorman opened his mouth to say something when Bella pulled Tom in along with her and wrapped her arm around his neck and gave him a light kiss. Tom pulled away first since Bella obviously didn't _want_ to stop kissing him. He nodded at the doorman before pulling Bella down the well-lit hallway and to an ivory colored door. Tom pulled out his wand and touched the door.

The door clicked and swung open. Bella walked in, looking at everything with complete interest on her face.

The walls were brick painted white. Cream colored couches were to the right, making an 'L' shape. Sitting right in front of the couch was a modern wooden coffee table. To the left of the coffee table was a stand of lighter wood with a television that looked like it was never used on it. In the lower compartment was a music player and that new Muggle invention that had come out the year before, a DVD player.

Behind that was a low wall, also painted white with a large shelf unit sitting on it. There were bottles of wine and champagne stored there, obviously by color and brand. Bella's lips twitched.

That was so Tom.

Bella wandered in further, past the large case sitting on top of the low wall and blinked when she saw the kitchen. It was modern looking, everything made of stainless steel. Bella opened the refrigerator and was surprised to see it stocked.

"You can cook?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom rolled his eyes.

"How do you think I've survived? I didn't always have house elves, Ana," Tom said, teasingly. Bella gave him a light smirk and nodded. Bella made a right and stared down the hallway. On the left side was obviously Tom's bedroom. On the right was a glass bricked wall. You could barely see through the fogged glass but Bella could just make it out to be the bathroom.

"This is your bedroom," Bella said, finally turning to the left. Tom nodded, slowly, obviously wondering what she was thinking. Bella cleared her throat.

"You don't mind if I borrow something, do you?" Bella asked, innocently. Tom gave her a suspicious look. He obviously didn't really trust her not to do something with that tone of voice.

"Don't put on any of my expensive things. You don't mind chicken stir-fry do you?" Tom asked. Bella shrugged.

"Don't care. I'm just hungry," Bella sighed. She opened Tom's bedroom door and winked at him before sliding inside and closing it behind her. Now, she had him really freaked out. She loved when he had no idea what was going on.

It made him adorable.

She looked around the room and nodded in approval. In the middle of the room was a king-sized bed with a white, brown, and blue bedspread. The floor was sandy wood, a shade lighter than the floor outside of the room. A chest sat in front of the bed. Bella knelt and opened it and shook with silent laughter as she saw the amount of books stuffed into the trunk. Bella closed the trunk and turned away. She spotted a pair of double doors.

Bella opened the doors to Tom's closet and looked through before a smirk crossed her face. She pulled a black button down shirt from the closet and stripped. She slid on the shirt and buttoned it.

Tom was extremely tall so the shirt fell to her lower thigh, though there were still a few inches of bare skin above her knee. One of her shoulders were exposed and you could clearly make out the black bra strap. Bella pulled her fingers through her wet and slightly stringy hair, making sure that it'd be untangled before it dried. Bella opened the door and took in a silent breath.

Tom was standing by the stove, cooking. His shirt was off so Bella could see the muscles in back. His dark jeans were riding low on his hips. A towel was around his neck and his wet hair touch the white towel. Bella glided forward and wrapped her arms around Tom's waist. She pressed her cheek against his back.

"_C'est très sexy,_" Bella murmured, her voice slightly breathy. Tom made a humming sound as he continued cooking.

"What's sexy?" Tom asked. Bella sighed.

"_Je pense que c'est sexy que vous pouvez faire cuire._"

"The fact that I can cook is _not_ sexy. It's basic survival skills," Tom said, amused. Bella laughed but didn't relinquish her hold on Tom's waist.

"A basic survival skill that I didn't think you had. _I_ find it sexy but that may be because I can't cook. I burned _water_. Apparently, it isn't' possible," Bella sighed. Tom suppressed his laugh and Bella made a happy gasp.

"You were about to laugh!"

"Yes, but you didn't try hard enough. Try a little harder and I might laugh," Tom commanded. Bella nodded and she rubbed her cheek against his back. She could _picture_ Tom rolling his eyes at her behavior.

"Teach me to cook?" Bella asked. Tom snickered.

"No way in the seven hells. If you can burn water, you can not be taught," Tom said, simply as he flipped the vegetables and pieces of chicken in the pan. Bella's hold on his waist grew a little tighter.

"_Please_," Bella begged. Tom turned from the stir-fry and his eyes widened, infinitesimally at Bella's current outfit. Bella pressed her hands to Tom's hard abs and she brushed her fingers against his stomach, teasingly.

"Do not beg," Tom said in a slightly husky tone. Bella looked up at him with wide and innocent eyes.

"But I thought you liked it when I begged," she murmured. Tom's hands found her waist and he lifted Bella onto the counter next to the sink. She had her legs on either side of him and she squeezed his waist between her thighs. She slid forward until she was pressed against him. Her milky white legs were exposed and she wrapped them around his waist.

"I do. That's why I told you no begging. I like it _far_ too much," Tom murmured.

And then he kissed her and Bella made a hum of appreciation in his mouth. It was a sweet and soft kiss. His pianist fingers combed through Bella's drying air. And then, suddenly they tangled in her hair and the kiss became possessive and ravenous. Bella gave a moan as Tom bit her lip.

Bella didn't mind Tom dominating her though normally she initiated things. This was what she wanted. She _wanted_ Tom to claim her, despite the fact that she enjoyed being in control.

"Tom," she groaned as his kissed trailed down her jaw line. Bella's fingernails raked down Tom's back, lightly, making him shudder internally. Bella felt the open mouth kisses on the curve of her neck and she tilted her head to expose more of her neck. She could feel Tom's lips curl into a half-smile as his lips went to her exposed shoulder.

Everywhere his lips touched felt like a burn. Bella felt on fire and she wasn't sure she wanted to stop burning. She felt his teeth scrap against her skin, moving the strap of her bra, making it fall from her shoulder. Tom's mouth moved to suck on her collarbone. One hand remained in her hair and the other stroked Bella's leg, reverently.

"Tom…" Bella mewled. Tom pulled away and Bella pouted as she turned away from him, a wild smirk on his face as he watched Bella's pouty glare from the corner of his eyes.

"I hate you," Bella snapped. She made to push Tom but Tom kissed the palm of her hand. For the shortest of moments, the Deathly Hallows mark on the hand that he kissed tingled.

"No you don't. Now stop being a whiny baby and be quiet so I can finish cooking. Weren't you complaining of hunger before?"

Bella nodded.

"I'm hungrier now."

"Then hush."

Bella turned on the counter to stare out the window and at the streets. It had stopped raining about twenty minutes ago. She looked down and saw people roaming the streets. She smiled, softly.

"Why do you have a flat in Barcelona, anyway?" Bella questioned. Tom glanced over at her as he reached over to the shelf unit and took down a bottle of what looked to be sake.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?" he countered. Bella smirked.

"I wanted to."

"There's your answer. I wanted a flat in Barcelona. I enjoy Spain. I spend my summers here. Dumbledore _thinks_ I stay at Hogwarts since I always come in and out of Hogwarts through the fireplace in my room. He's incredibly nosy," Tom sighed. Bella nodded.

"I'm well aware. The man tried to peek inside my mind. I still haven't forgiven him for that. Are you finished yet?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom nodded before dropping one more spice into it and turning off the stove. He reached into the cabinet next to Bella and pulled out two ceramic plates.

"Forks are in the drawer," Tom said as he served the chicken stir-fry and turned to the case unit and pulled down a bottle of wine. He poured himself a glass as Bella rummaged for the forks. She emerged with two, victoriously. She glanced at the wine and bit her lip.

"Could I try some?" Bella asked, slowly. Tom looked at her with surprise before he lips curled into a smirk.

"Isn't wine a little too classy for you? Don't you like Firewhiskey?"

"Shut up! I _do_ like Firewhiskey. I liked aged Firewhiskey but I've always wanted to try wine. May I?" Bella asked. Tom shrugged and took down another wine glass and poured a generous amount, the same as his.

"One of the most expensive wines I have. A beautiful red wine. Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945," Tom said, almost reverently. Bella rolled her eyes and grabbed her plate as Tom did the same. Bella picked up her own glass and followed him into the sitting room. She sat on the floor at the table and he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, don't go high and mighty on me. It might work on other people but not with me," Bella snapped. Tom glared at her but settled on the floor, across from her. The two began to eat in silence and Bella eyed the wine, carefully.

She took a sip of it before coughing at the bitter liquid. Tom sniggered and looked away as Bella glared at him.

"It tastes…different than whiskey," Bella said, defensively. Tom nodded as he ate his stir-fry.

"It's bitter. This is your first time drinking wine, yes?" Tom asked. Bella nodded as she took in more of the stir-fry. Damn, he could cook. Bella rubbed her eyes. She was getting tired…it was so damn warm in the apartment…

"Yeah."

"Wine is an acquired taste. Don't waste my wine," Tom warned. Bella nodded, absently and took another sip. It still tasted bitter but Bella knew she had to quickly get accustomed to it.

"I won't. I won't. Don't be a nag," Bella sighed. Tom rolled his eyes and Bella suddenly looked up at him.

"Your gift…it was beautiful," Bella said, softly. Tom shrugged nonchalantly.

"I only added music to it."

"Yes, but you composed it, correct? You're a genius. It's actually _annoying_ how smart you. Do you have an eidetic memory or something?" Bella demanded. Tom nodded with a smug smile.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Jealous?" Tom asked. Bella rolled her eyes and fingered her locket. Despite the coolness of the metal on her fingers, against her chest, it felt arm. Almost like a beating heart.

"Very," she said, flatly. She took another long sip of the wine and finished her stir-fry in a matter of minutes. Tom was already finished with his food and wine. Bella glared at him as he looked at her haughtily, as if it were her fault that he had finished his dinner before her. It might have been.

Bella took the glass of wine and finished it, quickly. Tom refused to gasp when he looked at Bella. He looked away, quickly, thinking of the knives that Sirius Black had been sharpening. Knowing the suspicious man, he'd cast a spell, checking of Bella was still a virgin.

But, dammit, Tom had needs. And Bella wasn't helping with her bedroom eyes and wine stained lips. Not to mention the fact that she looked incredibly sexy in his shirt. The shirt was too big for her and it made her look cute.

How was it fucking possible to look adorable _and_ sexy?

"Hmmm…" Bella hummed. She crawled to the other side of the table and sat next to Tom. Her head fell on his chest and she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Don't fall asleep," Tom warned. Bella shrugged, lazily.

"It's only ten after nine. I can sleep for a half hour," Bella murmured. Tom sighed and reached to the table to grab a book.

"Sleep," Tom said, soothingly.

Bella drifted off to sleep, no problem.

_She was walking. He footsteps echoed in the silent corridor of onyx. There was a door…_

_It looked so far away…yet only a breath away…_

"Mmm…" Bella moaned when she felt lips sucking on her bottom lip. Bella leaned up into the kiss, almost unconsciously. Bella kissed him back and she shifted until she was straddling his legs. She kissed his neck before leaning in, licking the shell of his ear. Tom groaned as her tongue went from his ear and down his neck. Her lips continued downwards and tongue darted across one of Tom's nipples.

Tom's groan was slightly louder this time. Bella's lips continued downwards as she kissed him, reverently.

Only when her fingers found the button of his pants did Tom remember himself.

And the knives.

"Bella…Bella. Ana, no. Not right now," Tom said, hoarsely. Bella moaned in annoyance and she looked up at him with annoyance clear on her face.

"Why not? I _want_ to. Do you not want me?" Bella asked, looking upset. Tom's lips curled into a half-smile.

"I do. But not right now."

"Next time, I will," Bella said, strongly. Tom's lips curled into a grin.

"I look forward to it."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1995**

**9:30 PM**

"Look! The fire's turning green!" Hermione said, pointing to the fireplace.

The three-quarters of the family were gathered in the drawing room as always and Sirius was sitting with his box of knives. He had been sharpening them since Bella had left with Tom and he was eagerly waiting to see if Tom had done anything wrong.

Bella stepped out of the fire first. She wore her spring green dress though it looked wet. She wore a button down black shirt over it and her heels were hanging from her fingers. Tom stepped out next, wearing the exact outfit that he had been before, his shirt slightly damp as well.

"Hey!" Bella said, grinning. She frowned when she saw Sirius.

"Uncle Sirius…why do you have your knives? You never take them out…"

Tom had stiffened considerably and his eyes weren't leaving the knives that promised his end.

"Riddle knows. How was dinner, Bella?" Sirius asked with a gentle smile. Bella frowned and then glanced at Tom with a vengeful smirk. Sirius wondered what he had denied her.

"Tom makes a mean stir-fry. And his apartment in Barcelona is very nice."

Sirius stood up, his wand pointed at the man. He looked insane, as if he had just escaped from Azkaban. Tom glared at Bella, annoyed.

"She's joking."

"No I'm not."

"_Yes_, you are," Tom said, forcefully.

"Nope," Bella said, making her lips pop. Maya couldn't help but notice that her lips were now the color of red wine.

"I'll teach you how to cook," Tom sighed. Bella grinned.

"I'm joking. Bye, Tom," Bella said, wiggling her fingers at him. Tom bent down and kissed her forehead.

"**Goodbye, love.**"

And he disappeared into the green inferno. As soon as he was gone, Hermione had all but attacked her. She pulled Bella down next to her and Maya leaned forward, eager as well.

"What happened?" Maya and Hermione asked in unison. Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"Well…we went to Madrid first…"

:::

**A/N: **There's the chapter. I have to say, this is one of my favorites. I had the idea about Barcelona last minute. I don't have much to say since it's so late so…yeah.

Next Chapter: Riddle Manor, Cooking Classes, and Bedrooms


	53. Chapter XLVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I'm trying to stick to my one chapter a day rule that I promised my friend. That didn't work yesterday because my wi-fi went down. It wouldn't have worked anyway since I finished the last chapter at 12 this morning. I keep looking at the number of reviews I have and I _know_ that I'll reach 1000 by the time I'm finished. Well, I'm hoping at least.

And the prefect issue…my friend reminded me about that. It'll be resolved in the first part of this chapter.

The cooking classes are based off truth. My best friend, a guy, tried to teach me how to cook. It didn't work out very well…I was permanently kicked out of my kitchen.

We also get to find out why Bella _despises_ the idea of being weak.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLVIII**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of August 1995**

**11:20 AM**

"We won't be coming back here before you two go off to Hogwarts. So make sure you have all your stuff," Maya had insisted.

Sirius had still been packing as well but Maya felt that since he was an adult that he'd get it done, quickly.

She was wrong.

It was now eleven twenty and they were twenty minutes late because Sirius couldn't find his favorite leather pants. Maya leaned against the door, her trunk sitting by her side. She was rather annoyed with Sirius at this point since it was _leather pants_ and he had at least five identical pairs but this was Sirius. He would throw a tantrum if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Is he _still_ looking for those leather pants?" Bella sighed as she pulled her trunk down the stairs. Hermione nodded, absently. She was reading through the Potions book once more. She wanted to be prepared for anything Snape tried to do in the upcoming year.

"Yeah. When is he going to remember that he can just ask Kreacher to find them while we're at the Riddle Manor?" asked Hermione. Bella's lips twitched and she muffled her snort.

"Uncle Sirius is a little slow, isn't he?"

"In more than one way. Slow in the head and slow in moving. Get a move on, Sirius! We don't have all day!" Maya called.

In answer to that, there was a loud thumping noise and suddenly Sirius was tumbling down the stairs with his trunk in one hand and a pair of leather pants in his other hand.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Sirius gasped. Bella snorted and Sirius gave her a scathing glare. He flipped open his trunk and dumped the pants inside before closing it and locking it once more. He waved them forward and the group made their way to the dining room, where a fireplace was.

Sirius quickly lit it and Bella and him bowed mockingly to Hermione. Hermione blinked in confusion.

"After _you_, Princess Prefect."

Maya rolled her eyes at their childish behavior. Hermione scowled and crossed her arms, obviously upset over their teasing. Hermione had gotten her letter the day before when Bella was gone on her date, proclaiming her prefect.

"Shut up. Nothing's wrong with being a prefect," Hermione snapped. Bella snorted.

"Right. You're officially a stick in the mud. No more having fun or dueling. You'll be patrolling hallways and taking house points. Who in their right mind would make _you_ a prefect? You're crazy!" Bella laughed. Hermione glared and took a pinch of Floo powder and walked into the flames.

"Riddle Manor."

"**Why is the Bush angry? Can bushes get angry?**" Sasha hissed from around Bella's neck. Bella's eyes were wide and she laughed, quietly.

"**That's not a Bush. That's my sister.**"

"**Why is you sister a bush?**" Sasha asked, rather annoyed.

Bella's laughed again and shook her head. It wasn't worth explaining.

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of August 1995**

**11:30 PM**

Gideon watched as the fire in the drawing room turned bright green and Ron and Ginny hurried over. They were watching, carefully, waiting for the first person to step out. Hermione came through first, looking very cross.

"What's got you in a knot?" Ginny asked, carefully. Hermione sneered and shook her head. Gideon supposed that she had adopted that look from the Slytherins that the two girls hung out with all the time.

Maya came out of the fire next and she hurried over to Hermione, dragging her trunk along. Maya was glaring at the fire and wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Nothing's wrong with being a prefect, Mione. They're only teasing you," Maya reassured her. Ron grinned in excitement as well.

"I'm a prefect too!" he cried out. Hermione looked at him with surprise coloring her face. She inspected him.

"You're a prefect too! Congrats, Ron," Hermione said, rather morosely. Gideon watched as she spun brown hair around one finger. Not that it needed the curl. Hermione's hair was loose so it was incredibly bushy and it looked like a mass of brown curls had decided to just sit on her head.

Sirius came through the fire next, laughing. He settled on a seat and looked at the three redheads.

"Hey, you three. How goes it?" Sirius asked, grinning. Gideon shrugged and Ron grinned, proudly.

"I'm a prefect," he announced, glancing at Hermione. Sirius raised an eyebrow at the look that crossed Ron's face when he looked at Hermione.

"I see. So both of you are goody two-shoes now. Ha," Sirius smirked. Ron rolled his eyes. Gideon and Ginny were looking towards the green fire. Bella was standing in the fireplace, motionless.

Gideon blinked at how strange it looked. She suddenly looked very different in that one moment.

Her face was expressionless in that one moment and her lips were slightly parted. The green of her eyes were even brighter than normal. The brightness of her eyes made her skin seemed paler, almost translucent. The green flames licked her skin and she didn't flinch.

Her eyes seemed far away and she slowly tilted her head. Hermione looked up from the floor and turned to stare at Bella in the fire as well. Soon, all eyes were on Bella. Bella blinked before coming through the fire. A smile spread on her lips.

"Hi, you three!" Bella said, happily. Gideon frowned at her sudden change. Bella ran a hand through her hair and Gideon was suddenly fixed on amazing she looked.

She looks hot was the only consistent thought in Gideon's head.

She wore a black dress shirt that looked a million times too big for her. The sleeves were rolled up past her elbows. It fell to her lower thigh and she wore tight jeans. Her combat boots were unlaced and her locket was swinging on the outside of her shirt. Her hair still couldn't choose between waves and curls but Gideon though it was better that way.

"Hey, Bella," Ginny smiled. Bella dropped onto the floor, leaning against the chair that Maya was sitting in. Maya was curled up in the chair, looking through Witch Weekly, carefully.

"Anything?" Bella asked, with a hint of a smile on her lips. Maya grumbled and shook her head.

"No. Stupid rainbow chicks. I wanted a _picture_," Maya whined. Bella rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. She suddenly mesmerized Gideon again. He hadn't been able to draw up the courage to ask her to Hogsmeade but he had promised himself that he would.

"No you don't. I looked exactly how I look now. Minus the dress. I'm wearing jeans with the shirt. But seriously…I think my new favorite food is chicken stir-fry," Bella smirked. Maya rolled her eyes.

"Why chicken stir-fry?" Ron asked, curiously. Bella's lips spread into a mischievous smile.

"It had sake in it."

"I _swear _you're turning into an alcoholic," Sirius grumbled. Bella gave her godfather a sharp look.

"I didn't come home drunk, did I?"

"No…" Sirius admitted. Bella gave him a bright smile then and turned to a pouting Ron. His arms were crossed.

"What's wrong with you?" Hermione asked. Ron sighed.

"I wish my parents were as cool as yours, Bella. Mum wouldn't even let me have a _sip_ of butterbeer until I turned thirteen. You're already drinking Firewhiskey and stuff!" Ron said, annoyed. Bella laughed.

"They know I'm responsible enough not to get drunk. Though I _did_ get a little drunk the first time I drank. I had two bottles of aged Firewhiskey so that was my fault. Anyway, it's not like had much. I had a glass of wine. Apparently, very good wine," Bella said. Ginny frowned.

"Where did you get wine?" she asked in confusion. Bella didn't even stiffen though Sirius and Maya did. Hermione had enough confidence in her sister for her to lie fluently.

"I went out to dinner last night with Draco. He was treating me. Vintage wine. 1945, I think it was," Bella said, lying about the first part. Sirius and Maya exchanged looks at the mention of the year of the wine.

"Rooms. When are we getting our room assignments?" Hermione finally asked.

"Now, if you wish."

Gideon didn't think he'd ever seen someone move as fast as Bella did. Gideon was surprised that she didn't give herself whiplash. Her hair swung over her shoulder and her lips curled into a smirk when Riddle awarded her a raised eyebrow.

"_Aimez-vous mon maillot?_" Bella asked with a slight smirk. Gideon frowned. It was getting increasingly annoying that Bella could speak languages that he didn't understand. Maya seemed to understand it well enough as did Sirius. Hermione wasn't even really listening. She was now writing on a piece of parchment, most likely sending a letter.

"_J'ai acheté le maillot. Bien sûr, j'aime ça,_" Riddle said, in rapid French. Ginny looked quite fascinated with him. Gideon thoroughly disapproved of his sister's preoccupation with the DADA teacher but she never paid him any attention when he warned her against him.

"**How does it look on me?**" Bella hissed. Gideon suppressed his shudder. The fact that Bella could speak Parseltongue freaked Gideon out a bit but at the same time it was actually kind of cool.

"**Extremely sexy.**"

"You broke rule four."

Gideon blinked at the words Sirius had said. He frowned, wondering if rule four was a code for the Order. Ginny blinked owlishly and turned to her twin brother.

"What's rule four? Is that an Order code?" Ginny asked, quietly. Gideon shrugged.

"That's what I was thinking."

Hermione giggled and the two Weasley twins looked at her.

"It's not an Order code that _I_ know. That's another thing entirely, I think. Though, it might be a mission for the Order that I'm not aware of though," Hermione said, truthfully. Gideon looked at Bella who was looking rather confused at the moment. Maya leaned and whispered something in Bella's ear.

Bella's cheeks rapidly turned red before she paled considerably. She jumped up and glared at Sirius.

"Uncle Sirius! You utter moron! I thought we had an understanding. I trust you, you trust me. I thought that was how it worked. You don't trust me?" Bella shouted. Sirius looked abashed though his stare never faltered. Riddle's arms were crossed and he looked annoyed.

"And for good reason," he muttered. Bella glared at him.

"You. Shut up."

"I think this conversation should be carried in a more private place," Maya said, pointedly. She was looking at the three curious Weasley siblings. Bella flushed and grabbed her trunk and then Hermione's wrist. Hermione only had time to grab her trunk before she was being dragged out of the room.

"No. I don't think I want to talk at all with him," Bella said as she walked out of the room. Riddle looked to the heavens as if it were the gods' fault that Bella was angry and he followed them. He stopped in the doorway.

"I swear, if she tries to destroy my house, you will pay for it."

He spun on his heel and walked out, following Bella.

Gideon wondered what that was about…

* * *

**Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of August 1995**

**11:50 PM**

"And this is your room. The library is down the hall. Hermione's bedroom is right next to the library. Remember that. The bathroom's through that door," Tom said, softly. Bella was frowning in thought as she stepped into the luxurious room. She placed her trunk to the side and looked around.

It was a lot lighter than the other parts of the manor. The drawing room had looked decidedly classic. This looked a lot more modern, resembling Tom's apartment in Barcelona in some way.

"It's pretty," Bella murmured.

To the left was a double bed. It was a platform bed of some sort with a short headboard, the color of clean sand. On top was a white mattress with white sheets, black pillows, and an apple green blanket folded at the bottom of it. The carpet was the color of snow and an apple green rug was by the large window.

On either side of the bed was a nightstand, the same color as the actual bed. On one nightstand were books that Bella would surely find interesting when the time came. On the other side was a lamp. Next to the lamp was a white chair with a matching ottoman.

All in all, it was a beautiful room.

"Hmm…one of my house elves designed it. Just for you," Tom murmured. Bella smiled at him, though her eyes had a strange glint. A glint that was becoming more familiar to Tom each time.

"I believe I'll let you get settled," Tom said, quickly. Bella lifted an eyebrow and backed up and leaned against the door until it shut. Her fingers went towards the knob and she turned the lock.

Tom mentally cursed himself for putting Bella in a room with a lock.

Bella put one hand on her hip and her lips twisted into a smirk.

"Where do think _you're_ going?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom cleared his throat.

"I have things to do. Move from the door, Ana."

"Why?" Bella asked as she walked towards Tom. Tom was distracted as the black cloth slipped from her shoulder, revealing two purple hickeys, a dark green strap, and a white strap.

Suddenly, Bella was pressed against Tom and her hands were against his chest. She pushed him back, her annoyance boosting her strength. Tom wasn't exactly _trying_ to stop either. Bella crawled onto the bed after him, her hair over one shoulder.

She straddled him and he gave her an unimpressed look. Bella leaned down and brushed her lips against his. She pulled back and gave him an unfathomable look before she leaned down and kissed him once more. Tom kissed her back this time, but more aggressively.

He leaned up on his elbows before pushing himself up into a sitting position, never breaking away from Bella. Bella pushed him down again, her eyes half closed, and began unbuttoning his shirt. Tom's kiss got more aggressive as he buttoned his shirt. Bella growled and Tom suddenly flipped her. She gasped when his mouth moved from her lips and down her neck, rapidly. He was quickly unbuttoning her shirt, revealing a white tank top.

"Damn you," he growled against her collarbone. Bella gave a breathy laugh and made to unbutton his shirt.

"No, no, no. My turn. You had your fun yesterday," he murmured. Bella glared at him and she looked ready to either rape him or murder him.

"You're a bastard."

"So I've heard."

Tom's lips brushed against her collarbone. Bella hissed as he bit down, harshly. Tom's eyes drifted up to look at her and she smirked at him. His tongue brushed across the hollow of Bella's throat. Bella's lips found his again and just when her fingers brushed across the waistband of Tom's jeans, he pulled away. He sat cross-legged at the foot of her bed and staring at her with wild eyes and a blank face, almost as if nothing had happened.

"Why the hell did you stop?" demanded Bella. Tom tilted his head.

"You make me lose control. And you don't want to do this. I _know_ you don't," Tom said, softly. Bella glared at him and crossed her arms.

"How the hell do you know?" she demanded, defensively. Tom could see how insecure she was about sex. Tom sighed.

"I can see it, Ana. You don't want to have sex."

"Yeah I do," Bella said, flatly. Tom shook his head, annoyed with himself for being a good person.

Whenever Bella was around, his what-I-want-I-get attitude went flying out of the window. And for sure, he wanted sex but…she was upset. He damned himself again for being a good person.

"No. You don't. You want to have sex because you think _I_ want to have sex. I was joking."

"You don't want me?" Bella asked, frantically. Tom looked to the ceiling and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Salazar, give me strength. That's not it, Bella. I'd appreciate if you slept with me when you _want_ to and not when you're angry with your godfather. That's just a mood-killer, right there," Tom said, flatly.

A giggle escaped Bella and Tom rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure? That you're not going to easily get tired of me because I'm holding out on you?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom shook his head.

"I hate women who are clingy and daft. If they can't hold their own, then they aren't worth my time. If they're _blonde_, they aren't worth my time. You aren't clingy or daft and I'm sure that you can hold your own in a duel. You don't need a protector," Tom said, softly. Bella glared at him though something flashed in her eyes.

"Damn straight."

"Then, no, I won't easily get tired of you."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 13****th**** of August 1995**

**9:00 AM**

"We're making _what_?" Bella asked, frowning. Tom sighed and shook his head.

"Wheat flour chocolate chip cookies. _You_ picked it. I didn't _want_ to make cookies. I'm not a Suzy Homemaker. I don't bake," Tom said, bored. Bella glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Is it because you're not a girl? There are plenty of men out there that bake. Only real men bake, you wanker," Bella snapped. Tom rolled his eyes and pointed to the cookbook that Bella had found in the Muggle section of Tom's 'Light' library.

"Preheat the oven to 375º," Tom read. Bella frowned and crossed her arms.

"But wouldn't it cook faster if it were higher?"

"No."

"But, that makes sense."

"No it doesn't. I have something to do. Just follow the instructions. It isn't that hard," Tom sighed. Bella looked down at it like it were rocket science.

"Er…sure."

"I'll be back," Tom warned. Bella smirked at him.

"I look forward to it."

Bella watched Tom leave and she looked at the oven. She crossed her arms and leaned down too look at the dials on the oven. She shook her head and turned the dial up to 375º.

"I still think it'll cook faster my way."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 13****th**** of August 1995**

**9:30 AM**

"What the hell?"

Bella groaned. She was looking down at the baking sheet with an annoyed look gracing her pretty face. Flour was smeared all over her right cheek and her hair looked streaked with white. She was holding a black cookie in her hand and staring at it with frustration on her face.

"I can't bite it!" Bella cried out. She threw the cookies at the wall and it fell to the ground unbroken. Tom bent down to pick it up and he attempted to break it in half. With a lot of exertion, the cookie broke in half.

It was just as black on the inside as it was on the outside.

"You burnt it. _How_ did you burn it? It was _cookies_! That should be impossible to mess up," Tom groaned. Bella glared at him.

"I don't know! I followed _every_ instruction! I did everything right! It put in the butter, the brown sugar, the white sugar, the baking soda, the vanilla, the damned eggs, the flour, and the fucking chocolate! I put it in for fifteen minutes! But it's _black,_" Bella cried out. Tom shook his head.

Bella took the baking sheet and the rock hard 'cookies' and threw it in the garbage. She took the cookie batter and a spoon and began to eat it out of the bowl. Tom took a spoon and tasted the batter himself.

"At least the batter wasn't half bad…" Tom sighed, weakly. Bella glared at him and tossed the bowl in the sink along with the spoon. She stormed from the room, leaving Tom staring after her.

"Incredibly melodramatic, that one."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 28****th**** of August 1995**

**2:00 PM**

"A piano?" Bella whispered.

Tom nodded and crossed his arms as he stared at it.

"It was here when I inherited the house. I didn't feel like moving it. It's incredibly old and one day it'll be worth something," Tom pointed out.

The pair were in the ballroom. Riddle Manor was big enough to have a medium-sized ballroom that was absolutely beautiful. The black grand piano had the top up and it was dusty. It looked like the room hadn't been entered in many, many years. Bella wondered, briefly, what had happened to Tom's father.

"Oh…let's leave," Bella said, shortly. She turned away from the piano. She stopped when Tom's hand landed on her shoulder. She looked to the ceiling, begging for someone to come so he wouldn't ask the inevitable question.

"What happened?"

And there it was. And Bella knew she wouldn't be unable to answer him because when it came to Tom, she trusted him irrevocably. She trusted him more than she should.

"I was ten."

The three words made Tom pull Bella towards the piano and she sat down at the bench. She looked at the dusty keys and felt an instant revulsion at the sight of them.

"What happened when you were ten?"

"Well, when I was seven years old, Uncle Sirius told me that my mother, Lily, had played the piano. I wanted to learn too. I always felt closer to my mother than with my father. My mother was given a choice but she didn't choose the way out. She protected me. So, Uncle Sirius gave me lessons for my birthday," Bella said, softly. Tom nodded and looked at her, patiently, through half-closed eyes. Bella cleared her throat and continued on.

"My piano teacher was an old woman. She was nice, Mrs. Jones. She had a son about fifteen years older than me. Mrs. Jones died when I was nine years old. I was devastated. The son started to teach me…" Bella said, softly. Tom frowned.

He hoped this wasn't going where he could picture it going…

"He had a really short temper. If I messed up, he screamed at me. He screamed a lot. And one day, he got so fed that he slapped me. I had a bruise on my cheek. He apologized and started to say how I was the best piano student and he'd teach me a piece that Mrs. Jones had never let me play if I kept quiet. It was always my favorite piece of music to listen to. Mrs. Jones never let me play it because she said it required pain. Emotional, physical pain," Bella trailed off.

Tom was slightly relieved that Bella hadn't been _sexually_ abused. It probably would have explained her slight aversion to sex. Now, Tom knew that it was a deep, deep insecurity about herself.

"And, he taught me the song. I never got it _quite_ right. Never. Oh, I tried, but it always sounded robotic...stilted. He got angry at me for that and told me I was damning his mother's memory by playing the song wrong. I was punched for that. He knocked out a tooth and broke my nose. Kreacher healed me before Uncle Sirius got home but…I hated him so much in that one moment. I hated the piano. I hated that I was so fucking _weak_. So, I quit and asked Uncle Sirius to get rid of the piano. He moved it to one of the Black estates where we never go. In Russia."

Tom stared at her. She turned to face the piano and she brushed her hand across the ivory keys.

"I _hate_ being called weak. That's why I don't let anyone mess with me. Because I'll kick their asses before they can," Bella sighed. Tom crossed his arms and pointed at the piano.

"Play that piece."

"What?" Bella asked in complete surprise. Her eyes were wide and she looked rather confused at his command.

"I _refuse_ to be in a relationship with a woman who is _afraid_ of a piano. You've been through enough pain, emotional and physical, for you to play this song right. Now, play," Tom stated, matter-of-factly. Bella glared at him.

"I am _not_ afraid of a piano."

"Then prove it," Tom said, gesturing to the piano.

Bella turned to the piano and took a deep breath. She frowned, trying to remember the sheet music as if it were right in front of her. She couldn't quite remember everything…

And suddenly, her fingers were dancing across the ivory keys. She was going slowly at first but her fingers seemed to remember the way she was supposed to play. Her fingers paused at all the proper places. Bella's fingers were creating something beautiful that she didn't even notice. She slammed her hands down on the deep notes, her fingers dancing as if she didn't have a care in the world. Her head was bent over the piano in deep concentration.

She put the passion, the hurt, the pain, the fear, and the rage that she felt into the song. It didn't sound as full as it could but even Tom could see the emotion she was putting in the song. Teardrops fell onto the keys and she brushed them off, without her fingers stopping.

Bella didn't even notice the crowd she was gathering. Tom turned and saw Maya and Hermione in the doorway. The entire Weasley clan, exempting the patriarch, was crowded inside the ballroom. A few Order members were watching as well.

Bella's finger glided across the keys, the song so simplistic when watching her play yet so complex in sound.

Bella glanced up slowly at Tom through dark green eyes. She sucked in a breath as her left hand glided back and forth as her right hand slammed down on the contrasting chords.

Tom watched Bella with dark eyes that could read her soul. He didn't pity her, since he knew that she didn't want it. He wasn't sympathizing with her either.

He was just _there_. And that was enough for Bella.

She turned her head to the piano and slammed down on the chords. The people around her could see her shoulders shaking with unspoken and unheard sobs. She finally played the last note, softly, ending the beautiful song.

She dropped her hands from the piano and bit her lip.

There was a quiet clap from behind her. She spun around and almost fell off the piano bench. Bella blinked at the people that had been silently observing her.

Moody and Kingsley had the most solemn expressions. They seemed to have understand her rage and emotion through the song. Ginny, Maya, and Mrs. Weasley seemed to have tearing during the performance. Gideon and Ron were giving her sad looks, as if they didn't quite understand but they understand enough.

Only Hermione was smiling.

"That wasn't meant to be heard by anyone."

The 'but him' was left out but it was clearly heard by anyone.

"Sorry about that," Moody said, gruffly.

Bella cleared her throat and stood from the piano bench and cast it a look that showed that she was repulsed but drawn to the piano. Maya briefly wondered what had caused such a reaction.

"I didn't know you could play the piano," Ginny said, faintly. Bella gave a dry and sardonic smile. Ginny looked hurt at the mocking look she was giving the girl and Bella's face softened.

"I don't. I don't play the piano."

"But you just were…" Ron trailed off. Bella had turned on him and her eyes flashed in warning. She took a few steps forward until she was staring up at him through her fringes.

"I don't! I don't play the piano! I just said that! Honestly, Ron!" Bella screamed. Ron flinched and glared at her.

"There's no need to yell," Ron snapped. Bella glared right back at him.

"There obviously was. You didn't hear me the first time. And what are you smiling about?" Bella demanded of Hermione. Hermione leaned forward and brushed Bella's hair from her eyes and her smile grew brighter at the sight of Bella's eyes.

"You needed that, didn't you? You were always so bitter…so angry…impulsive…selfish."

"I had every _right_ to be angry and bitter!" Bella snarled. Hermione pulled her sister into a hug and the others looked at them confused. Tom stared from his seat with a blank face as Bella cried silently into her taller sister's shoulder.

"You did. You have _every_ right. Every. Right."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 28****th**** of July 1995**

**7:30 PM**

"Where was Bella at dinner?" asked Sirius, curiously. Maya and Sirius were the only ones in the sitting room at the moment and they were both patiently waiting for Dumbledore to arrive so they could get on with the Order meeting. Maya had avoided speaking about Bella until that point but now she couldn't keep her questions contained.

"Why didn't you tell me that Bella could play the piano?" Maya asked. Sirius looked completely surprised by the question and he scratched his head, absently as he pulled Maya even closer to him. That put her on his lap.

"She told you that? I'm surprised. She hates the sound of a piano. I took her to a show right after she turned ten. An orchestra was playing and the pianist had a solo. She left in the middle of it and refused to come back in," Sirius said, sadly. Maya decided to play dumb. She wanted the whole story.

Or at least the part of the story that Sirius knew.

"What do you mean? Why does she hate pianos?" Maya asked, carefully. It didn't look like she hated the piano. It looked she feared it for strange and twisted reason that Maya just couldn't understand.

"Well, she was seven and I told her that Lily played the piano. She was so excited and she wanted to learn. So, for her birthday I got her piano lessons. She took them for three years. She was so good. Her playing was always beautiful. And then around the time she turned ten, her first piano teacher had passed and her son was teaching Bella. That was around the time Bella got clumsy. Bella began to play the saddest piece. It always sounded…incomplete and I suppose that was a good thing," Sirius said, softly. Maya frowned.

"Why?" she asked, confused. She was never too good with recognizing emotion within music, though Bella's emotions had been pretty clear. She wasn't a very artistic person and she liked to base everything on pure fact. It was why it had been so difficult to accept the fact that Hermione was a witch.

"It hurt me to think that she'd be able to play that song to perfection. Then one day…Bella changed. She was a happy little kid. She always smiled. Except for when she complained about the Muggle kids at her primary school. She said they were annoying and she'd made a few kids cry but that was because she was a bit of a tomboy. But…that day…Bella stormed up to me the moment I came back from school and screamed. She demanded that I get rid of the piano and I asked her why. She said she was sick of it. That she hated it. That she wanted it gone. She said that she wanted to quit. So, I let her."

Maya frowned at this and cleared her throat.

"She plays beautifully."

Sirius froze and looked at Maya in wonder. Maya tucked her neck in the curve of Sirius' neck and his arms tightened around her.

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius asked, slowly. Maya cleared her throat.

"I…Hermione and I…we were in the library, reading of course. And we heard this beautiful music. It was the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever heard. And so we went there and the Weasleys met us at the door. Kingsley and Moody joined us a little after. It was this old ballroom, I think. Tom and Bella were sitting at this grand piano. It was black and old looking. Beautiful. Bella didn't even notice us. She was immersed in the music. And then she looked at Tom…and you could _see_ the love. They don't know it and though Bella is still a little immature…she loves him in her own way. She may not know what _real_ love is but they have these deep, deep…_raw_ emotions for each other," Maya said, softly. Sirius stiffened at the mention of those emotions but Maya almost didn't seem to notice. She was thinking of other things.

"And then…she finished the song and it made me shiver. She was so good…and then she turned and saw us. She was shocked and she looked at the piano. She was repulsed by it. She was repulsed by the fact that she had even _touched_ it even though you could see she wanted to again. And she told us that it wasn't meant to be heard by us. Only him. It's only ever him these days. Ginny said that she didn't know that Bella could play the piano. Bella said that didn't play the piano. She didn't say she couldn't. She said she _didn't_. Ron was being tactless then," Maya continued. She gave a little laugh, as she was deep in thought.

She was wondering what had made Bella quit something that was so damn _good_ at. Bella was good at dueling, sure, but she wasn't good at making friends or being social. Playing the piano was something you could talk about with people. But, she didn't want people to know.

She was _ashamed_ of something. Of herself…for some reason.

"Ron said that she just was. Bella yelled at him that she didn't and that he didn't listen. She asked why Hermione was smiling. Hermione was the only one smiling. Molly, Ginny, and I were crying. Moody and Kingsley looked serious. Gideon and Ron looked rather sad. Tom was only…he looked…regretful. I don't know about what but he looked ashamed for the slightest of moments. I think it might be because he knew we were there but maybe not…Hermione seemed to know what was wrong. Hermione told Bella that she was sad…bitter…angry…impulsive. Selfish. Bella screamed that she had a right to be those things. And Hermione agreed. She only hugged her and agreed."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 28****th**** of July 1995**

**8:00 PM**

"We can begin now."

Dumbledore looked up as Tom swept into the room. Albus frowned at his colleague, wondering briefly if the man was ill. His face was paler than usual, the color of snow almost and he looked slightly annoyed. His hair was framing his face instead of its usual perfect ponytail. Tonks and Emmeline hummed in appreciation. That amused Albus more than a little.

"Ah…where is young Bella?" Albus asked, curiously. Lately, the girl was never gone for long from Hermione or Tom's side. To see them both without her company was more than a little disconcerting.

"She won't be coming today. She is…not in the right state to be here," Tom said, sharply. The other Order members looked amused. Snape was sneering, obviously annoyed.

"She shouldn't be an Order member in the first place. Potter should get her priorities in order first. Probably, complaining about acne of some sort," Snape sneered. Hermione glared at her professor and the arm with her tattoo twitched. Snape noticed and his large nostrils flared slightly.

"No. She is attempting to reconnect with her dead mother. For her sake and our own…she will not be coming today. The meeting would be a waste of time. She wouldn't be able to contribute anything. She hasn't spoken to us since two earlier today. She won't come out of her room," Hermione sighed. Snape froze at the mention of Lily Potter.

Tom cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair in absolute frustration. Albus wondered what was troubling the boy, though he knew he wouldn't get any answers if he asked in front of everybody. Tom was exceedingly private.

"She came out, all right. And almost destroyed my piano."

"What? She almost _what_?" Remus asked in confusion. Tom sighed and crossed his arms.

"She was playing the piano in the ballroom earlier. She became upset and she locked herself inside of her room. She refused to come out. I was late because she decided to come out and attempted to destroy my piano. I was _going_ to sell it. Now, she's sitting there…just sitting. And when I left…she started to play."

Albus frowned at the explanation. It sounded like Tom was leaving things out. It wasn't important to the greater good so it couldn't mean _that_ much. Bella was a volatile weapon and he had to make sure that she felt that she was in control as much as possible. Or his plans would never work. And he _needed_ them to work.

Little did Albus Dumbledore know…little did he know.

Bella Potter wasn't only a volatile weapon. She was a weapon of destruction.

_His_ destruction.

:::

**A/N: **I know this is a little shorter than it normally is but oh well. This chapter was a filler and I needed to get to this little recurring theme: the piano. It will now constantly be a recurring theme, signifying pain and hurt. Tom has a lot of emotional baggage. He needs someone with about the same amount of baggage: Bella. I needed to bring it when Tom and Bella got together since I can also show that Bella trusts almost no one more than she trusts _him_. Telling Tom something like that has made Tom think about certain secrets that he's keeping from her.

It's making him have second thoughts. And he's tearing himself up inside. How would you feel if someone you cared _deeply_ about just told you something that they had never told anyone? And you were holding an important aspect of yourself secret? I bet you'd _hate_ yourself. Imagine how that would feel with a _soul_ bond. You're obligated to ensure that person's happiness. And lying doesn't make _anyone _happy…

The song in this chapter is: To Zanarkand

Next Chapter: Hogwarts Express, High Expectations, and High Inquisitors


	54. Chapter XLIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Well, this is is. They will be going to Hogwarts in this chapter. And to make up for the short as hell chapter last time, this chapter is extra long. Yay! Someone pointed out Ginny's crush on Tom. Bella is _not_ threatened by it and you'll see in this chapter why she isn't. Anyway, they're going to Hogwarts. I missed writing about Hogwarts…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XLIX**

**Platform 9****¾,** King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1995**

**10:45 AM**

"I can't believe that we actually got here _before_ the time the train is supposed to leave," Hermione said in surprise. Ginny and Gideon nodded in agreement. Ron was slouching, his prefect badge gleaming proudly on his chest. Bella wondered briefly how _he_ had got prefect.

"I know! Isn't that amazing, Bella?" Gideon asked, hoping to get something out of Bella.

Bella had purposefully not spoken to any of the children _her_ age for anything. When she _had_ to speak it was always a 'yes' or 'no'. Focusing on her own personal thoughts was a lot easier the way she was going about things. She would officially end the exile of her mind when the train moved but not until then.

"Hn…" Bella said, softly. She ran her hand over Sasha's cool scales. Sasha was curled up around her arm and Bella knew that she would grow bigger than she was. Sasha was but a baby at this point. Sasha would grow to be three feet, as she was a magical snake.

"**Why do you not speak to the Bush sister and the flames?**" Sasha asked, curiously. Bella shrugged and leaned her head back against the wall.

"**I don't feel like it.**"

"**Where is your mate? I do not feel him around,**" Sasha asked, curiously. Bella choked over air at the word 'mate' but didn't say anything opposing the idea. In all honesty, she _didn't_ oppose the idea all that much. But, honestly, Sasha just couldn't say _boyfriend_?

"**He's a teacher at school. He has to be at the school earlier because they have a staff meeting. I'll see him later,**" Bella hissed back. If snakes could frown, Sasha would be.

"**He is your instructor? That is strange.**"

Bella laughed, quietly. Hermione looked at her in surprise but said nothing. She was content with just hearing her sister make a noise. The door slid open and Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini stood in the doorway. A gleaming prefect badge sat on Draco's chest. The Weasleys scowled at the two Slytherins.

"Hello, Princess," Draco said, softly. Hermione had written about what had happened. Bella looked up at the nickname that hadn't been used in quite some time. Draco sat down and wrapped his arms around Bella in a hug. She didn't hug him back but she leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"_Sorella_. Mórrígan," Blaise said, softly in greeting. Hermione smiled and pulled Blaise down next to her. She swung her legs over his lap and leaned her head against his shoulder. He looked down at her with a slight smile.

"How did the hunting go?" Hermione asked. Bella straightened and Blaise's lips curled into a smile.

"Wonderful. Gianna is a saint! Or a demon. Whichever. She was incredible. Mother was ecstatic when Gianna finished everything off. Arsenic. And then Mother burst out crying when Gianna said she wanted to be just like her when she's older," Blaise said, as the warning whistle sounded on the platform. Hermione was laughing as she stood up to get to the prefect carriage.

She looked to Draco who was holding Bella and whispering into her ear. Bella nodded, understandingly. The train began to move and the group tumbled, not ready for the sudden movement.

"Ouch! That fucking hurt! Gideon, get the _hell_ off of me!"

Hermione's eyes widened when she looked over at Bella. She was glaring angrily at Gideon. Gideon had fallen onto her and he was blushing, viciously. Bella's glare softened and she pushed Gideon off of her, gently.

"Uh…er…sorry!" Gideon blurted out, flushing. Bella's lips curled into a slow smile. She was obviously amused at his embarrassment.

"It's all right."

Ron was gaping at her.

"You're talking again!" Ron said in astonishment. Draco rolled his eyes as he turned to walk to the prefect carriage.

"No shit, Sherlock. And _you're_ a prefect…hmph. Where's Loony?" Draco asked. Ginny glared at him.

"Don't call her that!" she spat. Draco rolled his eyes.

"_Fine_, Weaslette. Where is _Luna_?" Draco said, drawling Luna's name. Bella shrugged and Draco fixed Bella with a set look.

"Barcelona?" Draco said. Ginny blinked at the word. She wasn't sure if Malfoy was asking as a question or just saying the word like it was a code. Ginny was even more surprised by the reactions it evoked from the close foursome.

Zabini looked surprised. Hermione began to laugh and Bella looked feral. Wild. It was strange because it wasn't Bella's usual wildness. It was something different…almost sexual…

"Mhmm. Fun, fun, _fun_," Bella said with a light grin. Malfoy looked disgusted at that and he looked to Hermione. Hermione laughed.

"I wrote you _before_ I got the unrated version. She told a mild version to Sirius and Maya. _I_ got the good stuff. I'll tell you later," Hermione said, laughing. Malfoy nodded and gave Bella a stern look.

"I found out how to get rid of wine stains, though," Bella said, cheerfully. Ginny had the impression that Malfoy knew _exactly_ how to get rid of wine stains but didn't want to say anything.

"I know how to get rid of wine stains, Bella. I _don't_ want to hear how you got rid of _yours_. I find it disgusting, frankly," Malfoy said, sharply. Bella laughed and rolled her eyes. Ginny shuddered when her snake reared its head and hissed at her. Bella answered back in a strangled hissing sound before looking up.

"You three should go to the prefect carriage and see what's up," Bella instructed. Malfoy nodded and Zabini smirked.

"Bye, bye _Principessa _Prefect."

Hermione bared her teeth at him and straddled his lap. She glared at him and lifted her fist up.

"You're not fatally ill anymore. I _will_ kill you," Hermione threatened. Zabini smirked.

"Can't. I'm already nearly dead," he said, cheerfully. Ginny wondered briefly wondered what he meant by that but didn't want to ask. She wasn't all too fond of the Slytherins, though she tolerated them.

"That means you're slightly alive. And unless you will be _all_ dead, you won't call me Princess Prefect," Hermione snarled. Zabini's cheerful smirk never left his face and he leaned forward.

"Of course, _bellissima ragazza_," he purred. Hermione flushed and pushed herself off of him. Ron looked extremely pissed off at the moment and he glared at Zabini. Zabini gave a dismissive wave that delivered his message loud and clear.

Yes, I know. You're jealous. Too bad that I'm a badass and you're not.

Ron stormed out and Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her out of the room, leaving Gideon, Bella, Zabini and Ginny alone. They sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Zabini broke it.

"Piano. Will you play for me when we get to Hogwarts?" Zabini asked. Ginny and Gideon stiffened at the question. Everyone had avoided speaking about the incident. Even Sirius hadn't confronted Bella about it. Though, Ginny _had_ seen him go into the ballroom when Bella was playing. She had stopped playing her sad music and played something different then. Even still, it had been a gorgeous sound.

"I can't play the piano," Bella said, flatly. Her eyes were hard once more and Gideon and Ginny knew better than to argue with her. She sometimes got violent and would break something. In Riddle Manor, when Ron had first mentioned the piano, Bella had thrown a plate at him. Ron had ducked just in time for it to shatter against the wall.

"Can't? Or won't?" Zabini countered. Bella sighed.

"I won't. It was a one-time thing. Tom asked so…I did. And I won't. _Ever_," Bella said, emphasizing the last word. Zabini crossed his arms and sighed, annoyed.

"You're going to have to stop being so afraid, sometime, Bella."

"I am _not_ afraid of a piano," Bella hissed, angrily. Zabini gave her a slight smile and turned back to staring out of the window. Ginny looked at him, curiously as he reached out and tucked a lock of Bella's hair behind her ear.

"I never said it was the piano you feared."

Ginny gave the teen an assessing look. Zabini was the only Slytherin that she had never been able to understand. As a Ravenclaw, Ginny liked to understand most things. She found the bond that the four shared strange.

They were all so different. Malfoy was shallow and sardonic. Bella was beautiful and impulsive. Hermione was bloodthirsty and mature. Zabini was the only one Ginny couldn't quite figure out. Not that he could figure out the others much anyway.

Zabini's attitude told one thing about him that only made Ginny even more confused.

He _knew_.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, English Countryside, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1995**

**12:00 PM**

"An hour? What did you guys talk about?" Bella asked as the three returned to the compartment. Ron gave her a smug look as if being prefect mattered to her at all.

"We can't tell you. I'm starving!" Ron said, throwing himself next to his siblings and grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Ginny. Bella stifled her smile when Ginny scowled at him.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"Who is the Slytherin girl prefect?" Bella asked, curiously. Hermione sneered, disdainfully at the question.

"That complete cow, Pansy Parkinson. She was throwing herself at Draco. My brother has higher standards than _her_. How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll is beyond _me_," Hermione sniffed, viciously.

Ginny and Gideon shared a snicker over that one. Draco looked a little annoyed but he said nothing as he laid his head in Bella's lap. Bella noticed that his hair wasn't slicked back like it usually was. She ran her hands through his hair and she looked down.

"How's Charlie?" Bella asked, carefully. Draco looked up with challenging eyes.

"I don't know. How was Barcelona?"

"Fun. I told you. It was _really, really_ fun," Bella said, softly. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"When did you go to Barcelona?" Ginny asked. Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"A couple weeks ago. My birthday. After I went to dinner with Draco, I went to Barcelona. Blaise was in Spain but I wasn't quite sure _where. _So, I explored Barcelona for a bit instead," Bella lied, fluently. She was pleased when Ginny seemed to accept this as the truth.

"Anyway, continue. Hufflepuff prefects?" Bella asked. Draco snorted.

"The Jigglypuff prefects: Macmillan and Abbott. And Padma Patil and Goldstein for Ravenclaw," Draco continued. Hermione smacked Draco's leg. She was sitting with Draco's legs next to her and her own legs across Blaise's lap.

"Don't be an ass."

"Too late," Bella snickered. The two girls of the four giggled. Ron snorted into his hand. Gideon frowned.

"How did you guys get so close?"

The four looked at each other at the strange question before Bella's eyes widened. A bright smile spread across her lips as if she had just remembered.

"Right…Draco and I exchanged blood. I offered blood to him in exchange for help but it formed a sibling bond. We started talking and hanging out and became pretty close. Hermione and I were always together and Blaise and Draco were always together so we all started hanging out. I always thought of Hermione as a sister but Blaise…Blaise knows things. He reads me easily so…" Bella trailed off. Blaise snorted.

"Barely. I can't deal with your mood swings like _he_ can."

Gideon got the impression that they weren't talking about Draco. They were talking about the only person that Bella had felt comfortable enough to play for.

Riddle.

"Yes, well. He doesn't _deal _with my 'mood swings'. He tends to leave and let me destroy things unless they're worth money. I tried to destroy the piano. Didn't work out so well. Then, I went into a fit when Ronald decided to be tactless," Bella said, casting an annoyed yet amused looked at her friend. Ron had the decency to blush.

"Sorry…" he muttered. Blaise looked intrigued.

"How did he deal with that? What did you _do_?" he asked. Bella blushed. Hermione laughed.

"She started throwing plates. Tom had to carry her out of the room, kicking and screaming before tossing her in a warded room so she couldn't use her magic to destroy the wards."

Bella glared at her as Draco began laughing.

"And don't forget that one mood swing. Do you wanna touch me?"

The students in the compartment looked up at the girl with wide grey eyes and long straggly blond hair. She was already in her Hogwarts robes and she had a dreamy smile on her face. A tall boy with a round pale face was behind her.

Neville.

Luna.

Blaise burst out laughing first. He was on the ground and Hermione was after him. They held onto each other as they laughed. Draco was choking over his laughter. Bella was flushed to the point where she was red.

"That wasn't my fault!"

"No, it was nature. That doesn't mean that it didn't happen."

Ginny frowned. Bella wasn't easily embarrassed. Whatever she did must have really been embarrassing for her. But, at the same time she looked pleased.

"I don't get it," Ron said. Bella shook her head.

"It's better that you _don't_ get it. It'll make life easier for me if you _never_ get it. Luna, come sit down. Neville, you can come in too," Bella said, smiling. Neville gave her a shy smile and walked in with his freaky looking plant. Luna walked in and cuddled up into Draco's side.

Draco stiffened.

"Lu…Loony…don't."

"I _know_, Draco. I've Seen," Luna said, sadly. Bella straightened with a frown. Blaise and Hermione cast him strange looks.

"Could you…leave for a moment?" Bella asked, slowly. Ron looked annoyed.

"Why should we leave?" he demanded. Bella turned on him, fiercely. Her eyes were a bright green, making Ron flinch. Her wand was pointed at him and the air sparked with static.

"Leave. Now!" she spat. Gideon and Ginny jumped up and Neville was already stumbling towards the door. Ron closed the door and Bella gestured to the door. Hermione pulled down the curtains and locked the door. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"_Muffliato_."

"Learned that one from Uncle Sirius?" Bella asked with a slight smile. Hermione winked.

"You know it."

"What do you have to tell us? What has Luna Seen?" Blaise asked, cutting through the nervous talk. Bella was suddenly paying attention. Draco glared.

"Lord Voldemort has given father a task. He needs to secure an alliance with the Indian Ministry. The Indian Minister on one condition…if I…find her a suitable husband. If I can't, _I _have to marry her. Apparently, his daughter can get a date by herself. And my father doesn't think I can do it in two years but…" Draco sneered. Bella's eyes widened.

"Does Charlie know?"

"Why does he need to know?" Draco sneered. Luna gave him a sad look.

"I know you feel affection for him," Luna said, regretfully. Draco looked away feeling rather guilty.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's not Bella's fault that she fancies Tom. It's not your fault that you fancy Charlie," Luna said, softly. Draco looked at Luna, affectionately.

"But…" Draco trailed off. Luna's lips curled into a smile.

"You fancy me too. Draco…you're going to have to choose eventually. But, I won't make you now. I care for you," Luna said, openly. Bella, Blaise, and Hermione stayed quite, tactfully. Draco nodded.

"Let's focus on the present problem then. Her name is Lalita. She's transferring to Hogwarts this year. And I _don't_ want to marry her. What are we going to do about it?" Draco demanded.

Bella ran her hand through her hair.

"Well, do you _have_ to do it? I mean, if we help you complete this task, we'll be helping Voldemort," Bella said. She wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. Draco blinked at that.

"I _do_ have to do it. I won't put my father in danger. He's bound to Voldemort and if the task doesn't get done…I don't want him to die. And…Voldemort isn't all that bad."

"What do you mean Voldemort isn't bad?" demanded Hermione, shrilly. Draco cringed at her voice and crossed his arms as he thought about how to phrase it.

"I sat with him in the library a lot. He was tolerant of my disrespect, patient, and he has a very commanding air about him. He's rather charismatic, despite his looks. I'm just saying that we should evaluate him and let him do as he pleases. We're Neutral right now, right? What if…what if Voldemort has the right ideas? He talked to me about some of his plans," Draco said, slowly. Bella blinked in surprised and the three others looked to her. Draco seemed to be asking her permission for something. Bella shrugged.

"Continue."

"So, he was telling me about bringing back some of the old pureblood holidays. With Muggleborns coming into our society, they have made us lose our way. We don't celebrate Samhain or Yule anymore. Only some of the purebloods call 'Christmas', Yule anymore. I don't understand why they call it Christmas. Most of them _don't_ practice Christianity. He was also talking to me about equal rights for the creatures and a reform of the justice system for _all_ criminals," Draco explained.

Bella's eyes widened. She recognized the last two ideas. She had expressed her want to do something about those two predicaments after school.

"I suppose…that we could call him an unknown variable for now. But…Grindelwald has _got_ to go. Agreed?" Bella asked. Luna nodded. Draco, Blaise, and Hermione looked at each other before nodding.

"Agreed," the three other siblings chorused. Bella smirked. Hermione turned her attention back to Draco's task.

"Lets see a picture of her. We can see if anyone would be attracted to her. Anyone with standing anyway. Do you have one?" Hermione asked, curiously. Draco nodded, slowly, and reached for his trunk. He opened it before taking out a magical picture.

Bella blinked.

"Oh…wow…_wow!_ Um…I think…yeah, we've got our work cut out for us."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1995**

**7:00 PM**

The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. Again, Bella noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as she passed; she gritted her teeth and gave them uncaring looks.

She didn't give a damn about what they thought.

Luna and Ginny drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table. Draco and Blaise had left soon after they walked into the Great Hall. But not before Draco had given Bella hug of desperation. He was relying on Bella for this to work.

Bella, Ron, Hermione and Neville found seats together about halfway down the table between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, the last two of whom gave Bella airy, overly-friendly greetings that made her quite sure they had stopped talking about him a split second before. She had more important things to worry about, however: she was looking over the students' heads to the staff table that ran along the top wall of the Hall.

"He's not there."

"_He's _not there?" Hermione asked in surprise. Bella rolled her eyes.

"No, no. Tom is there. He's looking at me all amused. I'm talking about _Hagrid_. I didn't see him bringing the first-years. I saw that Grubbly-Plank woman instead," Bella said. Ron frowned.

"Where do you suppose he is?" Ron asked, curiously. Bella and Hermione exchanged glances.

"We know where he is. He's still out on his mission," Hermione whispered, quietly. Reminding Ron that they knew things that he didn't made him scowl at them. The two girls exchanged the rolling of eyes at their male friend.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked, looking next to Dumbledore.

On the other side of Dumbledore, where Professor McGonagall usually sat, was a woman. She was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She took a sip from her goblet and Bella cringed at the pallid, toadlike face.

"Oh dear God…she looks disgusting," Bella said, horrified. Hermione nodded in agreement and then her eyes lit up in amusement.

"She's batting her eyes at Tom. Dear Merlin, _look_ at his face!" Hermione cackled. Bella's lips twisted into a smile as well.

The ugly little woman was batting her eyes at Tom in a coy manner. He looked horror-stricken and many of the other students noticed as well. They were all snickering at him.

"Nice cardigan," Ron smirked.

Bella didn't have the time to respond;Professor Grubbly-Plank who had just appeared had caught her attention. She worked her way along to the very end and took the seat that ought to have been Hagrid's.

That meant the first-years must have crossed the lake and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the doors from the Entrance Hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first-years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first-years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The first-years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:

_In times of old when I was new,_

_And Hogwarts barely started,_

_The founders of our noble school,_

_Thought never to be parted,_

_United by a common goal,_

_They had the selfsame yearning,_

_To make the world's best magic school,_

_And pass along their learning._

_"__Together we will build and teach!"_

_The four good friends decided,_

_And never did they dream,_

_That they might some day be divided,_

_For were there such friends anywhere,_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?_

_So how could it have gone so wrong?_

_How could such friendships fail?_

_Why, I was there and so can tell,_

_The whole sad, sorry tale._

_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those whose_

_Ancestry is purest."_

_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_

_Intelligence is surest."_

_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_

_With brave deeds to their name."_

_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,_

_And treat them just the same."_

_These differences caused little strife,_

_When first they came to light,_

_For each of the four founders had_

_A house in which they might_

_Take only those they wanted,_

_So, for instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pure-blood wizards_

_Of great cunning, just like him,_

_And only those of sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and the boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor._

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,_

_And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus the houses and their founders_

_Retained friendships firm and true._

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy years,_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our faults and fears._

_The houses that, like pillars four,_

_Had once held up our school,_

_Now turned upon each other and,_

_Divided, sought to rule._

_And for a while it seemed the school_

_Must meet an early end,_

_What with dueling and with fighting_

_And the clash of friend on friend_

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downhearted._

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whittled down to three_

_Have the houses been united_

_As they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into houses_

_Because that is what I'm for,_

_But this year I'll go further,_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether Sorting_

_May not bring the end I fear._

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within_

_I have told you, I have warned you…_

_Let the Sorting now begin._

The Hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Bella's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors, and Bella, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has," said Bella.

The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and its own role in Sorting them. Bella could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.

"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" said Hermione, sounding slightly anxious.

"Yes, indeed," said Nearly Headless Nick knowledgeably, leaning across Neville towards her (Neville winced; it was very uncomfortable to have a ghost lean through you). "The Hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels –"

But Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first-years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Nearly Headless Nick placed a see-through finger to his lips and sat primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end.

With a last frowning look that swept the four house tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.

"Abercrombie, Euan."

The terrified-looking boy Bella had noticed earlier stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted:

"Gryffindor!"

Bella clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor house as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

Slowly, the long line of first-years thinned. In the pauses between the names and the Sorting Hat's decisions, Bella could hear Ron's stomach rumbling loudly. Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

Professor McGonagall put down the scroll and cleared her throat. She announce the next name:

"Singh, Lalita."

Bella cringed as she watched the tall and curvy Indian girl walk up to the stand. She was tall for an Indian girl and wore wire frames. Her eyes were a blue-green and she was wearing the Hogwarts uniform.

The trousers were slightly baggy and she was slouching. Her brown hair was pulled into a long braid and the open robe was baggy. Her white button down shirt wasn't tucked in and the vest over it was wrinkled.

"Oh jeez…" Bella groaned. The girl's eyes widened when they fell on Tom. Tom was staring at her in shock. He glanced at Bella and Lalita turned her head to look at Bella. Lalita flinched as she stared at the pretty girl.

She walked forward, slouched before sitting down and putting the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!"

Lalita stood and Bella stood up, clapping. The others stared at her in shock as they clapped, kindly. Tom frowned at her and she gave a one-shouldered shrug. Lalita made her way to the isolated part of the table. Bella reached across the table and grabbed her wrist.

"Move over, Ron."

"What? Why?" Ron demanded. Bella hissed, dangerously at him. Ron flinched and moved over. Lalita looked at Bella, bewildered.

"Hi! I'm Bella Potter, Draco Malfoy's blood sister. He told me you'd be here for two years. Sit with us," Bella insisted. Lalita didn't say anything but she nodded. Hermione held out her hand, smiling.

"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger, Draco's other and severely underappreciated sister."

Lalita nodded, slowly.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere,

so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them on to his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick.

"You are Bella Potter."

Bella blinked at Lalita's voice. It was surprisingly strong. She looked like the classic nerd. Even though Bella wore glasses, people _liked_ how she looked. They said she looked hot. Well, Tom said she looked extremely sexy but he was obligated to say things like that.

"Yes. I am. Anything you want to know about Hogwarts, I'm your girl," Bella said, trying to be as amiable as possible. She wasn't very good at making friends. Evidently, people noticed that.

"You say Grindelwald and the Dark Lord are back. I believe you," Lalita said, strongly. Bella blinked in surprise before her lips curled into a smile and she nodded.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. Ah…who is that?" Lalita asked, looking up at the Head Table. She was looking at Tom. Tom's wand was out and he was pointing it, discreetly at the group. Bella frowned in confusion and he gave a sharp flick.

Bella looked down at her goblet and her lips spread into a smile as the butterbeer turned into red wine. Hermione looked at her in surprise. Bella nodded in thanks. He smirked at her.

"Oh, that's Professor Tom Riddle. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Hermione said. Lalita nodded slowly and she looked at the English food, strangely.

"I am sorry for my questions. I do not know Hogwarts. It is disconcerting. I was homeschooled before this year," Lalita said. Bella raised the wine to her lips and she took a sip. She shuddered, slightly, and Ron frowned.

"You all right, Bella."

"_Bastard_…" Bella grinned. Her hand found the locket and she rolled her eyes as she looked down at it.

"He does that often?" Hermione asked. Lalita looked at her in confusion. Bella nodded and shrugged.

"He finds it funny. He's going to taunt me about it. Bastard."

Lalita took a bite of the kidney-and-steak pie and found that she enjoyed it immensely. She liked it more than most of the other things. She watched as Bella Potter took a sip of the red wine in her goblet.

"Lalita, from what part of India are you from?" Bella asked. Lalita blinked in surprise before clearing her throat.

"I was born in Mumbai but I have lived in New Delhi for as long as I can remember," Lalita said, truthfully. Bella nodded.

"That's cool. What's it—what the hell do you want?" Bella said, looking over Lalita's shoulder. Lalita turned around to see two handsome boys. Lalita blushed when she saw that one of them was Draco Malfoy. She hadn't met him but his picture didn't do him justice. The other boy was just as handsome.

"We wanted to meet Lalita. Don't be rude," the boy she didn't know said sharply. Bella raised her eyebrow.

"You're not my father. He's _dead_."

"Yes, we know. Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy. You must be Lalita Singh. A pleasure to meet you," Draco said, sharply. Lalita swallowed and Draco looked her over.

She knew the boy's task. Get her boyfriend. A pureblood boyfriend but that would be hard to do. Lalita wasn't interested in boys. She liked studying and horseback-riding. She couldn't tolerate the stupidity of boys. But, her father didn't pay much attention to that. He was so very old-fashioned.

"Hello, my name is Lalita," Lalita mumbled. Draco sneered.

"Don't mumble. Sit up straight. Speak clearly," Draco said, sharply. Lalita followed his instructions and flinched when he gave her a cold look. Bella sighed and shook her head. Hermione patted Lalita's hand.

"It's okay. We won't let the mean Draco Malfoy hurt you."

"Shut up, Mudblood."

Lalita gasped at the word. Was it right to call your sister that word?

Yet, Hermione Granger wasn't bothered by the word. She seemed happy about it actually.

"Ignore their bickering. I'm Blaise Zabini, Draco's brother in some ways. Hermione, Bella, and I will be helping him complete his task," Blaise smiled. Lalita's eyes widened in realization.

They were trying to help their brother.

"Oh…all right," Lalita said, slowly. Blaise gave another charming smile before grabbing Draco by the wrist. Draco turned away, giving Lalita a clear view of his sai swords. She blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to say something. Hermione gave her a knowing smile.

"Everyone knows he carries around those swords. We…we're very paranoid. All three of us. We carry weapons. Bella's violent enough not to need a weapon is all," Hermione teased. The redhead boy and Bella snorted. Lalita found the boy's snorting disgusting.

"Last one to be talking, missy."

"Right…says the one with crazy mood swings," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"You threw a _plate_ at my head!" Ron pointed out. Bella laughed, quietly.

"You _deserved_ it."

They continued to dine until everything had disappeared and Dumbledore stood up, looking at everyone with bright eyes.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." Bella and Hermione exchanged smirks. Bella looked over at the Slytherin table and could see her brothers exchanging smirks as well.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, the new Hogwarts High Inquisitor."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. Dumbledore had not said for how long Grubbly- Plank would be teaching.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -"

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Bella had ever seen it. Tom's lips had curled into a smirk. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Bella felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to herself; all she knew was that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

Bella glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Bella distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Bella had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

"… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Bella noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot.'

"I get it. This is absolutely ridiculous," Bella agreed. Ron frowned.

"I wasn't listening. It sounded like a bunch of waffle," Ron said.

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.

"Was there?" said Ron blankly.

"How about: 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about: 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"

"Well, what does that mean?" said Ron impatiently.

"I'll tell you what it means," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the first-years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey - hey, you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy…"

"I know, but you can't call them midgets! - First-years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

Bella stood and Lalita stood as well. Bella waved the girl forward with a bright smile. Lalita slunk forward and stood next to the shorter girl. They made it to the doorway until a hand wrapped around Bella's wrist. Lalita blinked when she saw that it was the Professor that she had asked about.

"Tom?" Bella asked. Lalita wondered, briefly, why she called him by his first name. Professor Riddle gave her a sharp look.

"The music room. Tomorrow. Bring your siblings and…perhaps your new friend."

Lalita watched as Bella cringed from the man as if she had just been bitten. Lalita jumped when a black snake hissed from her shoulder. Lalita had missed the snake among Bella's long black hair.

"No. I'm not playing. You're insane."

"Yeah. I'm sure I am. I deal with _you_," he said, shortly. Lalita blinked. What was a teaching doing, talking to his student like that? That would never have been accepted if he were her schoolteacher at home.

"Right. It's always me. Why are you four so intent on getting me to play again? It was once. You asked. I did. You are so persistent!" Bella groaned. Professor Riddle looked oddly amused by that.

"The pot calling the kettle black. If you want to be difficult, do so. Be prepared to get your ass kicked in your dueling lessons."

Lalita watched as Bella's mood brightened.

"We'll see. I've got to go. **Do you know about Lalita?**" Bella asked. She knew that Tom most likely knew. He had supposedly had an epic spy network though Bella had never seen _one_ of these spies.

"I do. You'll have to focus more on that then your dueling lessons, so we'll cut them down to every Friday. Is that all right?" Tom asked, carefully. Bella nodded with a smile.

"Of course. Come on, Lalita. It's time to get you to the dormitory."

Lalita followed and wondered how long Professor Riddle and Bella had been in a relationship.

:::

**A/N: **HA! HA, HA, HA! Lalita has arrived! Draco will _not_ be getting together with Lalita though they probably will become really good friends. This was such a fun chapter to write. I like Lalita. She is your classic nerd. She fades into the background and observes. She was in the company of Bella and Tom for three minutes and she already knew they were together. Though, she is a loyal person. I was about to sort her into Hufflepuff but I needed her in Gryffindor.

Next Chapter: Detentions and Death Threats


	55. Chapter L

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I am so bored that I decided to write another chapter. Lalita will attend her first day of classes and Tom claims Bella (not in THAT way. Minds out of the gutter!). Lalita is a fun character to write. She's a textbook nerd. Hermione in canon was sort of like that but she had her moments. Here, Hermione is a studious psychotic. Lalita is going to give her a run for her money…

And…just for those who haven't figured it out: THIS IS AS MUCH BELLA'S ARC AS IT IS TOM'S ARC.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter L**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**7:30 PM**

Lalita sat on her bed, braiding her hair, carefully. She looked up as Bella came out of the washroom, dressed, her hair still wet. Her fringe didn't cover the lightening bolt scar that Grindelwald had given her on that Halloween night, fourteen years ago. Bella waved her wand and it dried, instantly. Lalita watched, amused as she tried to pull a brush through the curls and snarls.

"You're going to pull out your hair."

Lalita watched as Hermione walked over to her briskly. Her hair was already pulled into a tight braid. Lalita knew that the girl had worked hard to tame her curly hair. Bella nodded and looked over at Parvati and Lavender. They were gossiping behind their hands. Bella rolled her eyes as they spoke blatantly about her. Fay Dunbar was fixing her hair, though she looked rather tough.

"I don't care. I just want out of here," Bella said, sharply. Hermione sighed and patiently began pulling the brush through Bella's hair until it fell in waves and curls. Lalita couldn't tell if it was supposed to be either. The only word that could explain Bella's hair would be untamable.

"Are you done yet?" Bella whined. Hermione poked her sister in the back with the brush as she gathered Bella's hair back and took one of Bella's many bangles off the bed and secured her hair in a low ponytail.

"Patience is a virtue, Ana. A virtue that you _don't_ have," Hermione said, sharply. Bella sighed and took a charm bracelet and placed it on one wrist. She slid her other bangles on her other wrist. Lalita could make out a key dangling from one of the bangles. Around her neck was a small silver locket.

But, the most prominent was a beautifully ornate locket that was about four times bigger than the silver locket around her neck. Parvati and Lavender seemed to be ogling the locket as well, though Lalita wondered why briefly.

"That's the locket that Professor Riddle carried around over the summer," Parvati said, sharply. Bella looked up and blinked. She was looking at Parvati in surprise and she brushed her fringe over her scar, self-consciously. Lalita wondered why she was self-conscious about such a show of strength.

"How do you knot that?" Hermione asked, curiously. Lavender cleared her throat.

"Well, in class, when he told us to sit there and read, he'd take it out and look at it. He used to wave his wand over it and it glowed sometimes. Why do _you_ have it?" Lavender demanded. Bella stood and crossed her arms.

"It was a gift. I don't see why it's any of your business. He's my magical guardian and birthday just passed," Bella said, shortly. Lavender and Parvati gave her a jealous look. Bella clutched her locket, protectively. She reached her hand down to her bed and the black adder slithered up her arm and around her arm, like another bangle.

"Lalita, are you ready?" Hermione asked as she picked up her bag. Lalita nodded, slowly. She picked up the book she had been reading, a book written in Hindi that she had smuggled from her father's library. Lalita walked, quickly after the two girls.

Lalita was impressed with the blatant dismissal of Bella to the people that were looking at her strangely. She didn't look like she cared in the least.

"Does she not care?" Lalita whispered to Hermione. Bella was walking ahead of the two, her bag on her shoulder. Hermione looked at her sister's back.

"It's difficult to tell, exactly. Bella isn't one for expressing her grief or sadness. She thinks they are weak. But, honestly, in this instance, I don't think she gives a damn. In reality, few opinions truly matter to her," Hermione said, softly. Lalita nodded in understanding. Bella entered the Great Hall and turned to the Slytherin table. Draco and Blaise were already sitting there.

Lalita straightened as she remembered what Draco had told her the night before.

Lalita watched as Bella crooked her finger. The two boys looked at her in confusion and she sighed before rolling her eyes at the Gryffindors that were looking at her strangely. Draco was up in a second, Blaise following him. The two walked over to Bella and Hermione. Blaise wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and the pair walked to the Gryffindor table. Bella, Lalita, and Draco followed.

Blaise, Hermione, and Lalita sat across from Draco and Bella. They seemed to be saving a seat. Lalita only had to wonder briefly at whom it was.

A girl with wide grey eyes and long straggly blonde hair sat down between them. Lalita recognized her for what she was almost immediately. Her pupils were too big to be from a normal human. And her ears were pointed.

"You are the _Dēkhanā_. The Seer," Lalita said, in surprise. The Seer's lips spread into a dreamy smile.

"I am. I Saw your arrival," the Seer said, softly. Lalita wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. The Seer's voice was too even for it to be anything but distant.

"This is Luna Lovegood. She's a fourth year Ravenclaw," Draco introduced. Lalita opened her mouth to ask why she sat with them when three Gryffindor boys sat down next to them. Draco sneered at the redheaded boy that Lalita had learned was Ron.

"It's the Weasel, the Leprechaun, and the Mudblood," Draco sneered. Blaise was glaring at his brother.

"Not everyone likes to be called 'mudblood'."

"I know. That's why I said it," Draco snapped. Ron was flushing, deeply. The Irish boy looked uncomfortable but equally angry. The black boy said nothing. But, he looked angry.

"Hey, Ron. Ignore Draco. He's a bastard in the morning. Hi Dean. Hi Seamus," Bella said, smiling. Dean gave her a nervous smile.

"Hi Bella. Good holiday?" Dean asked. Bella's lips curled into a slight smile. She began pouring sugar into her porridge.

"I had the pleasure of going to Barcelona. You?" Bella asked. Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, it was okay. Better than Seamus's anyway," Dean sighed. Bella blinked as Ron suddenly flushed, considerably.

"Why? What happened?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"Me mam didn't want me to come back."

The words had a profound effect on Lalita's four new friends. Draco had stiffened and his hand was twitching toward his sai swords every few seconds. Hermione was gripping the knife at an odd angle, as if she wanted to stab Seamus. Blaise was as still as a statue. Bella had a sardonic smile on her face and she pushed away her food. She turned fully to face Seamus and he flinched at the look on her face.

"Because of me. She thinks I'm a liar. And a slut."

"No, no…not a slut. Not after Rita Skeeter published her apology. And it's not only you…it's Dumbledore too," Seamus continued. Bella turned from him and began to eat her porridge, calmly once more. Seamus was bewildered by her silence.

"Look…what happened that night…we didn't know much. We only heard those three screaming 'Help me' with _your_ voice. What happened?" Seamus asked.

The noise that sounded after silenced almost everyone in the entire room. The staff table had drawn their wands at the sound. Lalita cringed. The sound had sounded so wrong…

It was a terrible high and cold laugh that had scared everyone out of their wits. Lalita had heard the laugh before when _he_ had visited India the past summer with Lucius Malfoy.

It was the laugh of Lord Voldemort. Yet, it wasn't. It was more feminine but it held the same terror in it that Lord Voldemort's voice possessed. Lalita saw the slight change in Bella's posture. She was holding herself in a more serpentine way, it seemed. She moved like a serpent as she moved her hand up and propped her elbows on the table. She placed her chin on her joined fingers.

"You think…that I owe you an explanation? Why don't you read the damn Prophet liked your damned mother?" Bella asked, her tone sibilant. Lalita was fascinated with the change in the girl.

"D-don't you have a go at my mother!" Seamus shouted. Professor Umbridge was standing now with Dumbledore.

"Bella!" Dumbledore commanded. Bella didn't even spare him a glance. Professor Umbridge cleared her throat with an "ahem, ahem".

"Miss Potter, you will watch your tone and stop your shenanigans this—" Umbridge started.

She was interrupted with a warning hiss from Bella. Bella turned, slightly. She fixed Umbridge with a look that silenced the toad woman. Bella tilted her head and turned back, slowly to face Seamus.

"I'll have a go at anyone…_anyone_ who dares call me a liar. I wouldn't lie about something so important. I wouldn't lie about something that I was _afraid_ of. I have my priorities in order. Do you?" Bella asked, carefully. Seamus seemed at a loss for words. A brave Ravenclaw seemed to pick up the mantle.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" he called out. Bella gave another bone-chilling laugh.

"You don't. But, I do hope you're smart enough to realize that I wouldn't joke about something as serious as this. And after what you saw that night, does Grindelwald really returning seem so impossible. You all saw the redheaded woman I was with. My dead mother. If she could return, even temporarily, couldn't Grindelwald?" Bella asked, carefully. Bella stood and picked up a piece of toast off Blaise's plate and walked out of the silent Great Hall.

Lalita was sure that everyone was pondering her words.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**12:00 PM**

"Professor Snape is so…_rude_. I can not believe that a teacher would treat a student like that," Lalita said, her voice depicting her surprise. Bella gave her a dark smile and she crossed her arms.

"Well, believe it. He's a right pain in the arse," Bella said, harshly. She stabbed at her fish and chips with her knife. She could feel the eyes on her and it was making her more and more paranoid.

"Are you okay, Ana?" asked Draco. Bella shook her head and she ran a hand through her hair, nervously. Lalita wondered, briefly it were a nervous habit. She seemed to do it a lot when she was irritated.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Just not in the mood for everyone to be _staring at me_," Bella said, sharply. Lalita saw several people looked down, ashamed at being caught. Hermione put a reassuring hand on Bella's arm.

"You knew they'd be staring at you. After your little announcement this morning, you have people thinking. This is what's going to happen," Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded, impatiently. Her lips twisted into a strange smile and she ran a hand through her hair.

"Do they have to be so damn obvious about it?" Bella asked. Draco snickered and shrugged.

"Yes. You, sit up straight," Draco said, not even looking at Lalita. Lalita sat up straighter and began to eat once more. Blaise looked around.

"Where's Lu?" he asked, curiously. Lalita was forced to think that they were talking about the girl from last night, Luna Lovegood. Draco shrugged though he began looking around as well.

"She might be meditating. She does it a lot now. Luna will be around soon enough," Draco sighed. Hermione nodded.

"I can't believe that I believed that she was a fool for believing in things like Crumpled Snorkacks or whatever," Hermione laughed. Draco raised his eyebrow. Bella looked at her sister and rolled her eyes.

"It's called a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, first of all. And second of all, I'm pretty sure that it's real. I read in the Quibbler…" Bella started. Hermione held up her hand and Bella stopped in confusion.

"There. Right there. 'I read in the Quibbler'. You do know most of that paper is filled with ludicrous theories, right?" Hermione asked with a grin. Bella nodded, slowly, before a grim smile spread across her face.

"Well, it has more truth than the Prophet, now doesn't it?"

"Touché."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**2:00 PM**

"In. Now."

Lalita blinked at Professor Riddle's tone. His voice showed no nonsense and he seemed intensely annoyed by something. The Slytherins and the Gryffindors filed in after him. He walked briskly to his desk and a hiss came from the seat and table near the front. Lalita blinked at the large snake curled around one chair.

Professor Riddle leaned down and hissed something at it. The snake hissed back, annoyed and tried to bite at him.

"**Now, now, Nagini.**"

Lalita spun at the Parseltongue. She gaped at Bella. Bella was a _Parselmouth_! Lalita was further surprised by the fact that Bella walked up to the seat where the snake was and held out her hand. The black adder unwrapped itself from around her arm and slithered onto the desk. Bella crooked her finger at the large snake that resembled a python.

It slithered up Bella's arm and around her waist. Finally, it draped itself across her shoulders and settled its head near her face. It licked her cheek and Bella kissed the top of the snake's head. She sat down and hissed at the black adder. The black adder slithered towards Professor Riddle. He extended his arm with disdain on his face. Lalita was thoroughly amused.

"Come on," Hermione said. Lalita flushed when she realized that she had been standing in the doorway, blocking other people from coming in. Hermione tugged her down the aisle and to the first row. Typically, Lalita wouldn't want to be the center of attention. She wouldn't be able to observe so well but perhaps…that _was_ the best place to observe.

Lalita sat down in the seat next to Bella. Hermione sat on the other side. Draco was sitting next to Lalita and Blaise was on the other side of Hermione. Professor Riddle turned around and sat down on a table near the front. He crossed his legs and took out a book and lifted his wand. He began reading while he wrote words out on the board.

"Parchment out, quills out, wands out. Now."

Lalita watched as everyone scrambled to take out parchment and quills. The Indian girl had to admit that Bella was quite skilled at balancing a gigantic snake and taking out parchment and a quill.

"This year is your fifth year. This year you will have your OWLs. Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Write that down. Just like that," Professor Riddle said. He was still reading a book that looked like it was in Arabic. The words he said appeared on the blackboard.

"He wants us to write a transcript of what he's saying?" Lalita whispered. Hermione's lips curled into a slight smile ands he nodded.

"Yeah. Every little thing. Even the times when he pauses," Hermione whispered back.

"Do you have something to say, Miss Granger?" Riddle asked, sharply. Hermione looked up to find Professor Riddle's eyes staring at her, narrowed. Her amused smile didn't leave her face.

"No, sir."

"In your OWL year, we will be focusing on Defensive Magic Theory as well as practical work. This will be the groundwork for next year's unit in Dueling. This year and the consequent years will be grueling and I will _not_ take it easy on you. Before this year ends, I will have you _groveling_ on the ground begging for me to stop teaching you. By the end of the year, you will be on the ground crying blood. Because I won't take anything from you little shits, this year. You will not whine. You will not complain. You will learn!"

Lalita's mouth dropped open in shock. Even Professor Snape had not sworn at the children. The other students seemed shocked before different reasons it seems. Riddle had never openly threatened them like this.

"Ahem, ahem."

The entire class turned. Professor Riddle looked up, completely annoyed. Lalita looked at Professor Umbridge. She then looked to Bella. Bella looked annoyed at the moment.

"What is it?" Riddle asked, sharply. Professor Umbridge gave him a simper. Lalita watched as his eyes hardened and his sneer turned into a look of absolute disgust.

"Hello, Professor Riddle. I'm just here to observe," Umbridge said. Riddle nodded once and pointed at the corner.

"You may remain there. I tend to throw hexes at my students if they're being morons," Riddle snapped. Bella snorted and Riddle gave her a look.

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry, Professor. I had to sneeze," Bella said, innocently. Riddle glared at her.

"Bullshit. I can tell a difference between a snort of amusement and sneeze, Miss Potter," Riddle said. Umbridge frowned at his language but seemed to like his harsh teaching method.

Lalita was just _scared_ by his teaching method.

"May I ask, why are their wands out?" Umbridge asked. Riddle looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"This is Defense Against the Dark Arts, if you're not clear. What do you think that they will defend with?" Riddle asked, carefully. Umbridge cleared her throat.

"It doesn't seem necessary, is all. There is nothing to be defended against, you see," Umbridge said. Riddle sighed and pointed his wand at Bella as she started to rise.

"You. Sit down. Now. Before I glue you to your seat. Now, Madame Umbridge, I am an intelligent man and I have an eidetic memory. I remember distinctly your speech last night. The Ministry means to interfere with Hogwarts. That is all good but there is one thing you _cannot_ do. You will not. You can not interfere with _my_ Defense classes. Or I will go to the Ministry and soundly beat sense into the Minister. I hope that's clear. Yes? _Great_…" Riddle drawled. Umbridge was shocked into silence and she was staring at him, as if she'd never someone quite like him.

Bella was snickering in her seat. Draco's shoulders were shaking though his head was on the table. Blaise's lips were curled into a smile. Lalita didn't think that he _ever_ laughed. Hermione was giggling. The other students were snickering under their breaths as well. Lalita supposed that Bella's was prominent because it sounded like the voice of a devil in an angel's body. Her laughing sounded cruel somehow.

"Professor Riddle, no has ever dared speak to me like—" Umbridge said. Bella stopped laughing suddenly.

"Time somehow has."

Riddle groaned and Umbridge turned her anger onto Bella. She flinched when she saw the giant viper wrapped around Bella. Bella raised an eyebrow and Umbridge took a step forward.

"And you are?" she asked, as if she didn't know Bella's name. Bella rolled her eyes and raised her eyebrow.

"You shouted my name this morning, Professor. I'm sure you know my name."

"_Bella_…" hissed Draco, Blaise, and Hermione. Bella paid no attention to them. Lalita was sure that the girl wanted to test Umbridge's limits.

"Your insolence is not appreciated," Umbridge said. Bella seemed to annoyed at the woman to stop.

"Your ignorance isn't appreciated either."

"Detention!" Umbridge cried out. Bella smirked.

"I've got my fair amount of detentions, Professor. I think I can deal with one more."

Umbridge glared before storming out. Bella looked at the shocked students and she stood up. The snake slithered off of her and onto the table. Bella took a bow.

"You welcome. I got rid of the evil toad."

"You are impossible. Sit down," Riddle sighed. Bella glared.

"I was expecting a thank you maybe?"

Riddle flicked his wand and Bella fell into the chair. She tried to stand but she found herself glued to the chair. She gaped before muttering something under her breath. Riddle only smirked.

"As, I was saying, this year you will have to work your hardest. Any questions?" Riddle asked. A girl in Slytherin raised her hand, slowly.

"Yes, Miss Bulstrode?"

"What will the regiment include really?" asked Bulstrode. Hermione began jumping in her chair raising her hand. Riddle snorted and pointed at her.

"Answer her question, Miss Granger," he said. Hermione smiled, smugly.

"The training regiment is grueling. I have had three teeth knocked out by him. I've also been stabbed and cursed several times. He has successfully broken my wrist before and I've had to have a finger reattached. Bella has gotten much worst injuries. She's been burned, slashed, slapped, punched, kicked, stabbed, and she had to have her foot reattached once, though that one was mostly her fault," Hermione said, grinning. Bulstrode looked faint. Lalita cringed.

Lavender and Parvati were squealing in disgust. Bella glared at her sister.

"You cut my foot off. On purpose. That wasn't my fault."

"You baited her. And you got your foot cut off. At least you have it back. Though it took forever for Professor Riddle to reattach it," Blaise said, matter-of-factly. Professor Riddle nodded before giving a feral grin.

"I hope that answers that question. Any more questions?"

Ron's hand went up in the air bravely. Riddle nodded at him.

"Will you be allowed to do that to us?" he asked, softly. Riddle tilted his head.

"Probably not. Though, if I cannot physically harm, I _will_ psychologically. We will be doing several simulations this year where you will be put into moments of pressure where you have to make a decision, like killing the target or saving your friend. Tell me, Miss Potter. If you were facing an enemy that was using your friend, not your siblings, but your friend as a human shield, what would you do?" Riddle asked.

Bella didn't even hesitate to answer.

"Kill both of them."

"With what spell?" Riddle asked, immediately.

"I'm skilled at lightning skills. Lightning can pierce the human body fairly easy."

"If you were without a wand?"

"It depends with what weapon. If it were a weapon with a point, I'd kill the human shield first. The enemy wouldn't have anyone to hide behind. Then, I'd slit his throat. If I were without a weapon, I'd kill the human shield and then I'd break the enemy's leg so he lose his mobility. I'd then break his neck. As bloodless as possible. I'm not a fan for blood," Bella said with a look of disgust.

The entire class was staring at her in horror. Except for her siblings. They looked completely at ease with her talk.

"_That_ is how a cold-blooded killer thinks. Learn it. I don't give a damn about what the Ministry thinks. _I_ believe that Grindelwald and Voldemort are back. And every last one of you in here will eventually choose a side. Soon, there will not be a Neutral. You will be divided. Your enemy might be your best friend. And you will have to think like that. It's _my _job to turn you into killers. If you do not have what it takes, please leave. There is a softer course available," Riddle said, sharply.

Lavender raised her hand, shakily.

"P-professor, may I leave?" she asked. Riddle nodded once. Lavender and Parvati stood but Riddle raised a hand.

"Patil. You're a harpy. You can kill a person. Brown, leave."

Parvati sat, looking shocked. Lavender left quickly. Riddle began walking up and down the aisle.

"Parkinson, get out. Dunbar, stay. Thomas, get out. Crabbe, out. Goyle, you stay. Finnigan, out. Singh…you stay. Weasley, you stay. Longbottom…stay," Riddle said, after deliberation. Seamus looked shocked and annoyed at being told to leave. Dean Thomas left with a look of relief on his face. Neville looked absolutely shocked.

"Davis, stay. Greengrass, you definitely stay. Nott…I suppose you can stay. For now. Moon…you may stay. Bulstrode, you're out," Riddle finished. Greengrass raised her hand. There were only thirteen kids in the class now.

"Sir?" Greengrass asked.

"Yes, Miss Greengrass?"

"Does this happen every year? Do you kick people out?" asked Greengrass. Riddle raised an eyebrow.

"Not as many as I did this year. You lot are a promising group. I hope you don't disappoint me. I require a waiver from your parents if you are to take this course. I'll send them out. I hope that's understood," Riddle said.

The students nodded. Ron looked proud that he had been chosen to stay in the class. Riddle sighed.

"Professor?"

Riddle turned to Blaise.

"Yes, Mr. Zabini?" he asked.

"And what happens to the other students?" he asked. Riddle smirked.

"I know you, Blaise. You don't care."

"I'm merely curious, is all, sir," Blaise answered back. He almost sounded like he was talking back but Riddle only took it in stride. Lalita supposed that there were perks to having your sister date your teacher.

"They will be taken a softer course. Typically, my assistant teaches them in a separate classroom. However, this year, I am without an assistant. I will enlist Professor Umbridge. She may teach them. I could care less. They aren't worth my time," Riddle said.

Fay Dunbar raised her hand, brushing her brown locks behind her ear. She was fairly pretty, Lalita noticed.

"Yes, Miss Dunbar?" asked Riddle. Fay bit her lip.

"What makes us worth your time?"

"You all have the highest grades in my class between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. You have the drive. You aren't soft-hearted. You all have the potential to be worth something. I'd be wasting my talents if I taught them instead of focusing exclusively on you," Riddle said, complimenting himself as if it were the most normal thing to do. Fay seemed surprised as well.

"Your ego is big enough for you to get off by complimenting yourself?"

Lalita looked at Bella. She looked bored and her feet were on the table since she wasn't yet able to stand.

"Shut up, brat. Let's move on. We have slightly different course aims. In addition to taking OWLs, you will also be taking an exam written by myself. If you wish to stay in this class, you will pass the Defense OWLs with flying colors. Nothing below an E in both theory and practical. For my exam, an A would be acceptable. I tend to make my exams harder than the Defense OWLs. In all honesty, I think they're a bit of a joke," Riddle snorted.

Lalita saw that he looked a lot more relaxed than he had before. She looked around and could see the others thought that same. Riddle sighed and stood.

"Do you have all of this written down?" Riddle asked. Many of the students groaned. With all the questions and shock of being split up, they had stopped writing. Lalita hadn't stopped, thank _Ēka prakāra kā bāza_. Hermione raised her long roll of parchment and waved it in the air. Blaise finished his and gave a smug smile.

"I have it! All of it!" Hermione grinned. Riddle nodded once.

"Five points to Gryffindor. Make copies for your classmates and for my archives. You know where my archives are, correct?" Riddle asked. Hermione gave him an annoyed look.

"You made us copy over the faded ink last year when you didn't feel like teaching us. I remember," Hermione snapped. The rest of the class groaned at the memory. Riddle smirked, smugly.

"Good. Now, let's see. All of you will have sparring partners. Boy, girl."

Linda Moon, a girl, raised her hand.

"Professor, there are seven girls and six boys. It's uneven," Linda said. Riddle nodded and looked at her, as if she were stupid.

"I can count, Moon."

"But, Professor—" Greengrass started. Bella cleared her throat.

"Professor is my sparring partner. I don't need a waiver. So, I have to deal with him," Bella sighed. Riddle smirked.

"Correct. Zabini spars with Granger. Malfoy spars with Patil. Weasley spars with Greengrass. Goyle spars with Dunbar. Singh spars with Longbottom. Nott spars with Davis. And, little Anya spars with _me_," Riddle smirked. Bella raised an eyebrow at the nickname 'Anya'. Her siblings gave him a strange stare. Blaise cleared his throat and Riddle looked over at him. Blaise hissed something under his breath. Riddle lunged forward and grabbed the boy by his hair. Blaise stayed relaxed.

"Don't do that, Blaise. You surprised me," Riddle said, softly. Blaise shrugged.

"Sorry. I was curious."

"You're too curious. Don't go inside of other people's mind. It's considered a great faux pas in some circles. Including _my_ circles," Riddle snapped, stroking the black adder's head. Blaise hid his smile. Bella leaned back.

"So what now?" asked Bella. Riddle's lips curled into a smirk.

"We're going to check your endurance. Everyone get up," Riddle said. Everyone but Bella stood and waited.

"Pick up your wands. We're going outside."

"You might want to unglue me from the chair," Bella said, stiffly. Riddle smirked.

"I should leave you there."

"Bastard."

"Now, I definitely _will_ leave you there," Riddle snapped. Bella made a whining noise and Riddle cringed. He flicked his wand and Bella jumped up, grinning.

"_Anything_ to stop your whining."

Bella scowled.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**3:00 PM**

Riddle was leading them down the halls and Bella was standing next to him. Lalita watched curiously as she looked up at him. The others were a bit behind so they wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. Lalita could see the kids in their classrooms. Some of the older kids were pointing.

"Look, it's the new recruits. Riddle's exclusive class," whispered one kid. Lalita wondered why the students didn't know about this exclusive class in the first place.

"Anya?" whispered Bella. Riddle smirked down at her. Lalita could see the softer look in his eyes.

"Mhmm. I called you Anastasia. They adopted that. I called you Ana. They adopted that. Only _I_ can call you Anya," Riddle smirked. Bella rolled her eyes but she looked rather touched anyway.

"How do you get Anya from Anastasia?" Bella asked, curiously. Riddle tilted his head before answering.

"Anastasia is the Russian feminine form of the Greek name 'Anastasios'. It means 'ressurection'. Anya is a variant of the name that also means 'ressurection'."

"You looked up my name?" Bella asked in shocked. Riddle smirked down at her.

"Don't flatter yourself. I was looking up the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. I wanted to know what happened to her. She's dead. I discovered her body on one of my travels," Riddle said, smugly. Bella blinked in surprise.

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Uh. No."

"Why not?" Bella asked, curiously. Riddle gave her a sigh.

"For such a cold-blooded killer, you're a bit naive. The Muggles would have taken credit. Let them find it with their stupid technology," Riddle said, arrogantly. Bella rolled her eyes. They were almost to the Entrance Hall when Riddle suddenly stopped. He looked at the tall man in front of him whom was smiling.

"Dumbledore," Riddle said, as a greeting. Dumbledore gave a smile. He looked over at Bella.

"Hello, Tom. Bella, are you feeling better?" he asked. Bella stiffened at the question before giving a tight smile.

"Better is a relative term, sir. But, I suppose I am. Thank you for asking," she said, sharply. Suddenly, Draco was next to Bella and he was pulling her back towards him. Bella didn't protest. Lalita wasn't the only one that thought Bella's behavior was strange.

"So, this is your fifth year extensive course class? It's smaller than last year," Dumbledore said. Tom shrugged.

"A few weren't cut out for it. One, Miss Patil, didn't think she was cut out for it. I disagreed. I would have let her leave but I believe that she has the potential. For reasons known to you, these four are here. They're here for discipline mostly. They lack any. Greengrass, Dunbar, and Davis don't have much magic power though I suppose they probably have the agility for the course. Goyle has some potential. I just have to push out through the years of stupidness that he has suffered from his family of baboons," Riddle said. Draco laughed, quietly. Goyle stood there looking rather lost. The others began snickering as well.

"Moon has gotten detention from punching someone within her house. That person came out with a broken nose. She has strength. Nott has a strong magical core. He would do fine with long-range strikes. Singh is a textbook nerd. She probably has a large collection of Hindi spells that could cause mass destruction. Weasley, I here, is a strategist. He's an asset. Longbottom…I'm not sure yet but I think he'd be of some use. I do not have an assistant this year, so could you enlist Umbridge to teach them. I won't have much time this year," Riddle said, saying all of this very fast. Dumbledore seemed to take it all in and he nodded in understanding. Lalita wondered why Dumbledore allowed this to happen. What was the purpose of separating the classes?

"I see. I'll asked Professor Umbridge right away. Where are you taking your new class now?" Dumbledore asked. Riddle tilted his head.

"Outside. I am going to test their endurance and speed," Riddle said, sharply. Dumbledore nodded.

"Well, carry on."

Dumbledore wandered away and Lalita followed Riddle outside as he threw the doors open. They marched to the lake and Riddle pointed towards the Forbidden Forest.

"In March, you'll spend a night in there. I hope you're well prepared by then. Now, first, I wish for you to run around the lake two times. No stopping," Riddle said. The entire group groaned. Draco shrugged off his robes and dumped it on the ground. The entire group followed and Bella shrugged off her white shirt. She had on a black tank top underneath. She began taking off all the jewelry she had as well. She slid off the bangles and handed them Tom. She next took off her earrings.

Confusingly enough, she kept the heavy locket on. The light locket, she could see but why the heavy locket. And she kept on the charm bracelet. Hermione was taking off her Mary Jane heels and her socks. Bella was pulling off her heavy combat boots and socks. Draco and Blaise were doing the same.

Greengrass, Moon, and Davis sneered at them. Bella held out her hand and Draco grasped it. Hermione and Blaise did the same over their hands.

"We are Four."

"We are One," Draco, Blaise, and Hermione answered back. The others in the class gaped as a gold, black, silver, and crimson light glowed from their joined hands. Even Riddle seemed interested in what they were doing.

"What was that?" he asked, curiously. Bella stuck out her tongue.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Stick that tongue back in your mouth, Anya. **Unless you're going to use it,**" Riddle said, sharply. Lalita wondered what he said to make Bella laugh. Riddle looked at all the students.

"Line up. I'll be timing you. And _go_," Riddle said. Lalita took off at an even pace but she gaped when she saw the four siblings running. She wasn't the only one staring. Fay was keeping pace with Lalita. They were both around the same height.

"Wow…they're fast," Fay said, conversationally. Lalita nodded. Bella was running. She was wearing trousers unlike Hermione. However, Hermione's skirt wasn't flying. Lalita wondered if there was a spell for that. The three Slytherin girls needed it. They were holding their skirts in place.

"They are."

Lalita looked to her other side. Parvati was running as well. She was wearing trousers. The only Gryffindor girl wearing a skirt was Hermione. Lalita bit her lip, wanting to contribute.

"Do you think they're going as fast as they can?" Lalita asked. Parvati tilted her head.

"Maybe not…"

Just to prove them right, Bella began running faster. Draco was keeping up. Blaise and Hermione were rolling their eyes at them. Soon, the two groups were on opposite sides of the lake.

"I can go faster!" laughed Bella. Suddenly, she went stumbling as she went around the lake once. She was tumbling and falling into a flips before she fell on her. Draco passed her, laughing and Hermione stopped to help her up.

"That was uncalled for Tom! You shouldn't around tripping your students. It doesn't matter if you can do it without getting in trouble. You shouldn't do it anyway! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Hermione admonished. Fay and Parvati exchanged disbelieving looks as Riddle shrugged. Bella was on the ground, glaring up at you.

"I hope you die. Fuck you," she snapped before jumping up and taking off running again. Hermione ran after with another severe look to Tom.

"Did she really just chastise Professor Riddle?" Lalita asked, curiously. Parvati nodded, slowly, her face showing her complete surprise.

"I can't believe she just did that. And he's just chuckling," Parvati said. Fay tilted her head.

"He's different…somehow. Last year, he had little patience with us. Now this year…with the other half of the class gone, he's a lot calmer. He looks like he's _enjoying_ teaching us and we've only been his new class for about a half-hour now," Fay said. Parvati tilted his head.

"He looks…happier somehow. Maybe he has a girlfriend. Remember that woman in Spella Daily last year. He went to Club Piacere with her. I heard from Padma who heard from one of her friends that when she was in Spain, Madrid actually, some of her older sister's friends saw Professor Riddle with that woman again. They were snogging in an alleyway," Parvati said. Fay's eyes widened. Lalita wondered when they were going to realize that they were in Professor Riddle's earshot now.

"For real? Why wasn't it in Witch Weekly or Spella Daily?" asked Fay. Parvati tilted her head.

"They didn't have evidence."

"Er…you know…" Lalita said, quietly. The two girls didn't seem to hear her. Professor Riddle had a wicked grin on his face.

"But Professor Riddle is never happy. Do you think he got laid or something?" Fay asked with a leering grin. Parvati giggled.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. My sex life is none of your business."

Parvati and Fay jumped and both flushed a heavy red. Professor Riddle was giving them an annoyed look. Lalita bit her lip keep from giggling. She had tried her best to tell them.

"You don't have a sex life."

The three girls spun around to see Bella sitting on the grass. Apparently, she had finished her two laps first despite being tripped and being behind. She was smirking at them and they flushed even more.

"How would you know?" Riddle asked, smirking. Bella's lips curled into a grin.

"**Because you refuse to have sex with me. That's how I know.**"

Fay shivered at the use of Parseltongue. Riddle snorted and he began to snicker. Bella grinned and tackled him around the knees. He feel back and grabbed her by the back of the neck, looking amused and annoyed.

"You little brat. And for good reason. You're much too insecure," Riddle said, annoyed. Bella glared.

"I am _not_ insecure. Though, I did almost make you laugh…I must try harder!" Bella cheered.

"You're not going to give up on that?"

Lalita looked to Blaise and Hermione. Draco was on the ground, nursing his battle wounds. It looked like Bella had kicked him in the groin.

"Never. He's still not up?" Bella asked, looking at her brother. Fay turned to look and she frowned.

"What happened to him?" she asked, curiously. Bella's lips curled into a vicious grin.

"We were racing. Tom tripped me. I got pissed. He taunted me. He got kicked in the balls. His fault. He should know better. And _that's_ why I won. Hurry up and come back around and we can talk," Bella said, smiling. The three girls nodded and continued running.

Lalita noticed that the three Slytherin girls ended up finishing the allotted laps at the same time. The only one still running was Goyle. Nott was sitting with the rest of the class on the grass. Ron and Neville were with them as well. Riddle was sitting cross legged and they were all in a circle. Bella was leaning over Riddle, bothering him while he stayed rather unaffected. He was actually having a conversation with Nott. Neville was interjecting somewhat. Ron was sitting there, unwilling to talk to the Slytherins.

Draco was wincing every time he shifted in his seat.

"Hermione when was the last time your practiced your katas?" Riddle asked. Hermione stiffened at the question and she pretended that she hadn't heard. Bella snickered. Draco was moaning from his seat next to Riddle about his 'bitchy, emotional sister'. Blaise only had that weird smile on his face.

Lalita and the five girls she was with walked towards the group.

"Uh…the day Bella came to Grimmauld Place."

"Hmm…you're in trouble. Goyle! Hurry up! We don't have all day!" shouted Riddle. Goyle lumbered faster and soon the entire group was sitting either kneeling or cross-legged on the grass in a circle. Riddle leaned forward.

"Now that we've finished that, I'm sure you're wondering _why_ I did that," Riddle said. Bella snorted.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Ana! Shut _up_!" Draco snapped. Bella stuck her tongue out at him. Riddle sighed.

"Anya, what did I tell you about sticking out your tongue?" Riddle demanded, as if he were chastising his child. Wow…that was a strange way of putting it especially when he was probably snogging her.

"Don't do it."

"Then why are you doing that?" Riddle snapped. Bella smirked.

"'Cause you said not to."

"You're impossible. Let's move on. Now, that we're all here, it's probably best to tell you that speed and endurance wasn't the point of the exercise. I told you to run because I wanted you to run," Riddle said, simply. Greengrass moaned in annoyance.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Linda cried out. Riddle smirked.

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place? If an enemy told you jump off a bridge, would you do it? Longbottom?" Riddle asked. Neville jumped at being called on.

"Uh…um…no?"

"Is that a question or answer?" Riddle asked, sharply. Neville jumped again at Riddle's harsh tone. Lalita sympathized with him but could also see Riddle's point. He was trying to toughen Neville up.

"No, I-I wouldn't jump off a bridge."

"Then why did you run? If the enemy happened to be someone with authority over you, would you do as they say? Lesson number 1, kids, your enemy is _everyone_ that isn't on your side. Was I thinking of you when I told you to run two laps around a lake? No. I wasn't on your side. Thus, I was your enemy. Think about that. It seems that class is over. Homework…read Chapter 1 and 2 of _Defensive Magical Theory_ and write two _detailed_ summaries. And _no_, Miss Granger, that doesn't mean rephrasing those two chapters until they're just as long," Riddle said, looking at her with an amused look. Hermione blushed.

"It's all right, Hermione. You're just detailed," Lalita ensured. Hermione smiled at the girl.

"In addition to having _Defensive Magical Theory_, I suggest getting the NEWT-level textbook, _Confronting the Faceless_. By the time I'm done with you, you'll not only have passed your OWLs and NEWTs, you'll be able to receive your Mastery by the time you graduate. Get to your next class," Riddle said, sharply. Bella jumped up and looked up at him, curiously.

"Buy me a copy?" she asked, curiously. Riddle sighed.

"Fine."

"Yay!" she said. She hooked arms with Hermione, as Draco and Blaise got up. The unorthodox group began walking back to the castle, leaving Riddle near the lake.

"That was a strange first day…" Fay said. Parvati nodded in agreement.

"I have to agree Dunbar. I didn't expect this," Greengrass interjected. Fay and Parvati looked surprised that the pretty Slytherin girl was speaking to them.

"He made us run around that lake for no reason," Ron grumbled. Draco snorted.

"Yeah, that's what he told us. But, it's not truth. I don't know his thought process like Bella and Blaise—" Draco started. Blaise cleared his throat.

"Actually, he thinks in a jumbled mess to keep me from comprehending his thoughts. He also tends to think in Russian and Arabic now. I can't understand what he's thinking unless I'm looking at his topmost thoughts," Blaise interjected. Draco shrugged.

"Fine. Only _Bella_ understands his thought process. I don't know his thought process but I know him. He always has an ulterior motive. I think this time it was…discipline. He would have been pissed if we didn't run but he still found fault in us _for_ running," Draco said. Bella chuckled.

The entire group looked at her. Nott looked at her.

"What?" Nott asked.

"Draco's partially right. Partially wrong."

"Then tell us, Potter," snarled Tracey Davis. Bella's lips curled into a smirk. She turned.

"Look, Tom always has a plan. For _everything_. He's a control freak and he likes to manipulate. He wanted us to run around that lake but for several reasons. In truth, it was about discipline and the fact that _everyone_ is our enemy. But, there was also one more thing. He was testing us. He wanted to weed out those that couldn't keep up. There are four things that he wants us to be," Bella said. Moon raised an eyebrow.

"And what is that?" the pureblooded Slytherin girl asked.

"Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger. All of us are better than the average students. He picked the best. He'll do the same to the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaws. I'm sure by the end of the year, he'll weed the best out of all of us too. And then he'll only have one class. The best of the best."

"But what does all that mean?" Fay asked. Bella smirked.

"Ah, now you see. You see that even though he wants the best of the best, there's an ulterior motive. His ulterior motive is…he's just being lazy. He doesn't want to take the time and effort to educate…the below standard students. Oh, and he didn't mean to offend you when he called you a harpy, Parvati," Bella said, off-handedly. Parvati blinked.

"And you know that how?" she asked, still a bit annoyed by it.

"I just know these things. We're close."

Lalita hid her smile. Close was a bit of an understatement.

:::

**A/N: **There! Most of the chapter is the first DADA lesson but for good reason! I have found a way to have Dumbledore's Army! WITHOUT IT BEING CALLED DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY! YES! The incarnation of the DA but with it being a legitimate class! THE THINGS I COULD DO WITH ALL OF THIS! I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY!

This chapter was fun to write. I know Bella's logic is twisted. So is Tom's. But their logic works for them.

I wrote this entire chapter to the song 'I'll Make A Man Out Of You' from the movie Mulan. It will fit. A lot of OoTP will be of Defense classes since they'll be fun to write about.

Next Chapter: Umbridge, Gryffindors, and Slytherins, with a dash of DADA training. Stir until lumpy.


	56. Chapter LI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **This chapter is the second half of the first day and a few days ahead as well. I don't have much of a note this chapter, which is pretty strange. I have decided that after Inside My Mind, I'll definitely take that planned hiatus. It'll only be for two weeks, though. Then I'll write the sequel, which will probably be called Out of My Head.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**5:50 PM**

"Parvati! Why are you sitting with _her_?"

Parvati, Fay, and Lalita looked up from their seats. Bella, Hermione, Blaise, and Draco didn't even bother looking up from their books. Lavender was standing there her arms crossed. The two chapters that Professor Riddle had assigned were long and apparently, a detailed summary equated to a foot of small writing.

"We're doing our homework," Parvati said, slowly.

The group was in the library. Bella had invited them to the library, surprising even her siblings. Most of the Slytherins declined. Ron had said he'd do it later and Neville had said that he'd join a bit later. He was in the greenhouse. Lavender pouted.

"_We_ do our homework together!" Lavender cried out. Hermione hushed the girl and Lavender glared.

"I know, Lav. I was going to come up after. We're doing the DADA homework and it's a little hard, is all. Bella invited us to do homework with them so we accepted," Parvati explained. Lavender shot Bella a glare. Bella wasn't even paying attention she was biting the chain of one of her lockets while she read.

"But…you can't do homework with _her_. She's…she's…" Lavender trailed off. Bella finally looked up and she fixed Lavender with a stare.

"I'm what?"

Hermione, Blaise, and Draco looked up as well. Bella was truly curious as to what Lavender was going to say. Lavender was shallow and so she didn't really care what she thought but perhaps it would shed light on what others were saying about her.

"She's _Dark_. She's using her power to make people believe her!" Lavender shouted. Bella's eyes widened and shock and a pleased smile spread across her lips without her permission. Lavender glared at her. Parvati tilted her head.

"She sort of had a point, didn't she? Why would she lie about Grindelwald returning? She doesn't seem like the type of person to want attention."

Lavender gave her best friend a scandalized look.

"You told me this morning that you thought she was lying whore!"

Bella blinked and gave Parvati a shocked look.

"Professor Riddle vouched for her. Two of the most powerful wizards _ever_ vouched for her. I'm lead to believe that she might be telling the truth," Parvati explained, calmly. Bella tilted her head.

She wondered, briefly, why Parvati wasn't in Ravenclaw with her sister, Padma. They seemed to be equally smart. Perhaps, it was because Parvati was a shred braver than her sister. Or maybe Padma was just more studious and used her intelligence more. Bella didn't know but she knew that Tom wouldn't allow Parvati to play stupid anymore.

"You're turning her! You evil bitch!" Lavender shrieked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, I've heard," Bella said, her tone blasé. Lavender stormed away, angrily. Fay looked at her in complete surprise.

"How could you keep your head after that when you blew up at Seamus earlier?" asked Fay. Bella shrugged.

"That's probably why I _could_ keep my head. I got out my anger this morning. I'm fine now. Plus, this is Lavender. No offense, Parvati, but she's dumber than a piece of cardboard," Bella said. Parvati looked properly offended for friend but said nothing. Blaise pulled out his parchment.

"Lalita, how did you like your first day of classes?" he asked. Draco looked up, sharply, intent on hearing what she had to say. Lalita swallowed and she tilted her head.

"I…enjoyed Arithmancy. Hermione was helpful. I hated History of Magic. Professor Snape is rather…rude. I thoroughly enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts. The professor is…interesting," Lalita said, her amusement seeping through her voice. Draco nodded, approvingly, while Hermione giggled. She pushed her braid behind her shoulder.

"By the way, when did you become 'Anya'?" asked Hermione. Bella blinked and smirked.

"Oh…that. Later. I have a detention with Umbridge in ten minutes. I have to figure out where her office is," Bella said. Hermione frowned.

"But don't you have the…"

"Yeah. That's how I'm going to find out. I'll see you guys at dinner. See you around," Bella said with a smile. The three Gryffindor girls that had become something resembling friends in DADA waved at her. Her siblings merely grunted. Bella rolled her eyes at them as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She slid an old piece of parchment from her bag and walked towards the nearest hidden corner. She pointed her wand at it.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

The Marauders Map appeared before her eyes and she smiled. She opened the large map and looked around for Umbridge carefully. She found that the woman's office was only a few doors down from the library. Now, wasn't that extremely convenient.

Bella pointed her wand.

"Mischief managed."

She slipped the parchment back into her bag and she walked, confidently to Umbridge's office. The woman may be an ugly toad but it was only detention. She couldn't kill her and Bella could deal with her even if she tried. Magically and soundlessly would be preferred. And bloodlessly. She wasn't a masochist like her crazy sister.

She knocked sharply on the door.

"Come in," said a sugary sweet voice. Bella got an immensely bad feeling. She walked in slowly. She examined it and almost cringed.

Everything was pink and every flat surface had a doily on it. It was absolutely sickening. Bella didn't think she'd ever hate a color but now…

"Good evening, Miss Potter," Umbridge said, sweetly.

"Good evening, Professor Umbridge," Bella said, stiffly. Umbridge gestured for Bella to sit down and she did so. She crossed one leg over the other and looked at Umbridge with a bored look. Umbridge pretended not to notice.

"Now, Miss Potter, you'll be doing some lines for me. It seems that you like to spread lies. No, not with your quill," she said as Bella reached for a quill from her bag. Bella looked at her, suspiciously.

"You're going to be using a rather special one of mine," Umbridge said. She pulled a black quill with an usually sharp point from her desk drawer. She handed it to Bella and Bella took it, having a feeling that this quill was…

"I want you to write, I must not tell lies."

"How many times?" Bella asked, flatly. Umbridge gave a sugary sweet smile.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in."

Bella looked around and noticed that there wasn't any ink. So it was…a Blood Quill. Hermione had expressed interest in having one but it was illegal to have without a permit. And then it was illegal to use one on someone underage. Hermione had said she wanted one for her seventeenth birthday. Despite Sirius saying no, Bella and Maya were plotting to get one from her without getting a permit.

Bella pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote the words: I must not tell lies.

The words carved themselves into her left hand. Umbridge still had that malicious grin on her face. Apparently, she was waiting for Bella to cry out or flinch. Bella offered a grim smile and Umbridge's mouth fell open. The small little cuts healed over almost immediately.

Bella hissed a curse in Parseltongue. It was painful. Her locket with the rune on it was glowing softly, still activated. That was probably the reason for it healing. But, Bella hadn't given it blood for weeks. The power was severely hindered and Bella knew that Umbridge would be angry if the words weren't permanently imprinted in her skin.

"Yes?" Umbridge said. Bella bit her lip.

"Nothing."

Bella continued to write on the paper and the words cut into her land hand, deeper and deeper. Bella couldn't help but be a little amused by all of this. A scar on the back of her left hand and a scar on the front. Bella knew that the woman was waiting for Bella to make a sound of discomfort. She was waiting for a show of weakness. Bella vowed that she wouldn't get any.

Bella sat there, writing for around two hours. She was cutting her hand open and it continued to heal over, again and again, until the words were leaving faint impressions on her hand. By the time she was finished, the red words were glaring back at her from the back of her hand and she had two feet of elegant script spelling 'I must not tell lies'.

"Come here," Umbridge said, standing for dinner. Bella walked forward holding her hand out elegantly, as if she were waiting for Umbridge to bow and kiss her hand. Umbridge examined her hand.

"Has it sunk in?" Umbridge asked. Bella smirked.

"No."

"Then, you shall return next week. I'm afraid that this will be becoming a regular event, won't it?" Umbridge asked. Bella nodded, gravely.

"My answer will never change. For, I must not tell lies."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1995**

**8:20 PM**

Bella stumbled down the steps. She was lightheaded from the lost of blood. She examined her hand. The cuts were open and she knew that the Blood Quill was cursed. The cuts would heal over but the light scar would always be there. Bella was sure that Umbridge would make her do the same next week.

Bella glanced at the Great Hall. The door was open and she could see her siblings and friends eating. She clutched her hand to her chest and gave a hiss of pain as it stung. She met Tom's eyes and she walked down into the dungeon.

She knew he was following her. The room had become increasingly silent as Tom walked out. He walked down into the dungeon after her and even when Bella entered his quarters and walked to the desk, she still didn't stop. She fell into the seat behind his desk and placed her injured hand on the desk.

"What the hell?" Tom said, as he saw the words 'I must not tell lies' on her hand.

"That was Umbridge's detention. I wrote lines. With a Blood Quill."

"Why the hell did you do it? You _know_ that it's illegal. Why would you let her?" Tom demanded. He grabbed her hand and began examining it. Bella looked up at Tom with a stubborn air.

"I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. I wasn't going to back down. I must not tell lies," Bella said, sharply. Tom sighed and lifted her hand and brushed his lips across it. Bella gave him a slight smile.

"Anya…you're much too stubborn for your own good."

"I've heard. I don't want Mione, Drake, or Blaise to see," Bella said, softly. Tom nodded and shifted. He pulled Bella from the seat before pulling her back down onto his lap. She shifted until she could face him without straddling him.

"I should really do something about Umbridge. No one harms anything that is _mine_," Tom snarled under his breath. Bella snickered softly.

"I'm not your property, Tom. And don't do a thing. I won't give her the satisfaction. I must not tell lies, Tom. And I will write that on my hand as a reminder. Even if it hurts others, I must not tell lies. Please don't do anything. I need this. For myself," Bella said. Tom sighed. In a twisted way, her logic really did make sense. For herself. He knew she wasn't masochistic but for some reason, she was intent in carving these words on her hand and even if he got rid of Umbridge, he was sure that she'd continue writing the words on herself anyway.

"Stubborn," Tom muttered in defeat. Bella laughed, quietly.

"I finished my homework. Chances are that I'll fall asleep on you," Bella said, snuggling into his chest. Tom sighed and brushed Bella's hair from her face. He leaned down and pulled out a quill from his desk and then looked at the stack of summer homework on his desk.

"That's fine. As long as you don't get in my way while I'm grading papers," Tom said. Bella nodded and snuggled into Tom's chest. She drifted of to sleep to the scratching of a quill on parchment.

_Bella was standing in a room. A nursery it looked like. The walls were painted a pale yellow and there were toys strewn across the room. A toy broom floated in the corner of the room._

_To the far wall was a wooden crib with a soft mattress inside. On top of it sat a child. A little girl that looked only a year and a few months old. Black hair covered the top of her hair and curled around her ears. Her skin was a peach color as opposed to alabaster and her baby fat made her look adorable._

_She didn't have many teeth but she had a few. She wasn't smiling. Her large green eyes were staring seriously as the door flew open and a redheaded woman stumbled in. She threw the door closed and locked it, taking out her wand. She gathered the child in her arms and kissed the top of her head._

"_My little Bella…oh, my sweet Bella. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Don't be frightened and don't be scared. My sweet, I have nothing I can give you except maybe this chance that you will live. I pray we'll meet again if you will…deliver us. I know who you are, my child. I will protect you until you can protect yourself. You will live on," Lily Potter whispered to the child._

_The child finally started crying softly. She could feel her mother's great distress. Lily held her daughter and Bella couldn't see the child through Lily's long curtain of red hair._

"_Hush now, my baby. Be still, love, don't cry. All will be well. Remember these last words…I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world. I gladly give my life for you. You will live on…I will protect you," Lily promised. She wiped the tears from the child's eyes as the door was thrown open. Lily spun, holding the child tightly._

"_Leave us alone!" Lily shouted. She placed the child in the crib. She pointed her wand at Grindelwald, threateningly._

"_Give me the child and I may spare you!" Grindelwald shouted, his navy eyes glowing. Bella took a step back._

_She didn't even notice the salty tears running from her eyes and dripping onto the floor, though it did not show._

"_Please…not Bella! Not Bella!" Lily begged. Grindelwald pointed his wand at her. Bella could feel a pull towards the wand._

"_Stand aside you silly girl!"_

"_No…kill me instead! Not Bella!" Lily shouted. Bella frowned. The woman was trying to protect her…Bella got the feeling that Lily knew about the power that would be put upon Bella with her death._

"_She's a danger to all that I've worked for," Grindelwald said, sharply. Lily shook her head and_

"_She's a baby…she's my baby! Please have mercy!"_

"_Avada Kedavra!" Grindelwald shouted, impatiently. Lily fell to the ground, dead. A triumphant smile was upon her lips even in death though Grindelwald did not notice._

"_Goodbye child," Grindelwald said in an old voice. Bella stared in shock as the child stood on her feet, holding the railings on the crib to keep steady. She looked up at the man and smiled, closing her eyes._

"_Avada Kedavra."_

_The spell flew at the child and Bella watched as it flew at the child's forehead. It was only a second but time seemed to slow down. Bella watched as a white covering spread from the crown of the child's forehead like a second skin. The child's skin lightened until it was the color of marble. The green light carved a lightening bolt into the second skin and flew back at Grindelwald._

_Grindelwald was thrown back and he seemed to blow up. Dark blue robes fell to the ground and the wand fell into the crib. The Elder Wand. The child stared and crawled forward and touched the Elder Wand._

_The tip of the wand glowed and the child shook with the force of magic. She giggled and suddenly there was a crack of lightening and a roll of thunder. The lightening struck the roof, blowing it up. Debris rained down but by magic, it fell around the child and not onto her. The Elder Wand seemed to vanish as the lightning struck it and the child finally began to cry._

_Even while wailing, the child turned to look at Bella. The baby reached her hand out to Bella, in a plea for help._

_Bella took a step back as suddenly the sun went up and down. The child disappeared and the sun and moon were constantly taking the place of the other. Years and years went by. Dust creeped into the room with age. Cobwebs were spun in the corners. The toy broom had long lost the enchantment that kept it afloat._

_Then, suddenly the sun stopped in place and a woman stood in front of the crib where the child had been before._

_The woman's hair was to one side of her neck. She wore a long black leather coat with a high collar. Under that she wore a peach colored bustier that still looked professional enough to wear outside. Bella assumed that she wore riding pants underneath it. The woman was at least five inches taller than her five foot five, though that was probably due to the three-inch heels the woman was wearing._

_The woman was beautiful in a word. Her eyes were bright green and her skin was pale. Her fringe exposed the lightening bolt scar on her forehead, slightly off center. Her lips were naturally red and she was smiling sadly at Bella. Her hand was reaching out to Bella in the same way the child had._

"_Help me…" the woman whispered. Bella's lip trembled._

"_How can I help you?" Bella asked, quietly. The woman reached farther._

"_Grab my hand…help me…"_

"_Why? How can I help you?" Bella asked, starting to worry. She licked a salty tear from her upper lip. The woman reached out._

"_Grab my hand…we cannot be used anymore…grab my hand and I shall open your eyes," the woman promised. Bella took a step forward towards the woman._

_And suddenly another woman appeared behind the first woman. This woman had long dark hair and darker eyes. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl and her hair fell straight to her waist. She wore battle robes as opposed to the sophisticated outfit of the first woman._

_It was someone that Bella had come to know as Mórrígan._

"_Sister, you'll be safe now," Mórrígan promised. A man appeared behind her. He had dark hair and golden hair._

"_And safe you will stay," swore Apollo. Bella took a step back. She shook her head, frantically. She knew these people but she didn't know if she wanted this. Did she want to be bound into this. It was one thing to say 'We are Four' but to swear to…fight for the Dark?_

_For that was surely what they wanted…_

"_I don't know if this is what I want. I don't think I want to make this choice," Bella said, quietly. She turned away but something caught her eye._

_Another man with blond hair and steel eyes appeared. He was smiling sadly at her and he looked exactly like Draco. But this wasn't Draco. This was Thanatos and he knew why she couldn't unlike Apollo and Mórrígan who looked hurt at her denying them._

_Victory only looked helpless._

"_If you cannot then do this one thing: Grow, baby sister. And come back someday. Come and deliver us too…we are Four. We are One. Forever and for always," Thanatos said, softly. The three siblings faded away from behind the woman. The woman smiled at Bella, understanding._

"_Deliver us."_

"_Deliver who?" Bella asked. The woman tilted her head._

"_All that need you, all that care for you, all that revere you, all that you stand for. The Dark. We are an oppressed people that need you. They need __**us**__. But I can't do it without __**you**__," the woman said, softly. Bella felt arms wrap around her waist and she pulled back flush against a man. Bella couldn't turn to see who it was but the person kissed the top of her head._

"_Deliver ussss," hissed the voice. Bella stiffened in the arms of the man._

_Voldemort._

"_Get off me…" Bella said, stiffly. Voldemort gave a chuckle._

"_I will never let you go. I will never leave you."_

_A woman appeared behind the dark haired woman. She had flaming red hair and they had matching green eyes. Her skin was pale and she was smiling._

"_Deliver us, my daughter. Right the wrongs committed against you. Remember who your true enemy is. Remember, darkness does not always equate to evil, just as light does not always bring good," Lily Potter said._

_Bella blinked._

"_How could you say that mum?" Bella whispered. Lily smiled, softly._

"_When you find the answer…you will take her hand."_

Bella jolted in her sleep and she woke up on silk. She leaned up rubbing her eyes. Her hair was messy and she looked around. She had been asleep on a large bed, a king size, if Bella could judge correctly. She leaned up, blinking the sleep away from her eyes. She ran her hand over the side table and slid her glasses onto her face.

She blinked and looked around. The room was simplistic but elegant looking.

"Anya…"

Bella flinched and spun. She looked next to her and saw a shirtless Tom leaning against the headboard, a book in his lap. His reading glasses were perched on his nose and he was frowning at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, slowly. Bella was frowning and she nodded, slowly. Bella swallowed hard and she looked at Tom.

"Tom…who would you say my enemy is? Grindelwald and Voldemort or…someone else?" Bella asked, cautiously. Tom stiffened at the question and he tilted his head. He looked at the time. It was past curfew and Bella would have to get back to her dormitory soon enough.

"I don't believe that's my question to answer, Anya. Grindelwald killed you parents. What did Voldemort do to you? And who would this someone else be?" asked Tom, carefully. He was vague in his questions but Bella was too distracted to catch that Tom was suddenly a little nervous.

"I suppose…the Light, maybe. I'm Neutral right now but I have a prophecy telling me that I'm supposed to be Dark yet my family, my godfather, seems to be firmly on the Light side. What am I supposed to do with that?" Bella asked. Tom frowned.

"What brought this on?"

"A dream I just had…it was such a strange dream. I saw…my mother's death. And a few minutes before it. I always knew the way she died. I hear it every time the dementors are around. But…this was weird," Bella said, slowly. Tom raised an eyebrow. Years ago, he had thought that he had stopped these dreams when he had gone into her mind. It appeared that that wasn't the case.

"What was so strange about the dream?"

"My mother…she was whispering to me. She was telling me that I didn't have to cry and that she'd save me. She told me that she had nothing that she could give to me except the chance that I'd live. She _knew_. She _knew_ about the love magic and that's why she died for me. She said that we might meet again if I'd…_deliver us_. I wasn't sure what that meant so I just watched. I was little and I started to cry. She told me not to cry. She said she wanted me to remember. And then Grindelwald came in and killed her. And then when he shot the Killing Curse at me, her magic went on me like a second skin…it made me this pale, I think," Bella said. Tom nodded, slowly, coming to terms with her dream.

Dreaming of the future was one thing but dreaming of the past was something entirely different and not entirely normal. Especially, when apparently you were there in third person, watching your memories.

"And then…time sped up and a woman stood in front of the crib. She was _me_ but older. She looked in her twenties. She was wearing a beautiful jacket, by the way. She asked for me to help her. I asked how and she said to grab her hand. I didn't of course because I wasn't too sure about my choice. Then, War, Plague, and Death appeared. Mione, Blaise, and Draco except older. War said that I was safe with them. Plague agreed. But I told them I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted. Death understood and he said to grow and to come back one day and deliver them too. They needed my help too…because we are Four. We are One. They disappeared."

"I asked who needed to be delivered and the older me said all that need me, the oppressed, and the Dark. And then Voldemort appeared and hissed 'deliver us'. I couldn't see him but he was there," Bella said, her eyes glazed over. Tom stiffened considerably and he looked at her with obvious reluctance. He wasn't sure how she'd take it obviously.

"Then what happened?" Tom asked.

"I told him to leave me alone. And he said that he'd never leave me. That he'd never let me go. That freaked me out a bit. But then…my mum appeared next to the woman and I noticed how alike they looked. Mum said to deliver us. To remember whom the real enemy is. She told me that darkness does not always equate to evil just as light does not always bring good. I asked how she could say that. She told me when I find that answer…that I'll take her hand. And then I woke up. What do you suppose that means?" Bella finally asked. Tom cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair until it fell messily around his face. He obviously looked really stressed.

"Anya…you have to understand that anyone against you is your enemy. You are Dark. You are the darkest of the Dark. You know that. Then, Dumbledore is against you. You may fight for him or you may forsake him. You may choose not to be his puppet or you can stay being the little Dark Girl pretending to be someone who she isn't. That is _your _choice and I can't make it for you," Tom asked, slowly. Bella swallowed and she moved until she was straddling Tom. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She leaned back.

"What side are _you_ on?" asked Bella, quietly. Tom stiffened.

"I'm part of the Order, Anya."

"That means nothing, Tom. What side are you on?"

"Your side."

Bella's lips curled into a smile at the vague answer. She hugged him, tightly and he didn't hug her back. Bella slipped off of him and off the bed. She walked towards the door and sighed.

"Thank you, Tom. For being honest with me. At least vaguely honest."

She left the room with a content smile. Tom looked uneasy and he ran a stressed hand through his hair. He hadn't been honest with her in the least and normally that wouldn't bother him but it was now. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 6****th**** of September 1995**

**8:00 PM**

"Bella? Are you okay?"

Bella looked at her brother. Her left hand was in her lap, hidden from everyone. She had taken to doing so after the first night. The faint scabs of the words were there and were legible enough to read. Bella picked at her kidney-and-steak pie. That was probably why everyone thought something was wrong with her. She never passed it up.

"Huh? Yeah…I'm fine," Bella said, softly. Draco looked at her with a frown. He didn't think she was fine at all. She looked paler than usual, and that was saying something since she was already the color of paper. She had dark circles under her eyes, making her look like she was wearing too much kohl.

"Are you sure? You're not sleeping well…" Hermione said, softly. Bella glared at her sister for revealing this little fact and she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm _fine_. Just not feeling well," Bella said, her voice very transparent. Blaise tilted his head.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital wing."

"I'm fine! Stop nagging me! I don't have to go anywhere. I'm just not feeling well," Bella snarled. She turned from her siblings and flipped open her book. She looked down at the book. It was written in Druhir and it was the book that had to do with the Four Horsemen.

It held only history and most of it was about the ancient battle between the Dark Lady, Morgan le Fay, and the Light Lord, Merlin. It was all useless to Bella. She wanted to know why she was having those dreams every night. Dreams about long hallways and doors and that woman.

Every night that woman had appeared in front of her, asking for Bella to grab her hand. And every night, Bella said no and turned away. And when she turned away, she was in a dark hallway, walking towards the damned door!

And nothing could explain to her these dreams. She had read up on it, on top of all of her homework. OWLs year was more busy than normal school years and even though it was only the first Monday, she had an essay due by Wednesday for Potions that she hadn't even started. It was exhausting.

Bella stood and Hermione frowned at her.

"Is everything all right?" Hermione asked, cautiously. Bella calmed herself, trying not to blow up at her well-meaning sister and nodded.

"Yes, everything is fine. I just want to talk to Luna…_alone_," Bella clarified when her siblings started to stand. They sat, nodding in understanding. Bella gave a tired smile. There were times when she couldn't stand her siblings' protectiveness but they knew that when she needed her own space, she really _did_ need her own space.

"Okay," Draco said, slowly. Bella caught Lalita's eyes and smiled at her. Lalita raised her hand in greeting. She was sitting with Fay Dunbar, her new closest friend. They seemed to really click and Draco had deemed it acceptable for Lalita to speak with Fay.

Bella walked over to the Ravenclaw table and Ginny looked up in surprise. She had taken to sitting with Luna more often and she seemed to be making friends in her own house instead of hanging out with the Gryffindors as much. Bella gave a pained smile.

"I knew you'd come to see me," Luna said, dreamily. Bella nodded.

"I need to talk to you about…the dreams. Please, Luna," Bella said, softly. Luna stood from her seat and placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny had begun to rise as well but Luna pushed her back down into her seat.

"All is well, Ginny. I just need to speak to Bella. The wrackspurts and nargles have been messing with her dreams and making everything fuzzy for her. I'll just go fetch a pair of radish earrings for her," Luna said, smiling. Ginny nodded, giving her friend a soft smile at her. Bella raised an eyebrow and the two girls walked from the Great Hall, Umbridge watching them as they went.

"The Room of Requirement," Luna said, softly. Bella nodded and the two girls walked in silence up to the seventh floor. Luna pulled on her mandarin collar and Bella scrutinized the girl before smiling.

Her shirt wasn't the standard shirt. It had a high Mandarin collar, like all Elven clothing and was a pearl white instead of the cotton white. The shirt looked like it was made of silk and it was truly a beautiful shirt. Luna's tie was in a bow on top of her head. Her pointed ears were exposed and radish earrings hung from her ears. The butterbeer cork necklace hung around her neck.

The girls walked up to the Room of Requirement and Luna began pacing back and forth, three times. The door materialized in front of the two girls and Luna opened the door. Bella stared in shock at the room behind the door.

It was an office and a long therapist couch was in front of a desk. Next to the couch was a cushy chair. It was clear that it was for Luna. Little Snidgets were printed on the cloth of the chair. Bella walked in and sat down on the dark therapist couch and leaned back.

Luna skipped and picked up a quill and notebook off the desk before sitting down on the Snidget armchair. She looked over at Bella.

"I know what your dreams about. You wish to know what they mean and how to stop them," Luna said. It sounded like a question but Bella knew that she wasn't meant to answer it as if it were a question. It was a hard and cold statement. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I do. I can't understand it, Luna. All I want is for it to stop. Every time she asks…I become more uncertain. Am I supposed to do what a prophecy dictates me to do or am I supposed to make my own choices? What _is_ my choice?" Bella asked, almost frantically. Luna smiled.

"That is your decision, Bella. I may be a Seer but I See _possible_ outcomes. The future is never concrete. Even with the Great Prophecy, the future is not set in stone. You must understand, Bella, as I've explained before, not all prophecies must be followed. Some, most, are self-fulfilling. You can choose to follow the prophecy or your can ignore it. It is your choice to make," Luna said, significantly. Bella frowned at Luna's emphasis on prophecies but didn't question her. It didn't seem like Luna would answer anyway. She would answer, vaguely, making Bella even more frustrated than she already was.

"I don't want to make that choice yet! But every night, it's the same thing!" Bella cried out. Luna sighed.

"Then don't make the choice yet. You don't understand yet, Bella Anastasia?" Luna asked. She seemed to almost be impatient with Bella already. She had never gotten impatient with any of them before and it was surprising to Bella.

"Understand _what_?" Bella demanded.

Luna sighed and tugged a lock of her long dirty blonde hair.

"That is your subconscious. Hermione went through it. Blaise entered her mind and she met Mórrígan. And Hermione became who she was meant to be. Blaise did so as well, though he did so at the third task. He hasn't told you of it and it isn't really my place to do. It is his mind. Draco went through it…though he's not yet finished. It is now your turn," Luna said, softly. She touched Bella's cheek and Bella leaned up and frowned. She cleared her throat.

"So…Victory is my subconscious?" Bella asked. Luna shook her head and her pupils got a little larger in that one moment.

"Not exactly. Yet exactly so. Victory is _you_. Yet exactly not. Everything that you could be. Everything that you _should_ be. Yet…everything that you don't seem to want to be. Not yet, that is. You will take her hand one day, of that, I am sure," Luna said, softly. Bella swallowed at Luna's prediction. She wasn't ready yet. She didn't think she could that now…not when she had so many things to think about. Like school and Umbridge.

She couldn't just decide to change sides…

"But what _is_ Victory?" Bella asked. Luna smiled.

"Victory is you, as I said. Bella Anastasia, Victory has been around for millenniums. She is outside of time and yet…she had entered time and taken on a form. _You_. You are Victory. Victory is not _you_. You are Victory," Luna said, as if it made complete sense. It only furthered Bella's intense confusion. She frowned and ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"I'm not sure that I'm following you, Luna. Your logic is wrong, I think," Bella said, gently. Luna gave a little laugh.

"It is not that my logic is wrong. It is that you think of everything as having to be true or false. I do not think that way, Bella Anastasia. I think of everything as it just there. Nothing is true or false. It is just _there_."

Luna stood and kissed Bella's forehead, right over her scar. Bella felt a slight tingling and she shot to sit straight up. She looked at Luna in confusion. Luna sighed and stood up.

"Bella…the dreams will be blocked for now unless you _want_ them. But I cannot do this forever. One day the dreams are going to come flooding out and it could be in the middle of the day. And that day, you _must_ make your choice. There cannot be any more hesitation. You must draw the lines of battle. What will you fight for: your people or those that deny you?" Luna asked. Bella bit her lip.

She looked hesitant as if she didn't want to answer.

"But how do I know who is who? Who are they?"

"Once more, Bella Anastasia, I tell you, that that is not my decision is not mine. You must stop looking to others for the answers. It is time to assume your right. I See you for who you are. You may appear brave in some eyes, a liar in others, but I know you for who you are. You are just a teenage girl who is a bit misguided. You have nowhere to go in your eyes. But, those days must end. You must form a future for yourself, Bella Anastasia. But which path will you take?"

"I…don't know."

Luna sighed.

"One day. Some day. Soon…you will."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 9****th**** of September 1995**

**8:00 PM**

"Hand."

Bella held out her hand and Umbridge inspected her left hand. The Blood Quill was clutched tightly in Bella's right hand and she swallowed back her pain. She had nicked bandages from the Hospital Wing the night before so she was okay. She could pass it off as a sprain from riding her broom or something.

I must not tell lies.

It shone in bright red on her hand and this time it had not healed over. The words were written in lines all over hand and each one was distinct. About three lines of 'I must not tell lies' were written on her hand. And with each one of the parchment, one 'I must not tell lies' was deeper on her hand.

She had finished two feet of parchment in two hours without even complaining or whimpering once. It obviously was angering Umbridge. Umbridge looked rather pissed off at the moment and Bella had to restrain her smirk of triumph.

"Has it sunk in yet, Miss Potter?" Umbridge asked, testily. Bella looked at her solemnly and cleared her throat.

"No."

"Then, once more, you shall return next week. I hope you have a different answer for me then, dear," Umbridge simpered in a sugary voice. Bella tried her best to cringe but she _did _wince. Bella lifted her left hand for Umbridge to see. Bella's bright green eyes were serious and Umbridge seemed surprised that there weren't any tears in her eyes at all.

"My answer will never change. For, I must not tell lies."

:::

**A/N: **A lot is going on for Bella so the next chapter was wrong. The _next_ chapter will be with Gryffindors and Slytherins and a dash of DADA training. (WE DID HAVE UMBRIDGE! AGAIN!) I had too much going on with Bella. Her choices are a lot harder now because she thoroughly confused about _everything_. She's dreaming of her dead mother and this woman that looks like her. Bella thought she had accepted the prophecy but now…she's questioning _why_ she has to do it. _Why_ she has to fight for the Light. _Why_ she has to fight for the Dark. _Why_ she's Neutral. She knows she wants to be involved in the war but she doesn't know, which side.

Her decision will be made for her by the end of the year. But that won't be the end of Bella's growth. She may be maturing a little but her greatest emotional growth will happen in her seventh year, which is great, I think.

Next Chapter: Gryffindors, Slytherins, and a dash of DADA training.


	57. Chapter LII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I'M SO EXCITED FOR THURSDAY! My friends and I are going to the movie theaters are 9:00 to see HP & the Deathly Hallows Part 1! And then at midnight, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2! I'm so excited! I've never been more excited. I'm sure I'm going to be very upset when it all ends but I'm excited to see Albus Severus and Lily Potter as a child. As you can see, Lily was always one of my favorite characters. She was probably the bravest person in the entire series. Lily is definitely the bravest woman and Severus, the bravest man. In truth, I think _they_ are the heroes of the entire saga.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 11****th**** of September 1995**

**4:00 PM**

Bella crossed her arms, her Firebolt in hand. Ron was looking rather queasy, standing with the other Keepers that were trying out. He was gripping his new Cleansweep a little too tightly. Bella was getting rather impatient and she reached into her Quidditch robe and pulled out a Red Vine. She chewed on it absently.

"All right, so we have three candidates for Keeper this year. Andrew Kirke, Jack Sloper, and Ron Weasley. We'll be testing how well you get on with the rest of the team, as well," Angelina Johnson said. She was captain of the Quidditch team this year and Bella thought that it was a pretty good choice to make. They needed a female captain to keep her head and that was obviously Angelina.

"So, are we going to fly or what?" Bella asked, swallowing her Red Vine. Angelina Johnson smiled at Bella and nodded. She obviously believed the girl without even questioning her.

"We are. Let's just explain how the Quidditch team works. Down, girl. You three have to understand that the Keeper's job on this team is a little different from the other teams. The three Chasers typically work in tandem with Bella, the Seeker. She's a skilled Seeker and she sometimes _will_ be going through the hoops. You have to remember not to hit her. She'll also be distracting the other team's Chasers a lot. She's always done that so it'd be best not to get in her way a lot," Angelina explained. Fred and George nodding, slinging their arms across Bella's shoulders. Her face was still blank and Andrew and Jack seemed to be freaking out at that little fact.

"Keepers, also have to protect the Quidditch Princess. A Quaffle once almost hit her when she was flying through a ring. Oliver had to save her from getting knocked off her broom. Brilliant save that one was…" Fred trailed off. Bella smacked his arm and then pinched George when he started to nod in agreement. Both yelped and mock-glared down at her.

"I'm not a Quidditch Princess. I'm not a Princess, period. That's a bad habit that you picked up from Draco, obviously. Anyway, I do my job and I help out the Chasers by clearing a way for them when it needs to be done," Bella said, grinning. George rolled his eyes.

"Bella…you're almost doing other people's job. It's quite amusing to watch," George commented. Bella smiled and hugged both of them.

Recently, besides Charlie, the two Weasleys had been her favorites. She was still only sorta friends with Ron. He hadn't been her best mate for almost more than a year now. Ginny was cool but Gideon was sort of creepy in a sweet way.

"Yes, well, someone needs to do it. Otherwise we wouldn't win all the time. Can we fly now?" Bella begged. Angelina laughed, quietly and nodded. Bella broke away from the twins and took of into a run. She tossed her broom out and jumped on it as it began to fly away. She laughed as she shot straight up into the sky.

She hadn't had the chance to ride her broom for more than a year now and it felt exceedingly good to do so once more. She zoomed upwards before going up side down, her ponytail hanging with her. She went upright once more and did a lap around the Quidditch Pitch before flying towards the rest of the team. Katie Bell was looking at her with wide eyes. Bella gave an awkward laugh.

"I haven't ridden my broom in forever! Not even over the summer. I was too busy," Bella explained. The others looked at her as if it were blasphemous. She grinned and ran her hand over the broom.

"We're going to do shots. Whoever saves the most will be our Keeper," Angelina decided. Bella smiled and the three mounted their brooms. Angelina looked down at the piece of parchment in her hand.

"Kirke, you're up first. Let's go. Bella, keep the other two company," Angelina commanded. Bella nodded and reached into her robes for another Red Vine. She bit into it, viciously and floated over to Fred and George and the two potential Keepers.

"What's it like in Riddle's extensive DADA class?" Fred asked. Bella looked at them in surprise.

"I would have thought that you two would be in it. You're certainly smart enough. You guys are rather, dare I say it? Slytherin," smiled Bella. George nodded, solemnly. Ron wasn't paying much attention. He looked like he was trying his best not to be sick. Fred and George nodded once.

"We were. One of the OWLs we got was in DADA class because Professor Riddle said he'd flay us if we messed them up even though he knows that we want to open a joke shop," George said. Bella nodded in understanding.

"So, we passed the OWLs and did the sixth year NEWT course. And then we decided to leave the course and focus on developing our joke items," Fred explained. Bella hummed in understanding before flexing her left hand. The sting had left but Bella could still feel the words scarring under the bandages.

"I can understand that. Tom doesn't like when people underestimate themselves. If he pushed you, that must mean that you're really worth it," Bella said. Fred and George nodded and George sighed, almost wistfully.

"He was probably the only teacher that ever complimented us for our pranks. Granted, it was a prank on Snape and he doesn't like Snape, but still. He said it was very 'Slytherin' of us and he didn't even take points," George said. Bella's eyes widened and she began faking left and right on her broom though she wasn't really going anywhere.

"That's a big compliment for him to give."

"Why do you get to refer to Professor Riddle by his first name?" Jack Sloper asked, suddenly. Bella looked at him, sharply and Jack flushed in embarrassment. Bella's lip curled into a slight smile.

"He's my magical guardian, of sorts. Don't worry your pretty little head about it," Bella teased. Jack turned a deeper red and Bella, Fred, and George laughed. Jack turned away and Bella sighed.

"I'm only teasing. I call Tom by his first name because I want to. I don't advise you to do the same. He'd probably hex you. He nearly hexed me the first time," Bella said, thinking about the first time that she had called him Tom. She smiled fondly at the memory before blinking and coming back to the real world.

"Come on, let's do laps," Fred suggested to his brother and Bella. Bella looked to Ron and Jack.

"Ron, you'll be fine, right?" she asked, softly. Ron swallowed hard and gave a jerky nod.

"Yeah. Fine," he managed to get out. Bella sighed. Ron really was a ball of nerves. She had never seen him play but Gideon and Ginny said he made a decent enough Keeper.

"All right. You're on, Fred," Bella said. The three began to fly around the Quidditch Pitch at the same pace. Kirke jumped when he saw them, missing a ball. Angelina gave them dangerous looks but they only laughed and flew higher.

"What's Riddle Manor like? Riddle told us that we couldn't go to a lot of rooms. Including the library," George asked. Bella tilted her at the strange question but decided to answer anywhere.

"It's classically beautiful. My room is gorgeous…Hermione's room was very nice too. The grounds were nice though Tom had advised me not to go down to the graveyard a little ways down. Little Hangleton look interesting but I didn't go there either. The library was nice thought not as nice as the one in his office…" Bella said. Fred and George were giving her assessing looks. They didn't comment and Bella cleared her throat, awkwardly.

"Race you?" she asked. Fred and George grinned.

"You're on."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 20****th**** of September 1995**

**10:00 AM**

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" Daphne asked. She crossed her arms and tossed her long blond hair back as she stared up at her DADA teacher. Professor Riddle sighed, impatiently.

"Get through the obstacle course without touching any of the obstacles for my more five seconds. If you do, you'll be shocked. This calls for flexibility and agility. At the end of the obstacle course, you're going to fend of three dummies without a wand," Professor Riddle explained. Potter nodded, sharply and she raised her hand. Professor Riddle looked over at her. Daphne glared at the girl for taking the attention off of herself.

"May I go first?" Potter asked. Riddle shrugged.

"Go."

Daphne smoothed her trousers, something that she had taken to wearing during DADA classes. Potter looked at the obstacle course, her gaze calculating. Daphne had to look up as well.

It consisted of several low hurdles with a flat gazebo roof over them. Daphne wasn't sure how it was possible to get over all of them since the roof was so low that you'd probably hit your head if you attempted to jump over them. Then after that was a twenty feet wall with one rope to help you climb up. On the top of the wall was another rope, going the other way. After that, there were ropes hanging from a bar. The thick ropes were hanging over a pool of mud and dirt and sludge. Daphne cringed at the sight of that. At the end, there was a tall pole with handles on it. A mechanism, a trapeze, was hanging at the top and right under the trapeze was a swimming pool.

It looked brutal.

"I'll be timing all of you. It is best that you start now, Anya," Riddle said. Potter nodded and Daphne watched as she slid off her jewelry. The bangles came off first and were given to Draco. She took of her charm bracelet next and handed that to the Mudblood. She next took off a silver heart locket and gave that to Blaise. Finally, she brought her wand to the chain of the biggest locket. The chain glowed before the locket fell off of Potter's neck and into her hands. She tossed that to Professor Riddle.

"This is going to be absolutely disgusting if I fall," sighed Potter, looking disdainfully at the sludge. She shrugged off her robes next and unbuttoned her white shirt. Underneath she wore a slightly tight black t-shirt. She began to braid her hair and took a hair tie from the Mudblood's hair and looped the braid until it was in a bun. She slid the hair tie around it, keeping it up.

"Time to go," Potter said. She walked up to the first vault and Riddle held up his hand, and waved his wand. Numbers floated in the air, ready to take the time for Potter.

Lalita stared as Bella turned around, backwards before bending backwards over the low hurdle. She pushed her legs up before she flipped over and continued the process until she went over each hurdle. The last hurdle was too tall for her to flip over. The gazebo roof was no longer there and Bella somehow had to get up there. Fay frowned.

"How is she going to pass that?" Fay asked Professor Riddle. Lalita pointed at Bella in shock. Bella was backing away to the hurdle she had just jumped. Bella bent down and ran before she pushed herself into a flip. She was standing on her hands and she pushed up, flipping upwards. She grabbed onto the ledge and swung herself up until she was standing on top. She flipped downwards, stumbling as she went but making it.

"Now, the wall," Hermione said, softly. Bella ran at the wall and grabbed the rope. She leaned back and climbed up, pulling herself up while walking up the wall, confident in her ability. She made it to the top in ten seconds. As she reached the top she grabbed the second rope and slid down it, not caring about rope burn apparently.

She only made it half way down before she let go of the jump and landed in a crouch. She ran at the pool of sludge and jumped, grabbing on to a rope. Instead of crossing to the next rope, she swung on the rope she had. She let go and grabbed the bar and began going across on that. She seemed to be moving faster that way. She dropped onto the solid ground, and she made her way to the large pole.

She climbed, her face hard. She was near the top now and she moved one foot on top. Lalita cringed. If she made one mistake, she'd fall and quite possibly injure herself, heavily. Bella moved her other foot on top and extended her arms to keep her balance. She slowly straightened.

She swung herself forward and jumped, grabbing the trapeze. She swung and let go of the trapeze, plunging towards the swimming pool. She extended herself until she was rod straight. Her feet entered the pool first and she landed, causing a huge splash. The Slytherin girls cringed from the water. Bella swam up and to the edge of the pool and she pulled herself out. Her hair was out of its braid and fell wet. Her clothes were clinging to her. Her eyes were narrowed as she surveyed the dummies.

"Let's play," she smirked.

She gave a feral cry before running at the biggest dummy. It threw a punch at her. Bella calmly grabbed it before twisting it and swinging her legs up. She wrapped them around the dummy's neck and brought it down, making it flip over. She jumped up as the dummy struggled up. She got into a fighting stance.

The three dummies surrounded her and started throwing punches. Bella's eyes widened when she noticed that they were _wooden_ dummies. Her lips curled into a smirk. She jumped up and launched a kick at the closest dummy's neck. The head fell off and the dummy collapsed. Bella swept one dummy's feet from underneath it and punched another dummy in the face. She leaned down and pulled a knife from her boot.

"She keeps a _knife_ in her _boot_? I thought you said she was violent enough not to carry a weapon!" Lalita cried out in shock. Daphne's eyes widened and she bit her lip. Linda frowned.

"But…she's not using it to attack…what _is_ she doing?" Linda said, pointing. Hermione laughed at her sister. Lalita frowned at her. Riddle groaned.

"Damn…they're wooden. Bella's weapon of choice."

Lalita watched as Bella started slashing at the decapitated wooden body of the dummy. She was carving something though it wasn't very skillful carving. Draco and Blaise were snickering about it. Neville was staring in shock.

"W-what? W-why does she carry a knife?" Neville stuttered. Ron's eyes widened in recognition. Lalita remembered when he had barged into the Library to find Hermione and announced at the top of his lungs that he was Keeper. He had left rather sullen after Draco embarrassed him thoroughly.

"That's the knife Sirius gave her!" he said, blinking. Tracey frowned.

"Her guardian gave her a weapon?" she asked. Hermione shrugged and smirked at Riddle. Riddle paled considerably.

"He collects _knives,_" Hermione snickered.

Large chunks of wood were falling now. She was trying to sever the arm but it wasn't working very well. Bella was continuously kicking away her opponents without even looking at them. She backed away, dragging the body with her, until she was at the edge of the swimming pool. There were other students outside. Sixth and seventh years with free periods were watching.

"Come on Bella!" Fred called out. Bella looked up and smiled. She began to mutter. There was a static crackle in the air. Bella bent down, holding the dummy. She moved it until it was kneeling at her feet. She placed her foot against the dummy's back and pulled the arms off. She threw one into the swimming pool before taking the other and slashing at the arm, quickly. She had formed a small but crude javelin.

Bella straightened and started twisting the javelin between her fingers like a ninja. She whispered something and Lalita stared as Riddle's eyes widened. Bella darted forward with a battle cry and slashed her javelin forward like a sword. Lalita blinked when the dummy's head fell off. Bella jumped on the body before it could move and threw her fist down, splintering its chest. She jumped off and turned to the remaining dummy.

"_Yah!_" she cried out, throwing the javelin as hard as she could. It struck the dummy in the chest and went straight through the dummy. The dummy stumbled and threw a punch at Bella. Bella stealthily grabbed the javelin and she propelled herself.

Lalita saw Bella perform the craziest kick she'd ever seen. It was the butterfly kick, something that was so hard to do that Lalita had never really seen it done as perfectly as Bella had done so. Bella straddled the dummy and threw down the javelin as if it were a stake and into the area where the heart would be on a real person. She twisted it and the dummy jolted before turning to sawdust under her. Bella stood and smirked.

"I'm done! How long was that?" Bella asked. Tom frowned.

"The obstacle course took your four minutes. _That _took six. Ten minutes and forty seconds. Pretty decent. Could be better."

Bella snarled.

"Damn!"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 2****nd**** of October 1995**

**3:00 PM**

"Er…Potter."

Bella looked up from her homework. Draco, Hermione, Blaise, and Bella were outside on the grounds, sitting under a large oak tree. It allowed enough shade from the light and wasn't as stuffy and dark as the library had started to become. It had been a good meeting place for a time but it was nice to be outside.

Bella looked up at Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Linda Moon, and Theodore Nott. Gregory Goyle was skulking behind them, looking either dumb or annoyed. It was hard to tell for Bella. Davis looked doubtful. Bella looked at the Slytherin Princess and crossed her arms.

"What is it, Greengrass?" Bella asked, carefully. Greengrass' fists tightened ever so slightly when Moon subtly pushed Greengrass. Greengrass glared at her friend before pulling out the DADA textbook and presenting it to Bella.

"We…we aren't sure about the DADA homework," Greengrass said. Bella had to suppress her amused smile. Greengrass was wincing, as if that had been the hardest thing that she had ever done. But, Bella knew that all Slytherins had trouble admitting that they were wrong. Tom was like that.

"And what am I supposed to do about that? Our essay is due on Wednesday," Bella said, innocently. In truth, she hadn't even thought about her thesis for the essay and it had been assigned a while back, the 20th of September to be exact. They were supposed to focus on one war tactic or strategy and research and expand on it.

"You're…_arguably_, the best of our DADA class. We were inquiring if you could, for a lack of a better word, tutor us," Greengrass said, flatly. Bella's lips finally did curl into an amused smile. Greengrass seemed to take offense at it and she became a stuck up pureblood once more.

"Fine. If you don't wish to make fun, we'll go—" Greengrass started. Bella held up a hand.

"Sure, I'll tutor you to the best of my ability. But, can we stop with the formalities? If I'm going to be tutoring you, I really want to call you by your given names," Bella said, flatly. Greengrass looked at the other Slytherins. Nott stepped forward and gave a nod.

"Done. Theodore is the name," Nott said. Bella smiled and waved them down onto the grass. Daphne's lip curled at having to sit in the grass but she did anyway. The other Slytherins followed her lead and Bella stood. She sighed and grabbed a few pieces of grass.

She muttered the first Transfiguration spell that she had ever learned and they turned into needles. Bella looked over at her siblings. They were barely paying any attention.

"Any of you have spare parchment?" Bella asked. Hermione nodded, absently. She was writing her outline for her essay. Another outline. She had changed her thesis at least three times since they had gotten the assignment. Hermione passed Bella a piece of parchment.

"_Engorgio_."

The parchment swelled and Bella stuck it to the tree with the needles. She picked up her quill and turned to the students that were looking at her patiently.

"I'm doing my essay on combat. But, you guys have to do something that you're comfortable with and interested in. For example, Daphne, _you_ would be excellent for infiltration," Bella said.

She leaned up and separated the piece of parchment into nine columns. She wrote down her classmates' names besides her siblings. Daphne frowned in confusion and she took out her quill and parchment to take notes.

"How so?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that you're not ugly. You could use your looks for infiltration and then assassination. You're a Slytherin. Use your cunning and all your weapons to the best advantage. If it just so happens that your looks and perhaps sex is your weapon, so be it," Bella said, crudely. Her siblings looked up at her and seemed to thinking about what she had to say.

"So, I should write an essay on infiltration?" Daphne asked. Bella shrugged.

"If you want. You may write about anything that you want but I'm not really the expert on warfare _or_ covert operations. That'd be Hermione. I'm sure she could expand on this more than me. Draco can instruct you on your agility, endurance, and speed. I can educate you with curses, spells, and how to kill someone without weapons or with weapons. Blaise can explain theory well. But, Hermione knows war. She's been reading about the art of war since she was a little girl," Bella said, simply.

The Slytherins exchanged looks and Hermione sighed, standing up. She held out her hand for the quill and Bella handed it to her without a problem. Hermione turned back to the Slytherins. They looked a little annoyed at having what they thought as an upstart Mudblood for a teacher.

"First of all, what you all need to read to complete this assignment is _The Art of War _by Sun Tzu. It was the most useful books when it comes to this subject and military science. That's essentially what Tom is training us to be. An _army_. For what side, is yet to be determined. For now, we are a Neutral factor," Hermione said, sharply. Linda Moon snorted and rolled her eyes. She sneered at the girl and crossed her arms.

"_You_? Neutral? You're a Mudblood. Why would you even consider being on the side of Grindelwald?" Linda sneered. Hermione glared at the girl and leaned against the tree, obviously a little more than annoyed. Linda blinked in surprise.

"Just because I'm a Mudblood? Your view is severely biased, Moon…ah, Linda. I don't agree with a lot of things that Dumbledore thinks is okay. Though, I don't like politics, I still know a lot from Bella. Bella could be the Minister of Magic or the Head of DMLE if she wanted to. She knows about the corruption that Dumbledore supports. That Dumbledore _created_. She sympathizes with Bellatrix Lestrange, of all people," Hermione said. The Slytherins looked to Bella in complete shock. Draco sneered at them.

"Slytherins don't show their shock."

The Slytherins instantly rearranged their faces and looked away from the cold Slytherin. Bella shrugged.

"I don't sympathize with her. I see why she did what she did. She had to survive and fight for what she believed in. She may be bat shit crazy but she is truthfully, extremely competent. If things were different, I might even like her. But, alas, she tortured my sister. Thus, I hate her guts."

Blaise's lips curled into a slight smile and he pulled Bella to sit down between him and Draco. She leaned her head on Blaise's shoulder and watched as Hermione turned back to the students. She cleared her throat.

"As, I was saying, what Bella was telling you about, Daphne, is the thirteenth chapter in _The Art of War_ by _Sun Tzu_. The best edition to read that you'd understand is R.L. Wing's 1988 edition. I read the 1910 one when I was little but it did a very bad job of explaining exactly what Sun Tzu meant. Chapter 13, The Use of Intelligence. That will help you quite a bit. I don't think you'd even have to do further research," Hermione said, sharply. Daphne nodded and took notes on what she was saying.

Hermione wrote down on the large paper: The Use of Intelligence.

She began listing sources that was worth looking into. Daphne copied it down, drinking in the information. Bella smiled, proudly, at her sister. The Slytherins were looking at her with newfound respect.

"What is she doing?"

Bella turned and looked at Fay, Lalita, Neville, and Parvati. They were all carrying their books. Bella smiled at them and waved them over. They walked over and sat down with them.

"She's helping them with the DADA homework. Explaining warfare and such. She has studied military science since she was little. She understands a lot. I'm more of politics and I can do political maneuvering but she's a born warrior," Bella said, proudly. Fay's eyes widened and she crossed her arms.

"Is she? I want to be an Auror when I'm older. Maybe she could help…" Fay said, contemplating.

"I don't think you should be an Auror. They're part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, trying to bring down the Ministry of Magic with a combination of magic and gum disease."

Fay spun and stared at Luna Lovegood. Draco laughed under his breath and pulled Luna down to sit next to him. She sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Fay blinked.

"This is Luna Lovegood, one of our very _best_ friends. She has crazy theories but I sort of agree with her. I don't think you should be an Auror," Bella said, shortly. Hermione turned from the lecture and blinked.

"Ah…I agree. Fay is intelligent, fierce, and a quick-thinker. She'd be good as the leader of a combat team and a strategist, perhaps. Maybe you should focus on different military strategies," Hermione suggested. Fay nodded, seriously and wrote down the suggestion. She sighed and gave a smile.

"I suppose I should change my thesis."

Bella nodded, seriously.

"That'd be for the best. Try and write an outline first. If you aren't able to finish the thesis in time, you should just hand in your outline," Blaise said. Draco nodded in agreement.

"If it's good, you might get an A. If it's amazing, you'll get an E," he said. Fay nodded, accepting their suggestions. Hermione bent down and took out a large book from her bag. She tossed it to Fay and Fay caught it.

"This will definitely help you. _Roots of Strategy: Book 1, _edited by Brigadier General Thomas Phillips. It's by a few Muggles but it's good for what you're focusing on. Notably, Sun Tzu, Vegetius, Marshal Maurice de Saxe, Frederick the Great, and Napoleon. Read it. Absorb it. Embrace I," Hermione said. Fay nodded furiously and opened the book and began to take notes. Hermione turned back to the other Slytherins.

"Theodore, you…you strike me as a…" Hermione started. Bella, Draco, and Blaise stared at Theodore before grinning.

"A weapon master," the three siblings finished for Hermione. Hermione nodded fiercely and smile. Theodore frowned.

"How so?"

"I don't know. You just do. So, you get to focus on the use of weapons and when it is appropriate and when it is not," Hermione said. Bella nodded and she leaned forward.

"Also, think about silent killing. Sometimes, an explosion is not the best way of action," Bella said. Theodore wrote all this down on his parchment. The group of students did not even realize that others were watching them.

Nor, did they realize that three students were approaching them.

"Excuse me."

The group of DADA students looked up and saw the three Ravenclaws standing their, books in their hands as well.

"We couldn't help but notice that you're doing the DADA homework. Could we join you?" asked Padma Patil. She was almost a carbon copy of his twin sister except her face was a bit rounder. Bella nodded, enthusiastically. A smile was on her face.

"Of course. And you two are?" Bella asked. The dark boy raised his hand in greeting.

"Michael Corner."

The redhead boy nodded at Bella.

"Anthony Goldstein," he said quietly. Bella nodded.

"I'm Bella. Just Bella. This is Hermione, Draco, and Blaise. We don't call each other by last names in this group," Bella said. Anthony nodded in understanding.

"That's rather…nice. Unity is what you want, isn't it?" Michael asked. Bella smirked and nodded. The three 5th year Ravenclaws sat down and Padma sat with her sister. Bella's eyes widened on the pair.

"You two. Interrogation," she said, firmly. Hermione turned to her sister in confusion.

"How so?" the Mudblood asked.

"Don't you see it? Good cop, bad cop," Bella said. The 'duh' was suggested. Hermione snickered and nodded, slowly. The two pureblood Indian twins frowned in confusion. Draco and Blaise frowned in confusion.

"What is 'good cop, bad cop'?" Tracey asked. Bella sighed.

"It's an interrogation tactic with two interrogators involved. I saw a movie…a Muggle picture show, with it. One interrogator is aggressive and accusatory towards the subject. The other interrogator responds sympathetically. However, the main goal is to get a confession or information out of the subject. It requires a certain knowledge of military psychology so your thesis should be about that," Bella said. Padma and Parvati frowned.

"But won't he realize that we basically are talking about the same thing?" Parvati asked. Bella nodded and understanding dawned on Draco and Blaise.

"I'm sure if you explain in your essay that you're to be interrogation partners, he'd accept it. Perhaps even encourage it," Blaise said. Tracey Davis looked a little put off now. She stood, abruptly.

"You guys aren't helping Goyle, Linda, and I. We came here for help first!" Tracey complained. Bella rolled her eyes. Tracey saw this and glared. She picked up her books and sneered.

"You guys probably have no idea of what you're saying. Bright idea, Daph. Really. Come on Linda," Tracey said, sarcastically. Linda frowned and cleared her throat.

"Er…I'm fine. Really," Linda said. Tracey gave her a betrayed look before grabbing her bag. She grabbed Goyle by the arm and began to drag him away. Bella shrugged.

"Good riddance."

"Her aura was messing with the balance of the Chaos Squad."

Everyone looked at Luna. She was grinning, lazily up at the clouds. She blinked and looked around.

"What?" she asked, quietly.

"The Chaos Squad? That sounds rather corny, doesn't it?" Draco asked. Luna blinked again and pupils got a bit larger. A smile spread on her lips and nodded.

"If you prefer the term Black Ops…"

"Black ops? As in…covert operations?" Hermione asked, sharply. Luna nodded and tilted her head.

"Yes. The Four's black ops team. Bella will assume her chosen role. You four will make your choice by the end of the year 1996. You will declare a side on the winter solstice. And the Chaos Squad will be by your side, whichever side you pick."

Bella's eyes widened and she glanced around her at the ten DADA students that were frowning in confusion. Blaise sighed.

"Luna's a Seer. Most of the things she says don't make sense. It is best to let her explain them on her own," Blaise explained. Daphne nodded, slowly and tilted her head.

"So we're black ops?"

"Mhmm. Continue assigning roles, General Mórrígan."

Hermione cleared her throat, anxiously and nodded. She cracked her neck and pointed at the Patil twins.

"Right. Interrogation twins. Write that down. In the library there should be various books in the restricted section on Military Psychology. I'll get Bella to get you a signed note from Professor Riddle for you two. Let's move on to Neville."

Neville stiffened and he almost fell over.

"You'll be a great field agent, Neville," Luna said. Neville blinked in surprise and frowned.

"What?" Hermione asked, slowly. She was _not_ going to suggest _that_ for Neville of all people.

"He'll be a field agent. One of the best. Co-leader of the Black Ops," Luna said, leaning back. Neville almost fell over at that and blinked rapidly. Draco looked at her, incredulously.

"_Longbottom_? I mean, Neville?" Draco corrected when Bella sent him a sharp look. Luna nodded.

"Do not underestimate him. He will be great and be respected. But, he is in need of a wand. The one he has is stunting his growth," Luna said, conversationally. Bella cleared her throat and fixed Neville with a stare. Neville was fidgeting under her unwavering stare.

"It's…it's my dad's old wand."

"You need a new one. Why are you using your dad's old wand?" Bella asked. Neville flushed and looked down.

"I'm sure you know why Bellatrix Lestrange was in Azkaban."

"She tortured your parents into insanity. Do you fault her for trying to keep herself alive?" Bella said, sharply. Neville looked up with a determined glint in his eyes. He nodded before faltering.

"I'm…not sure."

"Hermione has ASPD and is psychotic. Would you fault her if she tortured someone into insanity when she's insane herself?" Bella asked. Hermione stiffened as the others looked at her in shock. Blaise glared at Bella and pat Hermione's leg, reassuringly.

"I'm not sure," Neville answered again. Bella gave him a cold look.

"Be sure."

Neville swallowed and gave a nervous laugh. Bella raised her eyebrow, expecting an answer. Neville didn't even wait this time before answering.

"You sounded like Professor Riddle," he explained. Bella nodded, slowly.

"He'd say the same. Neville, do you believe me when I say that Grindelwald is back?" Bella asked, seriously. Neville looked surprised at the questions. The others looked surprised as well. He nodded.

"Of course."

"Then you have to understand that I will do _anything_ in my power to make sure that I win this war," Bella said, softly. Anthony frowned.

"What do you mean that _you_ win this war?"

"I don't have a side. I'll pick one eventually but this war is no longer about good or evil. There is no such thing as good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Which are you?" Bella asked. The group contemplated her words but did not comment on them. Bella leaned back and continued her outline.

"You two Ravenclaws…Anthony you write about cryptography and cryptanalysis. Michael…I suppose you'll work with him…steganography. I'll explain that to you a bit later. You're both quite intelligent and I think you'd be gifted in those areas," Hermione said as she wrote down her thoughts on the parchment. Michael raised his hand and Hermione pointed at him.

"How do you figure that?" he asked. Draco sighed.

"We don't know. But please trust us. We know what we're doing. Professor Riddle has trained us since we were thirteen. Not in warfare but other things. We know what we're doing. And Hermione has been talking about warfare and things like that for only Merlin knows how long. She understands warfare," Draco said. Michael and Anthony looked skeptic but they shrugged and wrote down what Hermione told them. She turned to Linda.

"Linda. And Lalita. You…I didn't know you existed, you know, Linda. And Lalita, you observe. You both would work well together, I think. Black bag operations. Write this down exactly as I say: _Black bag operations are covert entries into structures for human intelligence operations. This usually involves breaking and entering._ You go that?" Hermione asked. Linda scribbled it down and Lalita nodded.

"Yeah, I've got it. You?" Linda asked. Lalita nodded once.

"You two will be working together a lot. I'll list techniques and such after this. I might have to send for some of my books from my mum. She wouldn't let me bring them all," Hermione said, giving a slight grin. Linda and Lalita nodded and Hermione sighed. Draco smiled proudly at his sister.

"Now, everyone list what they're doing for me so that I know you all have it down," Hermione said. She pointed at Daphne.

"Espionage: infiltration and assassination," Daphne said. Draco leaned forward and pointed at Theodore.

"Weaponry," Theodore said. Bella pointed at Neville.

"Field agent," Neville said, uncertainly. Bella shrugged.

"Add onto that. Infiltration. A double-agent. Joining the opposite side under the guise that you wish to work against your true side," Bella said. Neville's eyes widened and cleared his throat.

"But…this isn't for real, is it?" Neville asked, slowly. Luna grinned.

"It's for real, Neville," she said. Neville swallowed and Bella touched Neville's shoulder.

"I'll help you. It's all about the lies you tell," Bella said with a slight smile. She flexed her left hand.

She remembered the words imprinted on them. I must not tell lies.

Bella's smile grew. She must not tell lies yet here she was…teaching someone how to lie. She knew she didn't have many morals but lying was one thing she hated. She hated being lied to. She had no qualms about lying to stay alive and that was what she was teaching Neville, she reassured herself.

"O-okay," Neville said, trusting. Bella squeezed his shoulder and sat back. Blaise looked over at the Patil twins.

"And you two?" he asked. Parvati and Padma squeezed each other's hands.

"Interrogation," they said as one. Blaise nodded, slowly.

"I'll be teaching you two a very…useful skill. I'll even convince Professor Riddle to help me teach it to you," Blaise said. The two sisters glanced at each other, nervously but nodded, slowly. Draco pointed at Linda and Lalita.

"Lalita, Linda, tell me what you're doing your essay on," Draco commanded. Linda and Lalita looked down at their parchment.

"Black bag operations," Linda said. Lalita nodded.

"In other words, collecting of intelligence through breaking and entering and theft," Lalita said. Draco gave Lalita an approving look and she grinned. Hermione turned to Fay and pointed at her.

"Fay?" Hermione asked.

"Combatant and strategist," Fay said, firmly. Hermione gave her a thumbs up.

"You got it. Bella can teach your various curses and spells. To develop your strategy skills play chess," Hermione suggested. Fay nodded and wrote that down, quickly. Hermione pointed to Michael. He looked down.

"Steganography. What is that, exactly?" Michael asked. Blaise looked into Hermione's eyes for a moment and murmured something. He turned, quickly just as Hermione glared at him.

"It's the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one but the sender and recipient can understand it or even suspect the existence of a message. It's quite similar to cryptography," Blaise said, sharply. Padma looked at him, impressed.

"How'd you know that?" Padma asked. Blaise smirked.

"Hermione told me."

"When?" Draco asked in surprise. He finally noticed Hermione's glare before he rolled his eyes.

"Just now."

"I could have sworn that Tom told you that was a social faux pas. Stop doing it," Hermione snapped. Blaise grabbed her hand and kissed the palm of her hand. A slight blush made its way across her face though she kept her stubborn look. Blaise smirked at the Indian twins.

"I'll teach you how to do it if you're going to be working with us, that is," Blaise said. The Patil twins shrugged.

"Anyway…Anthony, tell me," Hermione said, turning from Blaise though she didn't pull her hand from his. Anthony looked down at his paper before looking back up.

"Cryptography and cryptanalysis.

"Perfect!" Luna said, grinning. She jumped up, surprising everyone and she plucked the quill from Hermione's hand. Hermione blinked.

"This is for life. I have Seen you all, standing by their side. Do you pledge your allegiance to them?" Luna asked. The ten other students frowned and looked at each other. They began whispering amongst themselves. Daphne seemed to be the spokesperson however.

"We'll have to think about it. Where would you stand in the upcoming war?" Daphne asked. Bella's eyes widened.

"You believe me?" she asked. Daphne snorted.

"Your words held power on the first day of classes. The Slytherins are not stupid. We know that you of all people would not lie about something like that. I'm sure that it's the same for the Ravenclaws," Daphne said. Michael nodded in agreement.

"Some of us think you're crazy or a liar. But, the three of us agree with the Slytherins for once. But we _do_ have to talk about it amongst ourselves," Michael said, throwing a distasteful look at the Slytherins. Daphne sneered back at him. Fay, Parvati, Neville, and Lalita swallowed.

"I'm not sure what my Gran would think," Neville said, as a way of explanation. Fay shrugged. Lalita sighed.

"My father…I'm sure Draco told you," Lalita said, softly. The four siblings nodded in understanding. Parvati glanced at her sister.

"I follow my sister," she said as a way of explanation.

"I would have to think about it. That's a big commitment, pledging our allegiance to you. We only wanted help with _homework_. Why do we even have to do such a thing?" Fay asked. Now, everyone was paying attention. The four siblings looked at each other, nervously. Luna was still standing by the tree, looking into the distant blankly.

"Tell them. They shall not have the power to tell anyone," she said, sharply. More piercingly than she usually sounded. And she never sounded harsh.

"What?" Blaise said, softly. Luna glanced at them.

"You need them. You do. You will need them. You must trust them. They will soon be the some of the only people you _can_ trust," Luna said, softly. Bella swallowed and she leaned forward.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked. Luna nodded.

"I've never been more sure of any vision. My vision was of you ten, fighting. And you were some of the greatest fighters in the battle. It was a beautiful vision. You flowed as a team because of these four people in front of you. And you looked like you _trusted_ each other. Soon, trust will be a limited resource. I suggest you form that bond now. And it starts with you trusting them with this sensitive information," Luna said. Bella nodded and glanced at the ten children.

"W-we a-a-are the…" Bella stuttered, not able to get the words out. She grabbed her locket and swallowed. She felt a sense of warmth spread through her as she held the locket. It felt like Tom was right next to her.

"We are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," Bella forced out. The ten children's eyes widened in absolute shock and disbelief. Neville looked positively fearful. He cringed from the children while the Slytherins looked disbelieving. The Ravenclaws looked calculating. Fay swallowed. Lalita's eyes were wide.

"You're lying. You _must_ be lying," Daphne said, flatly. Bella's eyes narrowed and they brightened.

"You will stop if you know what's good for you, Daphne. I don't take kindly to being called a liar. I am not. I am Victory, whether you like it or not. I'm sure you've realized that you cannot say the words easily. That's because of the Curse of the Damned, which restricts people from speaking of them when they come into being. The day that Hermione was born, no one could speak of the Horsemen any longer," Bella said, flatly. Daphne's eyes widened and Hermione rolled up her sleeve. She showed the tattoo on her arm.

"The Sword of War. The sign of War," Hermione said, enunciating her words. She had to make sure that she didn't falter over her words. Draco cleared his throat.

"I have the…Scythe of D…Death on my back," Draco continued. Blaise nodded and cleared his throat.

"I have the…the Spear of Swarm on my leg," Blaise said, sharply. Everyone turned to Bella and she smiled. She held out the palm of her hand and ran her finger down the straight ling of the Deathly Hallows sign on her left palm.

"The Wand of Elder. I have yet to acquire it, though Lu says I'll get it by the end of 5th year," Bella said. Neville cringed from the four.

"But that means…you're going to help the _Dark_."

Everyone looked at Neville and he flushed under the gaze. Draco was glaring at them all.

"Yeah, that's what a prophecy says. Who said we ever going to follow it? We're Neutral. If we've got to make our own side, so be it. We won't be used as a weapon for anyone. If our goals coincide with the Dark, then so be it. Same goes for the Light," Draco said. Bella nodded.

"Our magic may be Dark but that doesn't mean we won't fight for ourselves. We've been honest with you. If we were really for the Dark would we be telling _Gryffindors_ these things?" Bella asked. Fay considered this idea.

"I suppose not. Are you serious about fighting for your own ideas?" Fay asked. Bella nodded, solemnly. She never intended to fight for anything but her own beliefs.

"Of course. Draco has met Lord Voldemort and some of his ideas match my own. He is an unknown variable at this point. If it comes to the point where our ideas match enough, we could form an alliance. But we aren't quite sure yet," Bella explained. Her siblings shot her confused looks but didn't call her out on it. It would have been really unprofessional to embarrass her when she was speaking to the others.

"We have to agree anyway, don't we? I mean, the Seer saw it," Anthony said, shortly. Luna sighed and shook her head.

"You do not have to make a choice based on one prophecy, Anthony John. The future is constantly shifting. I see that vision but I see others of you not choosing to follow the Four. Choices, Anthony John," Luna said. Anthony seemed to surprise that she knew his middle name and he swallowed.

"How'd you know my middle name?" he asked. Luna smiled.

"I know many things. Michael Greg, you are considering the offer," Luna said, brightly. Everyone looked to Michael and he nodded, seriously. He swallowed.

"I want to live. The Dark has two powerful wizards on their side. But I don't agree with all their ideas. My dad is a Muggleborn. But, the Light only has one powerful wizard on that side. If there's a third party that offers me protection along with the backing of _four_ powerful witches and wizards, so be it," Michael said, seriously. Padma frowned before nodding.

"There's truth to that. But, despite being powerful they are untrained," Padma debated. Theodore shook his head.

"They aren't untrained. Remember, Professor Riddle has trained them for two years. And Granger and Potter…sorry, Hermione and Bella listed their injuries. Hermione has gotten her finger reattached because of Riddle. And Pott…Bella got her _foot_ reattached when dueling him," Theodore said. Padma's eyes widened.

"And apparently, Potter won against him before…once, right?" Linda added. Bella nodded in agreement and Padma swallowed, thickly.

"I suppose you aren't untrained. But, it's dangerous to back someone who is considered a liar in the wizarding world. It's also dangerous to pick a side so early in the game," Padma said. Fay nodded, slowly.

"She's right, you know. But…I have to say that you being the…Four is a good incentive, honestly," Fay said. Blaise nodded in agreement.

"We are far from powerless. Bella is probably the most cold-blooded killer I've ever met. She had relatively no morals. Hermione _has_ no morals except the fact that she has an unhealthy respect for authority figures. Draco…Draco has command of the dementors. I have the command over the very human mind. Trusting us and perhaps joining us would be more of a pro than a con," Blaise explained. The ten children looked even more uncertain of their arguments against pledging allegiance now. Bella sighed.

"I'm…I'm not sure about this, Bella. My Gran…" Neville sighed. Bella sighed, angrily and she crossed her arms.

"For once, Neville, don't do what your Gran wants. Do what _you_ want!" Bella snapped. Neville looked shocked but oddly enough, slightly happy about Bella snapping at him. He swallowed.

"I'll have to think about it," Neville said. Bella nodded.

"That's all I ask. Just think about it. All right?" Bella asked. The ten children shrugged and nodded. Hermione pulled down the large parchment and rolled it up before tucking it under her arm. Draco hooked arms with Bella and Blaise grabbed Hermione's hand.

"We'll see you guys later. Your answer…the day you get your essays back, all right?" Draco said. The group nodded and the four siblings began to walk off. Luna stayed with the ten students and smiled at them.

"You could be great you know. They will help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that. Think about that," Luna said. They watched her flit away, a satisfied smile on her face.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 7****th**** of October 1995**

**9:15 PM**

Bella laid her head on Tom's chest as he graded papers. She was sitting on his lap at his desk as she had taken to doing after every detention with Umbridge. She'd go to the Great Hall, eat for a half-hour, make an excuse to leave, and then come down to Tom's office and wait for him. She looked down at her white bandage. It was tinged pink a little where the words were carved into her skin but she never complained. She always answered the same after every single detention, thus she knew she'd have to be back the week after. Bella licked the column of Tom's neck. He didn't even flinch. Bella glared and began placing open-mouth kisses on his neck. She bit down when he still didn't respond.

As soon as she bit down, Tom grabbed her chin and tilted her head up. He pressed a sweet and chaste kiss on her lips before going back to grading papers. She glared at the papers and looked down at the commented on essay that belonged to Ron Weasley. On the top was an enormous P.

"Damn it, Tom. I don't like being ignored," Bella snapped. Tom kissed her forehead again and put the essay to the side.

"You're not being ignored. But you _are_ being annoying. I'm trying to grade papers. Did you know that Hermione did an essay on the thirty-eight stratagems?" Tom asked, softly. Bella looked over at her sister's essay that was sitting on the pile of papers that were deemed as passed. Hermione had an 'O' on the top. Bella had seen hers as well and she knew that she had gotten an 'O'. Hermione wouldn't have settled for anything less. Draco and Blaise had gotten an 'O' as well.

If they hadn't Hermione would have flayed all three of them.

"I know. She made me read her outline at least three times. She wanted to know if it was detailed enough. The outline itself was almost two feet long. How long is her essay?" Bella asked. Tom's lips twitched into a half smile.

"Three and a half."

"Of course. And of course, she has that tiny cramped handwriting," Bella said, rolling her eyes. Tom's eyes brightened in amusement.

"Of course. Now, what I find curious is that Mr. Longbottom got an _E_ on his essay on double agents and field agents in warfare. I did not expect that of him. In fact the only children who _didn't_ get an E or above on the essay would be Weasley, Davis, Goyle, the three Hufflepuffs, and two of my Ravenclaws. The Ravenclaws only got an A. Why is that?" Tom asked, smirking down at her. Bella pressed her face into neck and her lips curled into an involuntary smile.

"It's possible that Hermione assigned ten students different theses that worked best with their personality and skills. There's also the possibility that he came up with it by himself," Bella murmured. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I think it's the first one."

"You're correct. Ding, ding. You win a kiss," Bella said. She leaned up and kissed him softly. Tom rolled her eyes.

"What if I didn't want that a prize?" Tom asked. Bella glared at him.

"Just shut up and kiss me," she snapped. Tom smirked and put down his quill.

"Fine…I'll indulge you."

:::

**A/N: **I left you on a sort of cliffhanger. In all honesty, I don't know if I'm going to allow the group to form. I might and I might not. I just know that after this decision, I'll be skimming the months. So, that's probably a month or two in every chapter. I'm not sure. But, that'll probably be the case. Too bad, suck it up. We get to November and Draco gets a gift…heh.

Then, I'll get to Christmas and we get fun, fun, fun with Tom and Bella fluff. (People want fluff, I'll give them fluff, dammit)

Then, we can get to June and all hell breaks loose! WOOOOT!

Next Chapter: Decisions, Damning, and Death


	58. Chapter LIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **TODAY IS THE DAY! I'M GOING TO SEE THE HARRY POTTER DOUBLE FEATURE! IT'S FINALLY HERE! I'M GOING TO CRY WHEN VOLDEMORT DIES! I KNOW IT! AND WHEN TONKS AND REMUS AND ALL OF THEM DIE! AND THEN I'M GOING TO SCREAM _YOU FUCKING GO MOLLY WEASLEY _WHEN SHE DUELS BELLATRIX BECAUSE BELLATRIX IS A BITCH!

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 8****th**** of October 1995**

**11:00 AM**

"In. Now."

Lalita walked in, used to Professor Riddle's rude way of telling them to enter the classroom. The group of students walked inside. Lalita and Fay didn't separate. They went to sit down next to each other. Bella skipped in and sat down in her usual seat and propped her feet on the table in front of her. Riddle gave her a look.

"Feet. Down. Now."

"Feet. Up. Now," Bella mocked. Riddle glared at her and sighed.

"If you don't put your feet down, I might decide to change your grade to a 'T'…" Riddle threatened. Bella rolled her eyes. Blaise glanced at Bella.

"He's serious."

Bella slid her legs off the table, swiftly. Everyone sat and got situated. Just as Riddle was about to close the door, Ron ran inside. He looked around and sighed in relief. He walked up to Bella and Hermione.

"The smarmy git isn't here yet?" Ron asked, grinning. Daphne stifled her laugh. Most of the class just went on laughing. Neville's eyes were wide and a small smile was tugging at his lips. Ron frowned in confusion.

"The smarmy git is…behind you," Riddle hissed, annoyed. Ron froze and his grin slid right off his face. He stiffened when a hand went on his shoulder and pushed him down in a seat. Riddle walked to his desk and grabbed a piece of parchment and slammed it down on Ron's desk.

"Maybe if you listened to the 'smarmy git' then you'd get a better grade than a P. In truth, you deserved a D but I was feeling particularly generous yesterday," Riddle said, sharply. Bella's mouth curled into a smile.

Particularly generous. Tom was never generous. But, perhaps Bella had something to do with her friend's better grade...

Bella leaned back in her seat and looked at Tom and Ron. Ron was flushed in anger and humiliation. Tom was being rather cruel but he really didn't like Ron. Ron was relatively smart and he was a great strategist but he didn't apply himself and in Tom's eyes, that was sin.

"That's not fair! You're being unfair!" Ron shouted.

"How is that not fair, Mr. Weasley? You wrote an essay on Grindelwald and how 'evil' he was. Did you understand the reasoning behind his 'evil'? Do you even know what evil is, Mr. Weasley? From your essay and mannerism, I think not. Your essay was _shallow_ and _biased_ and showed that you did no further research into the essay. You're thesis was not fact. It was rude and offensive. _'All of the Dark people are evil followers of Grindelwald and Voldemort_', you wrote. You wrote slander against the Malfoys and other Slytherin families. And then you insulted two students that you think are your best friends. You wrote. _'Anyone who practices Dark magic is stupid and evil and belongs in Azkaban so they can't hurt people'_," Tom snarled, in anger.

The rest of the class froze and Ron's eyes widened when he looked at Hermione and Bella. He could see the hurt in their eyes and he knew that he had done it now. Bella glared at him and turned away. Ron swallowed and glared at Tom.

"I understand what evil is!" he protested. Tom slammed his hand on Ron's desk and Ron jumped.

"Then what is it! What is evil?" Tom shouted. The rest of the class was staring at Tom in horror. Bella cringed from Tom's anger. She had never seen him angrier than he was in that moment. His eyes were the color of new blood. Ron was an idiot for continuing the argument.

"YOU ARE! YOU AND THIS STUPID CLASS! I DON'T CARE WHAT DUMBLEDORE OR ANYONE SAYS! YOU'RE AS EVIL AS SNAPE!" Ron shouted. Tom's anger was suddenly palpable but he no longer looked angry. He looked frigid. He grabbed Ron's essay and ripped it in half.

"Get out," Tom said, coldly. Ron froze and Tom bared his teeth at the boy.

"Get out," Tom hissed. His wand was in hand and was glowing a dangerous color that looked rather green. Bella jumped up and grabbed Tom's wrist. He turned and hissed something intelligible at her.

"**Stop…Tom…stop.**"

Tom took a deep breath and the glowing of his wand stopped. Bella looked coldly at her once friend.

"Leave. You seriously aren't wanted in this class," Bella said, sharply. Ron stood and gathered his stuff, preparing to leave. Tom held up his hand and Ron stopped.

"Before you leave, I wish to teach you one more lesson. Who can tell me what good and evil is?"

Ten hands went up. Tom's eyes fell on Neville.

"Longbottom. Tell me: what is good and evil?" Tom asked, doubtfully. Neville swallowed and Bella smiled at him, encouragingly.

"Someone told me…that there is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it," Neville said without a single stutter. Lalita put her hand on his shoulder and nodded in agreement.

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Weasley, you have a week detention with Snape. Now get out," snarled Tom. Ron sent Tom one more glare and then gave Bella a helpless look. Bella turned away from him and Ron sighed before running out. Bella sighed and turned to Neville.

"**Anya…thank you,**" Tom hissed, softly. Bella smiled as she sat down.

"Any time."

Tom turned back to Neville and dropped his essay on the table. Neville's eyes widened at the 'E' on top of the essay. He looked up at Tom in shock and a smirk was on Tom's face.

"Decent job, Longbottom."

He turned away from Neville and continued handing out the essays. Tracey glared at the 'A' on top of her essay. Goyle stared stupidly at the 'T' on top of his essay. Tom sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, most people did well. And obviously, my deduction skills weren't too great when I accepted Goyle into this class. Goyle, you may leave," Tom sighed. Goyle blinked, slowly.

"What?" he grunted. Tom pointed at the door and Goyle stood up, grabbing his essay and lumbered out of the classroom. He shrugged and crossed his arms.

"More idiots for Umbridge, I suppose. Miss Davis, tell me why you're the only one in the class to get below an 'E' on this assignment? Besides Goyle," Tom clarified. Tracey glared at Bella and Bella shrugged as she admired the 'O' on top of her essay. Daphne was smirking in triumph. She had gotten an 'O' as well. Parvati and Lalita had both gotten an 'E'. Fay had succeeded and got an 'O'.

"Probably because I didn't cheat off the Mudblood," Tracey said, bitterly. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The rest of them all went to Potter for help. The Mudblood told them what they should write about. That's cheating," Tracey snapped. Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm afraid that isn't actually cheating. Did she give them an idea of what to write about or did Miss Granger literally write out their thesis?" Tom asked. Tracey frowned.

"She dictated their theses."

"That's a lie!" Bella shouted. Tom placed a hand on Bella's shoulder.

"Anya, calm yourself."

"She must not tell lies," Bella snarled. Tom sighed and pressed a finger to Bella's bandaged left hand.

"That is _your_ philosophy, Anya," Tom said. Bella cringed and rubbed her bandaged hand. She looked each of her siblings in the eye. Hermione gave her a suspicious look. Draco was frowning at it. Blaise was staring in horror.

"No…" Blaise whispered. Bella realized her mistake, quickly. She looked down and dropped her hand into her lap.

"Ana…I must not tell lies?" whispered Blaise. Bella swallowed and looked at her brother, solemnly.

"I've learned, brother, a while ago, that I must not tell lies. Half-truths, manipulation of truth, yes. But, I must not tell lies," Bella said, softly. Blaise looked away from her and Bella looked down. The rest of the class was staring in confusion. Tom turned away from Blaise and Bella.

"Is that true? Was that a lie?" Tom asked, softly. Daphne nodded.

"She's not telling the truth, sir. Granger…sorry, Hermione only told us what we would be suited for us to write about it. She only helped and listed a few useful sources of information. It was enlightening," Daphne said. Tom nodded. Bella was impressed with Daphne's ability to manipulate the truth but not tell the entire truth.

"Ah, and yours was about espionage. Infiltration and assassination. I believe you mentioned that sex could be used as a weapon for infiltration. You cited Anya as a source for that, correct?" Tom asked. Daphne blinked, trying to remember whom 'Anya' was before remembering. She gave a firm nod.

"Yes. She said that. I gave her credit for that comment and expanded on the idea," Daphne said. Tom nodded.

"Yes…interesting idea. Using a…sex toy…to choke a person…you have a…strange imagination," Tom said, glancing at Daphne with a raised eyebrow. Daphne smirked at him. Neville was a deep red and most of the class was looking at Daphne in either shock or horror. Tracey was sneering in disgust. Bella was grinning and she gave Daphne a thumbs up. Daphne jerked her chin at the girl in recognition.

"Yes, it's quite simple when I was thinking about it. Shove the dildo down the person's throat and keep it there until they can't breathe. Doing it without magic can make it seem like an accident," Daphne said, shrugging. Bella snickered and bit her lip to keep from laughing even louder.

"That sounds rather…disgusting," Parvati said, sniffing. Bella rolled her eyes.

"_I _think that it's brilliant," Bella said. Draco glared at his sister while rubbing his throat.

"You would. I suppose you like the idea of killing someone with a sex toy amusing too, don't you, Mudblood?" asked Draco. Blaise gave Hermione a fearful look. She looked contemplative for a moment before she shook her head.

"Not really. The thought has merit but I prefer my deaths on the bloody side," Hermione said, making her decision. Blaise relaxed and leaned back. Daphne nodded in agreement.

"I made a note of that too. I suggested that if the sex partner is a sadomasochist, you could torture them to death," Daphne said. Neville flushed even deeper and he looked away. Lalita was confused.

She knew the meaning of sadomasochist but she didn't know exactly how you could _torture_ them to death…

"What do you mean by torturing them to death?" Lalita asked. Daphne gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Oh, well some people like to be handcuffed to the bed and whipped. Or spanked. And sometimes they're exceptionally kinky. For example, some people like to be covered in blood when they have sex. Some men like to have something shoved up their arse even if their partner is female. And of course, some men _obviously_ like a penis shoved up their arse if they're homosexual," Daphne said, matter-of-factly. Neville passed out then. Tom looked severely uncomfortable. Bella was roaring with laughter with Hermione. Blaise was staring into Daphne's eyes in terror. Obviously, he was seeing what she was imagining. Draco was pale and he had his hand over his mouth in horror or shock. Bella couldn't tell through her tears of laughter.

Theodore was cringing away from Daphne. Parvati and Fay looked rather interested. Lalita was only nodding, seriously. She finally understood what they meant by S&M. Her limited number of friends back home had always been too embarrassed.

She smiled. These English people were so open, she thought.

"Yes, well. Let's move on from that, now," Tom said, stiffly. Bella laughed even hard at the fact that he was uncomfortable. Hermione and Bella were holding onto each other now.

"Oh Merlin…" Bella gasped out. Hermione shook harder with laughter. Tom grabbed Bella's shoulder.

"Get a grip! Both of you," Tom hissed. Hermione stumbled up from the ground and grabbed onto Blaise. He pulled her down into his lap. Bella fell into her sleep, still laughing.

"Last one to be talking, Tom. You're freaked out…I can tell," Bella gasped, out of breath from laughing so hard. Tom glared at her and turned away. He looked at Daphne who looked confused at everyone's reactions.

"What? It's the truth. Lalita asked a question…" Daphne said, slowly. Draco gave Daphne a weak glare.

"For a Slytherin, you really don't know when to shut up," Draco said before shuddering. Tom walked over to Neville and Lalita. Lalita was attempting to wake up. Tom waved his wand and Neville began to stir.

"No more talking about sex and assassination. Let's speak about Miss Patil's essay," Tom said, sharply. Bella's lips curled into an amused smile.

"Sex a sore subject for you? Are you not getting any from your girlfriend?" Bella teased with a sadistic smile on her face. Draco and Blaise made a face while Hermione giggled. Fay's eyes widened and Parvati and Fay looked at each other. Daphne, Linda, and even Tracey leaned in, their face showing their interest.

Tom sighed.

"You have a _girlfriend_? She's really your girlfriend, Professor?" Parvati asked. Fay leaned forward. Tom decided to ignore them.

"You got an 'E', Miss Patil. Now, tell me why that is. Your thesis was good enough," Tom continued. Fay blinked.

"Professor, is it that woman that was in Spella Daily last year? That you took to Italy?" Fay asked. Tom looked down at Parvati's essay, looking almost bored though he was throwing curses at Bella in his mind. Bella was smirking.

"Your essay on interrogation was also very well written—"

"Is she pretty without the mask? She looked pretty with the mask. What color are her eyes? I couldn't see the color of her eyes," Linda said, excitedly. Daphne tilted her head slowly. Tom was still ignoring them.

"However, the reason why you got an 'E' is simple. You did not speak of _all_ methods of interrogation. You failed to mention one, which is probably one of the most effect—" Tom continued.

"Is the sex good?" Daphne interrupted. Tom froze and Neville flushed once more at mention of sexual intercourse. He suddenly looked very annoyed before an amused smirk spread on his face.

"I wouldn't know. She's a prude."

Bella hissed, quietly. She glared at Tom before turning to look out the window. She missed the fact that Theodore and Lalita were staring at her reaction.

"**Asshole! You're the one that said no sex because you don't think I'm emotionally 'ready',**" Bella hissed, angrily. Tom ignored her and Hermione, Draco, and Blaise snickered amongst themselves.

"Are you a virgin?" Daphne asked, curiously. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Greengrass, your questions are getting increasingly personal."

Daphne shrugged.

"I'm only curious. You're a fit man. Personally, I think your girlfriend is crazy for being a prude," Daphne said. Tom sighed.

"For a Slytherin, you really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Tom asked. Parvati crossed her arms in annoyance.

"If you only answered the question, she wouldn't have asked that question. It's Bella's fault really. She's the one that stated that you had a girlfriend," Parvati pointed out. Tom glared at Bella.

"She did, didn't she? Detention for speaking freely about my personal life," Tom said, sharply. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it? _Someone_ decided to bait my Uncle Sirius earlier this summer with information that wasn't really his business. You almost got strangled and put _me_ and _him_ throw emotional turmoil," Bella said, flatly. Tom opened his mouth to protest when her three siblings smirked.

"She has a point," they chorused. Lalita tilted her head.

"What did he tell your godfather?" asked Lalita. Bella snickered.

"I happened to be dating someone at the time. Someone that my godfather didn't approve of at _all_. So, when Tom told him, Uncle Sirius decided to take his anger out on the messenger. Hermione said that he jumped across the table and attacked him. Now, here's one tip: anger definitely fuels you when you're trying to attack someone. Harness it but don't let it overwhelm you," Bella warned. Lalita wrote that down, quickly. She seemed to be making a transcript of class.

Hermione, Blaise, and her switched off on who took notes and then they made copies of it for the other students and the archives.

"Are you still dating him?" Tracey asked, slowly. Bella's lips twitched.

"No. He was too much of an asshole. I don't know what I ever saw him. He was rude, brooding, and resentful. I just couldn't deal with him," Bella said, airily. Draco shook with suppressed laughter. Lalita was surprised when she saw Blaise snickering. Hermione was giggling. Tom just looked pissed.

"Yes, well. Let's stop talking about my personal life—"

"Actually, we were talking about a specific part of your personal life. Your sex life…which apparently you don't have because your girlfriend's a prude," Daphne interrupted. Tom glared at her.

"Would you _shut up_?" he snapped. Daphne blinked and stared at him, self-righteously. Tom turned to look at the rest of the class. His eyes fell on Lalita who was scribbling every word that everyone was saying.

"Miss Singh."

"Yes, Professor?" Lalita said as she wrote down the conversation.

"No one gets a copy of this conversation unless it's heavily edited. It goes only to the archives. Is that understood?" Tom asked. Lalita nodded.

"Understod, sir."

"Good. Brat, you still have detention," Tom snapped. Bella shrugged and smirked.

"**Looking forward to it.**"

"You shouldn't be. Now, let's focus on Miss Patil's essay, shall we. I couldn't help but notice that you and your sister wrote very similar essays though the wording was different," Tom said, sharply. Parvati looked at Hermione in absolute confusion. Hermione wasn't looking at her. Draco and Bella were. Draco shook his head, infinitesimally. Bella was making a subtle gesture, essentially telling Parvati not to breathe a word about the group that Luna had predicted.

"Um…I worked with my sister on that. Hermione gave us the idea," Parvati said. Tom nodded, slowly.

"Your ideas were good and your research seemed very thorough. But, you forgot one of the most effective forms of interrogation and _that_ is why you got an 'E'. Can anyone tell me what that form of interrogation would be?" Tom asked. Lalita and Hermione's hands flew up. Blaise raised his hand, lazily.

"Mr. Zabini?" Tom called. Blaise smirked at the two girls who shot him furious glares.

"Torture. Psychological torture and physical torture," Blaise said, further explaining himself but in few words. Tom nodded and wrote on the board, torture. He turned to the class. He was surprised to see that they all seemed like they were paying close attention.

Especially, Longbottom.

"Yes. You must know this because in the upcoming war, you will be tortured. No matter what side you pick, if you have information that could help the enemy of your side, you will be tortured. If you pick the Dark, the Light _will _torture you to win. And vice versa for the Dark. The only difference is that the Dark will probably kill you after to put you out of your misery," Tom said, flatly. Neville's fist tightened and he raised his fist into the air and Tom pointed to him.

"Then why didn't Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Tom stiffened and sighed.

"Bellatrix Lestrange has ASPD. One symptom is inability to feel remorse. I went to her trial, as I'm part of the House of Lords. She rationalized torturing your parents. She believed that it was her duty to search for Lord Voldemort. Grindelwald had disappeared and they expected Voldemort to take control. Alas, he did not. He disappeared. Lestrange believed that she was doing the right thing. She believed that your parents knew the whereabouts of Voldemort and so she tortured him. In her eyes, she was showing mercy, letting them live," Tom said, softly. Neville looked at him in horror.

"What do you mean that was mercy? They don't even know who I am!" Neville cried out. Lalita placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and took a deep breath. Tom walked over to his desk and sat on it, crossing his legs.

"Mr. Longbottom, I cannot understand the mind of someone like that. Why don't you ask the only person in the room that _can_ understand? I'm sure she can shed light on this," Tom said, softly. Everyone looked to Hermione. Hermione looked around and turned in her seat so that she was facing the majority of the class.

"It's difficult, Neville, having ASPD. I was born with it. Typically, you develop it and you can't be diagnosed until your eighteen years old. But, the doctors _knew_ that I had it. I demonstrated every single sign by the time I was five years old. I was increasingly violent, impulsive, and I had a lack of remorse that scared my father. My mother accepted me immediately. Neville, you have to understand…it's _hard_," Hermione sighed. She reached into her bag and pulled out two pill bottles and a potion bottle. She placed them in a line on her table and stood behind the table.

"This one is for my impulses," Hermione said, pointing at the first bottle. Neville stared in surprise. Hermione pointed to the second one.

"Those are my depressants. It reduces nervous activity usually. For me, it suppresses my aggressiveness and irritability," Hermione continued. And finally she pointed at the potion bottle. Neville blinked.

"What's the potion bottle for?" Neville asked. Hermione sighed. In that one moment she sounded old and drawn. Neville could see that her eyes looked almost as old as Bella's in that one moment.

"That is for my psychosis. Some of the symptoms are hallucinations. It keeps the hallucinations away, completely," Hermione concluded. Neville's eyes widened and he leaned back.

"B-but Lestrange didn't have psychosis," he said, firmly. Hermione groaned.

"Neville, I doubt that she had access to the medication that I have. I doubt the Blacks would _let_ her take Muggle medication. And I'm sure they thought her craziness was due to inbreeding. It's her fault that your parents are insane but she was trying to survive. Finding Voldemort would ensure her survival. It was primal instinct and I'm sure if you were in her situation, you would have done the same," Hermione insisted. Neville fell silent and Tom sighed.

"Thank you for that explanation. Now, Miss Patil, since you've expressed interest in interrogation, follow closely," Tom advised. Parvati nodded and took out parchment and a quill. Tom turned to the bored.

"Torture, psychological and physical. Let's focus on psychological torture first. We won't focus on spells and curses yet," Tom said. He looked at Neville who was looking rather thoughtful at the moment. Bella gave him a look and Tom sighed.

Damn Anya and her little moral code.

"Mr. Longbottom, you may be excused from this lesson and homework, if you wish," Tom said. Neville looked relieved and he stood.

"Thank you, sir. And Bella?" Neville said, unsurely. Bella glanced over at Neville.

"Yes, Neville?" she asked. Neville gave her a slight smile.

"I pledge."

Bella's eyes widened and she grinned. Fay sighed.

"Me too," she sighed. Parvati nodded, firmly.

"Padma and I talked. We'll try."

"Your thesis about sex and assassination opened my eyes. You're all right, Potter…Bella. We pledge," Daphne said, smoothly. It was clear that she was talking for all the Slytherins that had stayed. Tracey Davis frowned in confusion but said nothing.

"You have shown me nothing but kindness. My eternal loyalty," Lalita said, formally. Draco looked at her approvingly.

"All right. Meet us under the oak tree at lunch," Draco said. Neville nodded before leaving. Tom frowned in confusion.

"What are you going on about?" he asked.

"Homework."

He scowled at Hermione.

"Gossiping about teachers and their sex lives."

He glared at Draco. Draco only smiled innocently at Tom.

"I say nothing for fear that I will reveal our true intention."

He turned his stare from Blaise and his eyes fell on Bella. She smirked at him and shrugged.

"We formed a homework group. They pledged to join. It consists of everyone but Davis, Goyle, and Ron. She was being a bitch. So we decided that she can't join. She dragged Goyle away. Ron was an ass just now. I was going to invite him but I changed my mind," Bella smirked. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Oh and don't forget the Jigglypuffs. We didn't invite them," Draco said, bored. Hermione punched his arm and glared at him.

"You are _such_ a jackass! Don't call the Hufflepuffs that. You're a _prefect!_" Hermione snapped. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I'm wondering how _you_ could become prefect. You're extremely violent and easily vexed. Now, can we move onto the lesson. This pertains to you Miss Patil if you're going to make a career out of interrogation," Tom said. Parvati nodded and looked at Tom with the utmost attention. Tom sighed and looked back at the board.

"Psychological torture can be used effectively in many different forms. One form of torture would be: white torture. White torture is a type of psychological torture that includes extreme sensory deprivation and isolation. Who can tell me how that is used in present day Wizarding World England?" asked Tom. Parvati frowned before her and Draco's hands shot up. Tom shrugged when he looked at Draco and pointed to Parvati.

"Yes, Miss Patil?"

"Well…Azkaban for one," Parvati said, slowly. Tom nodded once.

"Five points to Gryffindor. Can someone tell me how that is? Mr. Malfoy?" Tom said. Draco sat up.

"For one, they are isolated in the middle of the ocean. Prisoners have relatively no human contact. Also, Azkaban is barely fit enough to live in. And then, the dementors are free to feed on their emotions and worst memories. They are constantly feeling cold until they are permanently numb. Combine that with the fact that you're constantly reliving your worst memory, you essentially go crazy unless you have a strong will," Draco explained, matter-of-factly. Tom nodded in agreement.

"That is correct. Another form of—"

"Why are they doing that then?" Bella interrupted. Tom raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?"

"Why would they torture criminals when they're already living in a deplorable state? Isn't being in prison enough? Is that really within the Ministry's rights? They want to talk about human life and how sacred it is! They want to talk self-righteously about how unforgiveable the Unforgiveable Curses are but their doing something disgusting themselves!" Bella announced, angrily.

Tom made a humming noise and he put down the chalk and went to sit on his desk. He crossed his legs and gave Bella a look.

"Do go on, Anya."

"All right then, how can they be so hypocritical?" Bella said, harshly.

"The Unforgiveable Curses are evil though, Bella. The Killing Curse _kills_ people," Parvati said, shuddering. Bella snorted and Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione was watching carefully. She seemed to be judging everyone's reactions. Blaise seemed to be doing the same.

"_Please!_ Parvati, the Killing Curse is painless. Living in Azkaban for a lifetime feeling nothing but sorrow and misery and thinking suicidal thoughts for the rest of your life, is worst," Bella said, sharply. Tom tilted his head. Blaise cleared his throat.

"But the Cruciatus Curse can drive someone insane! Isn't that the worst fate? Shouldn't there be retribution for their crimes?" Fay challenged. Theodore frowned.

"Isn't time in Azkaban enough? Isn't _life_ in Azkaban enough? Like Draco said, they barely survive in that place. They are constantly on the brink of life and death, wishing to die but never achieving that wish until their too tired and spent to even think anymore. They won't even realize that their dead because inside they would have been dead for a long time," Theodore provided.

Parvati opened his mouth and Blaise sighed.

"There are worst things than death," Blaise said, softly. Daphne raised an eyebrow.

"What could be worst than death?" Daphne asked. Blaise's lips twitched into a slightly sadistic smile and leaned back.

"What I did to Rabastan for taking Hermione."

Bella stiffened and Daphne leaned forward.

"I always wondered why you actually fought against the Death Eaters. I thought you were Dark because your mother…" Daphne said. Blaise shook his head slowly.

"I did something irreversible and quite possibly worst than what the Lestranges and Crouch did to the Longbottoms," Blaise said, nonchalantly. Parvati's eyes widened and Lalita cringed.

"What did you do?" Lalita asked. Blaise's lips were curled into a grin and his golden eyes were glinting maliciously. If that was how Blaise was when he wasn't reserved, Lalita thought that she preferred the reserved Blaise.

"What happened to Rabastan, Ana? What did Grindelwald say about him when you asked about him?" Blaise said, his voice as quiet as ever though twice as malicious. Fay and Parvati were staring at Blaise with absolute shock coloring their faces.

"I asked when I saw Grindelwald…and he said that you destroyed him. That he's barely in his right mind. I…what did you _do_ to him?" Bella asked, softly. Everyone was staring at Blaise with horror on his or her face. But even in the eyes of the Gryffindors, there was a spark of respect.

"I was feeling particularly vengeful that day. He almost destroyed her so I returned the favor. I ripped apart his mind until there was only a shred left; just enough for him to know that it had been _me_ who had done that to him."

Parvati nodded, solemnly.

"I suppose you're right then, Blaise. There are some things worst than death. But it was okay to do that to him. I mean he did it to Neville's pare—" Parvati started. Draco silenced Parvati with a look.

"Parvati, you have to understand that Blaise didn't do it because he's suddenly the Angel of Righteous Vengeance. He didn't do it because Rabastan tortured Neville's parents into insanity. He did it for _revenge _because he took and tormented what Hermione. An eye for an eye. Do not delude yourself into thinking that Blaise did it for Neville. Blaise probably doesn't have any morals," Draco said, sharply. Parvati frowned.

"But that's wrong then," Fay said, softly. Hermione gave a half-smile.

"Indeed. It was wrong. And most likely, illegal."

Theodore looked at the four teenagers, impressed. The four of them were on a whole other level than him. His father had taught him how to do the Unforgiveables Curses but Blaise had mastered Legilimens. And apparently, Potter…Bella had killed someone!

"How can you deal with the guilt?" Parvati said, softly. Blaise frowned in confusion at the word.

"Guilt?" he said, softly.

"He feels none," Bella said, quietly. Blaise nodded.

"I will _never_ regret or feel guilty over doing that to him. He took her and used the Cruciatus Curse over her, numerous times. I will not deal with that again."

Tom looked at the four children, scrutinizing them.

They were truly hell come to earth.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 8****th**** of October 1995**

**12:05 PM**

"You brought lunch out?" Daphne asked as she walked over to the tree. Bella nodded and patted the grass next to her, the basket in front of her. Daphne sat down, Linda at her side. Theodore sat next to Draco. Hermione was sitting in between Blaise's legs, her head against his chest. Bella was sitting cross-legged.

"We pledge."

Bella looked up and saw a grinning Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein. Padma and Parvati Patil stood behind them, waving. The two duos sat down on the grass and they waited for Lalita and Fay to come over. They sat down. Bella looked around.

"We're waiting for two more people," Bella said, softly. Daphne noticed how it seemed to be unspoken that Bella was leader of the Horsemen. But she supposed that was because Bella was Victory of all four.

"Two?" Linda voiced.

"Yes, Lu and Neville," Draco said. Hermione looked up from the book that Blaise and she were reading. She pointed towards the steps that were leading down to the lake. Bella squinted through her glasses. She could just see Luna and Neville walking down together.

"Why do you wear glasses? I thought you didn't have to wear them."

Bella jumped and turned to Fay. Lalita frowned in confusion.

"She has worn glasses since I first met her," Lalita pointed out. She tugged her long braid, reminding Bella of the task set to Draco. She decided that it was probably better to focus on other things at the moment.

"I didn't use to wear them. I used to us contacts…Muggle invention that you can put on your eyes to help you see better," Bella explained. Daphne frowned.

"Then why did you stop using them?"

"My ex-boyfriend. He said I was gorgeous with glasses. I just never stopped wearing them after that," Bella lied, fluently. She smirked at her hypocrisy.

She was a murderer, a bitch, a liar, and now hypocrite.

How…amusing.

"And that's how the hellion was born. Of a phoenix and a foal," a voice said.

The group looked up to see a slightly green Neville and a smiling Luna. Luna skipped over and sat down next to Bella. Neville sat near the other Gryffindors.

"So, we can start now," Bella sighed. Luna nodded and smiled at everyone else.

"And so they join for the first time. Swear yourselves to secrecy and bind your names to those of the Horsemen," Luna said, softly, her pupils blown wide.

"I swear myself to utter secrecy in name of my magic. I swear eternal loyalty to the Horsemen. So mote it be," Daphne said, clearly. The others followed her example at different timing. A subtle glow seemed to emit from the ten students and they all glanced at their right wrists as it burned.

An ouroboros sat, burned in black ink. The snake that was eating its tail had a malicious glint in its eyes. The group stared at the tattoo on their arms. Hermione crawled over to Neville and looked at his wrist.

"It looks…a little similar to the Dark Mark…" Hermione said, softly. Neville looked stricken by that small fact and he began rubbing it, trying to get it off.

"Calm, Neville. It's on the opposite wrist. And I've Seen your reaction. And so I come with _gifts_," Luna said, cheerfully. She reached into her bag and danced around the circle, dropping in the ten students' laps a leather cuff. They all varied and Daphne admired hers.

It was black with dark green leather lacing up the cuff. She slid it on over the ouroboros and smirked down at it.

"A-are we your servants? _Are_ we like t-the D-d-death Eaters?" Neville stuttered. Bella laughed and shook her head. Neville frowned in confusion. The others leaned forward for the response.

"Never. You will never by our servants, Neville. You are our friends," Bella said, softly. Linda crossed her arms as she looked at her dark blue and black leather cuff. It looked like it was an intricate rope tied around her wrist. She pushed her sleeve down over it.

"But are we like the Death Eaters? What are we exactly?" Linda questioned. Hermione's lips quirked into a smile.

"A little late to be asking that, don't you think Linda?" Draco said, nastily. Linda sneered at him. He sneered right back.

"I suppose we _do_ have to come up with a name. I'm not sure I like the name: The Chaos Squad. It really is a bit corny. Do you have anything better, Lu?" Hermione asked. Daphne tilted her head and turned to Luna.

"I suppose…the Black Ops. Or perhaps Hydra," Luna said, softly. Anthony frowned in confusion.

"Why Hydra?" he asked. Luna's lips curled into a smile.

"For now you are bound into a single being. You must function as a single being. A single being with many heads, working in tandem. You are Hydra," Luna said, firmly. Daphne tilted her head.

"I like that. Hydra," Daphne said, a light smirk on her lips. Luna nodded and turned to the rest of the group. She looked thoughtful for a moment and her eyes widened as she went into a vision.

Only a second later, she was smiling once more.

"It will be a named feared by all. They will fear the Gray," Luna said, softly. Bella's lit up at the term and she leaned forward.

"I like that term. We are not Neutral for this war is our own. We are a third-party. A third option. We are the Gray," Bella said, formally. The others nodded in agreement and they fell into a comfortable silence. Padma cleared her throat.

"Now that we've accepted your offer, what do we do now?" asked Padma. Bella inspected her nails.

"I believe you should know what we're capable of. I am a mixed martial artist. I am the master of two martial arts, taekwondo and kickboxing. I'm quite strong, to the point where I can shatter a dueling platform with the heel of my boot. I'm skilled with the stake. I'm excellent with curses and I have a large repertoire but I prefer hand-to-hand combat. I can use the _Kveykva_, no problem. My signature move is the butterfly kick," Bella said, nonchalantly.

The group nodded, taking in information before freezing. They all looked flabbergasted.

"The _Kveykva_? The cursed Elven lightening?" Anthony whispered. Bella nodded, slowly.

"I owe you the truth and nothing but the truth. You somewhat blindly placed your trust in me and so, I cannot lie to you," Bella said, softly. Blaise shot her a cold look from where he was sitting. Bella blatantly ignored him and looked at the other teens in front of them.

"You…you've used the Black Art?" Michael asked. Bella nodded once more.

"Several times in my life. The first was against Rodolphus Lestrange. At the World Cup before fourth year, I used it several times. And then, last year, against Grindelwald, I used the _Kveykva_ once more to escape," Bella said, honestly. Parvati took in a deep breath.

"But there's a price that must be paid…" Parvati said. Luna nodded.

"And her price…will be paid off when the three unite. But until now, her price, her curse, is misery. She feels her misery. Every. Single. Second. She has experienced misery and grief from the moment that she was born. From the smallest cut to the event that happened when she was ten to the end of this coming year, she will feel _pain_. Emotionally and physically," Luna said, softly.

Bella's siblings looked at her with varying degrees of shock. Bella looked at the ground bitterly.

"And one of the many things that cause me misery is that piano. And _that_ is why I won't play for you," Bella said, softly. Luna looked at Bella, sharply and her eyes wide. Bella frowned and straightened.

"What is it, Luna?" Blaise asked. Luna knelt before Bella and touched her cheek.

"He will bring you despair. Without him, you will feel nothing."

Daphne frowned at Bella. Bella stiffened and her lips curved into a resentful smile.

"I rather feel despair than nothing at all, Luna."

"I know. And that may be your downfall or your greatest strength."

Luna turned away from Bella and went back to leaning on the tree. Hermione sighed and swallowed.

"I'm currently training to be a swordswoman. I'm pretty good if I may say so myself. Unlike Bella, I'm naturally strong, probably due to the fact that I'm War. I tend to get more aggressive and violent when I'm fighting. It's hard for me to keep focus then and I get extremely distracted. I also begin to…hallucinate when I'm fighting with my Blood Sword. The Blood Sword was created from a mix of my natural talents at Blood Magic and an oath I made against Gilderoy Lockhart. For those who don't know, I suffer from ASPD and psychosis. I was born with ASPD _because_ of my ability to perform Blood Magic. But I have psychosis because…I was stupid enough to constantly _use_ Blood Magic. Blood Magic breaks the psyche. And I lose touch with reality when I use it. It just so happens that I _do_ use it quite often," Hermione explained.

The others stared at Hermione incredulously.

"So do you _all_ use the B-black A-arts?" Neville stuttered. Draco sighed.

"Yes, Longbottom…sorry, Neville. And we really do have to do something about that God-awful stutter. And your look. I'm sorry but I can't hang out with someone who goes around dressed like you. Same for you Lalita. Next Hogsmeade weekend we're going to make you look presentable," Draco said, flatly.

Neville and Lalita blushed. Fay glared in defense of Lalita and Neville. Surprisingly, Daphne looked rather pissed off at the cruel words at the expense of her newfound friends.

"Don't be an ass," Daphne snapped. Draco shrugged.

"I'm being honest."

"Well, stop being honest!" Daphne retorted. Blaise sighed and shook his head.

"Must I _always_ play peacemaker?" Blaise demanded. The two flushed and looked away from each other.

"_You_ a peacemaker? Didn't you say you destroyed Rabastan Lestrange's mind?" demanded Fay. Neville looked shocked at the news. A grin came over Hermione suddenly.

"And I stabbed Bellatrix Lestrange. But, you can get a crack at her too, Neville, when we get around to it," Hermione said. A bright smile appeared on Neville's face and his eyes were bright with tears.

"I don't care _what _you did! I'll follow you guys anywhere!" Neville announced. Blaise smiled, softly.

"I'm gifted at cutting off the pressure points of a person so their muscles and limbs are rendered useless. I know the human body inside and out. I'm studying psychology to better understand the human mind. I've the capability of performing _Venenum Animi_. I'm a Natural Legilimens and my blood is poisonous to all living organisms. I was born with the bubonic plague. I had to take potions to keep it under control. Last year, it got out of control and consumed my magical core. My blood is black with plague. I'm nearly dead yet slightly alive. It'd be exceptionally hard trying to kill me. The only way would be by probably destroying my heart," Blaise said, softly. He crossed his arms and pointed to Draco.

"I'm more of a weapons kind of person. I have my sai swords in reaching distance at all times. I also use a scythe, as per the cliché of Death carrying a scythe to harvest the dead. I'm a Necromancer. I've only done necromancy on a person once. I _do_ have a book in Old English about Necromancy. Hermione gave it to me for my birthday last year. I have an illegal Portkey in my ear, speak to dementors, command dementors, and essentially I _am_ a dementor except with better skin. I half part of a soul and thus, I suck out other organism's souls. I haven't needed to suck a soul since June. That's mostly because that dementor that I Kissed had a large number of souls. I think that's it really," Draco summarized.

The ten teenagers were staring at the kids with a little annoyance and a lot of disbelief. Theodore groaned, surprising quite a few of them.

"Don't you have anything _normal_ about you? Likes and dislikes? What you want to do after you graduate Hogwarts?" demanded Theodore. Bella frowned.

"Um…I like to learn new languages…I know Parseltongue, English, French, Druhir, and I'm learning a bit of Latin. I _hate_ Grindelwald. When I graduate from Hogwarts, I want to kill Grindelwald…and reform the legal system of the Ministry, along to making sure that everybody has equal rights," Bella said, smiling.

The Ravenclaws gaped at Bella in shock, too dumbfounded to say anything.

"I like blood. And fighting. I'm rather bloodthirsty, you see. I hate when I lose my temper. It's rather ironic since I become bloodthirsty when I lose my temper. I want to come back to Hogwarts to _teach_ after Hogwarts. I'll get a Mastery in a subject and come back and teach it. Eventually, I want to be the Headmistress of Hogwarts. I'll make martial arts and the sword arts electives," Hermione said, oblivious to the fact that maybe making two dangerous arts an elective for school children wouldn't fly very well most parents.

"I like Hermione. And I don't _dislike_ much of anything except maybe when Draco's being an ass or Bella's _hiding_ things from me. I wish to be a Healer…and figure out a way to kill a person without leaving in the slightest hint of evidence. As you probably have heard rumors about, my mother is the Black Widow. My sister's going to follow in her footsteps. She's still a little sloppy, so I need to figure out a way for poison to be undetectable," Blaise said, bored.

Fay resisted the urge to sigh in pity. These kids didn't _know_ what normal meant.

"I like…souls and my dementor familiar, Augustus. I dislike Mudbloods…most of the time. Sometimes they're okay. After Hogwarts, I already know what I'll probably do. I'll assume my position as the Dementor Lord and be the head warden of Azkaban."

Theodore sighed.

"Then there is _nothing_ normal about you four."

"It seems like that's the truth, Theodore," Fay said, softly. Luna laughed, quietly and she bounded over to Daphne.

"Jabberwocky…a katana for you. You shall be great in the kung fu style of the Fujian White Crane," she said, patting the girl on the head. Daphne stared after her in confusion. She skipped to Neville next and leaned down.

"Twin daggers for you, Mad Hatter. You shall surpass all that oppose you _even_ your Gran," Luna said, kindly. She spun from Neville and pointed to Fay. Fay looked shocked at being addressed.

"Explosions are your forte and cunning will go a long way for you, March Hare. Embrace your hidden Slytherin and carry out the suicide missions that are bestowed upon you. I assure you, you will live through them if you are careful," Luna reassured her. Fay looked confused. Padma, Anthony, and Hermione looked vaguely amused by the references. Luna looked to Padma and Parvati.

"Tweedledee and Tweedledum, morals will need to be discarded in your line of work. You must find the answer to your riddles at whatever cost, even at the cost of your own personal principles," Luna said, sharply. Padma looked rather annoyed at being called Tweedledee and nodded slowly. Parvati swallowed at being told she would have to discard her moral code to fight for what she believed in.

Luna turned to look at Michael and Anthony.

"The White Rabbit cannot always be late for in the near future, you may be responsible for a murder if you're just a second too late. And the Caterpillar…you know a great many things. You may decipher the riddles of a Cheshire Cat like myself. Maybe you can decipher the Red Queen's Riddle before she falls into despair. I doubt you will but you shall try, yes?" Luna said. Anthony frowned and leaned forward in confusion.

"Who is the Red Queen?" he asked, curiously.

"She who is cruel and calm. She who has Elder and lightning on her side," Luna said, cryptically. She touched Anthony's cheek before turning to look at Bella. Everyone turned to look at the eerily calm Bella Potter. Her eyes were narrowed, slightly and she took a deep breath.

"Hello. Luna continue please," Bella said, sharply. She didn't like the way that Anthony was staring at her. It was like he was trying to tear her apart just by looking at her. Luna nodded and spun to look at Lalita.

"Alice, you have only just entered all this madness. Protect the Red King at all costs, that is your duty. Do not fail the Tamer or the Cat," Luna said, softly. Lalita nodded, slowly. She could guess who the Red King was. Luna walked to Linda.

"Fast you will be, faster than most, Dodo. You will have to be if you wish to complete your missions without death," Luna murmured. Linda nodded, shortly.

"And _you_, the Jubjub Bird, are a dangerous foe. Many shall beware of you just as they shall beware of the Jabberwocky," Luna finished. She turned to the four Horsemen and smiled at them.

"The White King and Queen. The Red Queen and King."

She nodded towards them and they nodded back, slightly confused. Bella stood and motioned for Luna to sit. Luna smiled and pulled a necklace from out of her robes. An ouroboros hung from a silver chain. Bella smiled at her and looked at the group with a very serious face.

"We trust you with our lives. Thank you for choosing to believe us," Bella said, softly. Daphne nodded, taking on the role as leader. She seemed to be a natural born leader.

"We are Hydra. You are Four. We are one side. We are loyal to only you," Daphne said, firmly. Blaise smirked.

"Welcome to the Grey."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 8****th**** of October 1995**

**4:00 PM**

Blaise stared at Bella, frowning. She was scribbling notes down, wincing every time she clenched her left fist. The four siblings were sitting by the oak tree, doing homework. Blaise sighed, knowing that it would probably be up to him to talk sense into his stubborn sister. Blaise stood.

"Ana, can I talk to you?" Blaise asked, softly. Bella stiffened and she looked away from her calm brother. He was looking at her with concern all over his face and she knew what he wished to talk about.

"What about?" Bella asked, casually. Blaise gave her a stern look.

"I think you know about what. I wish to speak with you alone. Now," Blaise said, sharply. Bella raised an eyebrow, not appreciating the way her brother was trying to command her. But, she decided to humor him. She stood and began walking away from the oak tree. Blaise fell into step next to her quickly.

"Why?"

Bella glanced at Blaise, surprised that he hadn't immediately shouted accusations. She sighed.

"I must not tell lies. Blaise…I've discovered over the summer that meaningless lies only cause more despair and misery. I _know_ I could have told Uncle Sirius instead of Tom baiting him as he did. But I chose to keep something like that a secret. I suppose that it is a personal reminder," Bella explained, calmly. Blaise darted in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. She stared up into his serious golden eyes. They were by the lake now.

"A personal reminder of what? What, Bella? You're _hurting_ yourself. And it's a cursed wound. It's probably already scarred too! Does Tom know about this?" Blaise demanded. Bella smiled and nodded. Blaise's eyes hardened and he glared down at the young woman before glaring up at the castle.

"A personal reminder…I don't want to give in. Everyday, I hear the whispers. I see the stares. They all think I'm a liar. I don't want that. And sometimes…I think about just saying that I made it up. But, I don't because it reminds me that I can't lie about something so important. Tom doesn't argue with me. He can't control me and he couldn't stop it if he wanted to because I wouldn't let him. He knows that I'd do it to myself even if he did stop Umbridge," Bella said, softly. Blaise groaned and he grabbed at his hair now. He looked wildly down at Bella and shook his head.

"Bella, I won't allow you to hurt yourself anymore. I can't."

Bella raised a challenging eyebrow and gave a cold laugh. Her expression was cool but her eyes were fire. She wasn't glaring at Blaise but he could easily tell that she wasn't pleased with his earlier statement.

"You won't allow it? Blaise, you don't seem to realize that you _can't_ stop me. I need this. I'm already hurting Blaise. There isn't anything you can do about that," Bella snapped.

She turned away from him, leaving him by the lake and looking hopelessly at her back. Bella stormed back to the tree and picked up her quill and her books. Draco and Herminoe looked up at her.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Draco asked, calmly. Bella shook her head.

"Nothing. I'm going to find Daphne or something."

She walked away, leaving Hermione and Draco staring after her.

"Something's wrong…" Hermione said. Draco nodded in agreement as he closed his book on Necromancy. Draco nodded and looked at Blaise. He was staring, grim-faced after her.

"And Blaise knows what."

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 25****th**** of November 1995**

**2:00 PM**

"Hagrid?" Bella said, her eyes wide. The half-giant smiled at her and turned to cast Umbridge a look. Bella glared at the spiteful woman and only got a sweet smile. Hagrid turned back to the group.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"Ready?" said Hagrid cheerfully, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."

"And you're sure they're trained, are you? Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild animals to class, would it? I remember that crazy hippogriff. You're lucky that I didn't tell my father about that," Draco snapped. Bella rolled her eyes at her brother's open hostility. He really didn't like Hagrid. Bella couldn't understand _why_ he didn't but she wasn't in the mood to question him.

"Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder.

"So what happened to your face, then?" asked Draco.

"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now, if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

He turned and strode straight into the Forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. Bella glanced at her siblings, who sighed but nodded, and the three of them set off after Hagrid, leading the rest of the class.

They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow at all on the ground. With a grunt, Hagrid deposited his half a cow on the ground, stepped back and turned to face his class, most of whom were creeping from tree to tree towards him, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," Hagrid encouraged. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me."

He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed: most of them looked too scared to make a sound.

Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, Bella nudged Hermione and pointed into the black space between two gnarled yew trees.

A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness.

It surveyed the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed fangs.

Hagrid knew about them too. He looked eagerly at Ron, but Ron was still staring around into the trees and after a few seconds he whispered, "Why doesn't Hagrid call again?"

Most of the rest of the class were wearing expressions as confused and nervously expectant as Ron's and were still gazing everywhere but at the horse standing feet from them. Neville's eyes were following the swishing progress of the long black tail.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body and dipped its head to gorge on the meat. "Now… put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

Bella raised her hand as she looked at the thestrals. Neville raised his hand as well. Draco raised his hand slowly. Blaise's hand shot up. Hermione's hand went up as well.

"Yeah… yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Bella," he said seriously. "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' you Malfoy. An' you can see them, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded slowly as she inspected the thestrals. Draco looked mesmerized with the larger one of the two. He walked forward, almost in a trance.

"What's doing that? What's eating it?" Parvati asked, her voice quivering. Parvati grabbed Fay's arm and the two girls stood a little way from Lavender. Lavender was glaring, furiously.

"Thestrals! Hogwarts has a whole herd 'em in here. Now who can tell me why some o' yeh can see 'em an' some can't?" asked Hagrid.

Hermione raised her hand, patiently.

"Go on then."

"The only people who can see thestrals are people who have seen death."

"That's right. Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals—" Hagrid said.

"Ahem, ahem."

Bella scowled at the sound. Hagrid was staring at the thestral that Draco seemed to be fascinated with. Draco reached his hand out and the thestral looked up at him.

"Hades…" Draco murmured.

His hand darted out just as Umbridge said once more, "Ahem, ahem."

She let out a startled scream when suddenly the thestral seemed to appear under Draco's hand. Many people screamed as the thestral suddenly seemed to appear under them. The thestral that Draco was petting nudged Draco and leaned down. Draco swung his leg over its back, easily.

Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"Someone has found their horse."

"Mhmm," Draco sighed, content. Umbridge's eyes widened in horror.

"What is that?" Umbridge screeched. Hagrid looked quite confused about the fact that the thestral, newly named Hades, had taken to Draco so well.

"Er…we're doin' thestrals today," Hagrid said.

Umbridge seemed to be gathering her wits together.

"I'm sorry? What did you say?" she asked. Hagrid was still staring at Draco.

"Er - Thestrals!" he said loudly. "Big - er - winged horses, yeh know!"

He flapped his gigantic arms hopefully. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows at him and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard: "Has… to… resort… to… crude… sign… language."

"Well… anyway…" said Hagrid, turning back to the class and looking slightly flustered, "erm… what was I sayin'?"

"Appears… to… have… poor… short… term… memory," muttered Umbridge, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. Draco rolled his eyes though he stroked the back of the thestral. The thestral made a strange sound.

"Mr. Malfoy. I think you should get down from that…horrible abomination. The Ministry has classified them as dangerous," Umbridge said, sweetly. Draco glared at Umbridge and sneered. She looked at him with surprise.

"Hades is _not_ dangerous. He's _mine_."

"What? His name is Tenebrus," Hagrid said, his mouth wide open. Draco sneered at the man and Umbridge looked pleased for a moment.

"No. It isn't. He told me that his name is Hades. And he's not dangerous," Draco snarled. Umbridge gave him a doubtful look and turned away from him as Draco slid off of the thestral though he didn't stop touching it.

"Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ', they might take a bite outta yeh if yeh really annoy them -" Hagrid added.

"Shows… signs… of… pleasure… at… idea… of… violence," muttered Umbridge, scribbling on her clipboard again.

"No - come on!" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious now. "I mean, a dog'll bite if yeh bait it, won' it - but Thestrals have jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing - people used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"

Umbridge did not answer; she finished writing her last note, then looked up at Hagrid and said, again very loudly and slowly, "Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk," she mimed walking "among the students" (she pointed around at individual members of the class) "and ask them questions." She pointed at her mouth to indicate talking.

Hagrid stared after her, confused as to why she was doing that. Umbridge glared at him before turning to smile indulgently at Draco.

"Be a dear and step away from the thestral," Umbridge commanded. Draco shook his head.

"No. I'm going to buy him," Draco decided. Umbridge's eyes widened in shock and she frowned when Draco nuzzled the dangerously thin creature.

"Mr. Malfoy I don't think—"

"Professor Umbridge, I don't really care what you think and I doubt my father will either. I'm afraid that Hades seems malnourished and I'd like to keep him _healthy_. Which means I'll be taking him away from _this_ sorry excuse of a teacher. Now, how much will it be?" Draco said, harshly.

Umbridge's eyes glittered at Draco's cruel words towards Hagrid. Bella's mouth dropped open and she glared at her brother.

"What are you doing?" she hissed under her breath.

"Getting my horse. If it means that I have to degrade the half-giant, so be it," he murmured. Bella sighed and shook her head. She went to exchange a look with Blaise when she remembered that she was still angry with him.

Draco let go of the thestral though it didn't disappear. It stayed very visible. Hermione stared in wonder as the thestral followed Draco to a shocked Hagrid.

"How is he doing that?" Hermione murmured as Draco argued with Hagrid about the cost of Hades.

"I don't know…" Blaise whispered.

Bella could only smile.

Two down. Two to go.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 25****th**** of November 1995**

**6:00 PM**

"Lord Malfoy, I don't understand why you are here."

Lucius Malfoy looked at Albus Dumbledore with cold grey eyes. He looked into his son's silvery eyes and they were pleading with him. Lucius knew that for some strange reason, it was extremely important to him. And there was always the philosophy that all Malfoys upheld.

What a Malfoy wants a Malfoy gets.

"My son has related me a great story. It has come to my attention that he has made a thestral appear to other students whom have not witnessed death with just a single touch. He has said that he wants this thestral that he has named Hades," Lucius said, coolly. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes diminished quickly. His eyes were harder than steel in that one moment.

"I'm afraid that the thestral is not for sale. We need him to pull the school carriages," Dumbledore said, sharply. Draco leaned forward.

"Sir…I think it's the least you can do after my siblings and I didn't go public with your attempt to use Legilimency to enter our minds. It's the least you can do after endangering my little sister when you allowed a Death Eater to teach in this school for an entire year. Not to mention the fact that you allowed a man with Grindelwald possessing him into the school. The least you can do, indeed," Draco said, coldly.

Lucius had never been more proud of his son in that very moment. His son had successfully out Slytherin'ed one of the most manipulative and powerful me n in the world. He had never been more proud when he saw Dumbledore pale.

"Draco, you're being dramatic—"

"When did we become friendly enough for you to refer to me as 'Draco', Headmaster? I'm afraid I'm not sure when. Perhaps it was between the time where you attempted to _illegally_ break into mind and irresponsibly allowed a dementor into Hogwarts," Draco said, flatly. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"I did not such thing, _Mr. Malfoy_. I had no idea that Cornelius would do anything so rash," Dumbledore snapped.

Draco nodded, solemnly and this seemed to confuse Dumbledore greatly. Lucius looked at his sound, a proud glint in his eyes.

"Yes, but that won't be how it looks if the Daily Prophet gets a hold of the story, now will it?" Draco countered. Dumbledore's expression hardened even more and he leaned back.

"What is it that you want?" Dumbledore asked, giving in. He couldn't let his public image be destroyed by a mere child. He'd be a laughing stock. Draco's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

"I want Hades and I want the black unicorn in the paddock. Name your price."

Dumbledore faltered when Draco mentioned the black unicorn. Lucius shot his son a look. What was he going on about? There were no such things as _black_ unicorns. It just didn't make sense.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about. The thestral I'm aware of but a black unicorn, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbeldore asked, his tone still grandfatherly. It was marred by the slight edge in his voice. Draco scoffed.

"Headmaster, with all due respect, don't give me that bullshit. I _know_ about the black unicorn in the paddock. Bella Potter put him in there herself and christened him Nikita. I wish to acquire him and to board him in the paddock," Draco said, harshly. Dumbledore looked to Lucius, almost helplessly.

"Lord Malfoy, please talk sense into your son. I don't understand where this is all coming from. Never before has anyone ever _requested_ a school thestral and a school unicorn," Dumbledore said.

Lucius made a slight noise in the back of his throat, exposing his disgust for the man.

"Dumbledore, the two horses do not belong to you, I'm afraid. Unicorns are not owned by anyone unless they are bonded to a person. Even then, they aren't owned but cooperate with their chosen wizard or witch. Thestrals are creatures of the dark and they aren't owned either. In human terms, you could say that they are…_employed_ to the school," Lucius said, frostily. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. He could not find a hole in their argument. He could not deny the two Malfoys and they knew it. He was caught.

"We'll discuss the price at a later time," Dumbledore sighed. He hoped that he could find a way for the two horses to 'escape'. He wouldn't be able to touch the two horses if the two Horsemen bonded with them before he could.

It wouldn't do for the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to have their horses. Dumbledore had failed in keeping the two Dark Slytherins from the two Light Gryffindors. They were no longer Light or Dark. They seemed Grey, despite their Dark magic. Bella's ideas at the Order meeting during the previous summer screamed Dark in some places and he wished to remedy that by keeping the horses from the Horsemen.

And it wasn't working.

"No, I believe we should discuss it now," Lucius said, his voice hard. Dumbledore sighed and leaned back in his chair. He appeared to be thinking long and hard but Lucius saw through that.

The man was plotting.

"One-hundred sixty-eight galleons, thirteen sickles, and twenty-six knuts. For each horse," Dumbledore finally decided.

Lucius tilted his head.

"That is almost equivalent to…eight hundred forty four pounds. Yes, that is an adequate price. I suppose you will want the money used towards a student's…_scholarship_," Lucius sneered. Dumbledore nodded, shortly, though that was not what he had in mind at all.

"Yes, that will be fine. Boarding will cost nine galleons, fifteen sickles, and twenty three knuts for each," Dumbledore continued. Lucius nodded and stood.

"That will be all. You will find the money in the vault by tonight. If I find that those horses are gone then I will contact my lawyer and have you sued for theft. Good night."

Lucius swept from the room, Draco following him. As soon as they were out of the office Lucius looked to his son.

"Well done, Draco. Well done. You did marvelously," Lucius complimented. A slight smirk spread across Draco's lips.

"I learned from the best, Father."

"That you did, son. That you did."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 25****th**** of November 1995**

**7:00 PM**

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Bella said, hugging her brother. Draco smirked down at her as he admired his new thestral. Hades was nudging Blaise every few seconds, most likely because he believed Blaise to be a fellow dead thing. Blaise was as close to dead as you could get without really _being_ dead.

"Your welcome. But…Dumbledore was…off during the meeting. He didn't want me to have the thestral for some reason. And he pretended that there wasn't a black unicorn. He's up to something," Draco said, softly. Hermione looked away from Nikita, whom she had been patting, a look of alarm on her face.

"Dumbledore? Up to something? We can't go against _Dumbledore_, too!" Hermione cried out. Draco rolled his eyes at Hermione.

"Get a grip, woman. I never said we had to go against him. We just need to figure out what he's up to. I don't trust him. I know you do, Bella, and that's why I don't say anything but I don't," Draco said, quietly. Bella's eyes widened and she frowned in confusion.

"Why would you say that? Despite being a nosy old man, he's not _bad_," Bella said. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"But…he's not on our side, then. Some of our ideas are distinctly Dark. He despises all things Dark. And if he isn't on our side, he is our enemy. And a powerful enemy he is," Blaise commented. Bella seemed to forget that she was upset at Blaise and she leaned forward in confusion.

"No one has heard of our side except for Hydra. And I'm not even sure what side Tom stands on. He's so complicated. If what you're saying is true then _everyone_ is our enemy," Bella sighed. Blaise nodded, slowly.

"Then so be it."

:::

**A/N: **I'M SO EXCITED FOR HARRY POTTER! DOUBLE FEATURE: PART 1 & PART 2! I'M SO EXCITED! I DON'T REALLY HAVE A NOTE! I MIGHT UPDATE TOMORROW, DEPENDING AND FREAK OUT ABOUT DEATHLY HALLOWS BUT PROBABLY NOT! I'LL BE SLEEPING IN BECAUSE I'M GOING TO THE _**MIDNIGHT SHOW!**_

Next Chapter: Christmas Fluff (Since there wasn't any fluff here. And I'm thinking about a lime...maybe a blowjob. Any objections?)


	59. Chapter LIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Harry Potter was AMAZING! I cried at several times in the whole movie. Snape and Lily…they should have gotten together. I mean, I love my JP/LE but Snape and Lily together are. Dear Merlin…Alan Rickman is the BEST actor _ever_. And don't get me started on Voldemort and his new…fetish.

Continue please and read beautiful Christmas fluff. Well, as fluffy as it can get with Tom and Bella as the main characters. Typically, fluff for them is just sexual activity because neither are very in touch with their _feelings_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LIV**

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of December 1995**

**10:00 AM**

Bella stood outside Tom's room. He hadn't emerged, which Bella supposed wasn't all that unusual. She had learned during the summer that Tom didn't usually wake up before eleven. Bella hesitantly raised her hand to the door and knocked four times. There was a moan of annoyance and then a groan and then the sound of something heavy hitting the door. Bella snickered and opened the door.

She stared at Tom, her lips parted.

Even half awake, he looked absolutely delicious. His hair was loose and fell into his eyes. He was shirtless and his drawstring black pants hung low on his hips. Bella closed the door behind her softly and placed her coffee cup on his bedside table. She looked around, impressed with the room.

It looked rather Asian, in actuality. The bedroom frame was black and a four poster. The sheets were a cream color with a brown blanket. There were piles of books here and there and Bella couldn't help but smile. The room was definitely Tom's.

But what really struck her was how young Tom looked half-asleep. Bella walked forward, slowly. She slid onto the bed, her legs tucked underneath her. She was still in her pajamas. Her hair was pulled back into two braids and her flannel pajama pants looked a little big on her but Sirius had said she looked adorable.

Bella reached over and shook Tom by the shoulders. He groaned and pushed her away by the face."

"Goway," he slurred. Bella grinned.

"Get up, Tom. It's Christmas Eve."

"G'way. I'm sleeping," he moaned. He grabbed a pillow and threw it over his face, attempting to block out all sound. Bella sighed and shook him again. He pushed her by the face and she fell off the bed, onto her butt. Bella glared at him. She jumped onto the bed.

"Wake up!" she cried, giving him a large push. Now, Tom went rolling off the bed and he made a grunt of displeasure. He sat up, brushing his hair back from his face. Bella crawled off the bed and fell into his lap. He gave another grunt that was cut off by Bella's lips. She wrapped her arm around his neck and he kissed her back, half-heartedly. She pulled back and gave a playful scowl.

"I give you a nice good morning and you're being an ass about it," Bella snapped. Tom hissed, annoyed at her.

"You were a bloody bitch about waking me up," he snarled. Bella's lip curled into a leering smirk and she wrapped her legs around Tom's waist. She leaned in and licked the shell of his ear.

"Talk dirty in bed?" she murmured. Tom snickered, under his breath, slightly awake now.

"You wouldn't know, now would you, you prude?"

"Fuck you, Tom."

"As flattering as that sounds, I'm not in mood. And I supposed I would feel like I'm fucking a little girl. You look entirely too adorable," Tom sighed. Bella raised an eyebrow at that and she laughed. She leaned her head on Tom's shoulder and kissed his shoulder.

"You're still tired, aren't you?" she snickered. Tom smirked and reached up to grab the coffee cup on the side table. He took a long drink from it and Bella scowled. She snatched the mug from it and finished it before setting it back on the table.

"Come out with me…it's Christmas Eve," Bella said, softly. She turned so that she was sitting in between Tom's legs. His arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned her back into his chest.

"I don't celebrate Christmas, Anya," he reminded her. Bella sighed.

"Mmm…right. Yule. Yule Eve sounds incredibly stupid."

"I don't celebrate Yule either."

"Is it because you never had anyone to celebrate it with?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom stiffened, cautiously.

"No. I find it stupid to celebrate a holiday. There are more important things to do then sit around a tree and sing Christmas carols," Tom sneered. Bella laughed quietly and sighed.

"No one does that Tom."

"I'm afraid that it _does_ happen. Once, I carelessly went down to Little Hangleton in a moment of increasingly rare stupidity during the Yule season. The carolers kept following me. I hexed them."

Bella laughed and shook her head.

"Of course you did. I have a Yule gift for you. You'll like it," Bella sighed. Tom raised an eyebrow and hummed. He relaxed slightly and leaned back.

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling you. But Daphne helped me pick it out for you," Bella said.

Though Tom couldn't see, a leering grin spread across her face. He leaned down to look at her and she quickly wiped her face of the look.

"Daphne? Daphne Greengrass?"

"Yes. I told her that I had boyfriend. I didn't mention your name, I swear. And she was interested in what I was getting him, meaning you, for Yule. And I said that I didn't know. So she so kindly suggested to me this present. You'll love it," Bella grinned. Tom took it as a childish grin.

It was anything but.

Bella stood and crossed to Tom's closet. He watched with a raised eyebrow as she threw open his closet and began looking through it. She took down a button down white shirt and threw it on over her tank top. She didn't button it up. She grabbed Tom's hand and then tossed him a shirt from his closet. He sighed and slid it on. He didn't even bother changing his pants.

Why should he? He looked presentable enough. And it was _his_ house.

"I almost wish that you didn't have to put on a shirt," Bella sighed. Tom gave her an amused lopsided smirk. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. He tilted her head up and was just…

"Bella? Bella, where are you?"

"Ana?"

"Bell?"

Bella groaned in annoyance. Tom's eyes were narrowed. He could hear the Weasley twit, the taller Weasley twit, and Hermione. And Tom remembered telling them that they weren't allowed down this hallway. Bella backed away against the wall when she heard the footsteps getting closer to the room. Tom glared at her.

"**Anya, don't stand there. Hide,**" he snapped. Bella glared at him and ran towards the closet before sliding the door closed behind her. Tom put on his best 'pissed off because you woke me up' face.

He didn't have to try very hard. He was still annoyed at Bella for pushing him off the bed. He threw the door open and he blinked at the four children. The two Weasley twins and the taller Weasley who had annoyed Hermione greatly were standing there. Hermione was standing as far away from Ronald as possible.

"_What_ are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that you aren't allowed in this corridor," Tom snarled. Hermione blinked as the Weasley chit flushed. Tom rolled his eyes. Hermione leaned in to look into his room.

"Nice…is that a coffee cup?" she asked. Tom glared at her.

"No. It's a hippogriff. What the hell do you think it is? It's too damn early for you to be snooping," Tom said, harshly. Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked inside once more. This time she was looking at the wall clock.

"It's almost ten thirty. It's actually late," Hermione said, slowly. Tom glared.

"You should be aware that I don't typically leave this hallway until your lessons, which are at twelve."

"I had _no_ idea that you were _asleep_. You're not only an asshole. You're a _lazy_ asshole," Hermione teased. The Weasley chit, Ginevra, he supposed he should call her, glared at Hermione in annoyance.

"Hermione! You shouldn't talk to a Professor like that. I'm sorry sir. We were looking for Bella. Have you seen her?" Ginevra asked, overly sweetly. Tom sneered at her.

As if he'd ever give the pasty, freckled, redhead chit the time of day. Anya was one thing, as he was stuck with her. Not that he entirely minded. Sure, she was annoying bitch at times. But, she was a surprisingly good snogger and that thing she did with her tongue…he wondered briefly if her tongue would be that skilled wrapped around _other_ parts of his anatomy…

"Professor? Are you okay?" Ginevra asked. The little Weasley boy twin snorted. The prat.

"Who gives a damn?" he asked. Ronald nodded in agreement. Ginevra gave her brothers a glare. Hermione was smirking. Tom blinked.

"Tom? Where's Bella?" Hermione asked. Tom blinked again.

Something flew and hit him in the back of the head. It fell to the ground and he looked down at the shoe that had hit him. Ginny blinked.

"What was that?" Ron asked, incredulously.

"_Who_ was that?" smirked Hermione.

"I have a temperamental wardrobe. It has a really _bitchy attitude_."

Another shoe was thrown at him with a bit more force. It actually made Tom flinch at the pain.

"Are you sure? Maybe I can get Sirius so he can see what's going on," Hermione suggested. Ron nodded though rather disdainfully. Tom suppressed his amused smile and kept his scowl in place. Ronald was trying to get back onto Hermione's good side and it obviously wasn't working. She glared at him. She moved back to Ginny's side.

"Or maybe my mum could take a look," Ginny said, softly.

"That won't be necessary. I'm perfectly capable of handling a misbehaving wardrobe. I am not a first year who needs the help of others, thank you," Tom said, sharply. Ginny flushed and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Misbehaving, eh?" she asked.

Tom nodded once and gave her a look that told her exactly _what_ was misbehaving so badly. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"Got it. Right. We'll look for Bella some other place."

"Try the library. She likes to hide in the very back," Tom said, maliciously.

That was a lie. _Nagini_ liked it in the back and she slept even later than Tom sometimes. And he knew for a fact that Gideon Weasley was terrified of his beautiful snake. That was why Tom loved his familiar so much. She unknowingly scared the crap out of the little shit.

"Oh, alright. They can come in with me?" asked Hermione. Tom nodded, slowly before glaring at Ronald.

"Not the biased Weasley. He's annoying. And a little shit."

Ronald glared at the taller man. Tom looked down at him with a look of superiority. Ronald stormed away, muttering under his breath how he would get back at Tom now that he knew where his room was.

"Doubt it, Weasley. I ward my room at night. You'll be in for a nasty surprise if you try anything. Now, you three, try interrupting me at an hour that _isn't_ ungodly."

Tom slammed the door shut and turned around. Before he could even start shouting at Bella, Bella was on him. He sighed as she jumped onto him, kissing him. He noticed that she had grown a little. Not a lot, mind. Probably half an inch or so.

Her leg wrapped around his waist. He hoisted her other leg around his waist and kissed her back with just as much enthusiasm. Bella's fingers twisted into his hair and she gave a sharp tug. In response, he bit her lower lip and she moaned.

Ah, the joys of a hormonal lover.

He deepened the kiss and there she went with her tongue. _Still_, Tom wondered how that tongue would be wrapped around another part of his anatomy. She was rather aggressive in everything she did, including snogging, and Tom considered how the sex would be.

Bloody brilliant, he decided.

Tom moved down, kissing her jaw line. He bit down, hard on her neck and she gave a hiss of pleasure. That only further aroused him. Dammit…

"I'm sure that if they don't find you in the library, they'll tell Black that they can't find you. Ms. Granger is not stupid. She'll know where you are," he murmured against her neck. She groaned as he bit down again.

"Right. We'll stop…in a…in a min…dammit, Tom," she moaned. Tom smirked against her neck and dragged his tongue in a long tantalizing manner down her neck.

"You were saying something?"

"_Yes_, you bastard."

"If you have something to say, share it," Tom said, sharply. Bella nodded.

"We'll stop in a min…Tom!" she snarled. Tom was now biting her neck and Bella slowly unwrapped her legs from Tom's waist. But, obviously he wasn't letting her off the easily as he didn't release her. Bella glared at him before she let out an involuntary moan.

"I've done nothing wrong. You won't say what you have to say. Now that isn't my fault, now is it, love?"

Bella sneered at him and brought her fist back before punching him the face. Tom grunted, dropping her. She landed in a crouch, glaring at him. She crossed to the large mirror and examined herself. It wasn't too bad. There was a bite mark at the base of her neck and a hickey but that was the extent of the damage.

"A simple glamour will do," she sighed. She turned and drew her wand from the pocket in her flannel pajama pants. Tom staggered next to her and pushed her out of the way. She stumbled to the side.

"I swear if you damaged my face…"

"Vain, aren't we?" she smirked. Tom glared at her and inspected his face and found nothing, not even a bruise. She hadn't punched hard enough to bruise but just hard enough to surprise the hell out of him.

"Shut up."

"I didn't punch your hard enough to ruin your pretty face, did I?" Bella asked, innocently. Tom glared at her and walked back to his bed. He fell onto it and turned onto his side. He could feel Bella staring at him in disbelief. He smirked, slowly.

"You did _not_ just go back to bed. I can't believe you just went back to bed."

He could hear her walking over to him. She grabbed his foot and began dragging him from the bed.

"Why do I have to leave the room again?" asked Tom, preparing to go back to sleep. It was much too early still. Maybe he'd sleep until one…

"Tom!" Bella whined. Tom shot up and put his hand on her mouth.

"Stop whining. I hate when you whine. Come on."

He got up and took his wand from underneath his pillow. Bella smirked, amused. Tom glared at her and waved his wand sharply. The glamour spell that he had become increasingly familiar with took effect and masked Bella's marred skin with the illusion of smooth skin. He smirked at his handy work and pulled Bella to the door.

"I'm sure Mrs. Weasley left you food from breakfast this morning. It was rather good…" Bella said. Tom rolled his eyes as they walked down the hallway. They made two lefts and now they were in the hallway of Bella's room, Hermione's room, and the library.

"Why does she insist on cooking when there are house elves?"

Bella shrugged.

"I suppose she wants to be needed," she said, softly.

"Bella?"

Bella looked towards the door of the library. Ron was standing outside the library, not able to enter. Bella gave a half-hearted wave. Ron had of course apologized to the young woman but Bella had yet to accept it.

"Hey."

"You three! Bella's out here!" Ron called. There was the sound of running and the glass double doors were thrown open. Gideon and Ginny were out first. Hermione swept out, looking rather graceful. She smirked at Tom.

"Took care of that misbehaving wardrobe?"

"Of course," Tom smirked, cruelly. Bella rolled her eyes and crossed to Hermione. Hermione was already dressed, ready for her lessons at noon.

"Where were you? We were looking for you _everywhere_!" Ginny said. Gideon nodded in agreement.

"And how did _he_ find you?"

"Er…I found him. I was wandering the place and found his room. I dragged him out because he's a malicious bastard," Bella said, hotly. Gideon nodded, whether in agreement or understand was unknown. Bella pulled Tom's shirt over her tighter.

"You really enjoy wearing Sirius' shirts don't you?" Ginny asked.

Bella snickered and Ginny looked at her, calculatingly. Bella remembered that this girl was a Ravenclaw despite the fact that her family was made of Gryffindors. Bella's eyes widened in realization.

Ravenclaws were inherently curious.

"Oh jeez. Hermione we need to write to Jabberwocky, the Tweedles, and the Hatter. Lu didn't remind us about…people in her year," Bella said, pointedly. Hermione frowned in confusion. She looked around and saw that everyone else, _including_ Tom was giving Bella strange looks.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Ouroboros, Hermione. I'll write the Jabberwocky and the Hatter. You write the Tweedles," Bella said, sharply. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I'm still not understanding."

"WHITE QUEEN, HERMIONE! YOU'RE THE WHITE QUEEN!" Bella shouted. Hermione blinked.

"Oh. _Right_. Are we really calling them that? I thought it was just something weird that Lu was talking about," Hermione said, frowning. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Well we can't bloody call them by name, can we?"

"I suppose not."

"Come on. We have work to do. You two and…Ron, we'll catch up with you later. We have a few letters to write," Bella said. She turned when Tom caught her by the wrist.

"**What are you talking about? And why are you referring to Alice in Wonderland characters?**" he hissed. Bella shook her head.

"**Nothing, nothing. Just something Luna said. It's nothing of immediate importance. I swear,**" Bella said.

She suppressed her smirk. She wasn't lying. Really, she wasn't. At the reminder of lies, she clenched her bandaged left hand. That drew several people's attention. Bella shoved her hand into the pocket of her pants.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Gideon asked, curiously. Hermione turned, sharply, to look at her sister.

"Nothing. My hands raw from practice yesterday. You saw me. Punching a punching bag is one thing but punching wood is another," Bella said, lightly.

In truth, nothing had hurt more than punching that Goddamned plywood but she wasn't going to complain. Not when writing into her hand every Thursday hurt even more. Ginny frowned.

"Then why don't you stop?"

"I can't."

"Why not?" Ron asked. Bella glared at them.

"I can't explain, all right. And Tom…I swear it's nothing of immediate importance."

"**Anya…**"

"Merlin, I said it wasn't important and it isn't. Damn, stop acting like my father," Bella snapped. Despite Bella's annoyance, Tom smirked.

"**God forbid. I don't do incest. Actually, we haven't been doing much of anything. Have we, little prude?**"

Bella flipped him the finger and turned away. She grabbed Hermione's wrist and pulled her wand on Tom. Tom looked at her innocently.

"Fuck off," Bella said, correcting her earlier statement. Tom shrugged and turned away from Bella and walked down the hallway. Hermione opened the door. Ginny was looking at them, curiously.

"What'd he say?"

"Ginny…that's between Tom and I. We'll be out in about a half hour. We'll meet you…outside. We'll play in the snow," Bella said, deciding. Ginny and Gideon shrugged before nodding. The three Weasley siblings dashed off down the hallway. Bella dragged Hermione into the room and closed it. She pulled down the shades and pointed her wand at the doors.

"_Obfirmo Ostium_," Bella said, firmly. There was the reassuring click of the lock. Hermione shook her head.

"That's not enough. We need a ward or two," Hermione said, looking at the doors with a very calculating look. Bella looked at Hermione in surprise.

"Wards, you say?"

"Yeah. Arithmancy teaches a bit more than just numbers."

"You still take Arithmancy? Mione, when do you have time for all of that? You take Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures," Bella pointed out. Hermione smiled.

"No I don't. You either don't listen or I didn't tell you. I dropped Ancient Runes. I'll learn it myself. I'll take my Mastery in seventh year and that'll be end of that. The workload was too much. Last year I took all three classes and I was so overwhelmed with the stress of my other classes and you in the Triwizard Tournament. It was too much," Hermione explained. Bella nodded in understanding.

"I get that. So, what do you mean by wards?" Bella asked. Hermione grinned.

"Well, Arithmancy is basically math and infusing magic into the all powerful numbers. It's logic, something that most wizards don't have. You don't have any logic, whatsoever," Hermione teased. Bella scowled at her sister and walked to the through the maze of bookcases and to the back of the library.

There was a door at the very back but next to the door was a large alcove with a table. The candle was already lit and there were rolls of parchment and quills. They belonged to both Hermione and Bella. They had taken to doing their homework back there.

She looked at the door. It didn't have a door handle but Bella knew that it was Tom's office.

She turned from the door. Her curiosity could be addressed later. Bella looked up as she felt the familiar rush of Hermione's magic. She quieted and listened to her sister's words. They were muffled but Bella could pick out a few Latin words. The magic stopped and Hermione stumbled towards the back of the room.

She looked rather tired from the warding.

"Not used to that. Dammit, I'll have to practice," Hermione swore. Bella touched her sister's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's fine."

"No it isn't. You've already beaten Tom. I've yet to actually best him in a duel," Hermione snapped, annoyed with herself. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Hermione that was once. And it hasn't happened since. It'll be fine. Now, come on. You write to Padma and Parvati. I'll write to Daphne and Neville."

"All right."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 24****th**** of December 1995**

**11:15 PM**

"Now where are _you_ going?"

Bella turned around and grinned at Sirius and Maya. They were standing together, Sirius' arm casually thrown over Maya's shoulder. Hermione was staring at Sirius with a peculiar expression. Sirius winked at her and Bella raised an eyebrow at this. She wondered what they were up to.

"Outside. Ginny, Gideon, and Ron are waiting for us," Bella said. She hadn't had the time to hang around the snow-covered grounds in between spending time with Tom, corresponding with Daphne for advice on her Christmas present for Tom, and making plans for Hydra with Hermione.

"Without a scarf?" Maya asked. Hermione bit her lip. She tightened her charcoal coat around her.

"Er…we need scarves?" Bella asked, confused. Sirius snorted

"Why do you need a scarf?" Sirius asked. Maya gave him a disbelieving look and broke away from him with a chastising look on her face.

"So she doesn't get sick!"

"I've never worn a scarf before in my life…unless it was to cover my neck from other people's prying eyes."

Sirius made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat as Maya gave a short laugh. She turned her eyes onto Sirius, disapproving.

"Why doesn't she wear a scarf? It's cold out."

"Er…didn't really think about it?" Sirius said. The words came out more like a question than an actual answer. Maya rolled her eyes and leaned her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"I don't understand how you turned out so well with this moron raising you."

"I sometimes wonder too."

Bella laughed and grabbed Hermione's wrist. She began running towards the back of the manor.

"WHAT ABOUT THE SCARF?" Maya yelled after them.

"Sorry, Mum, no can do!" Hermione called over her shoulder. Maya glared at them, annoyed. Bella laughed.

"You two will get back this instant and put on scarves, gloves, and a hat!" Maya snapped. Bella snickered.

"Don't think so, Mum!"

Maya was shocked into silence as the two girls exited the hallway through the kitchen door. Sirius was shocked as well. The two adults looked at each other before looking back at the door and then looking at each other.

"Did she just call me…"

"I think so. She called me Daddy on the night that we…had our conversation about Riddle…among other things," Sirius said, softly.

Maya's shocked expression broke into a brilliant smile. There was a noise and Maya turned around to see Molly walking down the hallway. She looked surprised at the two grinning adults.

"What's happened?" Molly asked. Maya grinned at the woman.

"Bella…Bella called me 'Mum'."

Bella knew full well that she had called Maya, 'Mum'. But that was what Maya was to her. Despite Lily Potter being her mother, Maya had been a mother to her for two years now. Lily Potter obviously cared for her. She had returned to protect for Grindelwald even though her battle had finished fourteen years before.

Hermione was looking at Bella with a strange look in her eyes though a smile graced her face. Bella grinned back.

"What?" Bella asked. Hermione shook her hair. She looked at the white sky and then down to the matching snow on the ground.

"You called my mother, 'Mum'. I guess that really makes us sisters."

Bella snorted. Hermione looked at her in shock. Bella noticed that the girl was about an inch taller than her. Hermione was around five foot six and a half. And Bella knew from her dreams that the woman would be about five foot nine by the time she was finished growing.

"We were always sisters, Mione. Always will be," Bella said as they walked. They could hear the crunch of the snow under their boots. Bella could see a splatter of blood on her boots. It was hard to tell _whose_ blood it was. It could have been hers, Tom's, or Hermione's. She'd washed her boots the first day of the holidays.

"We will. Come on," Hermione said, smiling. The two girls ran through the snow and down to the small pond on the grounds. It was iced over and Gideon and Ron were sliding over it. Ginny was trying to get them off of it. Bella reached into her pocket and pulled out leather gloves. Hermione gave her an amused look before pulling out woolen ones.

"I just wanted to freak out Mum. She has this obsessive thing with getting sick since I caught the flu when I was five. She thinks that I caught it from the cold. I tried to convince her that that wasn't the case and that you got the flu through the air and that it was possible that I could have gotten the flu in the summer was well but she refused to listen," Hermione said.

Bella snickered.

"I don't fancy touching snow with my bare hands."

She bent down and pick up a pile of snow. She rounded it out until it was a rather lumpy but compact snowball. She wrenched her hand back before throwing it forward with a great deal of accuracy. It hit Gideon in the back of the head and he fell, slipping forward on the icy top of the pond on his stomach. Gideon, Ron, and Ginny looked up the hill and laughed when they saw Bella doing a victory dance.

Bella ran down the hill, her hair flying behind her and her cheeks slightly pink from the cold.

If it weren't for her dark hair, she'd almost blend in with the snow. She landed at the bottom and took a deep breath. Gideon looked up at her in wonder as she grinned down at him.

"Merlin, you're beautiful."

Bella's eyes widened and her lips tilted up to the side in a lopsided grin. Gideon was sure that he had seen Riddle do the same thing though it always turned into a lopsided smirk. Gideon flushed when he realized what he had said. Ginny was staring at him in amusement and Ron looked slightly green.

"Thank you," Bella snickered. She turned and watched Hermione walk down the hill, slowly, not wanting to trip.

"Oh don't be such a Miss Prim and Proper, Mione!" Bella called. Hermione rolled her eyes at Bella and continued walking down the hill slowly. Bella pointed her wand at the hill and Hermione glared.

"Do it and I'll tell Mum!"

Bella smirked.

"Mum'll never know."

"I'll make sure she knows! I have three witnesses!" Hermione retorted. Bella sighed and stowed her wand away. Ginny was giving her a look of incredulity.

"You call Maya, 'Mum'?"

Bella nodded.

"Just once to her face. And Sirius, 'Dad' in times of great distress. I've thought of her as my adopted mum for a while now. And just now I called her 'Mum' to her face. I like it, honestly. I won't call her that all the time but…" Bella said, trailing off, her smile disappearing and turning into a serious expression. She shook her head and resumed grinning.

"Come on, let's have a snowball fight."

She leaned down and chucked a snowball at Ginny. Ginny fell to ground immediately and jumped back up with a grin.

"Missed me."

Suddenly, a snowball hit her in the side of the face. Ginny looked around.

"Who did that?" she demanded. Hermion raised her hand.

"Guilty as charged."

Ginny backed up and dropped to the ground gathering snow. Gideon watched as Bella turned and ran up the hill. Hermione was gathering snowballs as well. It was obviously siblings versus siblings, despite there being one less person on the other side.

They continued like that, chucking snowballs at each other until Bella went tumbling down the snowy hill. There was sound of snickering and Hermione yelling at someone. The snickering turned into chuckling when Bella started shouting obscenities. Finally, it seemed to much for the person because they burst into full laughter.

Ginny's eyes widened at the laughter. It was deep, rich, and velvety. It was like nothing she'd ever heard before and she craved to hear more of the laughter. Bella had fallen silent, as well as Hermione, and they stared up the hill. Ginny squinted and finally saw that it was Tom Riddle that was laughing.

"You laughed," Bella said, softly. She stared up the hill in triumph. She jumped up and ran up the mountain before tackling Tom. Gideon, Ginny, and Ron were too far down to see what was really happening except that maybe Bella hugged Tom as she tackled him. In truth she'd kissed him. Tom was still snickering when Bella pulled back and punched him in the gut. His laughter stopped abruptly.

"You're a complete asshole! You shoved me down a hill," she snapped, though her grin didn't disappear. Tom smirked at her.

"Pay attention to your surroundings, love," he smirked. Bella rolled her eyes and Hermione giggled. Hermione then turned her glare onto Tom.

"You should really learn to act your age," she said, severely. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Do you even _know_ how old I am?"

"You're in your late sixties, early seventies. You're old."

"Call me old again and I'll curse you," Tom snarled. Hermione smirked and ran down the hill and towards the Weasleys. Hermione stuck her tongue out and Tom reached for his wand. Bella shoved him and he stumbled before grabbing her, pulling her down the hill with him. She laughed as they landed at the foot of the hill. She was sitting on Tom's back, his face in the snow. Ginny was giggling while Ron and Gideon were snickering, smugly.

"You brat," Tom said, his voice muffled by the snow. He lifted his head and snow was in his hair. Ginny made an appreciative noise in the back of her throat. He was extremely attractive.

"You know it. Why'd you come out? I thought you went back to sleep," Bella said. Tom glared at her.

"I tried. But, Nagini kept bothering me. She said that _someone_ told her to. Anyway, you and Hermione have your lesson now. Care to get started?" Tom asked, flatly. Bella smirked and grabbed him by the hair before pushing his face into the snow.

"No."

* * *

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25****th**** of December 1995**

**11:20 AM**

"Good morning, Bella. Professor?" Molly said, her eyes wide.

In all their time here, Tom Riddle had never joined them for any meal. He tended to eat in his office or at a time when everyone wasn't seated together. Seeing him standing there, looking pissed off, was disconcerting. Ginny swallowed as she stared at the man. His hair was loose and his white shirt wasn't buttoned at the top, exposing her collarbones.

"She made me come," Tom said, scathingly. Bella was whistling innocently. She wore a large navy blue shirt over her tank top and flannel pajama pants. She pulled him to the dining room table and sat down next to him. Hermione's lips curled into a slight smirk.

"How can she _make_ you come?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella's lips curled into a sly smile.

"He wasn't getting his Christmas gift if he didn't."

Maya looked curious and she leaned forward. Fred and George were grinning.

"Professor came because of a _gift_?" Fred asked. George nodded.

"That's hard to believe when he's so antisocial," George added. Tom glared at them and they leaned back at the hostile stare.

"You may be talented students but I won't hesitate you commit homicide. I have no morals."

Fred and George held up their hands in defeat. Maya tilted her head in confusion and leaned her cheek on her palm.

"What's so important about this Christmas gift?" she asked. Bella laughed and shook her head. Tom looked disgruntled.

"I don't know. I hate not knowing things."

Hermione frowned.

"I don't know either. She was incredibly _vague_ when she was telling Drake, Blaise, and me. She only said that it'd be fun and funny. For her, I think she said. Daphne knows what it is though. I don't know why _Daphne_ knows and not us but…" Hermione trailed off. Bella leaned over and whispered in her ear. Maya's eyes fell on them and she gave them a narrowed eyed look. Hermione's thoughtful expression transformed into a look of disbelief. She turned slightly red and then green and then she laughed.

"Right. Okay. Yeah, Daphne told you that, didn't she?"

Bella laughed.

"Of course. Only Daphne."

Tom froze and turned to look at Bella with a horrified expression. Sirius frowned in confusion. Sirius was wondering who this Daphne was and why Tom would be so horrified at a gift idea from someone like this Daphne.

"Daphne Greengrass? The Slytherin? _That_ Daphne?"

"Mhmm. She's really nice. She's turning out to be somewhat of a best friend to me. And her imagination is absolutely _amazing_. As I'm sure you know. Her essay really did deserve that 'O' you gave her. I wrote to her yesterday. I'm expecting a letter from her by the day after tomorrow. She's going to enquire on how my gift was received," Bella said, relaxed.

Tom groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ron frowned in confusion.

"You're friends with _more_ Slytherins?"

"Of course. I _am_ a Slytherin. And I have a few friends in Ravenclaw. I don't understand why that's any of your business, though. Seeing as we're not friends anymore," Bella said, flatly. Arthur's eyes widened.

"Not friends anymore? Why not?" he asked. Molly looked rather alarmed by this as well. The woman knew that Ron had some self-esteem issues but she never thought it'd be bad enough for the two people to stop a friendship. Ron looked hurt.

"He wrote an offensive essay. He claimed that all people that practiced Dark magic deserved to be locked away in Azkaban. He also offended the Malfoys. Draco's my brother and offending him is offending me. And _I_ practice Dark magic. It's hard for me to practice anything but. Charms is rather difficult for me since it's almost exclusively Light or Neutral," Bella said, calmly.

Arthur and Molly exchanged looks. Sirius frowned and cleared his throat.

"But Lily's magic was Neutral and James' magic was Light."

Bella leaned back in her chair and fixed her godfather with a stare. It conveyed exactly what Bella wanted. She wanted to tell him later. Sirius was okay with that and he nodded. Tom was frowning at Bella.

"Professor, is there something wrong?" Maya asked, curiously. Tom shook his head absently as Molly began serving food to everyone.

"No. Unless Bella tries to murder me. Daphne's a bit of a bad influence."

"Daphne is _brilliant_. Her essay was brilliant. Her ideas about infiltration and assassination were brilliant. Her questioning of your virginity was brilliant," Bella snickered.

Molly almost dropped the serving bowl.

Sirius's mouth fell open. Hermione snickered and dropped her head into her hands. Ginny flushed while Ron and Gideon flushed though they laughed. Fred and George were roaring with laughter. Maya and Sirius joined him. Arthur flushed. Bella was looking rather innocent. Tom gave her a narrowed-eyed glare.

"Did she really? I think I might learn to like this Daphne Greengrass," Sirius said. Hermione snickered.

"Oh no you won't."

"Why not?" Sirius asked, still laughing.

"She's a bad influence. Tom is right. Daphne's ideas on infiltration aren't very…wholesome. They're the complete opposite even though Bella's the one that got her started on all of that. Most likely, Daphne suggested that Bella do something rather cruel to Tom," Hermione lied. Bella gave her sister an approving look out of the corner of her eye. Bella flexed her left hand again, drawing Hermione's attention to her hand again as they began to eat.

"_What_ is wrong with your hand?" Hermione demanded. Bella flinched from her sister, gaining everyone's attention.

"I hurt it, I told you. Drop it, Hermione," Bella said, flatly. Hermione shook her head and sighed.

"I asked Blaise and he told me that he'd deal with it. But you've been wearing it for weeks now."

Bella shrugged.

"I've been punching plywood for weeks, Hermione."

"I'll drop it because it's Yule but tomorrow, I'll figure out what's wrong with your hand," Hermione vowed. Bella gave Tom a panicked look. A look that Maya did not miss at all. Tom cleared his throat.

"How do you know something's wrong with it? I've seen her hand. There's nothing _wrong_ with it. Has it occurred to you that she thinks that it's an obscene fashion statement like those leather bracelets that my students have taken to wearing all of a sudden? The students that are doing rather _well_ in my class," Tom said, flatly. Hermione and Bella looked at each other.

"Er…Lu got her hands on them. Told them that'd it'd ward off nargles."

Tom rolled his eyes.

"Nargles can only be warded off by Elvish magic."

"Luna's an Elf, Tom. I'm sure that she has Elvish magic at her disposal," Bella said, flatly. Tom cleared his throat.

"Let me correct myself then. Only _adult_ Elves can use Elvish magic," he reminded her. Bella cursed under her breath. Ginny looked shocked.

"Luna's an Elf?"

"Have you never noticed her pointed ears? And the fact that she's always talking about nargles and wrackspurts? Don't you share a dormitory with her? I'm sure you've seen her meditating," Hermione pointed out. Bella shook her head.

"Luna meditates outside. She said that there's less interference. Nargles and wrackspurts don't bother her. They bother other people. Apparently, they're terrified of Draco."

"All animals are terrified of Draco."

Ron tilted his head. He opened his mouth to ask but Fred interrupted.

"Why are they scared of him?" Fred asked, curiously. George nodded.

"Charlie loves animals. I find it hard to believe that he'd be interested in a Malfoy let alone a Malfoy who scares animals."

Ginny nodded.

"I agree. And it's hard to believe that someone as stuck up as Malfoy scares animals. He's almost never near them."

Bella shook her head.

"That's not exactly true. He bought a thestral from the school and named it Hades. And then he bought an early Yule gift. In the form of a black unicorn I named Nikita. They're at Malfoy Manor since I told him that there aren't any stables where I was staying. We board them at Hogwarts during the school year. But, besides the thestral, animals are scared of him," Bella explained.

Gideon frowned.

"Why, though? If he's so good with the thestral?"

"Er…they die, actually. Animals either die or run away from him. It's one of the strangest things. If they're small animals they drop dead. If they're big, they run from him or attempt to harm him. I can't understand why he still takes Care of Magical Creatures but he said because it's an easy O," Hermione said, softly.

Fred and George snickered.

"He's definitely good for Charlie, then. That's how Charlie got interested in dragon taming. He always liked dragons, I think. When he first took Care, he came home and told us all about and how it was for an easy O."

Molly looked unsure of all that. Arthur looked rather irritated that a Malfoy would be perfect for his son. Gideon and Ron looked like they thought that that statement was blasphemous and should never be voiced again.

Bella and Hermione gave each other looks.

What about Luna?

* * *

**Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25****th**** of December 1995**

**1:00 PM**

"So, we're opening gifts in here?" Bella asked. Sirius looked at her nervously.

They were standing outside of the ballroom. The Christmas tree was in it and the piano was right underneath it. They hadn't been sure how Bella would react to it but Tom had insisted that it was the only place that he hadn't minded pine needles.

"Yeah. Is that all right?" Maya asked, softly. Bella shrugged and opened the doors. She stopped in the doorway and gaped. Sirius peeked in and stared in astonishment.

"Happy Yule."

Bella spun around and stared at the bored Tom.

"You bastard. How dare you?"

"I may be a bastard but I've decided that your fear has become most irrational. And remember what I told you. **I can't date a woman who fears inanimate objects. Now you have to play for your godfather as you planned,**" Tom said, flatly.

Bella had recently destroyed the piano in the ballroom, the day she had arrived at Riddle Manor. Tom had beaten the shit out of her in their next duel but Bella had felt it was worth it. And now here he had seemed to break into a Black ancestral vacation home and brought her black grand piano to the Riddle Manor.

It didn't look dusty at all and looked brand new. It was sitting next to the enormous Christmas tree. Bella cleared her throat.

"Later, I suppose," she said, softly. She crossed towards the Christmas tree and sat down at the piano bench. She beckoned the others in with a roll of her eyes and crossed her legs. The others crowded in and sat down on the floor. Tom walked in gracefully and sat down on the bench next to Bella. Sirius sat on her other side.

Bella's lips curled into a slightly awkward smile. It was rather strange, sitting between the two most important men in her life. She leaned her head against Sirius' shoulder.

"So, what's Professor Riddle's present?" asked Fred, curiously. Hermione choked on air and shook her head. Maya rubbed her back and Hermione cleared her throat. George was snickering.

"It's right there," Bella said, pointing towards the ornately wrapped gift with golden wrapping paper under the tree. Hermione turned to look at her sister, curiously.

"Did you get the others presents besides the books?" she asked.

Bella shook her head before shrugging.

"Er…not all of them. Actually, I got Daphne another leather cuff. She said she wants diversity. Then, I got Neville another book on Herbology. For Padma and Parvati, I got them a gift card to a clothing store. You know how Parvati is," Bella said. Hermione nodded.

"Got a present for the rest so you're lucky. They're a bit more professional. Except for Lalita's. I think she's spending Yule with Drake and the Malfoys. Blaise is over there too. Did you send him his gift?" Hermione asked.

Bella nodded absentmindedly as everyone started ripping open presents. Bella got up and sat down across from Hermione and reached under the tree for a small flat box. She handed it to Hermione just as Hermione handed Bella a small package.

"Happy Yule, Mione."

"Happy Yule, Ana."

Both girls flipped ripped open their presents and Hermione's mouth dropped open. She pulled out a pair of white gold earrings in the shape of the Sword of War. Underneath it was a white gold necklace with an ouroboros hanging from it and the Sword of War hanging through the middle, splitting it in half.

Bella looked at her own gift. It was another charm bracelet and a pair of earrings. The earrings were of the Death Hallows sign. The charm bracelet had a symbol that represented all of Hydra, alluding to Alice in Wonderland.

Bella had read it and laughed when she realized that the characters were a bit like Hydra in some ways.

Bella grinned and placed it around her wrist. Ginny leaned over and looked at her two charm bracelets.

"What's the symbolism behind all this?" she asked, curiously. Bella tilted her head.

"On my left bracelet, it represents the people I care about. Things about _me_. I need to get one for Maya though. The spear is for Blaise. The sword is for Mione. The wand is for me. The scythe is for Draco. The lion and snake represent Gryffindor and Slytherin. The dog and wolf represent Padfoot and Moody. The horn represents Lu. The angel wings with a snake wrapped around it alludes to an old Elvish song," Bella explained. Gideon pointed to the other.

"Then what about that?"

Bella gave a secretive smile but didn't answer. Soon, everyone was finishing opening his or her gifts. Maya had give Bella a few books and then had kissed her on the cheek over and over again when she read that Bella had addressed the gift to 'Mum'. Sirius had gotten a new knife sharpener from Hermione and Maya. He was smirking the whole while about it while Tom looked particularly ashen.

"Will you use my gift now?" Tom asked. Sirius was searching through wrapping paper on the floor, looking for his gift from Bella before he leaned up and pouted at her.

"No."

"Anya…" Tom drawled. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Tom," she mocked. He pushed her and turned her around before placing her hands on the keys. Everyone fell silent as she brushed her fingers across, lightly, not making a sound.

"I'm not asking you to play all the time, Anya. I'm merely asking you to make use of my generous gift."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms, taking her hands off of it.

"Generous? I didn't ask for it."

"Then at least give your dogfather his gift. He looks like he's going to cry," Tom smirked. Sirius scowled at the man and threw the knife sharpener at him. Tom dodged it and then caught it out of the air.

"I…well…Uncle Sirius, would you like me to play?" Bella asked. Sirius' eyes widened and he tilted his head.

"Is that my gift? Because that gift would be most excellent if you played a Christmas song that I could belt out," Sirius snickered. Bella rolled her eyes and turned to the piano. She shoved Tom from the bench and glared.

"Don't want you there, you bastard."

"Didn't want you to drag me to breakfast but I went away, you brat," he retorted though he remained standing. Bella sighed and leaned over it and shook her head.

"Uncle Sirius, I think I'm going to play something a _little_ classier than what you're thinking. Perhaps, after," Bella said, hesitantly.

Her head bent over the piano and her fingers dance across the keys. It sounded absolutely beautiful and despite being a slightly religious piece from Muggles, everyone was awed by it. Tom watched as she lost herself in the music. Her eyes were even closed, as if she were imagining something else besides the song. Bella's playing became more and more reassured.

She repeated the minute and forty-three songs twice more. Hermione's eyes were wide in recognition and Tom had to cover his mouth to keep from snickering. He had been careful not to laugh again after his loss of control the day before. Finally, Bella's playing came a graceful end. She leaned back and turned to Sirius. He was smiling at her, softly.

"Thank you," he said, softly. Bella nodded.

"That was James's favorite holiday song for some strange reason. Lily played it once and he fell in love with. More in love with Lily sometimes, which was rather funny to see," Sirius said, softly. Bella's eyes widened and she beamed at him before turning back to the piano.

"What song was that?" Fred asked. Bella's grin didn't disappear.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Any requests?"

* * *

**Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 25****th**** of December 1995**

**9:30 PM**

Bella sat motionless on Tom's bed as he showered. He wasn't exactly aware that she was in the room but that didn't really matter at this point. She had given Tom a book that had already been in his library to avoid suspicion from Sirius. It would _not_ be good for Sirius to find out what she was up to.

For both Bella _and_ Tom.

The water turned off and the door was flung open. Bella watched, carefully and silently as Tom walked out in a silver robe. It was tied around his waist and exposed quite a bit of his chest. His towel was thrown around his neck and his hair was still wet. He walked to the mirror and began looking into it. Bella stood, slowly. She walked up to him and he raised an eyebrow when he saw her in the mirror. Bella grinned at him.

"I don't see why you're so happy. I'm rather upset for not getting a proper Yule gift after I went through the trouble of breaking the wards around one of the Black vacation homes to fetch your piano," Tom said, annoyed. Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his back.

"That wasn't your Yule gift. I lied. Sit down," Bella said, pulling him to the chair near the window. The curtains were closed just in case someone was outside on the grounds and looked up. He raised an eyebrow as she pushed him into the seat and sat down on his lap.

"I'm afraid that though this is normally enjoyable at the present time this isn't a very comfortable position," Tom said, calmly. Bella hummed as she kissed his neck. He pulled her back by her hair and leaned down to kiss her. Bella hummed and she slowly brought her wand into her hand. Her other hand was fisted in Tom's hair. He began kissing her senseless and she tugged on his hair harder.

"_Incarcerous_," she murmured against his lips. Tom stiffened as ropes wrapped around his wrist, binding it to the arm of the chair. Tom glared at her as she did the same to his other wrist. She stood from his lap and walked backwards to the door. She turned the lock of the door.

"_Muffliato_."

"What in the seven hells are you doing?" Tom asked, annoyed. Bella stalked towards him and without further ado dropped to her knees in front of him.

"You're annoying when you stop me from doing what I want. Now you can't stop me. Happy Yule, Tom," she said, sharply. Tom's eyes widened and he groaned as Bella untied the sash around his waist. She pulled apart the robe and looking him up and down, appreciatively. Her fingers brushed against his abdomen before moving down to nether regions.

Her fingertips went up and down his length and Tom shuddered before gathering his wits.

"Anya, I stopped you for a number of reasons and I do things for a good reason. And I doubt you even know how to do this and I don't feel comfortable with you learning from m—oh dear Merlin…" Tom said.

Bella had taken his entire nine-inch length into her mouth and she looked up at him with mischievous eyes. It didn't take long for him to get hard. Bella hummed as Tom groaned. Tom groaned even louder. Her tongue was doing that thing again and he couldn't help his smug smirk. Hadn't he been wondering about that earlier?

"Morgana, Anya," he groaned. Bella's teeth scraped lightly against his shaft and Tom groaned louder. Bella hissed in annoyance. Tom had too much Goddamned control for his own good.

Bella sucked harder and she controlled her gag reflex perfectly. It wouldn't do well for her to gag. That'd just kill the mood completely and she was enjoying herself too much. Tom tasted dark somehow. He tasted like Dark magic and somehow chocolate, which wasn't bad at all. Her tongue swirled around the head of his cock and he hissed something unintelligible in Parseltongue.

Bella growled and sucked hard, annoyed that he wasn't reacting enough. Tom growled at her and pulled a lock of her hair. Bella scraped her teeth up and down, her hands gripping his thighs to keep herself steady. Tom groaned, louder, a string of obscenities coming out of his lips in several different languages.

"_Anya ... dorogoĭ Merlin_," he groaned in Russian. Bella laughed against his cock and he stiffened in his seat once more.

"Fuck, Anya. How dare you tie me to this chair? **You bloody bitch.**"

And suddenly he came and Bella jolted in surprise. She swallowed harshly, intent on not letting not one drop fall from her lips. She pulled back and gave one more swallow before she smirked.

"Salty."

"Bitch."

He was glaring at her though his eyes were clouded with lust. Bella pulled her knife from her boot and slashed at the ropes. Tom's robe was tied up in one second and Bella was on his lap in the next.

He kissed her aggressively and she was just as enthusisastic. She pulled away with a cocky smirk.

"I'm glad I could make you lose control."

"_Where_ in the seven blazing hells did you learn to do that?" Tom asked, sharply and more than a little annoyed. He had never losed _that_ much control and he typically _didn't_ talk dirty in bed. Unless he was really enjoying himself. And she'd just sucked him off. He hadn't even had sex with her.

She was becoming more than a bad influence. She was a bit of a distraction.

"Practice."

She slid off his lap and his eyes narrowed and turned the crimson of blood.

"Practice, you say? On who?" demanded Tom. Bella shrugged and walked towards the door, unlocking it though she didn't open it. Tom stood and stormed up to her.

"That's none of _your_ business," she smirked. Tom leaned down and kissed her, though it was less lustful. It was sweet and chaste as opposed to what had occurred only minutes before. Tom tilted her head up and Bella smiled at him, sweetly.

"Anya...I have something to tell you..." Tom said, his expression serious. Bella looked up at him with those trusting eyes and Tom looked away.

"What is it?" she asked. Tom cleared his throat.

"You're too much, you know that. Daphne taught you I'd assume. How did she do that?" Tom asked, changing the subject. Bella looked like she was debating on what to tell him before she grinned and sighed.

"I was joking about practice. Daphne gave me the suggestion and then advice. She started going into the complicated manuevers that I just was not paying attention to though some of her suggestions did have merit. That was my first time doing..._that. _I just have natural skill," Bella said, cockily. Tom raised an eyebrow and decided to humor.

"That you do. That thing you do with your tongue is quite interesting. Almost as interesting as that delicious growl you have," Tom teased. Bella laughed though her cheeks were a light pink. She kissed Tom once more and smiled up at him.

"Good night, Tom."

"Good night, Anya."

:::

**A/N: **I loved this chapter. I hope the lime didn't sound stupid because I've written smut before but it was never very good. I was in the mood for a healthy round of romantic fluff and family fluff. Gideon will be showing up more and more. I thought it was nice that he called her beautiful. Bella's still a teenage girl. She's devoted to her 'boyfriend' but she was still flattered.

I know a lot of you don't like Gideon but trust me, he's not a shallow character like Ginny was in canon. I'm giving Gideon more depth. Ginny will have a jealousy issue but Gideon will be…well, you'll see.

Next Chapter: Return to Hogwarts, Death Eaters, Prophecies, and Meetings


	60. Chapter LV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **1000. I'VE HIT 1000 REVIEWS! WOOO! Thank you all of my loyal reviewers and all those that actually read my story. I know for fact that all of you don't review even though anonymous reviewers are accepted. I'm okay with that but this is so exciting. So, for the 1000 signed in reviewer: **Blessed By The Goddess**. It'll be about Bella asking Daphne for advice for Tom's gift.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LV**

**Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 12****th**** of January 1996**

**10:45 PM**

"Hey there, pretty girl."

"Princess."

Bella and Hermione spun around and the two girls ran forward and jumped on their siblings. Hermione hugged Blaise tightly and Draco kissed the top of Bella's head. The two girls turned and shifted to hug their other brother. Hermione and Draco made a show of looking annoyed and they hugged each other, gingerly. Their eyes softened and Blaise kissed both of Bella's cheeks. She pulled away and hugged Lalita. Lalita returned the hug. Bella turned and inspected his ear. She grinned at the golden spear.

"You and your illegal portkeys. I see you've given Hermione two," Blaise smirked. Bella shook her head and she wore her Deathly Hallows necklace proudly. Blaise wore an ouroboros with a spear splitting it in half around his neck. Draco wore something remarkably similar except with a scythe.

"Of course not. One is a decoy."

"Of course," Blaise laughed though his voice sounded rather tense. Bella turned to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. She smiled at them. Narcissa smiled back.

"Hello Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius."

Sirius made a face at the greeting but nodded at Lucius and said, "Narcissa."

"Hello, Sirius. Bella, dear, how was your holidays?" Narcissa asked. Bella opened her mouth to respond.

"It was nice. Thank you for asking. How was yours?" Bella asked. Lucius looked at Bella, somewhat approvingly. At least he knew that she had manners of some sort. Narcissa nodded at her, approvingly.

"It was nice. Thank you for asking, my dear," Narcissa said. Draco was rolling his eyes at his mother. Bella glared at him.

"Bella! Bella!"

Bella turned around and grinned when a blond girl rushed up to her. She was wearing elegant but simply cut dark blue robes. Her dark eyes were gleaming brightly with ambition and mirth. Sirius frowned in confusion and Maya looked curious.

"Daphne!"

Bella rushed up to the girl and Daphne kissed her cheek. Bella returned the favor, amicably. She turned and pulled the girl towards her parents. She completely missed the katana strapped to the girl's back. The others did not.

"Uncle Sirius, Aunt Maya, this is my friend, Daphne. She's the one that questioned Tom's virginity," Bella grinned. Maya looked at Bella in surprise but said nothing. Sirius' eyes lit up and he stuck out his hand. Daphne took it and gave a firm shake, looking as much of a pureblood Slytherin as ever now.

"Hello. I am Daphne Greengrass. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Black," Daphne said, solemnly. Maya snorted at that and Daphne looked at her.

"Don't even. I'm Maya Granger, Hermione's mother. A Muggle, I'm afraid."

Daphne turned to Maya, hesitantly. Hermione was frozen, staring at her friend. The Slytherin girl cleared her throat and extended her hand first. Draco raised an eyebrow and most in the immediate area looked surprised.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"The pleasure is mine. You're such a nice girl. I've taken a liking to Slytherins. Nice katana," Maya said. Daphne nodded with a slight smile.

"Thank you. I asked for it for Yule last minute. So, my parents and my little sister decided to spend Yule in Japan."

Bella looked down at Daphne's wrist and saw the navy blue and black leather band. Daphne grinned at her and leaned against the wall.

"So you took Lu's words to heart?"

"She's rarely wrong, isn't she? She knew that we'd agree. So how did Yule go?" Daphne asked. Bella knew exactly what she was asking about and she broke into a fit of laughter. Daphne rolled her eyes at her friend and Draco and Blaise looked confused. Hermione was slightly green and then red in the face.

"Beautifully. Loved it. Though he was curious on how I knew how to do it. I led him on and said that I had practice. You're poisoning me, Daphne," Bella teased. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"You poisoned _me_. I cited you in that essay. I am just extremely fascinated with it now."

"What _is_ she talking about?" Draco asked. Bella tilted her head though her eyes glowed maliciously. Hermione looked at Bella, questioningly.

"Go ahead and tell both of them."

Hermione did so. Both boys paled before looking rather pissed off and green. Sirius looked at them curiously. Maya looked rather knowing and she was hiding her smirk with a disapproving look. She grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her closer to her. She leaned down.

"Bella…I do hope your virginity is intact," she whispered. Bella gave her an impish grin.

"Of course."

Maya nodded, not completely believing her. Bella rolled her eyes.

"If my virginity wasn't intact, I'd be walking a bit differently, now wouldn't I?" Bella asked, a little louder. Sirius stiffened and glared at her.

"Don't joke about that. Now, get on the train before it leaves you."

Bella saluted him and kissed Maya on the cheek.

"Bye Mum. Bye Dad," Bella said, somberly. Both adults looked touched as Bella grinned at them and waved. Hermione looked just as grave.

"Bye Mum. Sirius…I may not be able to call you dad yet but…you're more of a father to me than my biological father ever was to me," Hermione said, seriously. Sirius grinned and ruffled her large hair. She waved and grabbed Blaise and Lalita by the wrist. Blaise was holding both his and her trunks. Lalita was tugging her trunk along. Daphne and Bella hooked arms and they walked towards the train. Draco followed behind.

The group quickly found a compartment and sat down. Lalita's hair was loose for once and she didn't have her glasses on. Bella was struck by how pretty Lalita actually was. She looked rather awkward without her hair in a braid but nonetheless, looked pretty.

"Oh. Thank you for the books. I…I saw what you gave your siblings so I asked if they had given you the same thing. When they told me what they got you, I wanted to give you something too," Lalita said, shyly. She pulled from her pocket a beautiful necklace. It was a silver ouroboros hanging from a chain. The Deathly Hallows sign was in the middle of it, glinting almost maliciously. Bella grinned and took it.

"Thanks," she said as she slipped the necklace on. Draco leaned back and looked at Daphne.

"So, a katana?" Draco finally asked. Daphne nodded and drew it from the sheath. She held it out reverently.

"_Goburin_ made. Japanese goblins. They taught me a few things. It's beautifully made, though. Cost a small fortune. My parents spoil me rotten so it doesn't matter much but I'm eternally grateful for it. It feels so…_natural_ in my hands," Daphne said with a slight smile on her face.

Hermione was piercing Daphne with a strange look. Daphne looked up at Hermione and looked at Hermione with solemn eyes. She sheathed her sword once more and leaned back in her seat, giving the girl the utmost attention.

"Daphne…"

"Yes?" Daphne asked, respectfully. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"My mother…you were…pleasant. Was that an effort because of Hydra?" Hermione asked, curiously. Daphne leaned back and crossed her arms. She drummed her fingers against her thigh.

"In part. Your mother…seems like a respectable woman. Bella, did you do it right?" Daphne suddenly asked. Lalita frowned in confusion. Blaise gagged. Hermione flushed. Draco looked rather stone-faced. Bella hummed.

"I think so. He's not very enthusiastic about a lot of things. He did curse a lot though. In a few languages, actually," Bella said, reminiscing.

Daphne nodded, sagely.

"That sounds like something Professor Riddle would do."

The occupants in the room froze. Bella looked horrified. Lalita looked rather amused. Bella's siblings were staring at her in absolute disbelief. Daphne gave everyone a bewildered look.

"Wait…was I not supposed to know? Because they flirt in the middle of class. I just thought it was rather obvious. Well, to me. I'm sure the others have no idea. I don't know about Lalita—"(And here Lalita interjected with, "I knew. It was painfully obvious") "—but I thought it was pretty blatant how much you fancied each other," Daphne said, calmly.

Bella groaned and Hermione glared at her.

"Dammit, Ana. I'm sure that it went unsaid that you were to be _discreet_," Hermione chastised her. Bella glared at her sister in annoyance. Draco and Blaise looked far too stressed to say something.

"It's not like we snogged in hallways or anything! I _was_ discreet. He wasn't! He's the one who called me a prude in the middle of class, however indirectly he did so. It was pretty obvious when he looked at me," Bella snapped. Hermione glared right back at her sister.

"Yeah, well he can't call you a prude anymore," Blaise interjected. Bella beamed at him but Blaise still looked solemn. His eyes were on her left hand. Bella shoved her hand into her pocket. This caught Hermione's attention.

"About that too! I said I'd figure that out and I mean it now! What happened to your hand?" Hermione demanded, annoyed.

"I must not tell lies."

The words came from the doorway. Everyone turned to look at Luna. Luna was staring at Bella with a sad expression on her face. She walked inside, gracefully. She pulled her trunk along and smiled at everyone.

"Daddy and I didn't catch any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," she said, sadly. Draco pulled Luna down next to him and gave her a slight hug. She returned it, gratefully.

"I'm sorry about that Lu. But what do you mean by that 'I must not tell lies' bit?" Draco asked, curiously. Bella looked down at her scarred left hand. Luna gave her friend a pointed look.

"There are times when the half-truths and the manipulation must stop for they quickly turn into lies. And you must not tell lies. Especially to the people who you trust. Do you understand, Bella Anastasia?" Luna asked. It wasn't really a question but all the same, it made Bella feel ashamed and she pulled her hand from her pocket.

She looked at the bandage that Tom had wrapped for her the night before. He had left late last night, claiming that he had something to do. It had been sweet of him to do. He had carried her to bed from the library and tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead and disappeared from the Riddle Manor altogether.

Bella unwrapped her hand, slowly, exposing the words scarred onto her hand. Everyone looked horrified. Daphne's jaw dropped and she stared. Luna sighed, sadly.

The words were mostly red still though a few of the letters were turning white. The scars shined in the light. Hermione's angry glare disappeared completely and she looked sorrowful. Bella's smile was rather twisted and angry.

"I must not tell lies. Now, you have it. My greatest shame and my greatest strength. Are you happy now?" Bella hissed out, angrily. She stood and walked towards the door.

"Bella…" Hermione started. Bella glared at her.

"Save it."

She turned and threw open the door. Draco looked caught between letting her go and making her stay. Wisely, Daphne and Lalita stayed out of the sibling spat. Luna was watching it as if her life depended on it.

"Don't walk away from this."

Bella spun around and looked at Blaise with anger in her eyes.

"Or what? What, Blaise?" she snarled. Her eyes were pained and aged beyond her years but Blaise could see the young woman he knew rising to the challenge of his command. It gave him strength to say what he knew would hurt her more than any hit, slap, or punch.

"Then you're a bigger coward than I already thought you were."

Bella shrieked at him and lunged. She had him by the throat, the back of his head pressing into the wall of the compartment. Her wand was pointed at him and her eyes were blazing in rage. Blaise looked rather calm and Hermione was standing, her own wand pointed at Bella. Draco's wand was pointed at Hermione.

"Don't call me that. _Never_ call me that," Bella hissed. Blaise gave a strangled laugh despite the fact that Bella was cutting off his air supply.

"Why? Because it's true? Face it. Bella Potter, you're a coward," Blaise rasped. Bella's hold on his neck tightened. Though Blaise was mostly dead, he still had a beating heart that needed oxygen. He took a burning breath through his nose though it didn't help much.

"I'm a coward? I've gone through so much and you call _me_ a coward! I've been beaten, physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I'm a coward?" Bella asked, almost hysterics. Her hold had loosened a bit. Blaise looked at her, harshly.

He loved his sister. He loved her almost as much as he loved Hermione. And he loved the Mudblood girl quite a bit. His love for Bella Potter could compare to his love for his blood little sister, Gianna. But, he knew when it was time to stop coddling. He knew when it was time to stop yelling. He knew when it was time to stop the snide remarks.

Unlike his brother and sisters, Blaise was used to one thing because of his unusual talent as a Legilimens.

The cold, hard, _brutal_ truth.

And so he had no reservations with relaying that same truth to his beloved sister. She needed it more than anyone else.

"Yes. You are. You hide behind these unpleasant memories and use it as a defense. You're always trying to stop getting hurt and distracting yourself. You're destroying yourself instead. You're a coward for not _facing_ these things. You're a coward for being _afraid_. Bella, I love you. I love you so much. I truly do. But you're not my sister."

Those words froze Bella and her hand dropped from Blaise's neck. Daphne and Lalita exchanged looks and stood. They slid from the compartment, slowly. Luna followed and tapped her wand on the door, murmuring a few words as she left. The blinds fell close and the door locked.

"W-what?"

"You're not my sister. My sister. _My_ Bella is strong, determined, and doesn't take shit from anyone. She's fearless. But she's also compassionate, honest, loving, and kind. That's the Bella I know."

Bella scoffed and turned away from him.

"Well maybe you don't know me so well. Because newsflash, Blaise, this didn't happen recently. This happened a long time ago," Bella snapped. Blaise nodded, seriously.

"I know. I wasn't done. But my Bella was broken. My Bella was a broken doll. A fallen Angel. She was bitter but she wasn't sad. She wasn't sad like this Bella. That Bella…that Bella was the strong woman that you're supposed to be. My Bella is you up there and in here," Blaise said, pointing to her head and then to her chest. Bella sneered at him and rolled her eyes. She sat down near the window.

"She's not real, Blaise."

"There you go again. Being a coward. You don't want to accept the truth. How can you say 'I must not tell lies' when you can't accept truth? I know what this is about Bella. You're afraid of yourself. You're afraid of your past and you're afraid of your future. And until you figure yourself out, I can _never_ call you my sister proudly. I am _ashamed_ to be called your brother."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 12****th**** of January 1996**

**4:00 PM**

"Luciusss, so glad that you could join us," Voldemort hissed, lazily. Lucius walked in, quickly. Narcissa stood, dutifully, next to her sister. The small gathering was intimate and for Voldemort's most loyal. Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Geoffrey Nott.

"My Lord," Lucius said, softly. Voldemort gave him a bored look from his stone throne. He was inspecting his rather disgusting nails. Merlin, he hated his appearance. But he had to play the part. Despite his strange appearance, he found it strange at the fact that Bellatrix _still_ found him, physically attractive.

"What have you learned?" Voldemort asked. Lucius swallowed as he debated on what to tell his Lord. He had only just discovered the strangest of information and he wasn't sure how his Lord would react.

"It seems that Bella Potter has gathered somewhat of a following, my Lord," Lucius said. Voldemort leaned forward in interest. Lucius hesitated and Voldemort waved his hand at the man. Lucius stood, stiffly.

"Continue, Luciusss. What do you have to say about pretty little Bella Potter?" Voldemort asked. His tone said that he was bored but he was actually quite interested and amused. Bellatrix had scoffed when he spoke of Bella Potter. And thinking of Bella Potter only reminded him of her excellent gift to him on Yule.

And the subsequent gift that had followed on his birthday.

"I have just got into contact with one of the seventh year candidates. He has spoken on Bella Potter's new cult. They all wear leather armbands, as if they are trying to hide something. I believe she has somehow…Marked them," Lucius said.

Voldemort raised a hairless eyebrow.

"Interesting. Ouroboros, she says," Voldemort muttered. Bellatrix looked immediately interested and she knelt at Voldemort's feet. Voldemort sneered at her and Bellatrix cringed away.

"My Lord, what is on your mind? Have you found something out?" Bellatrix asked, eagerly. Voldemort touched her hair and she seemed to go into some kind of attack. She looked much too excited than she should have been.

"I have. In time, Trixie. Narcissa!" Voldemort barked. Narcissa glided forward, looking quite proud.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Procure the Muggle books: _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ and _Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There_," Voldemort said, sharply. Narcissa frowned in confusion.

"My Lord?"

Voldemort glared at her in impatience and mocked, "My Lord? Narcissa, fetch me the book. It is imperative. Almost as important as fetching the prophecy. Now go!"

Narcissa nodded once and walked away, rather slowly. Voldemort hissed and she walked quite a bit faster. Voldemort turned back to his confused followers. Geoffrey knelt next to Bellatrix.

"My Lord, if I may be so bold to ask, what is the importance of this Muggle book?"

"The White Queen…Hermione Granger is the White Queen. The Jabberwocky…hmm. The Mad Hatter. The Tweedless…the twins. Lucius…you are correct she _has_ gathered a following," Voldemort said with a slight smirk. He stood from his stone throne and swept to the look out of the window. He drew his Acromantula web wand and touched it to the window. The window immediately iced over.

"You foolish girl. My foolish little girl," he muttered. Bellatrix scowled and glared at the ground. Voldemort spun around.

"Very good, Lucius. But, you may not harm the girl. _I_ will take care of that," Voldemort said. Lucius frowned in confusion. Voldemort held up a long finger and turned to Geoffrey.

"Geoffrey…essscort Rabastan out."

Geoffrey, though one of his most loyal _did_ have the biggest mouth. Rabastan was still mentally unstable to a point and the only person that Voldemort knew that had enough to skill to fix him would never do so. Not when he had caused that much damage himself.

Rabastan stuck his tongue out at Geoffrey and Geoffrey rolled his eyes. He nodded once, bowing at his Lord. Rabastan dropped to his knees and prostrated himself on the ground. Voldemort rolled his eyes.

"Get him out."

Geoffrey nodded before pulling Rabastan by the feet. Rabastan whined about being pulled away from his Lord but didn't resist. Voldemort turned to the remaining three. He tilted his head.

"This information is case sensitive. If I find that you have revealed this information to _any_one, I will kill you. In the most painful way. You will be begging for death by the time I have finished torturing you. I hope that is clear," Voldemort said.

Lucius, Rodolphus, and Bellatrix frowned. Voldemort sounded different. He sounded almost…human. His hissing was much less prominent.

"Of course, my Lord," Rodolphus voice. Voldemort began waving his wand, creating wards around the room. And then he began undoing the complex and virtually undetectable glamour magic.

Nothing changed from his outwards appearance until finally he moved his wand down, horizontally over his face. His height remained the same though his skin seemed to even out suddenly. Hair sprouted from his bald head and ears grew from the nubs at the side of his head. His skin was less green but still pale. His red eyes remained. He stared at the shocked faces of Rodolphus and Bellatrix. He turned to Lucius, whom looked rather calm.

"Why are you not surprised?" Tom asked. Lucius looked at him with serious eyes.

"I always suspected, my Lord."

"That is not our Lord! You are an imposter!" Bellatrix shrieked. Tom's yew wand was in between her eyes in the next second. He slid his Acromantula web into his pocket from the moment and glared at Bellatrix in rage.

"_Crucio_."

Bellatrix fell to the ground, screaming the next moment. Tears fell from her eyes as the pain intensified. Tom's eyes were wide and he felt euphoria. It had been far too long since he had preformed an Unforgiveable Curse with his true wand. He controlled himself and dropped his wand, ending the spell. Bellatrix sobbed on the ground and Tom sneered down at her in disgust.

"You forget your place, Bellatrix. Remember it well for I might not be as merciful the next time that you forget yourself," Tom snarled. Bellatrix whimpered and nodded. She stumbled upwards and towards her husband. Rodolphus rolled his eyes at her.

Bellatrix may be his best friend and unfortunately wife but she sure was a whiny bitch sometimes.

"My Lord…this changes everything," Rodolphus said. Tom raised an eyebrow now.

"For you this changes everything. For me? Nothing at all. Bella Potter is mine. Body, mind, and soul. Touch her and you die. I hope that's clear, my faithful," Tom said, sharply. He reclined in his stone throne once more. Lucius frowned before his eyes widened in realization.

His Lord was quite possibly in a _relationship_ with Bella Potter. He had seen how devoted the girl seemed to Tom Riddle. Somehow he pitied the girl. The man was manipulating her to the fullest extent.

"I have been accepted into the Order of the Phoenix and I have seen for myself the members of Dumbledore's exclusive club. I will provide you a list of names. There will also be a list of other names that you shall not touch. It's a very small list. Bella Potter. Hermione Granger. Maya Granger. Sirius Black. Everyone else is to be destroyed," Tom said, harshly.

Any doubts that Rodolphus and Lucius had about the man in front of them disappeared. He was still just as ruthless.

"Why, sir?" asked Rodolphus. Tom glared at the man and Rodolphus gave a quick bow. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Maya Granger is a Muggle. But she is also the mother of Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger is War of the Apocalypse," Tom said as if it were explanation. Lucius frowned in confusion.

"But what does that have to do with Granger being War?"

"It has _everything_ to do with Maya Granger. Just as Bella Potter being Victory has everything to do with Lily Potter. Maya Granger is the reason why Hermione Granger is War. Bella Potter is self-explanatory. Sirius Black is not to be touched. I have plans for the pretend Auror," Tom sneered. Sirius Black was a fool for telling him that he was an Unspeakable. It just made everything so much easier for him.

If Bella Potter really _was_ Gellert's Horcrux, she wouldn't be able to block that, no matter what she wanted. Unless the damned Seer had blocked it. And knowing the meddling little girl, she probably had.

"Pretend Auror, sir?" Lucius asked. Tom nodded once.

"Black has let it slipped that he is an Unspeakable. I hope you see how that caters to our needs," Tom said. Lucius opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door. Tom stood and began waving his wand, reconstructing his glamour. He slid the Acromantula wand out of his pocket and as he put up his glamour, he began undoing the wards.

Lucius, Rodolphus, and even the whimpering Bellatrix stared in wonder. They had never seen a wizard with that much focus before. No one had ever tried. Tom, now Voldemort, looked up to the heavens.

It wouldn't be long before he wasn't the only wizard that had that much control. A witch would soon receive her wand. He knew that she was the last without her weapon.

"Enter," Voldemort said, lazily. Narcissa walked inside and curtseyed at the snake-like man. In her hands were the leather bound covers of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the sequel. Voldemort held out his hand and Narcissa handed him both books. Voldemort began flipping through the book, his eyes darting across the pages. The Death Eaters frowned in confusion.

"My Lord?" sniveled Bellatrix. Voldemort glared at the woman.

"Silence, Bellatrix. I'm reading."

Lucius tried his hardest not to gape. Narcissa was staring at Lord Voldemort as if he had finally gone mad. It wouldn't have been a blind guess, either. She had always suspected that he was a bit unhinged, especially after how he had spoken of Bella Potter.

"What's he doing?" Narcissa muttered. Lucius shrugged and they stood for twenty minutes. Finally, Voldemort closed the first book, his eyes glowing in triumph.

"I see. That damned Seer is going to be a bitch in the future," Voldemort sighed. Narcissa gaped at her Lord. She had heard him swear before but saying something randomly was just strange.

"You see what, my Lord?" Rodolphus asked.

"Luna Lovegood, the Dark Seer, has just made reaching my goals much more complicated. She has created an invaluable asset for the Horsemen," Voldemort said, softly. Narcissa tilted her head.

"And what is that, my Lord?"

"She has created for your son and his siblings…an army. They've picked a side it seems. And as far as I know and I know quite a lot from my spies, it's neither. A third faction has just entered this war."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 12****th**** of July 1995**

**8:00 PM**

The Great Hall fell silent. Everyone stared as Bella Potter stood in the doorway with Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. Bella Potter glared at Blaise and Blaise only looked at her with a disappointed look on his face. Blaise grabbed Draco by the elbow and steered him to the Slytherin table.

"Fuck you Blaise," Bella hissed. Blaise didn't even respond, dragging Draco towards the green-decked table. Bella grabbed Hermione's elbow and dragged her to the Gryffindor table. Hermione gave Blaise a look but he shook his head. Hermione sighed and let Bella pull her to the Gryffindor table. Slowly, noise filled the Great Hall as they gossiped about the four inseparable students. The two girls sat down with Ginny, Gideon, Christine, and Michael. Gideon frowned.

"Did you have a spat with Draco?" Gideon asked. Bella hissed something unintelligible and began digging into her kidney-and-steak pie. Hermione shook her head.

"No. With Blaise, actually. It's family business," Hermione said, softly. She didn't add that it appeared that it was also Hydra business. But no one knew about Hydra so it wouldn't be good to mention it. Ginny gave Bella a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry about that. Have you seen Professor Riddle by any chance? Professor Dumbledore seemed confused so I don't think it's a…you know," Ginny asked, curiously. Bella stiffened and she looked at the table. Tom wasn't sitting there.

What the hell?

"He's…he's on the grounds. He just entered the grounds. He's just come through the gate. He'll be here in three minutes exactly," Bella said, flatly. Michael and Christine stared at the girl in shock. Christine leaned forward.

"How do you _know_ that?" she asked.

"I know Tom. I can feel his magic. In fact he feels rather smug about something at the moment. And a little…uneasy, perhaps," Bella said, the last emotion coming to her. She had never known the calm and collected man to feel uneasy about anything.

In exactly three minutes, Tom walked through the open doors. He strode towards the Gryffindor table. He dropped a scroll in Bella's lap and then turned to Hermione and pointed to the scroll.

"Information on you and your siblings."

"Gladly received," Bella said, bored. Tom then pointed to Hermione's necklace.

"Ouroboros. I will figure that out."

"Do try," Bella challenged. Tom nodded once and continued towards the staff table. He sat in his seat, gracefully and a goblet of red wine immediately appeared in front of him. Gideon frowned in confusion.

"Where did you get that?" he said pointing to Bella's new necklace. Bella gave a slightly grim smile.

"Lalita. The symbol is from Hermione, Draco, and…Blaise but I broke it off and put it inside the ouroboros," Bella said. Christine frowned and rested her face in her palm as she lazily ate her fish and chips.

"Bella, why do you wear Grindelwald's sign?"

"It's not Grindelwald's sign," Bella said, sharply. Ginny sat up, suddenly interested. Bella reminded herself that she was a Ravenclaw. Not a Gryffindor.

"What is it then? Everyone says it's Grindelwald's sign," Ginny said, excitedly. Bella tilted her head and knew that it wouldn't hurt to tell her. Especially if it was going to become common knowledge that she was master of the Elder Wand. Bella unhooked the necklace from around her neck and placed it on the table.

"I'm sure you've heard the Tale of the Three Brothers. Each asked for a gift from Death. This is confidential information. Promise me," Bella said, softly. The three fourth year Gryffindors nodded immediately. Ginny frowned. Bella glared at her.

"Promise. Me."

Ginny tilted her head before nodding, slowly. Bella traced the triangle.

"The Cloak of Invisibility."

She traced the circle.

"The Resurrection Stone."

Finally, Bella's pianist finger went down the line. It flashed white once and the fourth years stared in shock.

"The Elder Wand. Together they form the Deathly Hallows. Together they make one Master of Death. Immortal. I plan to be the Master of Death," Bella said, flatly. Hermione looked at her sister in surprise but said nothing. Ginny frowned.

"The Resurrection Stone? It's not real. Nothing can recall the dead."

"My mother returned to me on the night Grindelwald returned, Ginny. She came to me in my hour of need. I screamed 'help me' in my mind. I called her. It's real, Ginny," Bella said. She finished her dinner, quickly and stood to leave. Hermione froze and began to stand. Bella shook her head.

"I'm fine. I'm going to the dungeons," Bella said, meaningfully. Hermione nodded and stood. She moved to sit with Lalita, Parvati, and Fay. The girls greeted her enthusiastically. Neville moved to sit with them. Bella walked over and kissed Hermione on the cheek. She squeezed the leather band over the kids and they grinned at her.

Ginny watched through narrowed eyes before she stood and followed Bella out of the room. She ran to catch up with the girl and caught her by the wrist. Bella spun around, spinning Ginny with her. Her knife was at Ginny's neck and she was holding Ginny by the hair. Ginny gasped in pain.

"Ginny…I'm so sorry," Bella said, letting go of the girl immediately. She dropped her knife into her boot. Ginny nodded, massaging her skull. It had really hurt when Bella spun her by the hair.

"Er, I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment," Ginny said, softly. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"And what is it?"

"I…you're so strong. You've always been my idol. Even before I met you but my respect and admiration for you just grew stronger after I got to know you. You saved me from Grindelwald and you did it so selflessly. You were brave when going to find your sister. Then fourth year when you were forced into the Triwizard Tournament…my respect for you grew. Despite the fact that you didn't want to be there, you participated and won. And I saw you dueling over the holidays and I…" Ginny started, nervously. Bella raised her other eyebrow in surprise. She had expected Gideon to go on and on about that but he hadn't surprisingly. Ginny was usually a bit quieter about her admiration.

"Out with it, Ginny," Bella barked. Ginny jumped. Bella was still angry with Blaise but she instantly felt apologetic for taking it out on Ginny. Ginny didn't even know what was going on.

"Oh, er, sorry. I mean…I saw you dueling Professor Riddle over the holidays. You were so calculating and calm. It was like watching a chess match. You were constantly in motion, always in check, but you always seemed to counter everything he did. I was amazed. And I knew…I couldn't bring myself to ask you this before. Will you…will you teach me how to duel?" Ginny finally got out. Bella looked at her in shock and gave her a strange look.

"No way. I've got enough on my plate as it is. I don't have time to teach someone without the smallest hint of dueling experience," Bella snorted. Ginny looked crestfallen before her eyes took on a hardened quality.

"I'll work hard, I swear. I'll be a good student and I'll listen. I may have been Sorted into Ravenclaw but I come from a family of Gryffindors. _Please_. I was _humiliated_ when I was Stunned during the World Cup. The rest of you dodged but I was knocked out because I wasn't quick enough. I knew the spells but I wasn't quick enough to use them. I want to be good. There's a war coming up and I'm not going to let the Gryffindors fight it for me. I'm not going to give up asking you until you say yes," Ginny said, her resolve hard.

Bella sighed and she grabbed the bridge of her nose. Something was tugging at the corner of her mind but every time she tried to remember, it was slipping farther and farther away. It was a dream, Bella knew. A dream she had had long ago. But she couldn't remember…something was blocking her from remembering…

Luna, she suddenly remembered. She had asked Luna to block the dreams and she had not only done that but blocked the memory of the dreams as well. She knew that it was a small price to pay for something like that but something kept telling her that it was extremely important she remembered. She sighed and shook her head. Bella looked up at Ginny. Ginny was staring at her, her eyes hopeful.

"Look, Ginny. I don't have a lot of time to devote to this. I have my own dueling lessons during the week, DADA homework, my DADA study group, personal research, Draco's issues, my own issues, and now I have family issues. I'm really pushing my luck. But, I suppose we'll see. Meet me by the DADA room tomorrow at 4. You'll have an hour of my time. All right?" sighed Bella.

Ginny nodded, quickly. She grinned at the girl and watched as Bella walked down into the dungeons. Ginny turned away and almost bumped into Tom Riddle. She flushed when she looked up into his eyes. He was staring down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Miss Weasley, what are you doing by the dungeons?" asked Riddle, sharply. Ginny swallowed and bit her lip.

"I…I was just talking to Bella. Good night, sir," Ginny said, scurrying towards Ravenclaw Tower. Riddle rolled his eyes and descended the stairs.

Tom sighed. Ginny Weasley was such a silly girl for not thinking about Bella's reasoning for going down to the dungeons. She was book smart, of course, though in his mind, she had nothing on the little know-it-all Hermione Granger. But, really common sense wasn't her strong suit.

Tom walked down the stairs and to the portrait hole quickly.

"**She's in here quite frequently. And she was always comes out looking rather…frazzled. I hope that you're not getting up to anything that would compromise your career,**" Salazar Slytherin said, pointedly. Tom rolled his eyes and sneered at the man.

"**You old gossip. Go talk to Gryffindor. Open,**" Tom said. Salazar rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in his portrait. He had really wished to know what they did in there. Tom didn't keep any portraits in his office or his rooms.

"**I'm not talking to Godric until he apologizes.**"

"**Then you're going to wait a long time because Gryffindors don't apologize. Now **_**open**_**,**" Tom insisted. The portrait swung open and Tom stepped through and down the hall. He entered his office and found Bella sitting on his desk, swinging her feet. She looked upset.

"Anya, love, what's wrong?" Tom asked, smoothly. Bella didn't say anything. Tom moved to sit in his chair. As soon as he sat down, Bella slid into his lap. She put her head in the crook of his neck.

"Blaise called me a coward on the train," Bella said, softly. Tom frowned and looked down at Bella in surprise. He tilted his head.

"What do you mean he called you a coward?"

"Hermione and I were arguing about you and I. Daphne figured it out. She said that it was obvious to her. And Lalita knew too. She said the others had no idea. And then my hand hurt and so I put it in my pocket. Hermione started to yell at me about that too. Luna came in and guilted me into showing the scars. I did and I was so angry. I just wanted to leave. I started to leave and Blaise said…he said not to walk away from them. I asked or what. And he said that I was a bigger coward than he already thought I was. I started to strangle him then. He said I was a coward for taking my misery and hiding behind it. He told me that I was a coward for being afraid," Bella explained. She sighed and shook her head. Tom kissed the top of her head in a surprisingly compassionate move.

"Go on," he encouraged her, rather than commanding her to. He knew that wouldn't go over well for her.

"He told me that he loved me. And then he said that I wasn't his sister. He said that his sister was the Bella that he knew was fearless, strong, and determined. That the Bella he knew was compassionate, honest, loving, and kind. And then he said that his Bella was broken and was bitter. But that he loved her anyway. Because she wasn't sad. He said that I was sad. I would know if I was sad, wouldn't I? He told me that I was a coward for not accepting the truth. He asked how I could say 'I must not tell lies' when I can't even accept truth. He said that the Bella he knew was the strong woman that I was supposed to be. He said that I was afraid of myself. That I was afraid of my past and my future. And then…he said until I can figure myself out, he can never call me his sister proudly. He said…that…he's _ashamed_ to call me his sister," Bella said, her voice breaking towards the end.

She hiccupped though she didn't let the tears fall. She'd never cry, she promised herself. She refused to cry. Bella clung to Tom as if he were her lifeline. He looked at her, confused before going on instinct. He rocked, her softly.

"How…how am I supposed to be that strong woman when I don't even know who she _is_? How am I supposed to be her when I don't even know who I am?" Bella demanded, angrily. Tom held her tightly, not exactly hugging her but holding her close.

"Maybe that's what he's trying to tell you. Anya…I don't think you love your siblings at all," Tom said, hesitantly. He wasn't too clear on the subject of love though he had a vague concept of it.

The Dark and world domination, he'd pass with flying colors. But love? He'd never loved anyone in his life and he doubted that he ever _would_. He really did care for Bella but he didn't love her. At least he didn't think he did…no he didn't love Bella.

"W-what? You don't think I love my siblings?" Bella shouted. Tom hushed her and restrained her from killing him with that knife in her boot or something.

"I've traveled quite a bit. And I've heard this almost everywhere I've gone. Bella…you can't love someone else until you love yourself."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 13****th**** of January 1995**

**4:10 PM**

Ginny waited by the door of the DADA room, patiently. She was wearing trousers, like she saw Bella normally wearing. She had decided against Mary Janes and she wore her trainers instead. She looked around again for Bella when suddenly the door flew open. Tom Riddle stared down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Miss Weasley, you're late."

Ginny flushed and followed Riddle into the classroom. She stared in awe at Bella. Bella was in black shorts that fell to her knees, a black tank top and white knuckle wraps around her hands. She was punching at the large punching bag on the dueling platform. She was doing it relentlessly.

"Move on to the plywood, now," Riddle called. Bella glanced at him and her eyes widened on Ginny. She nodded before turning to the large piece of wood standing on the other side of the dueling platform.

"You're late Ginny. I said I didn't have a lot of time," Bella said as she readied herself. She touched tip of her fingers to the wood before throwing her fist forward. There was a slight cracking noise.

"Harder, Anya," Riddle said. He crossed up to the plywood and placed his fingertips to the board. He finally threw his fist forward. Ginny could have sworn that she heard a whistling through the air. The plywood crumpled under his fist and his fist went clean through. Bella glared at him.

"Show off."

"I thought I was a bastard," Riddle said innocently as he went to sit down on his deck. Bella sneered. He stopped and stood behind her instead.

"You're both," she snapped as she threw her fist forward again. She snarled when her knuckles bloodied slightly. Riddle sighed and inspected the slight crack that she had made.

"You're obviously not angry enough."

"I _am_ angry," Bella snapped. Riddle rolled his eyes and pointed to Ginny and then a chair. Ginny went to sit down, quickly, and watched with interest. She had never seen a one-on-one lesson with Bella and Riddle. She _had_ seen a one-on-one lesson with Hermione and that had been pretty interesting to watch. Their duels got rather bloody and Hermione always went bat shit crazy during those.

"Tell me what you're angry about. Keep going."

Bella sighed and put her fingertips to the board again and centered herself.

"I'm angry…about Grindelwald."

Her fist was thrown forward.

"I'm angry that no one believes me."

Another punch. The plywood cracked.

"I'm angry that I still get hate mail about my lies."

A punch and a crack.

"I'm angry that Dumbledore is trying to dictate my life by attempting to make me Light when I'm not. When though I'm not on either side politically I'm as Dark as they come."

Punch. Crack.

"I'm angry that I can't even dream anymore."

Bella switched to her other hand. Her left hand.

"I'm angry that my brother is ashamed of me."

At this, Ginny saw her hand flash momentarily just as she slammed her fist into the wood. The crack was larger than the ones she made with her right. Bella didn't even seem to notice. Riddle did.

"I'm angry that my brother called me a coward."

Another punch with her left hand. The wood was now splintering.

"**I'm…angry that I **_**am**_** a coward**," Bella hissed in self-loathing. Ginny watched horrified as blood smeared onto the wood from Bella's fingers. Bella's hand trembled before she clenched into a fist.

"**I'm angry that I can't love them! I'm angry that I can't love you! I'm angry that I can't love myself!**"

Her fist slammed into the plywood and it shattered under her fist. Her hand went clean through and blood dripped from her fingers. Bella was breathing hard. Riddle was frozen and Ginny wondered what she'd said.

"I believe you have a student to educate in the art of dueling. I will be in my office," Riddle said, shortly. Bella sighed and wiped the sweat from forehead.

"We have to talk. About several things. I'll be done to your office after this," Bella said, shortly. Riddle nodded once.

"I believe we do. Pay attention, Miss Weasley. Book smarts won't help you here," Riddle told Ginny sharply. Ginny nodded, enthusiastically. She watched as Riddle left, leaving Bella with her. Bella gave a tired smile.

"Ginny, come up here. Take off your robe," Bella said, softly. Ginny walked up, discarding her robes and slipping off her tie. Bella flicked her blood away from her and it landed on Ginny's shirt.

"Hey!" Ginny protested. Bella's knife was suddenly pointed at her.

"Don't be defiant. You want me to teach so I'll teach you. If you really want to learn from you, you're going to have endure the way I teach. I won't coddle you. Tom doesn't coddle me. I've had things reattached before. You'll be lucky if you don't suffer the same treatment. You'll be ruthless by the time I'm done with you. Is that understood?" Bella said, coldly. Ginny nodded, wide-eyed.

"I understand," Ginny voiced when Bella's cold stare didn't relent. Bella's eyes softened a bit and she turned away from Ginny.

"Now, we're going to judge your skills. Hit me with your best shot," Bella commanded. Ginny nodded and raised her wand.

"We bow," Bella said. She dipped her head and Ginny, confusedly, followed her example. Bella looked at her in approval. Suddenly, Bella's wand was pointed at Ginny. Ginny's wand was out.

"_Stupefy_,"

"_Protego!_"

Bella's Stupefy bounced off of Ginny's shield and Bella dived to the side to avoid her own spell. She rolled and spun on the ground, her wand pointed at Ginny.

"_Incendio!_" Ginny cried out. The dueling platform was lit on fire. Bella's eyes widened as she thought of a memory. She had accidentally done the same thing to herself that she was about to do to Ginny.

"_Augamenti! Astrapi!_" Bella said under her breath. Water sprayed from her wand onto the dueling platform. The fire disappeared and wet Ginny. Ginny gasped as the lightning hit the water. The current traveled through the water and to Ginny's feet. Ginny jolted as she was mildly electrocuted. She fell to her knees but kept her wand up. Bella ran forward and punched Ginny across the face. Ginny cried out in pain before falling sideways.

Ginny looked up as a bruise began to form on her cheek. She was on her hands and knees and she was in pain. Her cheek was burning and she jolted every few seconds. She still felt a mild shock. Her eyes widened when she saw the mildly impressed look in Bella's eyes.

"Good. But not good enough."

:::

**A/N: **Now, don't complain about Bella teaching Ginny Weasley. I do everything for a reason. I promise you I do everything for a reason. In an earlier chapter I mentioned in a dream of Bella's that Ginny asks for Bella to teach her in her fourth year. Well, guess what? Ginny is in her fourth year and I thought it was about time. Ginny's character is now gaining some depth. Despite her jealousy issues, she has her flaws (J.K. Rowling forgot to mention Ginny's flaws when she was writing that shallow little love interest for Harry). Bella's emotional scars are much more than what they've previously seen.

Now you learn that she doesn't love herself. So, she's a coward, she hates herself, and she's afraid of herself. Talk about issues. Ah, well. She'll be solving those issues one at a time. Learning to love yourself is a hard process and it doesn't happen in a matter of months. Blaise understands that Bella doesn't love herself and he's ashamed of her because he sees that there are so many things about herself that she _should _love.

So, basically, that's my roundabout way of telling you that Blaise won't be calling Bella his sister for quite a while and definitely not by the end of fifth or maybe even sixth year.

And with the information Tom or Voldemort just found out...that information will stay private until he gathers more information. As you can see, he obviously trusts Rodolphus, Lucius, and Bellatrix. I suppose you could call them his best friends despite the fact that he tortures them. So, they're kind of like one big dysfunctional family.

Next Chapter: Rita Skeeter, the Quibbler, and Umbridge's 1st Educational Decree (Did you get my text?)


	61. Chapter LVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I'm really trying to finish up Order of the Phoenix because it getting there. It's getting to the point where I feel like I'm trying to push this to be as long as J.K. Rowling's even though I'm not. So, after this expect a minimum of four chapters. My max will be six. I have a hell of a lot to accomplish in six chapters but I can do this.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 11****th**** of February 1996**

**5:00 PM**

Bella cursed. Loudly. All of Hydra, her siblings, and Luna looked up at her. Luna seemed to be looking at her knowingly. Daphne picked her head up off the girl's lap and looked at her, curiously.

"What is it, lovey?" Daphne asked. Bella snickered at that before her thoughtful expression reappeared on her face. She began tearing grass from the ground as she thought of a proper way to phrase it.

"I've been thinking…no one believes me. About Grindelwald I mean. And Umbridge yells at anyone who even _considers_ I'm telling the truth. How am I going to get around that? We can't get people on our side if they can't believe us," Bella said. Daphne sat up. Neville was nodding in agreement.

"That's true. I believe you of course but I heard Seamus and Dean talking about you. They think you're lying," Neville said without a single stutter. Lalita smiled at him proudly and he flushed. Anthony looked over at Neville with a slightly jealous look on his face. It was Lalita's turn to flush now.

"The girls in my dorm have been considering that you're telling the truth. But they all agreed that they need the facts," Padma supplied. Bella nodded. Michael looked up from his DADA book. He scribbled his notes onto the parchment next to his book.

"That's the thing, Bella. No one believes you because they have no idea what happened. They see a dead woman and you show up. And then you're claiming that Grindelwald is back. Anyone would deny that. And then you say Voldemort is back too. Voldemort is just as bad as Grindelwald," Michael explained. Bella looked around at Hydra. They were all nodding. Linda ran a hand through her hair.

"The Dark Lord," Bella corrected him. Michael looked at her, surprised.

"Bella, if you want to convince the world, you're going to have to let the world hear your story. And somehow I doubt that the Daily Prophet will be willing to hear your story," Linda conveyed. Hermione and Blaise stiffened. They turned to look at Luna and she smiled, sweetly. Everyone turned to her.

"Hello," she said, happily. She had been there the entire time of course but Luna was strange like that.

"Luna's father is the editor of the Quibbler," Hermione said, softly. Bella's eyes widened and she looked at Luna with a grin on her face. Suddenly, the grin slid from her face.

"But, we need a reporter. A credited reporter."

Blaise's thoughtful look made everyone stare at him. Draco quickly got impatient and he shoved his brother.

"Well, out with it Blaise," Draco snapped. Blaise glared at Draco before quickly relaxing. He straightened and looked around at their unorthodox group. Everyone was looking at him with an air of impatience.

" Rita Skeeter."

Everyone looked at him as if he were insane. Theodore rolled his eyes.

"Blaise…she was discredited last year by Professor Riddle. In front of _everyone_. And then Bella snapped her wand. She not really a credited reporter," Theodore reminded him. Blaise nodded in agreement and he leaned back against the tree. He looked up at the darkening sky. It was chilly, being a February night, but the group always sat by the oak tree. Rain or shine. If it was raining, they didn't do homework. They'd just hang out under the leafy canopy that the tree provided.

"I know. But, she's still a reporter with numerous contacts. Perhaps we can use her to get someone to interview Bella for the Quibbler. That'd make the most sense. No one would believe the story if Rita Skeeter wrote it but someone else…yes," Blaise said. Bella's eyes widened and a slight smile spread across her face. She distinctly remembered two years before…a certain reporter and her photographer.

"I have a name. Ask Rita about this reporter: Armani Giordano."

"What's going on over here? A study group?"

The entire group jumped and looked as Umbridge wandered over. It appeared that she hadn't heard a single thing that the group had been saying but one could never be too sure. Bella's stare didn't relent when her malicious smile widened at the sight of her bandaged left hand. Draco pulled Bella closer to him.

"No, no. Mr. Malfoy, PDA isn't permitted," Umbridge said, sweetly. Bella and Draco made noises of disgust.

"Professor, Bella's my sister. She's my _blood_ sister. We exchanged blood and such. That'd be very illegal, ma'am," Draco said, laying it on thick. Umbridge pretended to be surprised and made a show of giggling and tittering.

"I'm so sorry. Now what are all of you working on?" she asked as if she were talking to a group of five-year-olds. Bella, Blaise, and Hermione were too furious to speak so the task fell onto the others. Parvati couldn't hide her distaste. Padma elbowed her sister before smiling.

"Our DADA homework, Professor," Padma said, sweetly. Umbridge looked at Padma's uniform and smiled.

"Ah, you're all in Professor Riddle's class. I told him that I'd be a better choice for that class but he absolutely _refused_ my offer. I'm sure that you're doing a fine job of teaching them Miss Patil," Umbridge said. Padma looked surprised and she actually let out a little laugh. Umbridge frowned but her expression quickly morphed into a smile.

"Oh, no, Professor. I'd be barely passing if it weren't for Bella, Hermione, Blaise, and Draco. We asked Bella to help us. It's a very rigorous class. She graciously accepted the challenge and all of our grades are much better than they would've been without her," Padma said, her tone slightly chilly. Her dark eyes flashed in warning and Umbridge reared back. She fixed Bella with a challenging stare.

"Is that so?"

"It is," Bella said, softly. Umbridge looked rather disapproving of this now and she sent Bella a warning look.

"I hope you're not teaching them anything unsavory. Or telling them your ridiculous lies. Has it sunk in yet?" Umbridge said, her smile predatory. Bella gave her own feral smile and Umbridge seemed taken aback at the raw rage and challenge.

"No. My answer will never change. For I must not tell lies."

It was the words that Bella parted with every Thursday. Bella stood. She was a few inches taller than the woman. Bella stared down at her and thunder rolled in the sky. The three other siblings looked at each other as drops of rain began to fall. The woman seemed genuinely frightened by the girl.

"Thursday then. I will see you there on Thursday. Is that understood?" Umbridge asked, softly. Bella's feral grin never left her face.

"Of course, Professor. I hope you remember Rita Skeeter, Professor," Bella added as an afterthought. Umbridge stopped in her movement and she looked at Bella and gestured for further explanation.

"If…_someone_ finds out about my continuous detentions and what they entail, they might do something…nasty," Bella threatened, lightly. Umbridge glared at the girl in anger though fear was also prominent in her eyes.

"I will see you on Thursday. Get inside. All of you," Umbridge snarled before she marched away, a gleam in her eyes.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 12****th**** of February 1996**

**7:45 AM**

Bella stared at the large poster on the Gryffindor bulletin board. A small of group of people were already standing there. Hermione stared in horror. She shook her head, knowing what this was about. Bella's eyes were narrowed at the challenge that Umbridge had just presented.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISTOR OF HOGWARTS_

_All student organizations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An organization, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

_No student organization, society, team, group or club may exist without knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organization, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

There was an official seal on the bottom that had a large M in the middle. The sign of the Ministry of Magic. Hermione stared as her sister's eyes darkened and hardened. Bella tugged hard on her left glove. Instead of bandaging her hand, Hermione had suggested that she do something else that would be less suspicious. Now Bella had on a fingerless leather black glove that went up to her elbow on her left hand. It hid her Deathly Hallows sign and the scars on the front.

"That toad bitch," Bella said, coldly. The first and second years cringed from her rage. Hermione looked at her sister worriedly and than the younger children.

"Bella…don't curse in front of the younger children," Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded once and turned from the children and pushed through the crowd that were reading it. Bella's long hair was falling loose, her bangs almost in her eyes once more. Her hair wasn't tamed and she looked every bit of the fallen Angel that she was.

The two girls walked down the staircase but soon they were joined by Parvati, Padma, Fay, Lalita, and Neville. Nothing was said though it was clear that they were al incredibly pissed off. When they reached the third floor, Anthony and Michael jointed them, looking red from running to catch up. The Slytherins joined the group when they reached the ground floor.

"She's going down. I swear, this isn't the end of this," Draco snarled. Daphne nodded once. Draco's hand inched towards his sai swords that were hidden by his waist. Daphne own katana was strapped to her back but was hidden by the Disillusion charm on the sheath.

"We are Hydra. We're your right hand people. We don't back down from a challenge," Daphne said, solemnly. She looked at Neville for confirmation and he seemed surprised at her acknowledgement of him.

"O-of course. Luna c-chose us," Neville said, decidedly. Daphne smiled and Neville returned it hesitantly.

"You sent the letter?" Bella finally asked, her voice cold. Blaise nodded once.

"I'm expecting a reply today."

"Good."

The groups split towards their respective tables. Everyone cringed from the rage that Bella was emitting. Her eyes met Umbridge's. There was only cold satisfaction glistening in the toad's eyes.

"I pity you. Be afraid. Be very afraid. I take no prisoners. I show no fear. I show no pain. And absolutely _no_ mercy. When you realize what who you've angered, you will be on your knees _begging_ me for your life, telling me that you're sorry. And I will look you in the eye and tell you _no_," Bella said, her voice sounding older than it was. Her teeth were clenched and the sheer defiance and anger in her eyes was enough to make Umbridge not say a word. Umbridge had paled rapidly at her words and everyone was staring at Bella.

Snape looked like he wanted to take points but he stopped when he saw how very serious Bella was. Bella had never been more serious about anything in her life. Her eyes were older than Lily's had ever been, Severus noticed. He looked at the eyes that were so much like Lily's but at the moment they were anything but. They weren't emeralds. They reminded Severus of the dreaded Killing Curse. Bella turned from Umbridge, clenching her gloved hand, tightly.

Severus looked at Riddle. Riddle was frowning, in thought. Bella stuck up her left hand and Riddle nodded once. Severus watched as Bella turned to Daphne Greengrass, one of his best students. They met each other's eyes and nodded once. Daphne mouthed something to her.

"No fear. No pain. No mercy," Daphne mouthed. Bella nodded once and sat down. Severus watched as she flinched when someone leaned on her left hand. He wondered what was wrong with it.

Bella could feel the eyes on her but she said nothing. No one wanted to sit with her besides the Gryffindor Hydras and Hermione. She wasn't in the mood to sit with anyone else anyway.

"Meet me on the seventh floor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, tonight at nine," Bella said, quietly. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her sister. The Gryffindor Hydras frowned in confusion though they nodded, slowly.

"Parvati, tell your sister, Anthony, and Michael to do the same. Neville, communicate that to Daphne, Theodore, and Linda. I'll reach my siblings," Bella said, sharply. Neville and Parvati nodded once.

"Of course," they said in almost a uniform fashion. They knew not to test Bella when she was in a state like that. She was angry. She was almost in a rage. Bella tapped her fingers against the table, not even wanting to eat.

"Bell…you have to eat something. Please?" Hermione said, softly. Bella shook her head once.

"Bella, if you don't eat, I'll tell Mum," Hermione threatened after a few more minutes of coaxing. Bella glared at Hermione's threat and took the bagel Hermione had been offering her. It was still hot and it had butter on it, just how Bella liked it. She ripped it into pieces on her plate before eating very slowly.

She wasn't thinking of anything but different ways to kill Umbridge. She didn't think she'd ever been that angry. Umbridge had disbanded a number of things, temporarily, including Bella's beloved Quidditch team but to attempt to disband Hydra had cause something in Bella to snap. Umbridge had finally gotten a reaction out of Bella.

And it hadn't been the one she was expecting.

Bella stayed in silence all throughout breakfast. Finally, Potions arrived and Bella stood. Bella and Hermione walked down to the dungeons in complete silence. It was obvious that both girls were deep in thought.

The two walked into the classroom. Blaise and Draco were already sitting at the usual table. Bella gave a grim smile. It was strange. Bella and Blaise were in a very awkward place at the moment and yet the group refused to be separated. Blaise was still ashamed of Bella and Bella was still hurt by his brutal, yet honest words. She constantly mulled over her argument with him and it didn't help that her left hand still stung from last week's detention with Umbridge.

"We will begin today with a potion of your own choice. I pray that you don't botch this up. I do believe I'm speaking with you Longbottom. In pairs. One Slytherin, one Gryffindor," Severus said, sharply.

He watched as Potter stood and switched spots with Blaise, sitting next to Draco. The Potions Master found it strange that the two students looked rather tense. He found it even stranger when Longbottom sat next to Daphne. She didn't look averse to sitting with accident-prone student. Theodore relaxed next to Fay Dunbar. Linda was sitting with the new student, the Indian girl. With Singh's addition, the class was now odd-numbered. Patil looked around when suddenly, Daphne crooked her finger at the girl. Patil walked over, happily.

Severus frowned. Now he definitely had to go to the staff meeting on Saturday.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 12****th**** of February 1996**

**9:00 PM**

Hydra met in front of the tapestry, the siblings with them. Bella closed her eyes and began walking back and forth in front of the long stretch of wall. Anthony frowned at the girl and elbowed Michael.

"What's she doing?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Michael whispered back. Bella opened one amused eye and her lips curled into a lopsided smile. She walked past one more time and Padma's eyes widened in shock. The others gasped as Bella pulled the door open. She beckoned them inside and closed the door behind her.

"Hello everyone."

They all jumped when they saw Luna lounging in a chair in front of a fire. Bella turned towards the doors.

"I need you to hide this room from all those that try to harm us and break us apart," she murmured.

The entire group felt the magic soar through the air in agreement and settle after it completed Bella's command. Bella turned to look at the room she had created with her mere thoughts. It was incredibly detailed and some things Bella definitely hadn't asked for but needed.

There were multiple dueling platforms and one wall was donned with weapons galore. Hermione was practically salivating as she walked along the wall, touching each piece of metal. Everything was precious to the girl. Then to one side, there were several desks, each made of cherry wood. Farther back was a fireplace. Luna was sitting by the fireplace in a wing-backed ivory-colored chair. Her legs were crossed and her robe was in her lap. She was sewing something but Bella couldn't see what.

"Luna…how'd you get in here?" Blaise asked. Luna smiled.

"I'm always where you need me," she said, cryptically. Draco gave a slight smile and shook his head. He looked at the confused teenagers.

"I think I know why we're here. We can't meet in the open because Umbridge won't let us. So, we're going to meet up here, I suppose" Draco said. Blaise nodded in agreement and he looked to Parvati and Padma. He looked around once more. The ceilings were high but they wouldn't echo, he was sure.

"This is the perfect time to start training. Parvati, Padma, come here. You two Michael and Anthony," Blaise said. The two Indian girls looked at each other before shrugging and following after him. Michael and Anthony looked at each other before frowning in confusion. Bella made an encouraging gesture with her hand. The two Ravenclaw teens walked over to the desks, the area where Blaise had claimed as his own. Bella crossed her arms and looked around.

"He's right. Fay and Neville, you're with me. We'll sit by the fire," Bella said, softly. The two nodded before following her. That left Linda, Lalita, Theodore, and Daphne. Daphne drew her sword and bowed to Hermione. Hermione looked at her in surprise.

"I'd be honored if I could learn the art of the sword from you," Daphne said, formally. It always surprised Hermione how quickly the Slytherins could switch from their playful personalities to the formality that some things required. It was probably why Hermione hadn't been Sorted into Slytherin. Beside the fact that she was a Mudblood.

"I'd be honored to have you as a student. You too, Theodore. If you're to be a weapons specialist, you'll have to be well-versed in weaponry, no?" Hermione said. It was a rhetorical question but Theodore nodded anyway. The two teenagers followed Hermione to the wall of weapons.

This left Draco with Lalita and Linda. Lalita looked rather nervous and she pulled a lock of her loose hair. She bit down on her lip, harshly. Draco sent her a look and she stopped immediately. Her hand dropped from her hair but she began to fidget at the intense look that Draco was giving them. Linda was looking at Lalita with poorly concealed disdain.

"That leaves me with you two. I'm going to work you into the _ground_. By the time I am finished with you, you will be able to walk miles on your bare hands. You will be able to walk in front of people without being Disillusioned or invisibility cloak like you're strolling through the park and they won't notice you. You'll be like a cockroach. You'll be able to live through _anything_," Draco said, sharply. Linda frowned.

"Isn't that impossible? Walking in front of people without being Disillusioned and not being noticed?" Linda questioned. Draco snarled at her and she jumped.

"You'll make it possible, Linda. Lalita already has it down. How about you?" Draco snapped. Lalita frowned.

"I'm not sure if that was an insult or not."

"Take it as one," Linda goaded. Draco rolled his eyes. These two were to be partners but Linda looked down on the daughter of the Indian Minister.

He had his work cut out for him.

Hermione looked at Daphne and Theodore. Hermione pointed at a particular broadsword for Theodore. Theodore pulled it from the wall and pointed it at Hermione. Hermione drew her sword from her arm. The two purebloods ogled the Sword of War for a moment before looking at Hermione with determined looks on their faces.

"Come at me with your best shot, Jabberwocky," Hermione smirked. Her eyes held a slightly crazed looks. Daphne shot forward and slashed her sword down. Hermione easily parried. Daphne swung her sword at Hermione's neck. Hermione blocked it and spun, elbowing Daphne in the stomach. Daphne gasped. Hermione's foot swung open, knocking the sword from Daphne's hand. Hermione grabbed the sword from the air and aimed both at Daphne.

Daphne bowed in submission. Hermione tossed her the katana. She looked at both Slytherins.

"Come at me."

Both spun into action. Hermione allowed them to be on the offense for about thirty seconds before she really got serious. She slashed down. Both teens jumped back. That part of dueling platform shattered before instantly repairing itself. Theodore slashed down at Hermione and Hermione parried.

"You two have to work together. Together, darling," Hermione insisted. Daphne growled and thrust forward, throwing caution to the wind. Hermione disarmed her almost immediately. The katana fell to the ground. Hermione slammed the hilt of Theodore's sword with her free hand and it fell to the ground.

"Angel!" Hermione called out. Bella looked up from her seat with Neville and Fay.

Bella had just explained to them the various different forms of martial arts and they didn't understand at all. As they were both raised in the wizarding world, they had absolutely no idea about various Muggle martial arts. They believed it to be only punching and kicking.

Blaise was having a similar issue. Padma and Parvati's minds were complete opposites. Padma's mind was _too_ organized and Parvati's mind was too chaotic. Anthony and Michael couldn't block their minds for anything. Blaise was in the process of teaching the twins Legilimency and the two Ravenclaw friends Occlumency. Teaching both at the same time was difficult.

"What is it?" Blaise asked. Hermione sighed.

"We have our work cut out for us," Hermione answered. Blaise, Draco, and Bella exchanged looks. They all had the same answer.

"We know."

* * *

**Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1995**

**10:00 AM**

Bella walked into the Three Broomsticks and caught sight of Rita Skeeter and Armani Giordano. Hermione, Blaise, and Draco were already sitting with the two reporters. Bella fixed her glove over her left hand and crossed her arms. She knew she looked a little bit…unprofessional. But she couldn't bring herself to care. In addition to he glove, she wore dark leather pants, a gift from Maya, and one of Tom's shirts, the sleeves rolled up.

Bella walked over to the table, her combat boots not clunking despite them being boots. She slid in next to Hermione. Rita and Armani looked surprised. Draco and Blaise looked at her in surprise.

"Didn't see you at dinner last night. You left early," Draco commented. Bella nodded. Blaise smirked as Bella's mind drifted to the night before. It had been Valentine's Day. Tom wasn't romantic in the least. He was the complete opposite but he sure knew how to snog…

"She was…busy," Blaise teased, slightly. Bella snickered as Draco's face showed his disdain. Rita leaned forward, interested.

"Yesterday was Valentine's Day. Were you with someone?" Rita asked. Bella rolled her eyes at the woman.

"I don't think that's any of your business. You lied about my love life enough, don't you think? Merlin, doing the nasty with my brother? And then with Gideon? You were certainly out of your mind, weren't you? By the way, how's your new wand?" Bella asked, mockingly. Rita's eyes hardened when they fell on Bella. She crossed her arms and leaned back, her eyes flashing.

"Adequate. You're certainly a snake. Learning something from your little protector?"

"I had enough venom in my bite before he came along. Tom didn't like you slandering the Slytherin name. It's already gone through the dirt with the amount of Death Eaters that came from the house of snakes," Bella said, her tone showing her amount of disgust. Bella brushed her hair behind her ear and she looked at Armani who looked a little out of place.

"Why don't you introduce yourself," Hermione said. Armani jumped and she extended her hand. With her other hand, she pulled a piece of parchment and a quill. Bella grasped Armani's hand.

"Armani Giordano, Witch Weekly."

"Bella Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you," Bella said, her voice betraying her amusement. Armani frowned in confusion. She blinked and then squinted, looking at Bella.

"Have I met you before?"

"I don't believe we have. But I'm sure you've met Tom Riddle and his girlfriend before. In Italy I think she told me," Bella responded, innocently. Hermione rolled her eyes as Blaise and Draco exchanged amused looks. Rita's eyes widened in shock.

"So it's true? He _is_ involved with someone?"

"At the moment, yes. But, I'm sure that won't end up in the interview. Or we might just have another incident. I hope that's clear, Miss Giordano," Bella said, sweetly. Armani nodded, frantically. She didn't want to get involved with the two people. She had heard from Rita how ruthless Tom Riddle and his little protégé was.

"Yes. For whom will I be writing the article?"

"That would be for me. Hello all!"

The group turned to the enthusiastic Ravenclaw. They looked at her in surprise. Luna was bouncing on her toes. She looked at the rather large group.

"Well, this is turning into a party. I do so love parties. They're so fun…maybe we should get a private room. Some of this information is rather sensitive, don't you think?" Luna asked, curiously. Draco nodded in agreement.

"That's quite true. Be a dear and ask Madame Rosemerta for a room, Mudblood," Draco commanded. Hermione snorted and she looked at him, disbelievingly. Armani and Rita were shocked at how rude Draco was being.

"I'm not your servant, Draco. Perhaps you should do that yourself," Hermione suggested, blandly. She took a sip of her butterbeer. Bella smirked and kissed his cheek.

"And be a dear and get me something to drink."

"You two are so annoying," Draco snarled. Despite that, he stood and walked away to speak with Madame Rosemerta. The group sat in an awkward silence, Luna humming and looking to the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the entire world.

Draco finally came back and he tossed a bottle into Bella's hand. Bella popped it open and took a swig. It was butterbeer to her annoyance.

"You knew that wasn't what I was talking about," Bella said, sharply. Draco gave a smug smile.

"You're not of age. Come on. I got us a meeting room," Draco said. The group followed the blond boy to a small sitting room. Bella sat down, crossing her legs. Armani took out her parchment and look to Luna.

"Where exactly will this be published?" Armani asked. Luna smiled.

"The Quibbler. Don't worry, you'll be compensated for this article," Luna said, softly. She went and sat next to Bella, brushing the hair out of Bella's eyes and exposing her scar. Armani's eyes widened at the sight of Bella's trademark scar.

"Had your doubts didn't you? Tell me, Miss Giordano, what did you expect the Girl-Who-Lived to be like? Be sure to write that down. I'm sure Hermione can keep a transcript of the conversation if you like," Bella said. Hermione tilted her head and held her hand out for the parchment and quill. Armani and Rita looked rather shocked.

"It's for the best. I keep the transcript of our DADA classes. It'll be easier if this wasn't written as a real interview but more like a conversation," Hermione explained. Armani nodded, slowly. She didn't really get it but she gave the teenager the parchment and quill anyway.

"I suppose…that I expected you to be different. Lighter, I suppose. Not in the magical sense but…you seem different. I'm not sure how to explain it," Armani explained. Bella nodded and leaned back in her chair and she took another sip of her drink.

"Well, our first question would definitely be, do you stand by your story that Grindelwald and Voldemort are back?" Armani asked. Bella stiffened at the name Voldemort and for some reason she was a little upset at how casually Armani said his name. She leaned back.

"The Dark Lord and Grindelwald are back, as a matter of fact. I will _always _stand by that truth," Bella said, sharply. Her siblings looked at her strangely. Luna's lips curled into a half smile at Bella's title for the man. Rita and Armani frowned, exchanging looks.

"The Dark Lord?" Rita questioned. Bella nodded once.

"Is Lord Voldemort's title. Grindelwald is not a Dark Lord. He is not…charismatic, not…powerful enough to be Lord Voldemort's master. It's strange. When I was there in the graveyard, Lord Voldemort had the power. He had the forces, the magic, the power to destroy Grindelwald in his state of weakness. But he didn't. The man…that man is strange, indeed."

Armani leaned back and crossed her arms. She tapped her leg, nervously. An interview with Bella Potter was something that a reporter would kill for. But meeting the famed Girl-Who-Lived was turning out differently than how Armani had imagined it.

"What can you tell us about that night?" Armani asked. Bella leaned back.

"As you know, I was forced into the Triwizard Tournament. I didn't want to be part of it, mind you. I absolutely hated the idea of being forced into something that I had no control over. I still hate the idea of something like that. But, I participated anyway. That night, I was in the maze. Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons Champion…she screamed. I ran, trying to find her. I saw her on the ground and she looked like someone had just used the Cruciatus Curse on her. I sent up sparks and continued on my way. I came across Cedric Diggory being tortured by Viktor Krum. I Stunned both of them and continued on my way," Bella said. Her eyes were glazed over as she remembered the events of that dreadful night. Her grip on her butterbeer went lax and Luna caught it just in time. Luna placed it on the table and she poked Bella in the cheek.

"Keep going."

Bella nodded and cleared her throat.

"I grabbed the cup and I was Portkeyed away to the graveyard in Godric's Hollow. There was an enormous cauldron in the middle. Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange tied me to the statue of my parents and baby-me. Bella taunted me and Rodolphus joined in. He called Draco a blood traitor. I stuck my tongue out at Bellatrix and then…she slapped me. My head slammed into the side of statue and I started bleeding. And then the Dark Lord came," Bella said, her voice holding something akin to obsessive fascination. Her siblings exchanged worried looks. Bella had never really gone into depth about her adventure. She hadn't wanted to talk at all unless Tom was there.

And he had been gone quite a lot, presumably trying to find information.

"Voldemort?" Rita breathed. Hermione quickly scribbled the question and then wrote Bella's reaction to the word. Bella had glared at Rita, angrily.

"The Dark Lord, Rita Skeeter. If you must, it is Lord Voldemort. The man may be Dar but he has earned my respect somewhat," Bella snapped.

Bella wondered what Voldemort exactly did to make him earn her respect.

"Lord Voldemort, then. What did he look like? What was he like?" Armani asked, hurriedly and excitedly. She was getting into this tale. This couldn't be the fantasy of some insane girl. No, she knew…there was something in her that didn't make Armani doubt for a second that she was telling the truth.

"He shouted her name. Bellatrix. She dropped to her knees, I think. I didn't want to see him. I was afraid. I was so very afraid. He's my boggart and so is Grindelwald. It's strange but I'd never seen him in the flesh before fourth year. Yet, I found that he was my boggart in third year. I wasn't even sure of _why_ I feared him so much. I'm sure that now…my boggart would be very different. Anyway, Lord Voldemort said not to harm the ingredients. He was speaking of me. His voice was high and cold," Bella said, softly. Her eyes were still glazed over but the strange light in her eyes could only be described as enthrallment. Absolute obsession.

Draco frowned. It was the same look that was in Voldemort's eyes when he spoke of Bella and called her 'the pretty one'.

"I closed my eyes but I knew he was there. In front of me. And then I felt this long pale finger on my cheek and he told me to look at him. He's bald and his eyes are slitted like a cat. There are no weights. They're the color of spilt blood. I admit my eyes turn red on occasion when I'm in distress but that hasn't happened in a long time. His were permanently red. His nose is nonexistent. He has slits for a nose. And his mouth…he doesn't have lips. To me…he didn't look disgusting. He looked terrifying. That's all I could feel. Terror," Bella said. Her tone said otherwise. Hermione looked at her sister, worriedly. Rita and Armani didn't know Bella well enough to detect the tone in her face but Hermione could.

"Please continue," Armani breathed. She was awestruck by the tale.

"He asked me if I was afraid. He asked me 'Do you fear me?' I told him yes. I've been taught not to admit my weaknesses to my enemies. But I couldn't lie. I don't know why but I just couldn't. He turned from me and asked where _he_ was. He was Grindelwald. Rodolphus responded by saying that he was bringing Wormtail. Wormtail is the man who betrayed my parents. Peter Pettigrew. He touched his wand to my face then. I knew what it was. Acromantula web, 13 ½ inches, and ebony. Perfect for a Dark wizard. And then, my scar started to burn," Bella said, softly. Rita's eyes widened. Armani cleared her throat.

"Before we get into that, how did you know what made up his wand?" Armani asked, curiously. Bella shrugged.

"I just knew. Sometimes I just know things. Like I know that Lord Voldemort is the Dark Lord. He was never called that, was he? In the first war, I mean. He will be this. I promise that," Bella said. Luna froze and tilted her head.

"Hermione off record…_A Wand of Victory for the One…loved…by…the…Dark…_I can't remember…" Luna said, softly. The others stared at her in confusion. Luna blinked in surprise. Rita cleared her throat.

"Excuse me?" Rita asked, snappily. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Luna's a Seer. She tends to hang out with us to keep us from making…dire decisions," Blaise said. Luna gave a tense smile.

"That's why you love me. I remember most of it…but that one line. I…we need to speak Bella," Luna said, softly. Bella looked at her in surprise. Luna was normally her psychiatrist if she didn't want to talk to her siblings. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"So you can hide things from us again? I know you knew," Blaise said, sharply. Luna gave Blaise a hard look.

"Some things really aren't your business, Blaise. I know you love her but sometimes you need to learn your place. Bella's a big girl. Let her make her own mistakes in her own time. She's making one at the moment and I'm not stopping her, am I?" Luna said, her tone leaving no argument. Draco and Hermione were shocked at the turn Luna had taken. Normally, she was so calm and ditzy.

Now she seemed only very annoyed. Blaise leaned back, seemingly cowed though he didn't show it.

"Bella Potter is a big girl. She's fifteen. Let it be. Please stop trying to guilt her for something she has absolute no control over," Luna said, her tone softer. Rita and Armani suddenly felt very awkward. They had been intrigued by Luna but now they found it strange that a fourteen-year-old girl was chastising someone older than her. Blaise nodded and Luna pointed to Hermione and Armani.

"On record, please. Please continue."

"Right…what happened next?" Armani swallowed. Bella cleared her throat.

"Grindelwald was there. He possessed someone. I knew because of his eyes. They're navy. He taunted me, saying it was pleasure to see me and that he was glad that I could come to his 'get-together'. I told him that I was forced there. He said that my invitation was probably lost in the mail. And then…the Dark Lord and I spoke again. Bellatrix was angered by what I said. She tried to use the Cruciatus on me. He stopped her. And then Grindelwald told Wormtail to get into the cauldron. He did. And then they started this ritual," Bella explained. She sighed and bit her lip. She looked like she was deeply concentrated. Armani leaned forward, confused.

She was surprised when Bella gave an impish smile.

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember. It was a while ago. I used to dream about it all the time. But, I can't dream anymore so I don't remember as well. Hold on…ah, yes. I'm going to give the best account I can. 'Flesh of the servant, unwillingly given, with the intent of a sacrifice to the Dark'."

The group shivered. Her voice had gone slightly different, darker, colder. Luna was the only one to notice the locket flash, ominously.

"Voldemort slit his throat and he fell into the cauldron. The potion turned red. 'Bone of the sister, his first kill, you will resurrect your foe'. Dust rose from a grave. Whose grave I will not say. It wouldn't be fair to the family of that person. I may not like the person but I…I suppose that's my Gryffindor loyalty showing. And then he crossed to me and he carved a lightening bolt into my arm. 'Blood of woman and daughter who thrice defied you, accept these three drops of blood'. Then, a navy mist came from the body that was possessed by Grindelwald. The body dropped dead and the mist flew into the potion. Grindelwald had returned."

Luna's eyes never left Bella's as the young woman recounted the horrific tale of Gellert Grindelwald's return and the subsequent duel.

As soon Bella finished recounting the duel and her return, Armani and Rita's horrified expressions hadn't changed once.

"A-and what do you think of the Ministry? For ignoring your claims?"

"I think Minister Cornelius Fudge is a fool. And when he learns the truth, he will learn that his folly was his downfall. I shall not support an idiot. His High Inquisitor isn't any better," Bella sneered. Armani nodded. She cleared her throat and leaned back.

"One more questions."

"Any, Miss Giordano."

"And…what side have you chosen?" Armani asked, softly. Bella's eyes softened as she fiddled with the ouroboros chain that she had. She smiled.

"My side."

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of July 1996**

**1:30 PM**

Luna and Bella wandered the grounds, making their way to the paddock, slowly. Bella walked inside the paddock and stopped in front of Nikita and Hades. Luna danced over to Hades and handed him raw meat from her pockets. Hades ate it greedily as he nuzzled Luna. Bella couldn't tell but she had a feeling that he was still visible to the other students. Bella held out raw steak for Nikita. Nikita snatched it up immediately, bloody and all.

"Hi, baby. I haven't seen you since last week, have I? I'm sorry I didn't visit. You would've bitten off my hand if I came to you after my detention on Thursday. It was very bloody and I know how you love your meat bloody," Bella said, softly. Nikita gave her a baleful look, if that was possible for a horse. Bella kissed Nikita and the horse instantly became a bit happier. He nuzzled Bella and she giggled.

"I love you too."

It hurt that she knew it wasn't true. She wasn't quite sure what love was at the moment. Not after what Tom had told her…

"Bella. You need your dreams back," Luna said, softly as she pet Hades. Bella looked at the girl, sharply.

"How do you figure that?"

"Because you're not even trying to accept who you are. Bella, I stand by my words. You are a big girl now. And I'll let you make your mistakes despite me knowing what they are. But, this time I _need_ for you to get your dreams back," Luna said, gently. Bella shook her head.

"No. I don't want to see that woman every night. I want to make the choice by myself. If I become the Horseman, I'll be—" Bella started. Luna let out a sharp breath and she looked at Bella with wide, annoyed eyes.

"You're already the Horseman, Bella Anastasia! You can't run from your birthright. You're treating this like it is a curse instead of a blessing. Why? Why do you do such a thing?" Luna asked. Bella glared right back at the fourteen-year-old. She turned around and gripped the fence keeping the horses inside of the paddock.

"Because, I don't want my life to be run by a prophecy made centuries ago. I don't want my destiny to be predetermined. I want my life to be my _own_," Bella snapped. Luna took a deep breath and she sat on the fence. She looked down at Bella and shook her head.

"Can't your life be your own by deciding to be a Horseman. Dumbledore believes that you are to defeat Grindelwald and the Dark. You'd be going against your very nature in doing so. If you don't become a Horseman, you'll be the little Golden Girl. Can you live with yourself if you do that? Can you live with the regrets of not following the path that was chosen at your birth?" Luna asked, delicately. Bella sighed and shook her head. She looked up to the grey sky and groaned.

"I don't know what to _do_, Lu! I want to be my own person. But because I want that, Blaise thinks I'm a coward and that I'm afraid. Tom—"

"But aren't you?" Luna interrupted. Bella's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I _know_ Bella. You admitted. Do no try to hide from me. You admitted that you were a coward. That you're angry that you're afraid. That you can't love your siblings. That you can't love Tom Marvolo. That you can't love yourself. You detest yourself for being all the things that Blaise told you that you were," Luna said, matter-of-factly. Bella frowned.

"Stop."

"You loathe yourself for something that was out of your control. You despise yourself for not being good enough. And that is your curse. Your siblings' curses are all physical things. Things that can be fixed with medicine. But your curse…your curse is emotional. Mental. But you hurt more than them. Their pain is only physical. The outward things going on around you do not cause your pain and misery. Your pain and misery is because of _you_. You _hate_ yourself," Luna said, her voice shaking slightly.

Bella stared up with dry eyes. She couldn't cry. She couldn't cry anymore. She refused to cry. But, Luna…Luna was crying for her. Tears ran down Luna's face. Bella couldn't cry so Luna was crying for her.

"And why shouldn't I? I've caused the death of my mother. I've caused the death of my father. I put my friends and family into danger, year after year. And they stand by me. I don't know why. You're right Luna. I _do_ hate myself," Bella said, sharply. The conviction in her voice made Luna give a great sob. She fell off the fence and wrapped her arms around Bella. Bella wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Luna's head was in Bella's neck.

"So many people are around you. They love you. But you were all alone…all along. I'm sorry Bella. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I'm sorry…" Luna sobbed. Bella rubbed the girl's back and sighed, tired. She pulled away from Luna with a slight smile on her face.

"Why are you sorry for me? Don't feel sorry for me," Bella said, softly. Luna shook her head.

"You…you are so strong, Bella. You are the strongest woman I know. Past, present, _and_ future. I trust you with my life. And…I don't feel sorry for you. I'm just sorry. I'm sorry that you hate yourself when there are so many things about that should be loved. But…I'll always be on your side. Blaise may see nothing but a coward. But, I see nothing but a strong woman who is merely misguided," Luna said, softly. Bella wiped the tears from her face, holding her friend close. She smiled down at her though her eyes were pained.

"Thank you, Lu. I wish I could share your sentiments. But…I can't."

"Listen to me. And listen to me well. Today I had a vision. It was strange. Don't tell _anyone_ of this vision. Do you hear me?" demanded Luna. Bella nodded.

"I promise not to tell anyone."

"Good. The vision…was a strange one. Only flashes.

_A gift of Soul for the One under the Neutral Order_

_A War Sword for the One who shall exiled in stone_

_A Spear of Swarm for the One who lives for the One with a disorder_

_A Wand of Victory for the One who…is…loved…by…_

_Light meets Dark in the stillness between_

_One to rule them all, and Sight to find them_

_Sight, bring them all and in the Darkness bind them_," Luna finished. Bella frowned in confusion.

"That sounds oddly familiar…"

Luna wiped another stray tear from her face and nodded once.

"I know. But, that line…about you. Something's blocking me from remembering. I've never forgotten a single prophecy. I even remember the one I gave you for your birthday. But that one line stumps me each time," Luna said, softly. Bella crossed her arms and frowned, deep in thought. Luna looked at the increasingly aloof girl. The more and more Bella's hatred grew, the more and more she destroyed herself.

"What was the vision of?" Bella asked, softly.

"Draco…on a bed…he was on his stomach. His tattoo was showing and it was flashing silver. He was…seizing. And then an older Hermione. She was sitting in a chair. She looked like a queen. Her legs were crossed and she was smirking. She looked crazy though. It was strange. Then, Blaise was running through a hospital ward I think. He was looking for something. Something important. And finally you. You were standing in the Great Hall. Wearing silver chainmail battle robes. You were wearing black gloves and you looked angry. The entire room was silent and some were cowering in fear. And you started shouting at Dumbledore. Finally, you were standing in a circle, the four of you. Your hands were joined and you were just holding each other," Luna explained. Bella smiled at the last description though she was in deep thought.

"Which prophecy should we focus on?" Bella asked. Luna stiffened before she tilted her head.

"The first one I gave you. It holds more significance. War shall cry. Plague shall watch. Death will ride. Lightning will strike. And you will go under…I'm sorry, Bella," Luna said, softly. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"_Why_ do you keep saying your sorry?" she demanded. Luna looked away from her.

"There are some things that even _I_ am not allowed to say. Knowledge is a great and terrible gift. A gift that sometimes I don't wish to have."

:::

**A/N: **And here it is! Well we now have insight on Bella's experience. We have expanded on her strange obsession with Lord Voldemort. And we see Luna cry for the first time. She's normally such a strong character but I thought that if anyone was going to cry for Bella, it'd be the one person who knows for sure what her curse is. And now you know her curse too. She's destined to hate herself for things she can't control. She'll have to get over that quickly if she wants to get anywhere in life, no?

Next Chapter: Reactions, _Another_ Decree, and Sackings abound


	62. Chapter LVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, I've planned only about three or four more chapters…perhaps three. Only time will tell. It depends how much I stuff into one chapter. Perhaps, there will be four. This chapter, the next chapter, which will include a little trip, a battle chapter, and chapter about the aftermath. Yeah, I think I'll do that.

This may seem remarkably similar to the book. I'm doing that on purpose. All of what I do is done for a purpose. For some of you that remember that I mentioned Bella being Heir to the House of Merlin and the House of Gryffindor, I'd just like to say that that will serve a large purpose in the summer after Bella's sixth year. There will be a need for the two houses, unfortunately.

What I'm going to be doing with that is unfortunate but it has to be done…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1996**

**9:00 AM**

"Is everyone here? Yes? I'm surprised that you're here, Severus," Albus said. Severus gave a narrow eyed stare at the man's cheerful words. He looked around. The only reason he was here was because that dreadful toad woman hybrid was at the Ministry with Fudge. Severus glanced to the side and saw Riddle reading a book, his reading glasses perched on his nose.

Oh, how he _hated_ Tom Riddle. The man was at least thirty years his senior but he looked younger than him. Severus constantly wondered what spell he used to make him look that young. Or if he used a spell at all. And then there was the small fact that the man had _his_ Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Tom Riddle was some nobody upstart to Severus Snape. He'd never heard of him before.

But, Severus privately and intimately acknowledged that he had a selective memory. He _had_ heard of Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was the man that had that damn reward for services to the school. His name was on a quarter of the damn trophies in the Trophy Room. He even came out of Hogwarts with straight Os in every subject Hogwarts offered in both his OWLs and NEWTs.

"Can we get this started? I have somewhere to be," Riddle said, flatly. Severus sneered at the man, ready to say something snarky and/or sarcastic. Albus beat him with a sly grin.

"Where to, my boy?"

"None of your Goddamned business. You've been harassing me since yesterday. My patience has reached its end," Riddle snapped. He slammed his book closed and placed it on the table. He didn't move to remove his reading glasses. Sinistra leaned forward, awestruck even after all this time. Severus knew that the beautiful woman had a crush the size of the Sun.

"What _did_ you do yesterday Tom?" Sinistra asked. Riddle scowled at her.

"I feel like I'm repeating myself. None of your Goddamned business."

Sinistra recoiled and Riddle glared at the table.

"**Dammit, she's another Bellatrix. Unhealthily obsessed.**"

"What was that, my boy? It's rude to speak another language," Albus said, his silly grin still in place. Riddle turned his sullen glare on Albus. Severus thought he looked childish though he was probably seeing things.

"Is it really my fault that I'm the only competent person in the world that can understand and speak the language?" Riddle asked, sharply. Minerva frowned in confusion and she tilted her head.

"I was under the impression that Miss Potter could speak the language, as well," Minerva said, calmly. Riddle nodded, solemnly.

"Yes. She can."

"But, you said that you were the only competent person in the world that can understand and speak the language," Flitwick reminded him. Riddle nodded once more and smirked.

"I stand by my statement."

"That's not very nice," Albus chastised. Severus rolled his eyes and he crossed his arms, interrupting for the first time. Normally, he would have interrupted way before that.

"I did come here for a reason. Can we proceed with the meeting and be done with it?" Severus snarled. Riddle turned his pretty boy face and glared at Severus with a look that showed the utmost disgust and perhaps a hint of anger. Severus wondered what _he_ had done. Riddle was the one with the pretty face and the stupid awards and _his_ DADA post.

"You didn't have to come. You never come. So fly back down your lab, you overgrown bat," Riddle hissed, angrily. Severus looked at him in shock. The other people on the faculty looked crossed between being surprised and laughing. Albus frowned.

"My boy…" he warned. Riddle rolled his eyes.

"Save it. We all know that he only comes when he has something smart to say. Let him say his piece so I can finish my report and promptly leave. As I've stated, I have things to do," Riddle said, bored. Severus sneered, disdainfully. The man's mood swings were worse than a pregnant woman's. Almost as bad as the Dark Lord's mood swings. Master Grindelwald's mood swings had never been bad unless you mentioned homosexuals or Dumbledore.

Then, you were in for a wild ride of dodging Cruciatus Curses.

"Or someone to _see_?" Dumbledore teased. Minerva's eyebrows went up.

"Are you still seeing that mystery woman then?" she asked, curiously. Riddle snorted and rolled his eyes.

"No. And no. I'm not dating that immature little brat," Riddle snorted. Severus frowned.

Either the man was an excellent liar or he really wasn't dating that woman he had read about in Spella Daily…wait, no, that _Minerva_ had read about in Spella Daily. Dumbledore obviously didn't believe him but everyone else did. Severus didn't in particularly care _who_ dated Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was an asshole, despite the fact that he was intelligent and handsome. He was still a jackass.

"Can we move on with the meeting?" Severus snapped. Riddle glared at him and leaned back in his chair, tapping his long fingers on the table.

"My 1st year DADA classes are slow. My 2nd year DADA classes are made of idiots. My 3rd year classes are sad. Their handwriting is atrocious. I would opt for giving them detention but my evenings are too precious for me to give up. That's me time. My 4th year class, the Gryffindors and Slytherins. I despise Gideon Weasley and I wish him to a painful and cruel death. He's a smartass and I wish to beat him upside the head. He believes that I have it out for him, which is completely and utterly true. I can say that I'm truly ecstatic that he's smart enough to realize that."

This was all said very fast and in the most bored tone as possible. The rest of the faculty seemed used to Riddle's foul mouth and his continuous bashing of Gideon Weasley. Severus would have added to that bashing if he was given the chance.

"The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs just meet my standards. Ginny Weasley is just as annoying as her brother if not more. If she isn't being an annoying know-it-all, she's staring at me as if I'm Jesus Christ, resurrected and have come back to personally save her. Her staring is increasingly disturbing and I fondly wish for them to stop. My 5th year class…the Ravenclaws, are very good. The Hufflepuffs are terrible. They're so soft and whiny. 'Oh, we can't hit that dummy. It's too cute'. They're a bunch of wusses. The Gryffindors are…adequate. Hermione Granger is too bloodthirsty. Fay Dunbar is a strategist, a good one at that. Parvati Patil has been studying the art of interrogation. She's actually quite good. She has been working with her twin sister in conjunction. They created the formula of good cop, bad cop. A Muggle term I believe. And Longbottom…" Riddle trailed off. Severus snorted.

"Inadequate I'm sure. The boy is useless in general. He's a coward. Why he's a Gryffindor, I'll never know," Severus snapped. One of his favorite pastimes was putting down the boy. Sprout scowled at him for insulting her favorite student. Minerva glared.

"I know the boy has poor grades but to put him down like that is unacceptable," Minerva said, harshly. Riddle gave Severus a cool stare.

"I was going to say that Neville Longbottom is a great student with potential to be a leader. His drive stems from the anger and hatred he feels for those that harmed his family. His physical skills leave something to be desired and his wand work is less than adequate but I allow him in my class because I despise wasted potential. His wand work is due to an insufficient wand and lack of confidence. His new friendship and partnership with Miss Greengrass. Despite my pairing him up with Miss Singh to spar, Miss Potter has taken it upon herself in pairing up my class with different sparring partners. They seem to switch up every time I tell them to spar," Riddle said, sounding less than annoyed.

Severus would have been quite angry if a student had the audacity to undermine his authority. Maybe Riddle didn't have as much control as he believed. Severus smirked.

"Can you not control your students?"

"I can control my students quite fine, thank you. I allow it because it has given me insight on what my students lack skills in. For example, in allowing Miss Potter to change up my class, I see that she is a strong leader. However, she lacks obvious discipline of any kind. In pairing Miss Granger with Miss Greengrass, I see excellence both. Miss Granger is a stronger swordswoman than Miss Greengrass, but Miss Greengrass is more calculating. Miss Granger is still a Gryffindor despite her calculating and psychotic ways. Her actions still have a bit of that Gryffindor impulsiveness. She tries moves that have a 50-50 chance of succeeding. Miss Greengrass makes sure that her moves _will_ work unless they are directly countered. But then again, Miss Granger is still a better swordswoman. Her sword is an extension of herself. She realizes this," Riddle explained. The other teachers looked completely surprised. Even Severus was interested in what he had to say about his 5th year classes.

"Continue, Tom," Flitwick said, intrigued. Riddle nodded.

"Mister Zabini also has a very Slytherin way of dueling. He incapacitates the fighter before finally destroying them. Despite his lethal magical core, his Healing is excellent. He has helped me reattach limbs several times. He knows the human body and mind inside and out. Mister Nott is quiet but has taken to studying the art of weaponry. Mister Goldstein and Mister Corner are very good in hand-to-hand and have a nice repertoire of spells though they don't seem to be focusing on that. Mister Malfoy is using his sai swords nicely. He tends to use fear and he taunts the opponent thoroughly, making them lose concentration before attacking," Riddle continued.

Dumbledore nodded. Severus was even more intrigued. Sprout cleared her throat, wanting to know about other things as well.

"And what about your other students?"

"Miss Moon is studying the art of breaking and entering. She's incredibly sneaky. A true Slytherin. And Miss Potter…is annoying. She uses damaging spells and has no issue with tossing out dark curses that could seriously harm like candy. She seems to have a thrill in fighting. And she almost always wins. When she doesn't win, she comes out in a stalemate. And when it's a draw, she gets angry, as if it were the same as losing. She keeps a knife hidden in her boot and she has excellent aim. She's thrown the knife at me before. I believe I called her an undisciplined little brat who needs to be put in time out. I also may have said something against her mutt of a godfather. Her knife almost took an eye out," Riddle snapped, sounding very annoyed. Severus snorted and crossed his arms. He was more curious to if she was any good at all.

"But how is she in the class?" Flitwick voiced. Riddle looked at the ceiling.

"She's excellent. Probably my best student in terms of power. She's rather emotional, however. I've never given her anything less than an 'E'. Her instincts are exceptional. Her hand-to-hand combat skills are amazing. I've heard that she's broken an adult male's neck with her bare hands, effectively killing him," Riddle said, blandly. Severus still doubted that the little Potter brat had done such a thing but the others gasped at the implications of that. Dumbledore nodded and leaned back in his seat.

"Your turn, Severus…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of March 1996**

**8:00 AM**

Bella looked down at the Quibbler. Luna was sitting across from her and Blaise and Draco had decided to sit with her for the occasion. Blaise was still mad at her, Bella knew but Bella just shrugged it off. She could do whatever the _fuck_ she wanted and her brother could go screw himself.

_SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT GRINDELWALD AND VOLDEMORT AND THE NIGHT I SAW THEM RETURN_

One the cover was a picture of Bella, looking rather annoyed with having her picture taken. Bella remembered standing in front of the Three Broomsticks with Rita's photographer, Bozo standing there. Armani had claimed that it would be okay if she didn't take a picture but Hermione had insisted.

"I could have sworn that I didn't refer to him simply as 'Voldemort'. Dammit woman, show some fucking respect," Bella snarled under her breath. She looked around and saw some of kids reading the Quibbler. Bella looked at the Slytherin table and saw Theodore and Linda crowding over Daphne. Daphne was reading diligently despite the strange stares she was getting. Daphne looked up under Bella's stare.

She grinned and gave a thumbs up.

Bella grinned back and shrugged. Daphne's eyes suddenly turned determined and she slammed her hand on the table. Most of the Slytherins looked at her as if she were completely crazy.

"I believe you! I believe that the Dark Lord and Grindelwald are back" Daphne called.

The entire Great Hall fell silent. Daphne Greengrass had been the first Slytherin beside Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini to acknowledge that Grindelwald and the Dark Lord had returned.

"Miss Greengrass, I advise you to sit down!" Umbridge called. Bella rolled her eyes, preparing to say something. Daphne glared at her.

"Shut up and sit down, you old hag!"

The room erupted in whispers. Umbridge reared back and Daphne rolled her eyes, grabbing her plate and walking across the Great Hall. She held her head high, like a true pureblood and she slammed her plate down at the Gryffindor table. The entire room stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Budge over, Nev," Daphne said, clearly. Neville slid over in his seat and Daphne sat down next to him. She began eating calmly.

"Detention, Miss Green—" Umbridge started. Bella hissed, warningly.

"I'm sure you know my father, Madame Umbridge. Lord Greengrass. I don't think he'll be very happy if you if you even attempt to give me detention. I'd prefer to spend my detentions with Professor Snape, if you don't mind," Daphne said, flatly. Snape's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Normally, Daphne Greengrass was well behaved if a little lewd. But she seemed extremely averse to spending detention with Umbridge. Snape gave one nod. Umbridge looked angry.

"You should be sitting with the rest of your house," she snarled, sounding more like a snake than a toad. Daphne shrugged.

"It's not in the rules. Inter-house unity and all that rot," Daphne said, loftily. She picked up a spare fork and took a pancake off Bella's plate. Bella glared at her, annoyed. Daphne shrugged.

"You've got porridge. Eat that."

Umbridge was red with rage but Dumbledore had an odd glint in his eyes. He grinned, happily. He took out a little red pouch.

"She's right. Lemon drop?"

Umbridge glared, angrily but said nothing more. The owls continued to fly in, delivering letters. Envelopes dropped in front of Bella and Bella just moved her porridge out of the way. Draco leaned over.

"I suppose those are from readers."

"You can start opening them if you want. I think one of them is a Howler, though, so you should open that first," Bella said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Draco nodded and picked up the red envelope. He opened it, tentatively.

"_YOU LITTLE BITCH! HOW DARE YOU SPREAD LIES THROUGHOUT THE WIZARDING WORLD? PUTTING EVERYONE INTO MASS PANIC! YOU'RE AN ATTENTION SEEKING WHORE AND I HAVE HALF A MIND TO—"_

Bella sipped her coffee, staring with a raised eyebrow. The others were looking at her in surprise. Tom looked pissed. His eye was twitching and his eyes were quickly turning red.

"—_PUTTING THOSE POOR BOYS THROUGH ALL OF THAT AND NOW YOU WANT MORE ATTENTION BY SPREADING LIES. SIRIUS BLACK WAS A RESPECTABLE WAR HERO AND YOU'RE BESMIRCHING HIS NAME BY PUTTING EVERYONE IN DANGER. YOU'RE EITHER AN ATTENTION-SEEKER OR YOU'RE COMPLETELY OFF YOUR ROCKER. I DON'T KNOW WHICH YOU ARE BUT YOU BETTER GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. YOU'RE DONE! OVER! YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS TRYING TO GAIN MORE GLO—_"

The Howler erupted into flames. Bella looked over at the Head Table. Tom was lazily twisting his wand between his fingers. She raised an eyebrow and he raised one back at her.

"I don't like people calling my ward an attention-seeking whore."

"Right. That's it. It's not because someone was interrupting your breakfast."

"That too."

Bella shrugged and tossed the burning remains behind her. She began going threw the mail and slight smiles made their way across her face. Neville was going through letters as well, interested.

"What was that Howler about, Miss Potter?"

Bella looked behind her shoulder and she gave a smirk to Umbridge. Umbridge was staring with a very peculiar expression. Bella had all the satisfaction.

"Some woman wrote me because I gave an interview about what happened last June."

"And what happened last June?" Umbridge asked, as if she were stupid. Bella knew that the evil woman wasn't stupid in the least.

"The return of Grindelwald and the Dark Lord Voldemort."

"When did you do this?" Umbridge asked in a trembling voice. Bella tilted her head.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend."

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Miss Potter," she whispered. "How you dare… how you could…" She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor."

"Don't worry, Professor. My answer will never change," Bella said, a cheerful smile still on her face. Umbridge frowned as she looked at her and Bella held up her gloved left hand and slid the glove off and exposed the words on it. Some people were squinting to take a look at it. Most couldn't make out the printed words. It was only for Umbridge to see.

Umbridge recoiled at the red and white words.

"For I must not tell lies. _You _inspired me to do this. Your message sunk in. Clearly. Legibly. I must not tell lies. And so I told the truth. The entire truth," Bella said, loudly. She leaned forward. She was taller than the woman so she could whisper in her ear.

"Listen and listen well. You will _never_ break me. I will always give you the same answer that I give you ever week. You do not hold _any_ real power of me. I will never bow to your whims and you can try all you want but you can't win this. Because I know how to play the game, Madame Umbridge. And unfortunately for you, I play to win. And I _always_ win," Bella hissed in her ear.

She leaned back. The woman was paler than a ghost. Bella handed her the Quibbler, surprisingly gentle.

"Read it and weep."

Bella sat back down and sipped her coffee as Umbridge walked out of the room, her head held high those she was still pale. Daphne's eyes were wide in excitement and she leaned forward with a grin.

"S-she looked so scared," Neville stuttered as Bella slid her glove back on.

"What'd you say to her?" asked Daphne, excitedly. Bella smirked.

"I only told her the truth. That she'll never break me. I told her that she doesn't hold any real power over me and that I won't bow to her whims. I told her that she couldn't win against me because I know how to play the game. And Madame Umbridge is about to go down," Bella said, her smirk in place.

Her eyes glistened in malice.

Blaise's eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of March 1996**

**10:00 AM**

"**What are you reading, Tom?**" asked Nagini, curiously. Voldemort lounged on his stone throne in Malfoy Manor. Lucius was standing in front of him, awaiting news. Bellatrix was sitting at his feet, fiddling with her thumbs. Rodolphus was in the back of the room, pacing. He was always awaiting news from his Lord.

With Tom's recent reveal to be Lord Voldemort, he had taken to bringing Nagini with him to Malfoy Manor. He knew that in the near future that the group would need to meet Nagini. She disposed of quite a bit of the bodies.

"**An interview that silly little Bella gave. It's quite…entertaining,**" responded Voldemort. Lucius masked his reaction to the other language poorly. He shuddered and Voldemort rolled his eyes. Voldemort quickly closed the Quibbler and dropped it onto his feet. Rodolphus, Lucius, and Bellatrix to their Lord.

He was silent for a moment before he threw his head back and let out a high, cruel and empty laugh.

Bellatrix delighted in the cold laugh for a moment. She remembered this laugh. It was a laugh that she had come to adore over her time in Azkaban. She remembered that laugh every time the dementors had passed. He laughed like that when he had tortured her with the Cruciatus for the first time. It had been exceedingly painful but worth it.

"What is it, my Lord?" Bellatrix breathed. Voldemort's laugh drifted away, slowly, though a vicious smirk remained.

"Little Bella Potter seems to be _infatuated_ with the Dark Lord Voldemort. How utterly _amusing_," Voldemort said, softly. Lucius' eyes widened. Rodolphus sniffed, not sure _what_ to think. It was actually rather awkward to think of his Lord that way.

A beautiful teenage girl was infatuated with the Lord Voldemort. She didn't even know that he was actually good-looking. She was infatuated with his Lord Voldemort façade. It was very weird indeed, Rodolphus decided.

Bellatrix looked angry. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the cold young woman glaring at the photograph. Bellatrix knew she was beautiful though she didn't want to believe it. The girl's eyes were the color of the Avada Kedavra curse. That was a gift in itself. She was pale as snow and her face was unmarred except for her curse scar. Her lips were red and her hair was long. She held herself like a pureblood, despite her blood traitor godfather.

"Infatuated, sir?" Rodolphus asked, slowly. Voldemort nodded, the smirk pulling at his lips.

"Infatuated. I know Bella Potter. And the first time she described Lord Voldemort, she sounded almost…obsessive. Her words now only sound even more so. Her infatuation is unhealthy at best but _can_ be used to our advantage," Voldemort said, carefully. Lucius nodded.

"What about the plan to retrieve the prophecy from the Hall of Prophecies?" Lucius asked, wishing desperately to change the subject. It was strange to picture a young woman being infatuated with two versions of the same person.

"Sirius Black will need to actually be captured. I believe that Miss Lovegood has a gift resembling empathy. She'll be able to sense if it the vision is real or not. There's also the fact that Bella Potter doesn't seem to be able to dream due to Elvish magic that Miss Lovegood used on her. Something in her dreams have been putting her on edge. Her older self has been appearing before her, asking her to grab her hand, effectively becoming Lady Victory. She is scared of becoming something like that," Voldemort explained, his face becoming stoic. Bellatrix scoffed.

"The girl is afraid of becoming one of the most powerful witches to walk the Earth since Morgan le Fay. Isn't the brat a Gryffindor?" Bellatrix snarled. Rodolphus rolled his eyes at his best friend and nudged her with his foot. Bellatrix growled at him.

"Don't be jealous of the girl, Trixie."

"I'm not jealous," Bellatrix hissed, annoyed. Voldemort rolled his eyes.

"She doesn't want to abide by the prophecy. She wants to make her own choice. Her own choices will be her fall into the prophecy. So I will leave her be to continue her spiral into the Dark," Voldemort decided. Lucius frowned in confusion and he crossed his arms.

"My Lord, what about the prophecy in the Hall of Prophecies? Wouldn't that interfere with the older Elven prophecies?" Lucius asked, curiously. A slight smirk pulled at Voldemort's stoic face.

"We shall see about that. Gellert is on his travels, searching for a perfect wand. He needs to finish gathering materials. I believe that he will be finished by June. We'll need to strike when the gate that holds Potter's dreams are weakest. Miss Lovegood's magic is constantly holding the dreams back. However, on the Summer Solstice, her entire magic will be focused on the future, as she is the Dark Seer. We shall attack then," Voldemort said, forcefully.

Bellatrix applauded her Lord. She smirked to herself. She liked this new Lord. He was fun. He was fun _before_ but now he didn't seem as mad. He was taking control. Despite her reverence for a powerful man like Grindelwald, he didn't have the charisma, the talent, and the inherent genius of the man before her.

"My Lord, why do you hide behind Grindelwald? You are so much greater…better than him. Why do you do this?" Bellatrix asked, not for the first time. Voldemort's expression turned thoughtful and he looked down at Bellatrix.

"I must confess Trixie. I do not know. Perhaps there will come a time where I will…step out of his shadow. But until that time comes, we will bide our time."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of March 1996**

**1:00 PM**

"Look what that toad woman put all along the walls," Daphne said, pointing. Neville looked at the poster Daphne was pointing at. He sighed, shaking his head, slowly. Another decree was posted there, glaring down at them.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven._

_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

"That's the worst thing that she could have ever done," Daphne said. Neville frowned and turned to look at her, confusion written all over his face. Daphne giggled at his confused look. Personally, she thought it looked absolutely adorable. Daphne brushed her hair from her face.

"I d-don't understand. W-why is that the worst thing she could have ever done?" Neville asked, nervously. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Nev. Here's a piece of advice. Stop stuttering. I admit, it was cute for the few days but now we all know that you don't really have a stutter anymore," Daphne pointed out.

An uncharacteristic grin spread across Neville's face. It spoke of mischief, something not common on his face. Daphne's eyes widened in surprise.

"I know I don't really stutter anymore. But, if I'm to be a…you know, I'll have to sound nervous, right?" Neville said. Daphne's smirk grew and she looked at him, appreciatively. He flushed under her stare and she leaned forward, placing her forehead against his. He wasn't taller than her yet but Daphne knew that he would be eventually. Daphne was around 172 centimeters. Neville was a bit more than 162 centimeters. He was shorter than Daphne but taller than Bella.

"Very Slytherin of you. I like that," she murmured. Neville's flush grew and Daphne pulled back, the same grin on her face.

"Anyway, don't you see? Telling everyone not to read it will make everyone _want_ to read it because Umbridge is scared. It helped that Bella scared the shit out of Umbridge at breakfast," Daphne explained. Neville's eyes widened before a grin spread across his face. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"This is going to help a lot," Neville said.

"I definitely will."

The two people spun around, Neville's hand going to his wand. Daphne's hand was hovering over the Disillusioned hilt of her sword. Padma and Parvati held up their hands, admitting defeat.

"Oh, you two. You scared us," Neville said. Padma grinned.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Well, look at that. It's a pity that she didn't think of the consequences of her actions. She was definitely not a Ravenclaw. A Ravenclaw would have foreseen this reaction," Padma said, calculatingly. Parvati tilted her head and nodded.

"I can't picture her in Gryffindor either."

"She was a Hufflepuff."

The entire group looked to their left, sharply. Hermione was smirking up at the poster with Bella. Hermione was the one who had spoken. Bella's malicious smirk was obvious.

"How do you know?" Parvati asked. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Read it. Do you know how many people have come up to us, asking questions? I think they finally believe Bella," Hermione said, happily. Daphne's eyes found Bella's and she gave her a questioning look. Bella shook her head.

"The games haven't started yet...we will wait."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 9****th**** of March 1996**

**8:00 PM**

"NO! This cannot be happening…can't happen…I refuse to accept this!"

Bella watched with pitying eyes. Professor Trelawney looked crazy with her sherry bottle. She looked absolutely terrified and she was trembling before the short and squat woman.

Bella shook her head. Umbridge had been inspecting classes since Hagrid had returned. She had immediately doubted Trelawney's skills and her disdain for the strange woman wasn't a secret throughout the Hogwarts Castle. Of course the woman didn't hate her more than she hated Bella but it was close.

"You didn't realize this was coming? Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?" Umbridge taunted in her girlish voice. Umbridge sounded endlessly amused. Bella glared, her gloved hand clutching the railing of the Great Hall. Bella leaned over it, staring with narrowed eyes.

"You c - can't!" howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, "you c - can't sack me! I've b - been here sixteen years! H - Hogwarts is in - my h - home!"

"It was your home, until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this Hall. You are embarrassing yourself," Umbridge said, dismissively. Bella growled under her breath. Padma was holding Parvati back from attacking the toad woman.

Parvati absolutely _loved_ Trelawney despite her faulty predictions. Bella didn't hold anything against her, seeing how she was an Oracle. She wasn't a total fraud though it was tiring to hear her dramatic and false predictions.

McGonagall broke away from the crowd and crossed to Trelawney. She began patting the woman on the back as Trelawney sobbed, clutching her robes around her. McGonagall glared at Umbridge.

"There, there Sibyll…calm down…blow your nose on this…it's not as bad as you think, now. You are not going to leave Hogwarts," McGonagall said, softly. Umbridge raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really, Professor McGonagall? And your authority for that statement is?" Umbridge asked in a deadly voice. Bella's eyes narrowed. If Umbridge even thought of cursing McGonagall, Bella would have her down, electrocuted in second.

Her patience was coming to a rapid end.

"That would be mine."

Everyone turned to look at Dumbledore. Despite Bella's…dislike for the man, he looked quite impressive, his eyes no longer twinkling. He looked immensely angry.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge, with a singularly unpleasant little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here -" she pulled a parchment scroll from within her robes "-an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister for Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she - that is to say, I - feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."

"He looked down at Professor Trelawney, who was still sobbing and choking on her trunk, and said, "You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he went on, with a courteous little bow, "that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."

At this, Professor Trelawney gave a wild little laugh in which a hiccough was barely hidden.

"No - no, I'll g - go, Dumbledore! I sh - shall - leave Hogwarts and s - seek my fortune elsewhere -"

"No," said Dumbledore sharply. "It is my wish that you remain, Sibyll."

He turned to Professor McGonagall. Vigorously discussed

"Might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?"

"Of course," said McGonagall. "Up you get, Sibyll…"

Professor Sprout came hurrying forwards out of the crowd and grabbed Professor Trelawney's other arm. Together, they guided her past Umbridge and up the marble stairs. Professor Flitwick went scurrying after them, his wand held out before him; he squeaked "Locomotor trunks!" and Professor Trelawney's luggage rose into the air and proceeded up the staircase after her, Professor Flitwick bringing up the rear.

Professor Umbridge was standing stock still, staring at Dumbledore, who continued to smile benignly.

"And what," she said, in a whisper that carried all around the Entrance Hall, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."

"You've found -?" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Number Twenty-two -"

"The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -and only if- the Headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

There was the sound of hooves and a smirk grew on Draco's face. A short and misplaced laugh left his lips. Bella looked to her left at her brother. She frowned in confusion.

"What is it?" Bella whispered as the new teacher became visible. She gaped.

"A centaur. Umbridge _hates_ half-breeds."

And there stood the centaur that had saved Bella all those years ago from the Forbidden Forest. The centaur that had given her answers that she had surely needed.

"This is Firenze. I think you'll find him suitable."

Umbridge's eyes blazed.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 10****th**** of March 1996**

**8:50 AM**

"I'll see you later, Mione," Bella said, waving at Hermione as she walked up the stairs to her Arithmancy class. She rolled her eyes as she looked over at Parvati. Parvati was preening almost as much as Draco did on a daily basis. Apparently, she wanted to look good for the sexy centaur.

Lavender was glaring at Bella. Bella could barely even pay attention to the petty girl. Parvati grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her to classroom eleven, not even waiting for her to pick up her pace. Bella and Parvati stumbled into the classroom nda Bella looked around in wonder.

It looked they were in the middle of a clearing. The trees were situated around the edge. There were boulders and the floor looked like fresh grass. The students already there were staring at Firenze as if he were a dementor. Bella rolled her eyes and went to sit down when a hand wrapped around her wrist. Parvati squeaked and Bella spun around her hand clenched.

"Bella Potter."

Bella blinked at Firenze before a slight smile spread on her face. She stuck out her right hand, dropping her left hand to her side.

"Firenze. It's good to see you again. I never did repay you for answering my questions, years ago," Bella said, kindly. Firenze raised an eyebrow over his bright blue eyes. He didn't expect her to be that respectful was clear.

"And you. It was foretold that we would meet again," Firenze said.

Bella looked behind her. Her classmates looked impressed that she was on speaking terms with the incredibly intimidating centaur.

"Was it? And what else was foretold?" Bella asked, carefully. For the briefest of moments, Firenze smiled. Then it disappeared. He walked towards the very side and Bella followed him. She beckoned Parvati forward. Firenze raised an eyebrow at the girl and she flushed. Bella shook her head and held Parvati in place by her wrist.

"I believed that you would be content with the Great One for information. She has told you many things, yes?" he asked, sounding amused. Bella's eyes widened.

"The Great One?"

"That is what we call her. The Great One. She Who Sees All Things Come To Pass," Firenze explained shortly. Bella shared a look with Parvati. Parvati gave her a meaningful look and then glanced at Fay. Fay seemed to be paying attention. She nodded once. Neville was leaning forward, looking rather interested though was flushing at the fact that he was eavesdropping.

It wouldn't do any good now that they were on the opposite side of the extremely large classroom.

"Interesting. She is great. I'm sure that she would appreciate the great admiration you hold for her," Bella said, respectfully. Firenze nodded and cleared his throat.

"I look forward to seeing her in my next class. I hold great respect for the Great One. Her gift has been passed down, generation after generation. From the beginning of time, the centaurs have looked to the Seer as almost a deity," Firenze said. Bella's lips twitched.

"I see. I believe that I should sit among my peers. Unless you wish to say what else you have foreseen," Bella said, slyly. Firenze shook his head.

"It is not my place to say. You already know the words of the Great One. I have looked to skies and I have been told to reiterate these words to you:

_Ride fast, ride fierce, ride bold_

_Power strong and uncontrolled_

_Followers of Light_

_Fall down in fear_

_Lips are sealed_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_Apocalypse comes, Apocalypse sees_

_The Dark ruling for eternity_

_Eternity_," Firenze said, sharply. Bella took a step back and Parvati frowned. The others were frowning in confusion. Bella shook her head and turned away from him.

"And _who _told you to tell me those words?"

"Perhaps it was the Great One. Perhaps it was the stars. I know not," Firenze said, slyly. Bella let go of a sharp breath.

"That damned little girl…are those words supposed to mean something to me?"

"Do not lie to someone who has seen beyond the present. Those words mean everything to you."

"Not anymore."

"You _lie_."

"I am NOT a liar!" Bella shouted. The room quieted and Bella flushed under their seemingly judgmental stares. Bella glared at the ground.

"Did Luna put you up to this? Did you follow her from the forest? Did she _know_? Did she know what would happen to Trelawney? Because I _know_ the centaurs wouldn't allow you to just go and work for humans. They believe that we're lower than you," Bella snarled, angrily.

Firenze said nothing. Bella hissed at him. Her eyes flashed crimson and his eyes narrowed.

"You are exactly like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And then, nothing like him at all. I imagine that is why he is so enamored with you. You are ignoring the foretelling of one of the most powerful Seers in the world. You are being foolish, young Victory," Firenze said, sounding rather annoyed. Bella turned from him, her dismissal of him obvious. She looked at him from the corner of her eye.

Everyone held his or her breath. They were surprised when Firenze bowed his head in a show of respect. Bella's eyes widened.

"No. Do. Not. Do. That."

"You are who you are, Bella Potter. Even you, Victory, cannot change that," Firenze said, softly. Bella stared at him as he walked away from her. Bella stormed after him and dropped her bag on the ground, glaring up at him.

"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was - until Monday - my home… but that is no longer possible."

"What do you mean, sir? We're not afraid," Lavender said, breathlessly. Bella rolled her eyes.

"It is not a question of bravery but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me."

Bella's eyes narrowed.

Firenze had just lied.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 13****th**** of April 1996**

**11:00 PM**

"Deadly silent when we leave this place. Is that understood?" Bella asked. The others nodded, used to the parting words after one of their sessions. She looked immensely tired. Just a few hours previously, she had demonstrated a handful of power draining spells for Ginny. Of course she hadn't demonstrated some of the Darker and more useful curses but she still had taught Ginny some impressive things.

"As always, Bella," Daphne said, with a grin.

Bella gave a weak smile before a sharp gasped escaped from her. She fell to her knees and slapped her hands to her head. She gave a sharp shriek of agony as she fell as if something had broken in her. Luna's eyes widened and her lip trembled.

"Oh…Morgana…Bella! Anastasia!" Luna called.

Bella was staring with blank eyes as scenes flashed in front of her. She couldn't even hear Luna. She wasn't seeing Luna. She wasn't seeing the room. It had all disappeared in darkness and magic.

_A dark hallway…onyx…a door. The door swung open…shelves with glass balls on it. It was a beautiful sight, the glowing glass balls. There was a light chuckle._

_Looking around…no one there…_

"_Take my hand."_

_In the nursery now. A flash of green eyes. Alabaster skin. A cry…a shriek._

"_Deliver us."_

"_HELP US!"_

"Her mind Blaise! I can't do this myself," Luna said, on the verge of sobbing. The others stared in shock. They had never seen Luna reduced to this. She had always been so calm and collected, despite her sympathetic attitude.

She was knelt down next to Bella.

"W-what?" stammered Blaise, confused. Luna grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him down.

"LEGILIMENCY, YOU MORON! SAVE YOUR SISTER!" Luna shrieked. She moaned in pain though she didn't relent from holding Bella. She shook her head.

"_Legilimens_."

_Blaise entered Bella's mind and froze at what he saw. It was a long hallway, her mindscape. There were portraits all along the onyx walls, some in vivid color and some in grays and blacks. He admired the intricacy and beauty of the portraits for only a moment before he set to the task at hand._

_He looked up and down and looked down one side of the hall. It was a doorway with the Deathly Hallows sign on it. It had an ornate doorknob on it. Blaise was attempted to approach it but that wasn't wear he felt the immense disturbance of foreign magic. He turned and looked to the other door._

'_The Unknown'._

_The door was labeled strangely. A slightly foreign magic was directly in front of him, behind the largest portrait. The portrait was taller than Blaise, around six feet. The portrait was of Bella, staring in a mirror. A large mirror that Blaise didn't recognize. She looked only eleven years old, pretty but awkward looking. She hadn't grown into her beauty yet._

_Her hands were pressed against the mirror. She was staring in front of the mirror, looking at it desperately. Tom was kneeling in the mirror, his forehead pressed to hers and his hands pressed over hers. An older version of Blaise, an older version of Hermione, and an older version of Draco were standing behind Tom. Two redheads were standing next to Draco._

_One redhead was taller than Draco and the other redhead only met his shoulder. Blaise stared at the portrait, fascinated. And suddenly words rang in his ears._

"_Melinldë ilya."_

_It was Bella's voice but the portrait hadn't moved. It was probably the only still portrait in the entire hallway. Blaise knew what the words meant, despite not knowing the langue._

_I love you all._

_Blaise's lip trembled. Those words had rang true._

_The portrait next to it was of Bella, an older Bella, and Lily Potter._

_They were standing in a decrepit nursery. Lily Potter was standing next to the older Bella that Blaise knew and loved. The younger Bella was staring at them, confused. Lily Potter was smiling at the older version of her daughter and she turned that same smile on the younger Bella. The older Bella was holding out her hand in a pleading motion. She was almost begging Bella to grab her hand._

_Blaise turned from the portrait and continued towards the door labeled 'The Unknown'._

_He stopped, a barrier holding him back. He was only five feet from the door. He pressed his hand to the barrier and it lit under his hand. It was a white barrier, made of magic not Light, Dark, or Neutral. Blaise frowned._

_This was __**Elven**__ magic. Luna had done something. And obviously, she didn't want it torn down exactly. She wanted it fixed. He looked up and down. There was the tiniest crack in the barrier. It was no bigger than a pebble but it had caused a big reaction in Bella. Blaise wondered how long she had been blocking dreams._

_Blaise placed his hand over the crack and frowned. Perhaps, if he added his own magic, familiar magic, he could help stop the dreams __**with**__ Luna's magic. Perhaps it would strengthen the barrier. Blaise focused his plague infested magic into the barrier. He gasped in shock as black veins sprouted from where he had touched. He pulled his hand away and stared through the translucent barrier in shock._

_Lady Victory stood behind it, her eyes serious. Her hand was pressed to the barrier and her eyes flashed._

"_I will break through. I swear it."_

"_I await for your coming."_

"_My dear brother, you will not have to wait very long."_

Blaise was thrown forcefully from Bella's mind and he stumbled back weak. Luna looked more worried than ever before. She was looking around, frantically, as Bella came to. Suddenly, doors appeared in the walls.

"Her magic and then the backlash of Elven magic and your Dark magic welding together disrupted the wards. The entire castle felt it. She's coming…Umbridge is coming," Luna whispered. Bella's eyes shot open entirely. She stumbled out of Luna's arms and looked at the shocked students.

"You won't be expelled because of me. Get out. Now. Through the doors. Where do they lead, Luna?" Bella asked in her weakened state. Luna looked around, not exactly panicking anymore but looking increasingly worried. She pointed to the dark blue door.

"Ravenclaw Tower. In an abandoned corridor. The one across from it will open in the dungeons. That one will open near Gryffindor Tower. She's almost here," Luna said, softly. Bella looked around and gave Fay, Lalita, and Parvati sharp looks.

"Go to Gryffindor Tower. Now," Bella commanded. The three girls began to argue. Bella glared at them, her eyes flashing with anger at their defiance.

"That's an order!" Hermione barked. The three girls stiffened and looked at her. Hermione pointed and the three girls ran towards the door, escaping through it. Daphne frowned and looked to Neville.

"I'm not leaving," Neville said, sharply. Bella frowned at him.

"Neville, I'm not—"

"Bella! I'm going to stay if you like it or not. I promised that I'd always stand by your side. All of you. I'm not leaving," he said, annoyed. Bella turned away from him, shaking her head. As he said these words, the red door disappeared. Draco turned to the Slytherins and Ravenclaws.

"Go. Now."

"I'm not going either. You two, go. And you three, go and make sure that you don't get caught. Some of Hydra can get caught but not you three. You're our intelligence base. We can't lose you. Go," Daphne urged. The two Slytherins nodded. Theodore grabbed Linda's wrist and pulled her to the green door. They disappeared through it and the green door disappeared a moment after. Padma, Michael, and Anthony ran through the dark blue door and it vanished as they closed the door.

"Very Gryffindor of you," Neville said, softly. Daphne offered a slight smile. Blaise weakly pointed to their wrists.

"Hide the ouroboros. If she wants to look underneath the leather cuffs. Bella, Hermione…glamour it," Blaise said, weakly. Bella nodded and she leaned over Neville's. She pushed his cuff up and touched her wand to the black ouroboros. She blinked in surprise when it automatically blended in with his skin except for the eye. Hermione gaped when the same happened to Daphne's tattoo.

Bella threw the doors opened and she heard the voices and saw the lights coming closer. And then the group took off running down the hallway. The people looking for them heard as well and there was a group running towards them now.

"_Trinus Pedibus!_"

Bella fell over, stumbling from the Trip Jinx, letting out a shout and a curse. Hermione, Blaise, and Draco spun around. Neville and Daphne stumbled to a stop as Bella scrambled to get up. Bella gestured for them to keep going.

They didn't move. Daphne helped Bella up and Draco pulled her closer to her siblings. Their wands were out and they were moving back slowly.

"Trip Jinx, Potter. We know you're there."

Bella's eyes narrowed in rage.

Tracey Davis.

Umbridge came running around the corner, her wand lit. She waved it and the torches lit, revealing the group. She looked like she was counting before that infuriating grin crossed her face. Her eyes fell on Bella.

"It's her! Excellent, Tracey, excellent. Fifty points to Slytherin! Seven children out of bed…I'll take it from here. See if you can round anymore of them up. Go on, Miss Parkinson, Miss Davis. You seven, follow me. To the Headmaster's office," Umbridge said. She gave a girlish giggle.

It was all too much for Bella. She lunged forward, ready to pound the woman's face in. Daphne and Draco held her back. Neville was paler than snow now. They walked quickly to the Headmaster's office. Bella tried to lunge every few seconds.

"Fizzing Whizzbee," Umbridge sang, happily. The stone gargoyle jumped aside and they ascended the steps. Bella pulled away from her brother and friend and pushed past Umbridge. She threw the door open and walked in, proudly, her head held high. She didn't care that Dumbledore's face fell when he saw her.

He rearranged his face to look serene. McGonagall stood, rigidly, her face extremely tense. Tom was staring with narrowed eyes, looking not surprised but annoyed that they had been caught.

Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, was rocking backwards and forwards on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation; Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair whom Bella did not recognize, were positioned on either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

Fudge was looking at her with vicious satisfaction.

"Well, well, well…"

"Well, well, well is right. We meet again," Bella said, nastily. She sat down in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and spun it around. She sat in it as if it were a throne and they looked at her in surprise. She leaned forward with a raised eyebrow, waiting.

"She was heading back to Gryffindor Tower. The Davis girl caught her," Umbridge said, her voice not masking her evil excitement over all of this.

"I expect you know why you're here?" Fudge said. Bella glared at him. She glanced at Dumbledore and Tom. Tom was giving her a sharp look and he turned his head to one side. Dumbledore was doing the same motion.

"No."

"I beg your pardon?" Fudge asked in surprise.

"You may beg but you shall never get my pardon. I do not know why I'm here," Bella snarled. He glanced at the others and glared at them.

"Do _you_ know why you're here?"

"Not really. I was taking a midnight stroll," Daphne said, giving a fake yawn. Draco tilted his head.

"I'm a prefect. Just taking a little patrol. In case the teachers weren't getting every hallway," Draco lied. Bella hid her smirk. Neville tilted his head.

"I l-lost m-my toad again. I n-n-needed to find him or my Gran would be mad."

"I'm also a prefect. Draco suggested the idea to me earlier after dinner," Hermione said with a slight smile. Blaise tilted his head.

"I'm half dead. I have the plague. I needed to go to the Hospital Wing. In case I keeled over and died completely," Blaise said, flatly. Fudge stared at him, frowning. He looked over at the other teachers.

"It's true," Tom supplied. Fudge nodded, slowly and obviously confused before turning to Luna.

"I'm a Seer, sir. An Elven Seer. The wrackspurts and nargles were disrupting the flow of chi. I could predict something rather disastrous if I wasn't in a calm setting. Like the end of your career, perhaps," Luna said, dreamily. Fudge paled and leaned forward.

"A Seer you say?" he asked, softly.

Obviously, he had heard about Elven Seers and how their predictions almost always came true. He obviously _didn't_ know that they didn't pick the future and only saw what was already going to come to pass.

"Yes, I do say. So in fact, we do not know why we're here," Luna finished. Bella frowned.

"They found me. I have no idea why I'm here," Bella continued. Umbridge glared at her in anger.

"So you have no idea why Madame Umbridge brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken school rules?" Fudge asked, sarcastically.

"School rules? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with them," Bella said, calmly. She crossed her legs and folded her hands together in her lap. She met Fudge with a challenging look.

Her look held her smirk.

"Or Ministry Decrees?" demanded Fudge.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"So, it's news to you, is it that an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?" Fudge snarled, his face rapidly turning red. Bella leaned forward, her eyes bright with anger.

"It's about as much news to me as Grindelwald being back is news to _you_," Bella snarled. Tom groaned, quietly.

She had just given herself up. Fudge paled.

"He. Is. Not. Back!"

"Yes. He. IS!" Bella shrieked back at him. Umbridge glared at the girl, her wand pointed at her.

"YOU MUST NOT TELL LIES!" Umbridge shrieked. Bella stood up, her own wand pointing at the woman. The end of her wand glowed dangerously.

"I KNOW!" Bella screamed back. She took another step forward and Umbridge faltered for a moment. Tom grabbed Bella by the back of neck. and she gave a scream. She elbowed him, surprising him and launched herself at Umbridge, ready to strangle the woman. Almost everyone had his or her wands out as Hermione restrained Bella.

Hermione was holding Bella in a chokehold, her wand pointed at Umbridge. Shacklebolt's wand was pointed at Hermione and Bella. Draco and Blaise's wands were pointed at Shacklebolt. Tom was pointing his wand at Shacklebolt. McGonagall's wand was pointed at Fudge. Fudge's wand was pointed at McGonagall. Daphne's wand was pointed at Umbridge. Neville's wand was pointed at the unknown wizard. The unknown wizard's wand was pointed at McGonagall.

"Wands down," commanded Dumbledore.

Nobody moved. Bella hissed in Parseltongue, making everyone pale. Tom glared at her.

"Hold your tongue."

"**I refuse to let her have the satisfaction,**" Bella snarled. Tom glared at her even more. Tom exchanged a glance with Dumbledore. His eyes narrowed and he mouthed something.

_Legilimens._

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled before he gave one nod.

He finally looked resigned and groaned, rubbing his face. Behind his hands, his dark eyes glowed with satisfaction.

"Bella has just told me that she previously met with a group of students," Tom started. Her friends looked at her betrayed. Bella stared at him in horror. Umbridge's eyes widened. Dumbledore exchanged a knowing look with Tom and nodded.

"And that I have been instructing her to do so," Dumbledore finished. Everyone dropped his or her wand immediately. Bella stared in confusion.

What had just happened?

Umbridge's eyes widened in mirth and she nodded.

"Now, tell me about this little illegal organization, Miss Potter. Or things will be much worse for you than they already are," Umbridge instructed. Bella's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, as if to say something. Everyone leaned forward.

And then, Bella spat on Umbridge's shoes.

The world seemed to have stopped.

"You are not worth my words."

"You little brat!" Umbridge roared, raising her wand. Bella held up her wand.

"I'll have you know, that I probably no more curses than a Death Eater. So, why don't you relax before my tongue slips. It's incredibly easy. The words just glide off my tongue," Bella threatened. Umbridge raised her wand. Tom turned on Umbridge holding up his wand.

"Do one thing. One thing to my Heir, and I'll have you speaking in tongues for the rest of you life," Tom snarled. Umbridge fell silent and took a step back. She glowered at the girl.

"She's been having illegal meetings for months! I know it! Her and the other children. I can give names!" Umbridge shouted. Dumbledore tilted his head.

"Do you have proof of illegal meetings?" he asked. Umbridge fell silent and glared at him, viciously.

"I thought not…" Dumbledore trailed off. His eyes were solemn. Bella knew that he knew that he wasn't getting out of here unscathed. Something was going to happen. Just as Bella began to ponder the consequences of her actions, something interrupted.

Umbridge has snapped.

"There was a meeting tonight! In the Room of Requirement, tonight! I saw the door. They are lying! It is not a coincidence that they were all in the same hallway as the Room of Requirement. It cannot be a coincidence! This castle is big enough for their passes not to cross. Why would Malfoy and Granger be patrolling the same hallway? Why would Greengrass be having a walk in the dead of night? Why would Longbottom have a _toad_? No one has toads anymore! Zabini's a liar! You can't be half dead. And Lovegood? A Seer! She's insane! There are no such things as nargles and wrackspurts," Umbridge shouted, hysterically. Percy leaned forward, frowning.

The students looked at her, offended.

"Madame Umbridge, are you okay?" he asked. Bella glared at him and he fell silent. Fudge patted Umbridge's arm slowly.

"Dolores, please calm down. We can do this in a reasonable fashion."

"I do not appreciate you badmouthing my students, Dolores," Dumbledore said, sharply. McGonagall nodded, firmly.

"You are acting little more than a child yourself. If a fifteen-year-old can rile you up, I doubt that you have the capabilities of working here as a High Inquisitor," McGonagall interjected.

Even Tom was starting to become angry with the woman.

"There shouldn't _be_ a High Inquisitor. It's only the Ministry's excuse to interfere with Hogwarts."

Everyone looked at him in surprise and he gave a one-shouldered shrug. Fudge and Umbridge were sputtering before Fudge's eyes widened and he pointed at Dumbledore.

"You said you planned this! Explain yourself or I'll have you sent to Azkaban!" Fudge shouted. His eyes displayed just how mad he really was. He was insane and terrified of the truth. It was a scary combination.

"I have recruited these students in hope that they will join me. Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting, merely to see if they would be interested in joining me," Dumbledore said.

Daphne was just about to roll her eyes when Bella spun around and gave her a warning hiss. Daphne paled and leaned back, looking stoically at the ground. Fudge leaned forward.

"You've been…recruiting? For what?" Fudge asked, his excitement growing with each word.

"For an army of course."

"Then you have been plotting against me!" Fudge shouted.

"That's right. You came here expecting expel Miss Potter but instead you get to arrest me for using the poor girl in my follies. She must be horribly confused," Dumbledore said. Bella raised an eyebrow. Tom glared at her.

"**Look confused,**" he hissed, quietly. Bella frowned, attempting to look confused but it wasn't working very well.

"Weasley! Weasley, have you written it all down! Everything he's said? His confession? You've got it?" demanded Fudge. Percy nodded, his glasses falling down the slope of his ink splattered nose.

"Yes, sir! I've got it!" Percy said, excited.

"Very well, then," said Fudge, now radiant with glee, "duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!"

Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

"Ah," said Dumbledore gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."

"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh, really?"

"Well - it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder; she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise, then looked round at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so far. The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forwards a little, away from the wall. Bella saw his hand drift, almost casually, towards his pocket.

"Don't be silly, Dawlish," said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror - I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your NEWT s — but if you attempt to — er — bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you."

The man named Dawlish blinked rather stupidly. He looked towards Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

"So," sneered Fudge, recovering himself, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

McGonagall whipped out her wand.

"He will not be single-handed!" McGonagall said, holding her wand aloft. Dumbledore looked at her sharply.

"Oh yes I will, Minerva! Hogwarts needs you and Tom!"

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

A streak of silver light flashed around the room; there was a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled. Tom grabbed the scruff of Bella's neck and forced her down on the floor as a second silver flash went off. Several of the portraits yelled. Fawkes screeched and a cloud of dust filled the air. Coughing in the dust, Bella saw a dark figure fall to the ground with a crash in front of him; there was a shriek and a thud and somebody cried, "No!"; then there was the sound of breaking glass, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan… and silence.

Bella looked up staring in horror. Fudge, Shacklebolt, Dawlish, and Umbridge were unconscious. Dumbledore's desk was overturned. Hermione was on the ground, tackled by Blaise. Draco was next to her on the ground. Neville had pulled Daphne down. Luna was standing still, looking around dreamily. Not a hair was out of place.

"Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked. Everyone nodded.

"Headmaster, why did you lie?" Bella said, softly. Dumbledore looked down at her with a slight smile.

"You did not mean harm in helping your friends pass their classes. I know Tom is exceptionally tough with his extensive class," Dumbledore said. His eyes were probing. Bella nodded, slowly. Dumbledore beamed at her for some strange reason.

Bella almost felt bad for lying.

Almost.

"Where will you go, Albus?" McGonagall whispered. "Grimmauld Place? Or…headquarters?"

"Oh no," said Dumbledore, with a grim smile, "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you."

"Professor Dumbledore…thank you so much," Bella whispered. Tom was on the ground next to her, looking at her with soft eyes. She ducked her head into his shoulder and he helped her stand. The others quickly stood and nodded their thanks.

"It is my job to protect all my students. Even if they are doing something wrong. Listen to me, Bella. Do not let your magic rage again. That is what clued her in to your illicit meetings. It can harm yourself and others. I should know from personal experience. DO you understand me?" Dumbledore asked. Bella nodded.

She still didn't like the man very much but she respected him quite a bit. Fawkes circled the office and brushed across Hermione's face. She smiled, slightly at the fire creature. The phoenix swooped low over Dumbledore and Dumbledore grabbed Fawkes' tail. There was a flash of fire and they were gone.

The group on the ground began to stir.

"Where is he?" yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the floor. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.

"Well, he can't have Disapparated!" cried Umbridge. "You can't do it from inside this school -"

"The stairs!" cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got slowly to his feet, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

"Well, Minerva," said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."

"You think so, do you?" said Professor McGonagall scornfully.

Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.

"You'd better get this lot off to bed," said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall and Tom with a dismissive nod towards Bella and the others.

McGonagall said nothing, but marched the group to the door. Daphne stopped in the doorway and turned to Fudge. She gave a cheeky look and he blinked.

"Ah, yes, Lord Greengrass' daughter. It's too bad that Dumbledore manipulated you so wrongly. What can I do for you, my poor girl?" Fudge asked in a tone that suggested that he was sucking up because of who Daphne was. Daphne had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts. I really, really don't like him…but you cannot deny he's got style…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 14****th**** of April 1996**

**8:00 AM**

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_The above is signed in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight._

_Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic_

Bella glared at the large poster on the wall outside of the Great Hall. Hermione was looking at it sadly. Draco and Blaise stared at it stoically. Everyone was trudging, not looking up from the ground. They were getting the story of Dumbledore's escape from Luna, Daphne, or Neville. It was clear that the four didn't want to talk. Last night, Bella and Hermione had forced themselves to tell Lalita, Fay, and Parvati about Umbridge's rampage and how she had seemed to go crazy. And then they had told them about Dumbledore's escape.

"How do you like the new decree, children?" a sugary voice asked. Bella spun around. Her gloved hand had the Deathly Hallows sign printed on the palm. She gave Umbridge a slight smirk.

"Let the games…begin."

Bella's eyes glittered maliciously. Hermione's eyes darkened and a psychotic grin spread across her face. Blaise's golden eyes widened in anticipation. Draco gave a rattling laugh, remarkably similar to a dementor's rattling breath.

And Umbridge felt fear.

Let the games begin.

:::

**A/N: **I know, the scene before that was a little crazy. But, granted, Bella was being a little snarky smartass. I would've went batshit crazy too. And Bella has been traumatizing Umbridge for a while. She never responded to the weekly torture and Bella is constantly threatening her in a strange manner. I'd want to pin something on Bella and I wouldn't mind going crazy about it. I felt that it should be exceptionally chaotic and all over the place because I'm sure that's how Bella felt despite her snarky attitude. She just went through immense pain and for some reason (a reason explained next chapter) Luna's barrier cracked. She was bombarded with crazy dreams that take the life out of her. Her mind is chaotic so she's taking everything in. Umbridge is insane. I hope you hate her a bit more after she dissed our favorite characters.

Next Chapter: Unspeakables, Thestrals, and Mysteries


	63. Chapter LVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Well, it has come. It is the start of the grand finale. The moment you have all been waiting for. This is how it's going to go down: sixth year will be the entire climax of the story. I'm ending the begging and the build up and have come to the point where all three prophecies come into play and twist, bringing everyone to terms with their duties. And when I say everyone, I _mean_ everyone.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 16****th**** of April 1996**

**7:00 PM**

"Good evening, Headmistress."

Dolores Umbridge looked up from her seat with a slight smirk on her face. She looked at The Girl with unapparent distaste. The Girl looked a mess in Dolores' opinion. Her hair was untamable, her fringe almost hanging over her eyes. Dolores couldn't deny that the girl was beautiful despite her messy look. Dolores gave her a slightly spiteful look before twisting her smirk into a sweet smile.

"Good evening, Miss Potter. Do sit down," Dolores said. The girl swaggered before, dropping her bag next to the customary chair that she sat in. Dolores heard her let out a quiet snort at the sight of the wooden block on her desk that said 'HEADMISTRESS'.

The Girl pulled out a piece of parchment and pulled off her black glove. Dolores felt immense satisfaction in seeing the scarring words. It would be a constant reminder of her disciplinary actions of The Girl. Dolores shook her head and The Girl raised an eyebrow.

"Put that to the side, please. We'll just be sitting for tea for the first fifteen minutes. Is that all right with you?" Dolores asked, pushing the Veritaserum spiked tea towards The Girl. The Girl frowned at it and she tilted her head.

"I'm usually not a big fan of tea. I must decline. I drink coffee," The Girl said. Dolores gave simpering smile and pushed the tea towards her.

"I must insist. This tea is delicious, I assure you," Dolores said. The Girl's eyes sparkled with malice and she took up the tea. Dolores saw her bring it to her lips and Dolores assumed that drank some.

"Good, good. Now tell me, my dear, where is Albus Dumbledore?" Dolores asked. The Girl's eyes widened and her lips twitched for a moment. Dolores frowned, wondering if she had a nervous tick.

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Very well. In that case, can you tell me about the plans that Albus Dumbledore has?" Dolores asked. The Girl took another sip of the tea and placed it back down. Strangely enough, it still looked as filled as it did before.

"I don't know anything about any plans. It was the first meeting and he was supposed to meet us and tell us about it. When he didn't, we panicked and ran," Bella lied. She met Umbridge's eyes and Umbridge glared at her.

She knew that she was lying and Bella didn't care. She clenched her fist and the silvery scars on Bella's hand distracted Umbridge's eyes. Bella pushed the tea away from her and placed the parchment in front of her. She held out her hand, waiting for the quill.

"I will take your word for it for now, but warned: the might of the Ministry stands behind me."

"And _you_ be warned: I have so much more than that."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 18****th**** of April 1996**

**3:00 PM**

"I need to take down the barrier. _Please_, Bella," Luna pleaded. The two girls were in the paddock once more. Everyday, they came and fed the two horses. Draco normally came down by himself to talk to Hades and Hades loved Luna. Bella shook her head.

"Lu, no. You saw what happened when it cracked. Blaise said there was a crack the size of a pebble and the magical residue almost destroyed my mind. I can't. Not now…not when I haven't made my choice," Bella said, softly. Luna groaned and gave Bella a look.

"I know Firenze told you the words I relayed to him. I thought perhaps another with the Sight could get through to you. I suppose I was wrong. What is it going to take Bella? You need it back!" Luna cried out. Bella turned towards her with a sharp look in her eyes. She looked past angry and she was shaking.

"I'm telling you, Luna, and I won't tell you again! I'm _not_ taking down the barrier!" Bella shouted. Luna glared at her with old eyes and Bella faltered, taking a step back. Luna grabbed Bella by the wrist.

"You think you know everything Bella Anastasia! You don't even know about yourself, Nikolai!" Luna shrieked. Bella frowned.

"Nikolai?"

"The Four, Bella. Four names preordained by the most powerful Seer, Anarya, of the Chosen Prophets. Have you not noticed that before you were aware of your fate, you used to refer to yourself by others names? Lady Mórrígan, the Lady of War. Mórrígan is an Irish shadow goddess. A war deity. The goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Lord Apollo, the Lord of Plague. Apollo was not only the Greek god of healing, light, and truth. He's also the god of plague and ill-health. Why do you think your brother is so adamant about the truth? Lord Thanatos, the Lord of Death. Thanatos is the Greek personification of Death," Luna said, pacing back and forth. Her eyes were wide, her pupils blown.

Bella winced as she felt a sharp pain in her head. Luna relaxed and the pain disappeared. She spun back around to face Bella. Bella stopped her petting of Nikita and tilted her head.

"And then, there is Lady Nikolai. The Lady of Victory. Lady of Conquest. Named after the Greek personification of victory, Nike. You will be known as many things, Bella. It's time that you accept that fact," Luna said, gently. Her voice was different from how it had been before. She had sounded irritated and more than angry. But, now she only sounded very tired.

"I didn't choose this. I hate not making my own decisions. I swear I'll make my decision soon. But not now, Luna. Not when all this happening," Bella said, softly. Luna shook her head, disappointedly.

"Bella…you're putting it off because you're scared. You can't be scared anymore. My barrier's going to break eventually. I can't keep my mind on it constantly. I'm not invincible. And you shouldn't be scared of anything. There's nothing to be scared of."

"I won't be…I'm not," Bella lied.

She turned from Luna's disappointed look. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment in the girl's eyes.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 1****st**** of May 1996**

**9:40 PM**

"If it isn't little Anya. Didn't you want to leave this hell for Easter?"

Bella looked up from her books. She was sitting in the library with her siblings, studying. Well, they were sort of sitting together. To avoid 'breaking the law', they were sitting a few feet apart though in the came area. Tom was standing over her. She smiled at him.

"Yes, well. I was but it's too much fun to stay at Hogwarts now that Umbridge is here. I decided to stay here and cause hell," Bella said, grinning. Tom raised an eyebrow and snorted. He sighed and held out his hand to her. Bella frowned in confusion.

"Come with me. We have things to talk about."

"Oh damn. What did I do this time?" Bella sighed. Draco masked his snort and Blaise glanced over at her in amusement. Hermione dutifully stayed stoic. Tom rolled his eyes and gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Nothing. I just want to talk to you. We haven't spoken in a bit, have we?"

"Tom…we 'talked' yesterday. I was in your office for a good hour and a half, 'talking' with you," Bella said. Hermione couldn't stay blank faced anymore. She giggled and Tom scowled at her.

"And by talking, you mean snogging," she snickered, quietly. Bella rolled her eyes and stood up, picking up her bag. Draco stared at her in shock. They all knew that they _should_ be studying for their OWLs but Hermione had had them studying since February, Bella reasoned. It was okay if she slacked off a _little _bit.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a twist."

"My knickers?" Draco asked, slowly. Hermione laughed a little louder now.

"Muggle expression. Don't get your wand in a twist is what she means."

"Oh…"

"Yes, don't do that. I'm only spending a little time with one of my favorite people. No crime in that, is there now?" Bella challenged. The four students missed Tom's wince at the label and he looked away from her, his face paler now.

Tom planned to speak with Bella tonight about his alter ego. Normally, he wouldn't be scared but Bella had a tendency not to hear things that was rather important. He wouldn't be surprised if something went wrong tonight.

"Let's go. Stop bickering like children," Tom sighed. Bella grinned and nodded. Tom grabbed her from the library and began dragging her from the room. Bella's grin slipped when Tom didn't drag her downstairs towards the dungeon but instead upstairs. Bella's expression turned into a frown when they turned down a slightly familiar hallway.

They stopped in front of a classroom. Tom pointed towards the door.

"Inside with you."

"What's in there?" Bella asked. Tom gave her a raised eyebrow and leaned down until his lips were next to her ear.

"Why don't you find out?" he murmured. Bella flushed slightly and she opened the door, looking around.

It was a large room for one. There were quite a few desks and the teacher's desk was towards the very front. There weren't any windows though Bella knew that. They were probably near the center of the castle. There wouldn't be any windows in this area.

And then she caught sight of the piano in the corner. She spun around, preparing to make a run for it. There was the tell tale sound of a lock clicking into place. Bella glared at Tom in anger. He was smirking at her with a knowing look on his face. He pointed towards the piano. Bella glared at him.

"Why would you do that? I don't want to play. If I wanted to play, I'd be playing," Bella snarled. Tom crossed up to her and tilted her head up. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers gently. Bella's eyes widened at the different approach. Typically, they were both aggressive during their snogging sessions. Tom was being so soft and…sweet? Bella's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Anya…for me?" Tom murmured against her lips. Bella's eyes softened and she returned the kiss, just as gently. Tom pulled away, his eyes flashing for the briefest of moments. Bella crossed to the piano and sat down. She looked over her shoulder and at Tom. He was leaning against the wall, behind her.

"What do you want me to play?" asked Bella, softly. Tom shrugged.

"Anything."

Bella nodded and she bent her head over the ivory keys. She brushed her fingers over the keys, trying to get familiar with the piano. Her fingers pressed down, pulling out beautiful chords from the instrument. Bella took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder once more. Tom was giving her a lopsided smile now instead of his usual smirk. Bella returned his smile with a half-hearted one. She looked back down at the keys, knowing that she'd probably berate herself if she even thought of messing up. Bella shook her head and then began to play.

Tom's eyes widened when she played something entirely new. Her fingers danced across the keys in a seemingly random order. They welded together to create a beautiful sound. She looked like she was hesitating as she played. She began to play faster and surer of herself. Her fingers crossed over each other as she played the beautiful song.

Bella was rocking back and forth to the pace of the music. Her eyes were at half-mast, almost closed as she played the piano almost instinctively. She pressed her fingers down hard on the chords. Her fingers danced down the line when she suddenly pressed a key that didn't sound like it belonged. Bella faltered and her fingers dropped the piano as if she had been burned. Her lip quivered as she looked down at her lap.

"I…I'm sorry. I-I messed up," Bella whispered. Tom frowned and sat down next to her. She winced when he raised his hand. Tom's frown grew deeper and he brushed her fringe from her eyes. Normally, he wouldn't coddle her but he supposed that this was time for another 'intervention' of some sort.

"That's all right, Anya. Continue playing," Tom said. Bella looked at him with wide eyes and she folded her arms over herself, as if she were trying to hold herself together.

"But, I messed up. I'm just not used to messing up…I'm sorry," Bella said, softly. Tom rolled his eyes and Bella looked at him with wide and somewhat hurt eyes. Tom pressed his lips to Bella's cheek and he brushed her hair behind her ear as he moved his lips there.

"Most people make mistakes, Anya. That's what half of our lives are made of. Mistakes. Regrets. Misery. Fear. Pain. But there are other things. I may not know a lot of the other things personally because of where I came from but I do know of them. Satisfaction. Happiness. Joy. Love. All of that…it's part of being human. And being Victory, doesn't make you any less so," Tom whispered. Bella turned to him and wrapped her arm around his neck, slowly. Tom looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Bella pressed her lips to his in a sweet and _loving_ manner. Tom sat there, frozen. The words had not been spoken aloud but he could feel it. And he wasn't sure what to do.

"Thank you," Bella whispered as she pulled back. Her eyes were brighter than they had been in a long time. He nodded once Bella turned back to the piano and picked up where she had been, her fingers dancing across the keys with a new passion.

The tone was still soft and sweet though she was playing with a slight smile on her face. Her pained expression was gone and she looked younger. For months, Bella had been looking beyond her years. She had looked too old. She now looked like the fifteen-year-old she was.

Bella finished the song, softly before a full smile spread across her lips. Tom cleared his throat, suddenly very anxious about what she was going to do.

"I have to go and finish grading papers. It's almost curfew. Perhaps you'd better go," Tom said, softly. Bella blinked and then shook her head. She looked at him with an innocent look on her face.

"Take me to the lake," she whispered. Tom raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Excuse me? I could have sworn you just told me to take you to the lake in the dead of night."

"I did. Will you?" Bella asked, softly. Tom looked at her bright green eyes and knew that his resolve was crumbling. He cursed himself in his head. He shook his head, knowing that he would take her to the lake.

Tom looked at the beautiful young woman and _knew_ that he was in too deep. At first, it had been an innocent game. Tom had entertained the thought of having his headstrong soul bound Anya. Bella was gorgeous, headstrong, and powerful. It was a good match, Tom knew. But had never thought that she'd be more then just a relief of sexual tension. He had never guessed that she'd be just as witty as him and he hadn't expected her sarcasm to be so entertaining.

He had never expected that he would come to care for her.

And his mind was screaming at him to say no. To turn away from her.

His body and soul were screaming at to say yes. To tell her all the things that he kept from her and hope that she didn't hate him for keeping things from her.

Naturally, Tom didn't listen to either. He'd say that he made his decision completely. In all honesty it didn't make sense since it was himself yelling against hm. Tom nodded, slowly. Bella smiled.

Bella slung her bag over her shoulder and Tom Disillusioned her. The pair walked through the torch lit hallways. Suddenly, a squat and ugly woman was standing in front of Tom. It was like she had appeared out of thin air. She gave Tom a look that was supposed to be a come hither look. Instead, Umbridge looked constipated.

"Ah, Headmistress," Tom said, sharply. Umbridge fluttered her eyes.

"Oh, do call me, Dolores, _Tom_."

"Do call me, Professor Riddle. Let's keep it strictly _professional_," Tom said, drawing out the words. Umbridge's squat face fell and she frowned, looking rather frustrated. She batted her lashes again and Tom gave her a flat look.

"Do you have something in your eye?" he asked. Umbridge flushed and she shook her head, stopping her ridiculous motions. She touched his arm and Tom flinched away from her. Umbridge's hand dropped. She was wearing the ugliest rings imaginable.

"Where are you off to, Professor Riddle?" Umbridge asked, cheerfully. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware that I had to tell you my whereabouts. But, if you must know, I'm on my way to the Forbidden Forest. I wish to have a chat with the centaurs," Tom said. Umbridge's eyes widened and then narrowed. Tom controlled his expression carefully despite his need to smirk. He knew that would put Umbridge off from following him.

"Ah yes the _centaurs_. The centaur here acts as if he were _human_. That filthy half-breed is infuriating. I ask him time and time again why he has come to Hogwarts but he always says that he was asked to come by someone. Damn Dumbledore…when you see them, do well to tell them that they need to take back their filthy centaur advocate. Just as bad as werewolves…" Umbridge muttered, walking away. Bella hissed, softly. She was angry. She had dared insult the centaurs and werewolves. She had personally insulted two of Bella's friends.

Bella knew that the woman had to go.

Tom's fingers wrapped around her Disillusioned wrist and she let him pull her towards the Entrance Hall. The pair walked out the two doors, silently. Bella praised Merlin that no one was patrolling outside. That was probably because they didn't believe that there was anyone to patrol against.

Bella watched as they veered to the left. The walked silently down to the take and they stopped at the very edge. Bella sat down on the grass and Tom tapped her with his wand. She felt like something was dripping down her back and now she knew that she was visible once more. Tom settled down next to her. Bella leaned over, sitting half in Tom's laps.

"I really shouldn't have agreed to come out here with you. I tend to plan all my lessons in advance and I have papers that I have been neglecting to grade. I've slacked in my reading and I have to make sure Nagini has eaten that toad, Umbridge and—" Tom said. Bella leaned forward.

"Shh…don't think about tomorrow, Tom."

"That's impossible. I always plan in advance. Especially, when there's something that needs to get done. Like you or your siblings wanting something like extra dueling lessons or a place to train," Tom said sharply. Bella sighed and looked up at the full moon. It reflected beautifully on

"Act like we've only got today, then. There's nothing that I want from you. I promise. This is all I need. _You _are all I need right now," Bella said, softly. Tom's eyes softened as they fell on Bella though they were more guarded than usual. Bella looked up at the starry sky.

"Anya…I wish to tell you something."

"Shh…just be quiet, Tom," Bella whispered. She leaned her ear over his chest and then she shifted, straddling his lap.

"I can feel your heartbeat quicken…quicken and then slow. You're nervous about something. About what you want to tell me. But, there's nothing else I need to know. If you don't really want to tell me…if it were important, you would have told me already," Bella said.

She seemed to be almost speaking nonsense. Tom frowned, wondering if it had anything to what she said earlier. Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, just looking at him.

"It's getting late, Anya. You probably wish to train tomorrow. Perhaps it is time for bed," Tom said, quietly. Bella shook her head. She looked to the sky and leaned forward.

"Even if this world came crashing down…I wouldn't care at all. Tomorrow doesn't matter to me right now. I don't want to go back Tom. I thanked you because you told me what I needed to hear. But I might forget tomorrow…I don't want tomorrow to come. Because…if there's no tomorrow, I'll have today again. Right now. There's no time for sorrow when there is no such thing as time," Bella said, softly. Tom's dark eyes softened in the moonlit night. His arms wrapped around Bella's waist, pulling her closer to him.

"And if the war starts tomorrow? If the world should end? Who will save you?"

"If the darkness descends, I don't need a savior. Tom…today…tonight, you reminded me that. You reminded me that I'm human. And I don't need to be any more or any less. I don't have to be what I'm not. Because I am. I don't know if I accept the fact that I'm Victory yet but I know now that it's not the wrong choice if I do choose to be that person. It's just a different path. So, if the world should end, I can say I've really loved. I love myself. My family. My friends. And…I don't know if I love you but I _do_ care about you so very much. You don't have to say anything but I just wanted to…tell you," Bella said, quietly.

Tom stared at her with pained eyes. Bella hugged him tightly. Tom said nothing and looked up at the full moon.

Fate was a bitch.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 10****th**** of May 1996**

**2:00 PM**

"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall. Headmistress," Bella said, her pleasant tone twisting into one of disgust when she saw Umbridge. Umbridge gave a slight smug smile, her legs crossed. She had a clipboard on her knee and a white quill.

Bella was tempted to say something nasty but McGonagall shot her a warning look. Bella nodded once and sat down.

"Well, Potter, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years," said Professor McGonagall. "Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"Yes. I was very open to two careers. My first would be to work in the DMLE as an unbiased attorney for all magical creatures, werewolves, Veela, and centaurs among some. While there, I'd also like to—"

Umbridge let out a little cough. McGonagall ignored her.

"Go on, Potter," McGonagall prompted. Bella nodded.

"I'd also like to fix some laws that I see as…unfit, racist, and completely biased. For example, the fact that werewolves cannot adopt is atrocious. There are plenty of abandoned werewolf children but even werewolves aren't allowed to adopt them. In reference to criminals, I wish to push through a few laws about the habitation of Azkaban. It's unfit for humans to live in and even criminals don't deserve that," Bella said, passionately.

Another loud cough.

"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" asked McGonagall, curtly. Bella snickered, quietly. McGonagall gave her a slightly approving look.

"Oh, no, thank you very much," said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh Bella despised so much.

"I just wondered whether I could make the teensiest interruption, Minerva?"

"I daresay you'll find you can," said Professor McGonagall through tightly gritted teeth.

"I was only wondering if Miss Potter has the knowledge to base her beliefs on. Do you, Miss Potter? Because I sincerely doubt that a fifteen year old knows anything about politics," Umbridge said. Bella gave a cruel and cold smile. She let out that soul rattling laugh and McGonagall and Umbridge tensed. Despite Umbridge not believing in Grindelwald and Voldemort's return, Bella Potter's laugh had sounded remarkably similar to Voldemort's.

"I've been studying politics since I was a little girl. I've believed in this all my life. Because of the Ministry's bigoted ways, these races think less of themselves. I met a half-Veela who thought she had to act mean, cruel, and she thought she had to take advantage of her face to be any good. That's because of the wizarding people's views on these people. It's unfair. They base these people on their race and _not_ their personalities because the Ministry does the same," Bella said, sharply. Umbridge leaned back, annoyed at the girl's passion. Umbridge opened her mouth to say something when McGonagall interrupted.

"That will require training within the Ministry after you graduate. You will gain a Mastery in Politics and in Political Science. You'll have to graduate with top marks to be accepted into the Ministry's folds at your young age. You said that you had another option as well? Perhaps an Auror?" McGonagall asked. Umbridge coughed again.

Loudly.

"Are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop, Dolores?" McGonagall demanded, annoyed. Umbridge didn't lose her smile.

"Oh, no need, thank you, Minerva. I was just wondering whether Miss Potter has the temperament for an Auror," Umbridge said, sweetly. Bella cleared her throat and both women looked towards her. Bella gave a slight smile.

"I don't wish to be an Auror anyway. I was talking about…a teacher, perhaps. I'm probably at NEWT level in Ancient Runes. I've been learning since I was around six, so almost ten years. My Uncle Sirius let my study pretty much anything I wanted. And I'm past NEWT level in Defense Against the Dark Arts and I'm planning to take my Masteries for both by the end of my seventh year," Bella said, slowly. Umbridge and McGonagall looked surprised.

Bella was surprised herself. She had thought about being a teacher. She had fun teaching Ginny though the girl's reflexes were still slow as hell. She had fun teaching Hydra.

"Are you suggesting that you wish to teach at Hogwarts?" asked Umbridge. She looked ill.

"It's not like you'll be Headmistress for long. You won't have to deal with me," Bella snapped, snarky. McGonagall's eyes gleamed with improvement and she nodded.

"It's difficult to pass a Mastery test as a seventh year student. I hope you keep up with those particular subjects. The only person I know that graduated with more than two Masteries would be Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle. Both graduated with about five," McGonagall said. Umbridge's eyes gleamed at the mention of Tom. Bella cleared her throat and nodded.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't tell him that I'm out for his job."

"I will not. He'd blow a gasket, no?" McGonagall said with a slight smirk. Bella nodded, grinning. Her grin slid off as she turned back to Umbridge.

"But, that's only a back up plan. I want to change some things at the Ministry. Be sure to tell your boss that, thanks. Have a good day, Professor McGonagall. Have a…goodbye, Headmistress," Bella said when she couldn't think of anything very nice to say. McGonagall's lips twitched into a smile.

"Have a good day, Potter."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 10****th**** of May 1996**

**3:30 PM**

"I love you guys. I hope you know that."

Her three siblings froze. Luna sat up straighter. They were sitting by the oak tree, just talking about the most random of things when Bella had decided to contribute that little fact. Blaise looked at her with glittering eyes.

"What?" Blaise said, softly. Bella looked at them with a slight smile.

"I love you guys. I haven't been the best sister and I _know_ I haven't been the best person to be around and I'm sorry. I needed to sort things out. I'm better now. I don't want to make my choice now but now I know that choosing to be Victory isn't wrong and doesn't make any more or any less human. Choosing to be Victory would be okay because it's not a bad choice. I can't be someone who I'm not. And…I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a perfectionist. And I've also come to terms with the fact that it's okay to make mistakes. Because it makes us human," Bella said, firmly. Hermione opened her mouth.

"Bella—"

"I'm not done yet," Bella said, quietly. Hermione leaned back and gave a slight smile.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. Go on," Hermione said, her voice showing her pride for the girl. Bella nodded and she crossed her arms.

"I'm still afraid. I'm so afraid. The prophecy scares me. I'm afraid that I'll turn out to be a horrible person. I've never killed someone for no reason and I'm afraid that's what this prophecy means. I'm afraid that I'll believe in Grindelwald's ways when I don't now. Despite having something tell me what's going to happen, I'm still afraid of the how and why. But just because I'm afraid…it doesn't make me a coward. It makes me _human_. And that's a good thing. I may have done less than human things and I may do that in the future but I'll never lose my humanity in doing so," Bella said, softly.

She looked down at her lap and was surprised when a pair of arms wrapped around her. She looked up into Blaise's eyes. He was smiling at her, softly. She hugged him back.

"We love you too, Bella," Blaise said, softly. Bella smiled back and clung to him. Hermione enveloped Bella in a hug from the back, her head on Bella's shoulder. Draco hugged all three of them and he pressed a kiss to the top of Bella's head. Bella looked at Luna. Luna was giving a slight smile.

"Welcome back, Nikolai."

The three other siblings looked towards Luna with wide eyes. They frowned in confusion as Bella's smile grew and her eyes sparkled.

"That isn't my name yet. But it's good to be back, Luna."

"Soon Bella. Soon, it'll break," Luna said, softly. Bella's eyes took on a determined glint and she nodded once.

"And that day, I will make my choice."

"Good."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**2:21 AM**

The scream pierced the night and Hermione jolted awake with the other girls in the dormitory. Typically, they slept all right despite the fact that it was OWL week. She ran to her sister's bedside. The girl was screaming, her eyes closed. Her back arched and her eyes flew open. They were green though the whites were now black. Lavender screamed as well.

"Go get McGonagall! Go!" Hermione shrieked. Fay and Parvati were running downstairs immediately. Hermione was sure that everyone in Gryffindor Tower was awake now. Hermione grabbed Bella.

"Wake up! Anastasia! Ana!" Hermione begged. Bella's screaming continued and Lavender passed out at the sight of Bella's eyes. Hermione shook her sister and Bella jolted in arms though she kept screaming in agony. There was the sound of running and McGonagall was in the room, looking frazzled.

"What happened? What happened?" McGonagall demanded. Hermione shook her head, unable to speak.

"Luna…Luna Lovegood…" Hermione said. She began to hyperventilate. McGonagall spun and looked around. Parvati was already jumping up.

"I know where the Ravenclaw Tower is!" Parvati said. McGonagall nodded and watched as Parvati, Fay, and Lalita ran out. Lalita stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Hermione.

"The others?"

"Yes…get my brothers. My brothers are your first priority. Then, Tom…get him if he's here and then…the Hospital Wing," Hermione got out. McGonagall had long since silenced Bella but Bella was still writhing in agony.

"Professor Riddle is absent at the moment. Fetch Miss Potter's…brothers and then proceed to the Hospital Wing," McGonagall added. Lalita nodded and ran down the steps. McGonagall levitated Bella off the bed and walked out briskly.

Hermione walked out, stumbling. All of Gryffindor was in the Common Room, looking around wide-eyed. Hermione broke down sobbing and Ron went forward to comfort her. She pushed past Ron and Ginny touched the girl's arm. Gideon was frozen in horror.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny breathed. Hermione shook her head.

"I…I don't know. It just happened…" Hermione hiccupped. Neville was staring in horror. Hermione grabbed Neville and towed him out of the room. The Weasleys attempted to follow, naturally. McGonagall stopped them when Draco and Blaise almost barreled into her. They looked out of breath. And they stared at their downed sister. Daphne, Linda, and Theodore were just behind. They froze at the sight.

"Oh God. Oh God," Draco said, softly. Blaise leaned over her and he touched her forehead. He jolted and whimpered.

"The barrier. It shattered…" he whispered.

The silencing spell was slowly breaking and short shrieks were escaping from Bella now. McGonagall stormed through Hogwarts and entered the Hospital Wing. By the time they were safely inside with closed doors, Bella was screaming at full volume. Lalita followed a second later. Madame Pomfrey ran out, looking frantic.

"What's happening? What's wrong?" she asked, frantically. McGonagall shook her head just as confused.

"I don't know. I'm not sure. Mr. Zabini said something about a barrier shattering. Poppy could you please get her to calm—"

The doors were thrown open and Luna came walking through with Padma, Parvati, Anthony, and Michael trailing behind her. Luna looked every bit of the Elf she was. Her silk purple Mandarin collar was high and her hair was pulled back in a French braid, exposing her pointed ears. The grey of her eyes were essentially nonexistent. McGonagall stared in shock.

"_Sáma cuivië. Imbi terhantë. Mestaes myloli. Borol shi thi. Bolysia tysti mi. Taji os tyli. SHI MOLAEL!_" Luna commanded in Druhir. Bella fell silent though she still writhed in pain. She crossed to Bella's bedside and grabbed Blaise. She brought the terrified boy to the bedside. She held out her hand to him and he stared.

"Grab my hand. The barrier shattered. It's like glass. We have to pick up the pieces," Luna said, sharply. Blaise nodded, picking up his wand. McGonagall glanced at the doors. Draco and Hermione exchanged looks.

Umbridge.

"Lock the doors," Hermione commanded.

"Now," Draco added. McGonagall watched in wonder as the group of students, lead by Neville Longbottom of all people began locking the door with various spells. Hermione and Draco added their own with a flash of bright lights. Luna grabbed Blaise's hand and the two leaned over her. Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat.

"What are you going to do? What happened?" Pomfrey asked. Luna cleared her throat.

"I put up an Elvish barrier to block her dreams. They were disturbing her. For months, she hasn't been able to dream. They were all behind the barrier. But, now on my birthday, the Summer Solstice, it shattered. The summer solstice was 2:21 today. My concentration is taken up by visions entirely. Right now, I'm going to have a right headache later because I'm going to attempt to clean Bella's mind. I need Blaise to help me. I promise, we won't do any lasting damage," Luna said. She leaned down and looked into Bella's panicked and agony filled eyes.

"Come on, Nikolai…look at me. Nikolai…Nikolai! LOOK AT ME!" Luna shrieked.

Bella's eyes found Luna's and she choked on her scream. She began seizing on the bed though she never broke eye contact. She looked at both Blaise and Luna. Luna touched her finger to Bella's forehead.

"_Jhaendrolostael_," Luna said, invoking the Elvish version of Legilimency. Luna's eyes were blank and suddenly her pupil was gone. Her entire eyes was grey. Blaise shifted and pointed his wand at Bella.

"_Legilimens_."

_Blaise looked at Luna. She was staring down the hallway, at the door labeled 'The Unknown'. The barrier was devastated, black veins on the pieces of glass. It covered the entire ground. On the other side was the door with a lock. Luna was holding a key in her hand. Luna was looking back and forth. She looked at the largest portrait and touched it. She turned away from the portrait._

"_Which door should we open?" Blaise asked. Luna tilted her head._

"_Both. Come on. The shards are piercing her mind, causing immense pain. It's like thousands of pieces of glass are stuck in your skin but a thousand times worse. I knew I should've taken it down before…" Luna muttered, angrily. Blaise grabbed Luna's hand. Luna looked over at her friend with a frown on her face._

"_Bella's stubborn. We can do this. Come on," Blaise said. He frowned, picturing a broom in hand. It appeared. Luna did the same and two began sweeping the pieces of glasses. It didn't feel long to Blaise at all but Blaise knew that in actuality, that entire thing had probably taken much longer._

_They now had two neat but very large piles of glass. Luna looked down at it and frowned._

"_What do we do now?" Blaise questioned. Luna knelt next to her pile and plunged her hand into the glass. She did the same to the other pile. She was now kneeling, both hands in the shards of glass. She didn't hiss in pain though she did feel it. Luna looked at Blaise and nodded to the glass._

"_Reabsorb your magic. We can't have any lingering magic. She already has enough foreign magic in her mind as it is. Siphon your magic. Imagine it back within yourself. And then we will look behind the doors," Luna said, simply. Blaise nodded and he plunged his hands into the glass. He closed his eyes, concentrating on pulling every last bit of his own magic from his little sister's mind._

_It was a lot of work, siphoning back the magic that had just started getting used to residing in her mind. But, it worked well. The dark magic was slowly creeping from the glass. The glass was rapidly disappearing as well. Luna's eyes were closed in the utmost concentration. The magic was sliding under their fingernails, causing their fingernails to crack and their fingertips began to bleed. Blaise gasped as the last of the dark magic came into him._

_It was like greeting a long lost friend. Blaise leaned back and watched as Luna continued absorbing the glass. The pile disappeared not long after Blaise finished. She swayed, drunk on power before straightening. She held up the key and turned towards the door marked 'The Unknown'. Luna pointed towards the door with the Deathly Hallows symbol._

"_You get that one. I know what 'The Unknown' holds. You don't wish to see it," Luna said, softly. Blaise nodded and made his way down the hallway. He grasped the doorknob and turned it._

_The door flew open and a woman stood in the doorway. She was wearing a peach colored bustier, riding pants and a long black coat with a high collar and buckles. The Slytherin locket hung from her neck. The charm bracelets were still on her wrists. She looked like a matured Bella. She was staring with wide eyes._

"_I'm free…I can __**leave**__," she breathed. Blaise looked up at her. She finally saw him and she smiled._

"_Apollo."_

_Blaise blinked, recognizing the name for what it was. It was something resembling a title. It was what people would call him soon. A name that everyone would absolutely fear. And he now knew who this woman was._

_Not that he had any doubts to who she was before._

"_Nikolai. You're Nikolai," Blaise said, softly. The woman smiled brightly._

"_Finally, someone gets my name right. Years ago, one Tom Riddle woke me. He asked who I was. I am many things. I am Victory. I am Conquest. I am Nikolai," the woman said. Blaise nodded and hugged her tightly. Nikolai laughed and returned the hug, tightly._

"_You're my sister. You're the sister I always saw when Bella decided to go save someone. Everyone else thought it was a hero complex but I knew it was you," Blaise said. Nikolai nodded giving a slight laugh._

"_I know. Where is she?"_

"_I'm right here."_

_Blaise and Nikolai broke away from each other and turned. Bella and Luna were standing in front of the doorway labeled 'The Unknown'. Bella's eyes held a haunted look and she kept trembling. She took a shaky step forward and leaned on Luna for support. Her eyes were bloodshot but they were normal now._

"_Bella," Nikolai said, softly. Bella looked at the woman._

"_Victory…Nikolai."_

_Blaise and Nikolai met Luna and Bella in the middle of the room. Nikolai held out her hand. Bella looked at it, tentatively._

"_Take my hand," Nikolai whispered._

_And suddenly there was a crack of thunder and the group spun to look at the largest portrait. It was quickly turning black and was replaced with another image of something else entirely._

_It was a dark hallway. The door was growing closer and it swung open. The portrait now displayed a room with glass balls on racks upon rack. It was huge. Bella stared in wonder and Nikolai's eyes darkened in suspicion._

"_Well, well, well. Look what Trixie dragged in. An Unspeakable," said a voice. Luna and Blaise stared as Nikolai and Bella's eyes glazed over with what could only be described as lust and obsession._

_In the portrait, Lord Voldemort stood in front of a crumpled man. A woman with crazy hair, identified as Bellatrix, was bouncing up and down, clapping her hands. She wasn't wearing her mask but the other people with her were. There was about ten of them. Their hoods were up so you couldn't make out their features._

"_Piss off."_

_Bella gasped and stumbled backwards. Nikolai froze where she was. They both recognized the voice too well. Luna and Blaise stared in growing horror. If things weren't bad, they were much worse now._

"_Such insolence," Voldemort tutted._

"_Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted, pointing her wand at Sirius Black. Sirius cried out in pain and shook on the ground._

"_No need to tease, Trixie," said a familiar voice. Bella stiffened. She now knew whose point of view the vision was from._

_Grindelwald._

_Grindelwald was watching with an amused air. Voldemort looked up with a slight smirk on his face. He tilted his head._

"_You're back. How was your trip?"_

"_Uneventful yet productive. Cherry, 12 inches, and hair of a unicorn, drenched in its blood. Quite a dark combination, no?" Grindelwald said. Sirius was glaring up at Grindelwald with flashing eyes. He looked more than angry._

"_What seems to be the problem?" Grindelwald asked._

"_I've just fetched him. He'll be taking the prophecy for us."_

"_I can't take it. You obviously haven't done your research. It doesn't matter that I'm an Unspeakable! I can't touch it, you bastard!"_

"_CRUCIO!" Bellatrix shouted. Sirius screamed again and Bella's scream mingled with his. Sirius was breathing heavily._

"_Lord Voldemort is waiting," said one of the masked Death Eaters. Sirius spat at his shoes. The Death Eater kicked him in the stomach. Sirius fell over and shook with the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse._

"_He'll have to wait forever. I can't get it. So he'll just have to kill me," Sirius whispered._

"_Undoubtedly you will," Grindelwald cackled._

_The vision faded to shouts of protest. Bella spun, looking panicked._

"_GET OUT!"_

Luna and Blaise were forcefully thrown from Bella's mind and they were breathing hard now. The sun was beginning to set already. The entire group was there still. Some were studying. McGonagall was gone and Pomfrey was most likely in her office.

"What time is it?" Bella rasped. Her throat was raw from her constant screaming.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"MADAME POMFREY! THEY'RE AWAKE!" Hermione yelled, happily. She threw her arms around the three of them though they weren't concerned with returning the hugs. Draco hugged them as well.

"It's a little after eight o' clock. At night. You missed the OWLs. Granted, it was only Care of Magical Creatures, but you still missed it," Draco said. Bella nodded, distractedly as Madame Pomfrey bustled out. Blaise's wand was on her as soon as he caught sight of her.

"_Stupefy!_" he shouted. A red light blasted out and hit her. She crumpled and everyone began to panic. Parvati and Padma were shouting. Daphne was frozen in shock. Blaise straightened.

"Lord Voldemort and Grindelwald have made their move. They have Sirius Black. In the Department of Mysteries," Blaise said. Silence reigned in the room. Bella sat up and looked at everyone with cold and determined eyes.

"The vision interrupted me from making my choice. This is the present problem. My godfather. We have to save him but to do that, we have to get around Umbridge and the staff. They won't let us go. Umbridge will insist that they aren't there. The staff will try to stop us from getting hurt. This is how it's going to go down: Padma, Parvati, Anthony, and Lalita you're staying here. Distract the staff. Theodore, Michael and Linda, you'll distract Umbridge. Luna, Neville, Fay, and Daphne are with us," Bella dictated. She stood drew her wand, her face very serious.

"What! We want to go—" Padma protested.

"Those are your orders!" Draco barked. Her protests fell silent. Everyone drew his or her wand.

"Give her hell," Hermione said, sharply. They all nodded. The group enlisted to cause the distraction departed immediately, hell bent on doing what they were told. Daphne, Neville, Fay and Luna turned to Bella. She was pacing.

"We have to get there…somehow," Bella said.

"How are we going to get London? How did you just send them off without even a plan?" Blaise asked, irritated. Bella glared at him.

"No fighting. Planning, people. _Planning_!" Daphne hissed. They stood there for a few minutes in complete silence. Everyone turned to Hermione. Hermione groaned in anger.

"I've thought of everything! Absolutely everything. There is absolutely _no way_ we can get there. I can't think of anything. We could use broomsticks but you and Draco have the fast brooms and we'd have to use school brooms. We'd be so behind that we shouldn't even bother!" Hermione complained.

Bella turned sharply to look at her sister.

"No way? Listen to me now. For years, I've been a little coward who always second guesses herself. Just now, I went through the most excruciating pain ever and I didn't do it for no reason. So, fuck that 'no way' business. We're going to fucking find a way," Bella snapped.

The others stared at her in shock as she began pacing. She was completely different then who she'd been hours ago. Her eyes no longer held a haunted look. They were sharp, bright, and determined. Luna smiled proudly.

"There's no way I'm going to settle with the loss of my godfather. There's no way damn way you're going to see my satisfied with watching my godfather die," Bella said. Daphne's eyes widened just as Draco's did.

"Hades!" Draco shouted. Everyone looked at him with a frown except for Daphne.

"Excuse me? I-I don't understand," Neville said, quietly.

Daphne was the one who answered with only five simple words.

"Thestrals. We can use thestrals."

They missed the twin redheads hiding behind one of the beds.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**8:20 PM**

"What's the plan?" Parvati asked when they were finally in the Entrance Hall. Everyone looked to Lalita and Padma. Padma shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Interrogations. I don't know how to make a distraction," Padma said, shaking her head nervously. Parvati groaned and everyone turned to look at Lalita. Lalita flushed and pulled on her long messy braid. Draco would've killed her for braiding it earlier but she had explained that braiding hair was a nervous habit she did when she was very worried.

"I…we lock them in the Great Hall," Lalita suggested. Theodore shook his head.

"The other teachers will be able to take down the spells almost immediately after they figure out that they've been locked in," Theodore reminded her. Michael's eyes lit up.

"_But_ perhaps that can be only the first part. We have to make sure they get off the grounds without being stopped. The faculty is only the first part of our trouble. The second part and the biggest part would be keeping Umbridge out of their hair," Michael said, remembering Umbridge. He groaned in frustration. Linda looked over at the Great Hall. The doors were cracked open and dinner was still in full swing.

"Should we start now? Locking the doors?" Linda asked. Anthony shook his head.

"No. No. We'll do that after they've left the castle. While we wait for them to come down, we're going to figure something out. If we had more time, I suppose we could make a better plan but—" Anthony said. Parvati sighed.

"We don't have time," Parvati finished. Anthony nodded and sighed.

"I wish we had Luna. She'd know what to do. Despite her craziness she _is_ one of the smartest Ravenclaws," Anthony sighed. Parvati, Lalita, Linda, and Padma exchanged looks but kept quiet except for a few giggles and a smile.

"Right. But we don't have Luna. She's with the others. Our mission is just as important as theirs. We're to get them out. We open up this operation. So, let's get to thinking," Theodore replied. Padma's eyes lit up.

"I have something!"

"I thought you didn't do distractions," Parvati teased her sister weakly. Padma gave her sister a glare.

"So not the time. We have to flood the Great Hall," Padma said with bright eyes.

Everyone froze and stared at her like she'd grown another head. And then Michael grabbed her by the shoulders and placed a sharp spur of the moment kiss on her. Padma flushed a dark, dark red. Michael's eyes were bright in excitement and he was completely disregarding the stares he was getting. Parvati elbowed her sister with a giggle. Padma flushed even more and stared at Michael.

"That was brilliant! Some of us lock it from the inside. Others lock it from the outside. The people inside start flooding the room. It's brilliant. We'll move from place to place so the teachers don't notice. We'll have to put a hell of a lot of power in the spell but it'll get the job done. And if we're lucky, some kids will catch on and add to it! Brilliant, Padma!" Michael said, excitedly. Padma nodded, slowly. She swallowed.

"Er…yeah. Maybe if they come down in time, they can lock the outside for us and all of use will be inside so we can flood together," Padma said. Michael pressed another kiss to her cheek.

"You're plans get more and more brilliant every time you speak."

"What gets more and more brilliant?"

Everyone spun, pointing their wands at the speakers. Bella was standing at the top of the staircase, in battle robes. Hermione had her own battle robes on. Luna was standing in a Mandarin collar dress that could double as battle robes. Draco and Blaise ran down the staircase with Daphne. Neville followed them as quick as possible. Bella tugged her black jacket around her tighter. It fell to her ankles and her boots were visible. The collar was high.

"You look like Nikolai," Luna said, softly. Bella nodded, distractedly. She looked at the group.

"Do you have a plan yet?"

"Of course. Padma came up with it. We're going to lock the doors from the inside and flood the Great Hall. We were wondering if you could lock it from the outside too," Michael said, grinning proudly. Padma's blush had not subsided as of yet. Bella grinned and her eyes were bright.

"That's actually a great plan. I'm all for it. When the others come up here, I'll tell them. Go inside and start locking," Bella instructed. The group nodded. Padma led them inside and she went over and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Anthony and Michael walked with her, quickly. Umbridge was looking around with piercing eyes. The talking was subdued but loud enough to mask their spells.

They aimed their wands at the closed doors.

"_Obfirmo Ostium_," Padma whispered. She saw her friends murmur the same words and it all happened. A lock clanged into place. Everyone looked up from their meals as lock after lock closed, effectively locking everyone in. They began screaming and Umbridge rose, her wand out.

"_OBFIRMO OSTIUM!_"

The shout had been from four familiar voices. Bella Potter's was prominent among the mix. Umbridge gave a shriek of anger. The outline of the door lit up gold. Then it lip up black. Then it lit up silver. It finally lit up a bloody crimson and the doors let out a hiss. The teachers rushed to the door and began shooting spells at it but Padma knew that it'd be a while before they figured out that a great deal of power would be needed to take down the spell.

"_Aguamenti!_" Padma muttered. A spout of water erupted for her wand and fell onto the ground. It created a small puddle. Padma groaned.

This wouldn't work.

Michael shook his head and aimed his want at the ground.

"Not enough, Padma. _AGUAMENTI!_"

The teachers couldn't hear him over the other students' shouts and carrying on. A large funnel of water spurt onto the ground from his wand. The others took his example. Padma grinned when she saw the older Weasley twins exchange looks. They aimed their wands towards the ground and repeated the spell.

Perhaps, Padma's brilliant plan wouldn't fail as she thought it would.

* * *

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**9:00 PM**

The thestrals landed gracefully in an unoccupied part of London. Draco slipped off and helped Bella down from Hades. Hermione had been riding behind Blaise on another thestral. Luna had her own and Neville and Daphne had ridden on another. Bella turned towards them and then turned to Draco.

"Where's the entrance to the Ministry?" Bella asked. Draco looked at the street sign before grabbing Hades around the neck.

"A few blocks from here. Hades, can you make yourself invisible again?" Draco asked. The thestral seemed to be giving him a look that was obviously saying 'Of course I can, stupid'.

Within seconds, the thestral had disappeared to Daphne. She jumped while the others stared at the thestral. Neville cleared his throat, frowning.

"Is it gone?"

"Yeah. You guys can see it still obviously," Daphne sighed. Bella nodded and Draco grabbed Hades around the neck. They walked down the street of the residential block and turned onto a main street. They walked down, quickly, ignoring the stares they were getting for their attire.

Neville was wearing enlarged extra battle robes of Draco. He was wearing a long dark jacket and tight yet not restricting pants. Blaise and Draco wore something similar.

"Hello, beautiful. Do you and your friends want to ditch these chumps and hang with us?"

Bella glared at the teenage boys that had addressed her. The one that had spoken was dangling at cigarette from his fingers. His hand was on her wrist. She spun, punched him in the nose and gave them the finger with her gloved hand. They looked at her in surprise.

"If you don't piss off, I'll hang _you_. I'm busy. Go prey on some other girls, assholes," Bella snarled. They cringed and Bella turned, walking always briskly. Hermione and Daphne snickered as they followed Bella. Blaise and Draco gave the boys withering looks and even Neville looked a little pissed off.

"Turn right at this corner and then it's right there," Draco prompted. Bella nodded and turned the corner. She knew she was getting looks but she couldn't bring herself to care. Draco walked ahead of her and pointed at the red telephone booth. Bella slid inside and grinned when she saw that it was magically expandable. Everyone slid inside comfortable.

It got uncomfortable when Hades entered.

"Oh jeez…get his arse out of my face!" Hermione complained. Draco glared at her and he tried to push Hades from his face. He only pushed the thestral into Neville. The thestral neighed in annoyance and tried to take a nip out of Draco.

"Whoever is closest to the receiver, dial six two four four two!" Draco commanded. Blaise reached over and spun the dial. It whirred back into place and there was silence for a moment.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business," a cool female voice said.

Bella blinked.

"Er…Bella Potter, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Daphne Greengrass, Neville Longbottom…we're here to save someone and in the process, possibly beat down Grindelwald and Voldemort," Bella said. Seven badges slid out from where coins normally would. Blaise grabbed the badges and handed one to each person.

_Bella Potter, Rescue Mission & Assassination_

"Nice!" Daphne said, looking at hers. Hermione rolled her eyes and snickered.

"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a—"

"Yes, yes. Can we fucking move?" Bella snarled angrily.

The floor of the telephone box shuddered and began to moved downwards, taking the group below busy Muggle London.

They sank into the Atrium and Bella stared. It was completely deserted. She pushed out and stared. She didn't even listen to the goodbye the telephone box gave. She placed her wand on her left gloved palm.

"_Point me Sirius Black!_"

It spun in hand and pointed southeast. Bella nodded once and picked up her wand. Bella spun around and looked at her friends. Draco already had his scythe in hand. Hermione's sword was out and she was slashing it back and forth, trying to get into a rhythm. Neville was clutching twin daggers nervously. Blaise's spear was in his hand in an offensive position. Daphne's eyes were hard as she drew her katana. Luna even had nunchucks. Bella smirked.

Bella glanced at the golden fountain of the witch, wizard, goblin, centaur, and house-elf. It looked rather offensive since the creatures were sort of bowing to the witch and wizard. Bella walked, with a purpose towards the southeast part.

She looked at the lifts and stepped into it. She closed the gate as everyone, excluding Hades, piled in. Draco waved at the thestral.

"I'll be back. I promise."

"Which button?" Bella asked. Luna pointed, dreamily though her eyes were sharp.

"Press nine. My prophecy from your birthday has startled already.

_As lightning strikes_

_Let us hear War's cry._

_As Plague watches,_

_Let Death ride._

This morning, the barrier broke. Hermione cried out. Blaise watched the vision. Draco rode his horse. Though, I'm not sure if that's entirely what I meant.

_Victory vows not to lie._

_Do not betray his trust._

_For life, he shall be deprived of._

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had one lovely daughter her._

_Half to darkness, she be drawn._

_Half to light, she be shown._

_Light meets dark in the stillness between._

That is you. Do not betray Sirius' trust. You did not yet life he still may be deprived of. You are drawn to the darkness. It's blasphemous to deny your true calling in the wizarding world. Everyone knows that. It's like going against your very essence. But yet you haven't been forced to see light yet so that has not started. I suppose it's just a remind of what is to come.

_Going under._

_Heart torn asunder._

_As she falls with Elder, rain and thunder._

_There the Angel goes, down, down, down_

_Going under_

_Her hear torn asunder_

_As she falls, rain and thunder_

_Catch her, catch her, don't let her fall._

_Oh, too late._

_Rain and thunder_

_She's way down._

_She's gone under._

That hasn't happened yet. That's happening _now,_" Luna said, conversationally as they moved down through the depths of the Ministry. Daphne and Neville were staring at her wide-eyed.

"W-what? Really?" Daphne stammered. Luna nodded and gave a grim smile.

"Of course…I believe I know what's to happen. She will be hurt. He will bring despair. Without him, you will feel nothing else," Luna said sharply. Bella froze up and turned and she tilted her head.

"My answer remains the same. I rather feel despair then nothing at all."

"Then you shall learn of your mistake tonight. Your dire mistake and its consequences. Press on."

"Department of Mysteries," a cool female voice said when they were finally to the corridor. Bella all but threw open the gate and ran as fast as she could from the lift.

Bella looked at the door and walked down the hallway, confidently. She opened the black door and everyone spilled in after her.

"Now what?" Hermione whispered.

"Close the door," Bella commanded. Draco did as she said. The circular room was plunged into darkness except the little blue flames that came from the candlesticks. And suddenly the walls began to spin. Bella looked round and round, not able to tell which was the exit.

The spinning came to a stop.

"Which door?" Neville breathed, nervously. Luna pointed to the one directly in front fo them. Bella nodded and opened the door. She stared with wide eyes.

They were standing on the top tier in a large theater type room. It sunk in like a pit, row after row of stone tiers. Bella scrambled down from stone bench to bench as she came closer to the ancient and crumbling archway. There was a black veil fluttering between it. She could feel Draco behind her.

"It's so…beautiful," Draco breathed. Bella turned around. Her friends were repelled by it, excluding Luna. Luna looked torn between following and staying with her friends. Hermione and Blaise looked utterly repulsed by it. Blaise looked like he was about to be sick. Draco brought back the veil with his hand and he stared into it. There were faint whispers.

"That place looks beautiful…" he breathed. Bella tried to see what he was seeing.

"NO! Don't touch it! Only Draco, Ana! Only Draco," Luna shouted. Bella cringed from as if it burned and she walked back up towards her friends. Draco looked like he didn't want to be away from the stone arch. Draco touched the archway again and Blaise vomited on the floor. Everyone jumped away from the sick. Draco ran up to his brother.

"What was that?" Blaise murmured as they exited the room. He was leaning on Hermione for support. Luna frowned.

"That's a Bridge. To Death's dwelling place."

Everyone stared at her as if she'd grown another head. Draco nodded, enthusiastically.

"It was absolutely beautiful," he grinned. Bella sighed and turned to Luna. She pointed to another door and Bella opened it. A bright glare had everybody squinting. Bella cringed away but soon she grew accustomed. On every possible surface, there were clocks. Bella walked through, not sparing a glance. She threw open the door and couldn't even look around.

"_CRUCIO!_" roared a foreboding voice.

Sirius' screams reached Bella's ears. Bella's eyes widened. She had hoped. Prayed. That Sirius wasn't there but that wasn't the case. He was here. Bella took off at a run and took up her wand.

"_ASTRAPI!_" she shrieked. A bolt of lightning flew forward and there was a sound of someone stumbling into glass. Glass shattered. Bella reached the end of the rows and there stood eight masked Death Eaters, Grindelwald, Bellatrix Lestrange, and him.

Voldemort.

Sirius was crumpled on the ground and he lifted his head. His eyes widened in fear when he saw Bella and the children behind her. Bellatrix sneered at Bella and she lifted her wand. She obviously wanted a fight.

"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived," Grindelwald said, brightly. Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he walked forward. His long fingers gripped Bella's chin and he made her look up to him.

"The pretty sister. Draco lies. You are the prettier of the two. You get lovelier each time I see you," Voldemort said, softly. Bellatrix made a scathing noise. Voldemort gave her a cruel glare and she was quiet. Bella felt her cheeks heat up involuntarily.

"Thank you."

"Enough of the pleasantries! Flirt with her on your own time," Grindelwald snapped. Voldemort rolled his eyes. Bella flushed even darker and she took a step back. Blaise pulled her back and he lifted his spear.

"I hope you know who you're dealing with. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Blaise said, coldly. Grindelwald turned to him, looking amused.

"And what is that, little boy?"

"The easy way: We can take Sirius _and_ the prophecy and let you walk away for another day. The hard way: we can kick your ass so hard, you'll be limping for weeks. And _then_ we'll take Sirius _and_ the prophecy. So, what's it going to be?" Draco demanded.

"I suppose the hard way then. _AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Grindelwald shouted. Everyone ducked out of the way. Bella jumped up and began throwing spells at him. She walked in front of her downed godfather and began defending herself as spells were thrown at her. Daphne and Neville ran back down the hall as three Death Eaters chased after them. Luna was holding her own against a Death Eater. Voldemort was watching, standing like a statue. Bellatrix stalked over to Hermione.

"I've heard that you've grown better. Here for a rematch?" Bellatrix taunted. Hermione smirked.

"Trust me, Trixie. It's not going to be much of a match."

:::

**A/N: **I've left off right there. Otherwise, my plans wouldn't work out. Next chapter is the big chapter. The chapter where Bella finds a little something out. And let me tell you, it is _not_ going to be pretty. Someone is going to get jacked up and it's not going to be good. I'm so excited to write the next battle scene. I hope you'll be satisfied. I wonder if anyone will guess where the last line is from. The original doesn't have 'Trixie' in it, of course but I hope someone _does_ figure it out.

Next Chapter: Veils, Returns, Elder, and Nikolai


	64. Chapter LIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **AND HERE IT IS! I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES SINCE I CAN DESTROY AND PLAY WITH EVERYBODY'S EMOTIONS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT! WELL…HERE. WE. _GO!_

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LIX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**9:03 PM**

"Did they go? I know they went!" Ginny shouted. Padma and Parvarti stayed pressed against the wall, in knee deep water. Ginny waded over to them, Gideon and Ron flanking her. Her wand was raised and her eyes glinted.

"We don't answer to you!" Michael shouted back. Ginny glared.

"Bella trained me! I need to know where my teacher is! She could get hurt. She escaped off the grounds. I heard them planning in the Hospital Wing. They're taking thestrals to London. Because Voldemort and Grindelwald have Sirius. I need to help her!" Ginny cried out, angrily. Anthony sneered at her and held his wand, threateningly. Despite his focus on gathering intelligence, Anthony did know how to handle a wand.

"You're not the only one she trained, Weasley. We won't sell Bella out for anything," Anthony snapped. Ginny growled and she shot a spell at them. Anthony dodged and suddenly someone had Ginny in a chokehold. She gasped at the knife held to her neck. Ron was on the ground, Linda's high heel on his chest. She was gigging the sharp heel into his chest. Gideon was in the water and Lalita was holding him underneath.

"Make one more move against him and I'll slit your throat. Linda will pierce Weasley's chest and we'll drown your twin," Theodore hissed. Ginny nodded, frantically. The three let loose the three Weasleys. They stumbled backwards and Gideon's eyes narrowed when he looked at McGonagall. She was still trying to unlock the doors.

"McGonagall! The Order!" Gideon shouted. Ron and Ginny exchanged looks and began to run. Padma started after them. Anthony held her back, shaking his head.

"No. Let them try to get to her. This is our mission. They should be in London by now. We'll unlock the doors to let McGonagall get back-up and then we'll lock it after her. Okay?" Anthony said. Padma nodded, reluctantly. They lifted their wands and pointed it at the door. Ginny was frantically saying something to McGonagall. McGonagall was pale and began trying to unlock the doors.

Padma gasped as she felt a burning on her wrist. She moved the leather cuff and looked down at ouroboros tattoo. It was glowing crimson instead of black now.

"_ALOHOMORA!_" Hydra cast.

The doors hissed and flew open, water spilling out into the Entrance Hall.

Padma frowned.

Crimson was decidedly Bella's color.

What happened to Bella?

* * *

**Hall of Prophecies, Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**9:10 PM**

Bella knelt in front of her godfather. The Death Eaters were holding her friends and siblings, tightly. Bellatrix was holding Hermione by the neck at arms length. She had a vicious stab wound in her stomach and she was dripping blood. The sword was back on Hermione's arm. Luna's captive was choking her. The girl was slowly turning blue. Blaise was on the ground, black blood dripping from him. A Death Eater's boot was on his back. One Death Eater was holding Draco, carefully, as if the boy were made of porcelain. Neville was being held in a chokehold, a wand at his temple. Daphne's katana wasn't with her. Blood was falling from her lips.

"See what happens when you don't let the adults handle things?" Grindelwald asked, tauntingly. Bella hissed at him.

"Fuck you."

"As flattering as that is, I must decline," Grindelwald said, lightly. Bella gave him a snide smirk and she gave a harsh laugh. He looked at her in surprise. He tilted his head in confusion.

"Yeah. That's probably because you've still got a thing for Dumbledore, right?"

"_CRUCIO!_" Grindelwald shouted.

Bella's friends gave screams but Bella didn't let out a single sound. Her back arched under the pain and she twitched. Her eyes held a defiant gleam to them, not unlike the look in Lily Potter's eyes before she died.

That was probably the reason why Grindelwald took a step back. The spell broke and Bella leaned back up, breathing hard. She was holding Sirius in her lap as he gathered his strength. Bella glared at the Death Eaters before looking at her friends. She felt nothing but despair. She turned her eyes onto Voldemort. He was looking away from her pointedly.

"What? You're not going to take your turn?" Bella asked, breathing hard. Voldemort turned his crimson eyes onto Bella. He was looking down at her with an unfathomable expression on his face.

"Do you wish to suffer my Cruciatus? I daresay that it's much worse than Grindelwald's," Voldemort said, quietly. He was holding his wand in a peculiar way. It was hanging between his fingers, as if he wasn't ready to duel. As if he were being lazy. Bella frowned at his hands and she leaned up on her knees, staring at his fingers.

Dammit…that hold was so damn _familiar_.

"You…your wand. Why are you holding it like that?" Bella questioned, softly. Voldemort stiffened and grabbed hold of his wand better. Bella leaned back, frowning and Sirius seemed to have gained back enough strength to sit up. He pulled out his wand, slowly. Bella grabbed his hand and slowly stood up. He stood with her, shakily. She made eye contact with each person in the arm of Death Eaters. They all gave tiny nods. She began to spin her wand slowly like a baton. She spun it behind her back and Sirius' eyes widened when he saw what she was doing.

"_Kveykva!_" Bella cried out, pointing her wand at Grindelwald. The Death Eaters let go of their hostages to protect Grindelwald. Blaise scrambled up and grabbed Hermione's hand. He began running down the hallway. The others followed his example. Bella started running, looking behind her as she kept the bolt of lightning going. She let go and jerked her wand back. The spell ended as it crashed into the rack that Grindelwald was reaching towards. The glass balls exploded and some shards hit Bella's face. She didn't care. She was running alongside Sirius, intent on getting away.

"Why'd you come? How'd you know?" Sirius asked as the duo shot spells behind them at the pursuing Death Eaters. Bella shout a 'Reducto' behind her before she answer. She turned back to him as they approached the door. She ran through after her friends and Sirius closed it. He put his hand to it and there was the sound of a lock clicking into place.

"Come on. I know how to get out of here," Sirius said. He led the way, limping and jolting every few seconds. Bella caught up with him easily and they entered the chamber with the Veil again.

"Uncle Sirius, why didn't you tell me you're an Unspeakable?" Bella demanded. Sirius didn't stop running but he turned to face her with a disbelieving stare. He shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"I cannot believe you're asking me this _now_. Can we do this later? After we get out…_Reducto!_" Sirius shouted, turning around. Daphne gave a loud shriek when she saw the Death Eaters right behind them. Voldemort was leading the way and Grindelwald was suspiciously absent.

"You're a curious one. I have to say…you intrigue despite what Grindelwald says. I believe I'll let you walk away freely after this," Voldemort said. The Death Eaters turned to stare at him. Bellatrix was openly gaping.

"Liar," Hermione spat.

"_Crucio!_" Bellatrix snarled. Hermione gave a cry of pain before she bit her lip bloody. Bellatrix seemed angry that she wasn't getting a reaction. She pumped more power into the spell. Hermione continue to bite her lip though tears ran down her face.

"_Stupefy!_" Sirius shouted. Bellatrix blocked the Stunning Spell easily. Sirius raised his wand, ready to duel her. Bellatrix gave a cocky smirk and slid into a comfortable dueling position as well.

"Enough! I do not lie. I may manipulate and twist the truth until it's almost unrecognizable but I do not lie."

Bella froze.

Her wand slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. The clatter echoed in the large room and she stared with wide, fearful eyes at the man. She raised a shaking finger, pointing at Voldemort. She stooped to pick up her wand and stood, shaking.

It couldn't be…but those words had been spoken verbatim to her before.

"Liar…"

Voldemort frowned at her in confusion.

"YOU FUCKING LIAR! YOU SON OF A BITCH! HOW _DARE_ YOU? HOW DARE YOU LIE TO ME? HOW _DARE _YOU LIE TO VICTORY?" Bella screamed. Voldemort's eyes widened and he took a step back. Bella launched herself at the man, tackling him. She threw her fist down and punched him in the face.

The Death Eaters ran forward but Voldemort pushed Bella off of him. He held up a hand and got into a dueling position. Bella did the same with furious eyes.

"No, no. It seems me and little Anastasia have some unfinished business."

"You got _that_ right, you motherfucking asshole. You _lie_!" Bella screamed in rage. Suddenly, a battle started. Bella's siblings spun into action.

Hermione spun slashing her sword through the closest Death Eater's throat. He gurgled and fell to the ground. She stabbed Bellatrix in the stomach again. Bellatrix backhanded her as Bella and Voldemort circled each other.

"You really wish to fight me, Bella?"

"You _lied_ to me. I don't just wish to fight you. I wish to _kill_ you," Bella hissed, angrily. She shook with the rage she felt.

Tom was Lord Voldemort.

Tom Riddle was the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord was Tom Riddle.

Lord Voldemort was Tom.

"Then…we bow," Voldemort said. Sirius looked at her with terror filled eyes but he couldn't take his eyes off of Bellatrix for even a second. Hermione was by his side, helping him though he continued to protect her more than himself.

Bella swept into a lower bow than she normally would. Voldemort returned the favor. He tilted his head, giving her the first shot. Bella's lip quivered.

"You know…you made me feel human. I can't say the same for you, you monster. And I think…I don't care if I'm human or not anymore. I don't care if I'm any more or any less. I'm not afraid. I've made my choice," Bella said, softly.

"_Grab my hand…"_

_Bella was in her mindscape again. Nikolai stood in front of her, her hand held out to Bella. Bella bit her lip and looked at Nikolai with a nervous expression on her face. Despite her words, she was still frightened._

"_Will it hurt?" Bella whispered. Nikolai gave a smile._

"_Utterly painless. I promise you."_

"_And him?" Bella said, speaking of Tom or Voldemort. Nikolai's smile didn't disappear. She sighed, wistfully._

"_That's your decision to make. Grab my hand."_

_And Bella stretched out her hand and took Nikolai's. Nikolai's eyes brightened._

"_I am you."_

"_You are me," Bella responded. Nikolai and Bella leaned forward into their handshake._

"_Bound we are, for all eternity."_

Bella's eyes flew open and there was a crack of thunder. Everyone froze as lightning struck the stone bench right in front of Bella. She stared at the object floating in midair. Voldemort's eyes widened in recognition. Bella's left hand went out.

The Deathstick.

The Wand of Destiny.

The _Elder_ Wand.

And Bella's hand shot out and she gripped it. It was like a song had sounded throughout the entire room. Bella's mouth fell open as a bolt of power ran down her hand. It went to her palm and she felt like her hand was on fire. The glove melted away and fell to the floor. Her red and white scars were visible though Sirius couldn't see.

"It seems you have acquired another Deathly Hallow. You truly are powerful. Just as lovely as well," Voldemort said, softly. Bella glared at him through the tears and blood on her face. In her haste to blow up the glass orbs, pieces of glass had fell on her face.

"Shut up. Shut up! Don't talk to me like you're my friend. Like you're my lover," Bella said, whispering the last part so only he could hear. Voldemort's expression didn't reveal anything though his eyes looked pained.

"_Diffindo!_" Bella shouted as she shoved her holly wand up her sleeve. She didn't move the Elder Wand to her right hand. It felt too right in her left hand. She spun and slashed down, not even bothering to say any words. The magic was too raw. Her emotions were just as.

Voldemort countered with a deadly purple spell.

"_Protego!_"

The battle became fierce. They were throwing spell after spell at each other. The pair didn't notice the Order arrive. The Order stared at the gifted children in front of them. Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody among others stared in shock at the prowess Bella was dueling with.

Tonks stared at the young fifteen-year-old. She fought better than most Aurors. She was holding her own against Voldemort. Tonks blanched at his terrifying face. He looked angry beyond belief yet he wasn't shooting any Killing Curses.

"You son of a bitch! Why. Won't. You. DIE!"

Tonks cringed at the screams. She raced forward, intent on helping Bella. Remus had the same idea it appeared. The two appeared at Bella's side but she wasn't even paying attention. She lunged at Voldemort and the two began a hand-to-hand fight. Their wands were forgotten as they threw punch after punch.

"Why. Won't. You. Listen?" Voldemort hissed back, just as angry. Bella's punch connected with his stomach and Voldemort took a step back. His hand shot forward and he backhanded her. She fell to the side and spit the blood from her mouth. She stumbled and looked up at Voldemort. Voldemort was staring at his hand with wide eyes. Tonks frowned in confusion.

Why did he seem so…horrified?

"Enough! I'm done with the games," Bella snarled. She jumped up and held out her wand.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Bella screamed. Tonks gaped and took a step back. The tell tale green light shot her from wand. Voldemort ducked and the spell hit a Death Eater dueling a blonde girl. The Death Eater fell and the blond girl slit his throat, just in case.

"Using an Unforgiveable? You truly have forgotten what it means to be human. And in such a short time, Victory," Voldemort said, coldly.

Tonks was terrified of the cool smile Bella gave him. Her eyes looked dead except for the spark of anger in them. She looked up at the tall man. Remus tried to shoot a spell at him but Voldemort blocked it with ease.

Tonks looked around her. Everything was in chaos. A twenty-year-old man with curly blond hair was dueling Dumbledore. Dumbledore looked at a loss though he dueled him well enough. Tonks turned back to the door where they had come through. The three Weasley children had insisted on coming but they were waiting outside in Muggle London. She hoped they would be okay.

"I don't think you have the right to talk. I doubt you were human in the first place, Voldemort. And the name…is Nikolai," Bella said, sharply. Voldemort tilted his head.

"It wasn't long ago that I knew you by another name."

"It wasn't long ago that I didn't know you were truly a monster," Bella snarled back. Tonks wondered what Voldemort had done to make the girl so angry. Suddenly, Bella spun from her opponent. Tonks and Remus turned as well. Hermione and Bellatrix were dueling on the dais.

A red spell shot at Hermione. Hermione froze when she was suddenly pushed out of the way. The spell hit Sirius and he fell back, gracefully. His back arched as he crashed through the Veil. Bella dropped to her knees as an agonized scream escaped her lips. She stumbled up and ran forward towards the Veil when arms wrapped around her, holding her back from entering the Veil.

Bellatrix gave a triumphant laugh.

"BELLATRIX!" Voldemort roared. Bellatrix paled and she took off running out of the room. Voldemort took off after her, throwing curses. Bella didn't even chase after Voldemort. Tonks watched as streams of tears ran down Bella's face.  
"Uncle Sirius! Sirius! Padfoot! _DADDY!_" she screamed. She tried to fight off Draco and Blaise. She was sobbing. Dumbledore was still dueling Grindelwald despite him looking back towards the Veil. Bella fell to her knees and tried to crawl towards the Veil. Hermione was crying, frozen on the ground.

"No. Stop! Stop! He's gone, Bella! He's _gone!_" Blaise shouted. Bella shook and her eyes glowed.

"No! DADDY! _DADDY!_" Bella screamed. Blaise held onto her tighter, his spear forgotten by his side. Draco's scythe was on the ground as well.

"He's not coming back, Bella! Stop! He's dead! Don't die, Bell," Blaise begged. Bella shook her head in agony. She was shaking on the ground, the Elder Wand forgotten. She was shaking, her face screwed up in grief and pain. Luna was watching sadly. The other Death Eaters had run after Bellatrix. Only one remained and he was hidden in the shadows.

Draco let go of Bella and Blaise looked at him as if he were crazy. He knelt down next to Bella. Bella was crying as she tried to crawl towards the Veil to get her godfather. Blaise's hold didn't relinquish on her waist.

"I'll go get your daddy, okay? You…shh, Anastasia. Ana, I'll get him for you," Draco said, softly. Bella sobbed, not even listening to him. Draco stood up and grabbed his scythe. He looked at the foreboding archway. He gripped the sides of it and Remus gasped, realizing Draco's intention.

"Draco! No!" the lone Death Eater shouted. Draco turned to look at him and gave a slight smile.

"Run," he whispered. The Death Eater shook his head as Draco bent his head forward. The Order members ran towards him. The Death Eater turned and ran out of the room. Tonks, Remus, and Kingsley didn't even bother running after him. They were all frozen. Remus couldn't even move though he wanted to run at the Veil as well.

"_Aperi januam inferni. Si inveni got amissa anima. Filius mortis invenio venit anima. Aperi januam inferni domino vestro,_" Draco murmured, his wand not even out. His eyes glinted silver and he swallowed hard. The Veil's whispered quieted and a bell seemed to be toiling.

The sound was daunting and Bella's whimpers quieted. She stared as Draco pushed aside the Veil.

_We want you. We want the Claimer's Son. Give him to us._

The whispers had returned with a vengeance. They were loud shouts now, screams overlapping with other screams. Bella's whimpers were now nonexistent. Draco swallowed and looked up bravely.

"I'm here. I want the soul, body, and mind of Sirius Black returned…intact," Draco added as an afterthought.

_And what shall you give us, Son of Death? Even __**you**__ must pay a price._

"Anything."

_Enter Death's Circle so we may claim our price. And you may return with one Sirius Black. So mote it be?_

"So mote it be," Draco agreed. He passed through the Veil and it fluttered behind him. Blaise, Hermione, and Bella stared as the Veil's fluttering stopped for a moment. And then suddenly it flew open, an old bell ringing loudly. Grindelwald and Dumbledore stopped, clapping their hands to their ears.

A black head emerged first. A thestral with wings. Bella stared for a moment, not processing anything. She knew unconsciously that it was Hades that had come through the Veil. Draco was riding on his back, a slumped over Sirius Black. Draco coughed up blood onto the ground but Sirius wasn't moving. Bella frowned.

"What…what's wrong with him?" Bella whispered. Draco coughed up more blood.

"I…I couldn't pay the full price. I…he…coma," Draco said before slumping off Hades and falling to the ground, passing out. Bella's eyes widened in horror. She felt ready to cry again. A tear slipped down her cheek.

_Anyone __can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength._

Bella's eyes widened as her mother's words floated from behind the Veil. Bella swallowed the lump in her throat and she stood up, dust and dirt on her from exploded stone benches. A burn was on her leg from one of Voldemort's spells. She picked up the Elder Wand and kissed Sirius on the cheek.

"I'll be back for you, Dad," Bella whispered.

She turned from him and looked at her siblings. They were looking at her with frowns. She glanced over to Dumbledore. Grindelwald had escaped in the middle of their battle and now Dumbledore was checking over the Death Eaters.

Six of them were dead. The other four had run when Voldemort had stormed after Bellatrix. Dumbledore wasn't even paying attention to her. They had assumed that they had gotten away.

But Bella had a gut feeling.

"Nikolai…go," Luna breathed. She wheezed and pressed her hand to her chest. Daphne was leaning over Neville, trying to stop blood running from his broken nose. Daphne's wand arm was at a strange angle.

"There is something I need to do. Something that I need for myself," Bella whispered. Hermione looked at her with soft eyes.

"Go…we'll be there as soon as possible," Hermione said. Bella nodded and she half limped and half ran out of the room. She threw open the doors, looking for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It quickly became clear to Bella that had disappeared from the Department of Mysteries.

But, Bella knew Tom, or she used to or maybe she never did. But that was beside the point. Bella knew that Tom wouldn't leave their confrontation hanging in the air. They'd finish this round.

Bella pressed the button the to lift, harshly. She heard the others approaching behind her but she didn't have time to wait. The lift opened and she stepped inside and pushed the button going to the Atrium. She went up, quickly and the gate opened for her. Bella looked out and didn't move. She could see them, standing in front of the golden fountain. Voldemort was standing in the front, Grindelwald next to him. Voldemort's hands were folded behind his back.

"She's not going to come," Grindelwald sighed. Voldemort glared at the man.

"Shut up. She will. I know her better. She'll come."

"He's right. He does know me better," Bella shouted. She crossed into the room and glared at the snake-like man. She stared at him with challenging eyes and pointed the Elder Wand.

"We're not finished," Bella spat. Voldemort drew his own yew wand. Bella glared at it, angrily. She didn't draw her holly wand.

"Too right you are."

Bella stood in the middle, her long hair dirty with grime, dust, and blood. Her eyes sparked with anger too great to express with words.

"But…" Bella said, softly.

"But?" Voldemort said with a blank voice.

"We're going to talk. I don't give a damn if you have you fucking Death Eaters here. I don't care if Grindelwald is here. We're going to talk, you good for nothing bastard," Bella hissed. Bellatrix was heaving in pain yet she had the strength to glare at Bella.

"Shut up! You filthy half-blood!"

"Quiet, Trixie. Bellatrix, you will be severely punished for disobeying my orders. However, you four will all leave. Immediately," Voldemort said, coldly. The Death Eaters nodded and filed towards the Floo. Bellatrix gave a scathing look at Bella. Bella glared back.

"_Crucio_."

Bellatrix fell to the ground screaming. Bella let up only thirty seconds later. She gave Bellatrix a nasty smile. Bellatrix hissed at her but Voldemort gave a warning glare. Bellatrix slipped into the green fire and then it was extinguished.

"That's how you cast a proper Cruciatus. Now, we shall talk," Bella whispered.

"Fine…_talk_."

* * *

**Starbucks, Stonebridge, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of June 1996**

**11:00 PM**

"I can't believe they made us stay!" Ginny complained. Ron nodded in agreement and he crossed his arms, angrily. He moaned in hunger and shook his head.

"It's not fair! I'm Bella's best friend! I should be down there, fighting with her," Ron said. He took a bite of the donut. Gideon raised an eyebrow at his older brother. Maya looked a little fed up with him. Gideon was surprised she hadn't snapped yet. Her boyfriend and her daughters were in the Ministry, presumably dueling and she couldn't do anything.

"I thought they denounced you. Didn't you tell them something highly offensive?" Gideon asked, blandly. He took a sip of his tea as Ron sputtered. Ginny snickered at her brother but turned to Gideon. She had a spark in her eyes. She leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"One of us should just go check to see if they're okay," she murmured. Gideon turned to her with wide eyes and nodded, anxiously. Maya wasn't even paying attention. She kept tapping her fingers on the table and she took a sip of the black coffee in front of her.

"Which one of us?" Gideon whispered back. Ginny glanced at her raving brother and turned back to Gideon.

"Not him. He'd be a right idiot and get himself killed. I'll go," Ginny muttered. Gideon's eyes widened and he shook his head, anxiously. Ginny looked at him in surprise.

"No. Ginny, you're my sister. And you know a bunch of spells but your reflexes are still slow. And you're hotheaded. You'll want to get in the fight and you might lose. I'll go. Just to look," Gideon said. Ginny pursed his lips but Gideon wasn't worried at all.

Despite his sister's pseudo-Gryffindor attitude, she was still in heart and mind, a Ravenclaw. She'd see reason and let him go instead. Ginny gave a short nod and Gideon stood. Maya looked at him, sharply.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" she asked. Gideon swallowed. He was never good at lying.

"Bathroom."

Maya looked him up and down before giving a curt nod. Gideon slipped down the hallway, where the bathroom was and looked for a back exit. His eyes lit up when he caught sight of one. He slipped out of the unlocked door. He took a few minutes to do a silly victory dance. He walked down the dirty and disgusting alleyway.

He emerged into Muggle London. He looked around for the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. His father had taken Ginny and him this way when they were little kids. He frowned, focusing.

"Looking for something, honey?"

Gideon looked at the plump blond woman that somehow reminded him of his mum.

"Er…yeah. Have you seen a girl…a really gorgeous girl with dark hair, pale, pale skin, and green eyes?" Gideon asked. He didn't notice that his question had caught the interest of a few kids leaning on the wall smoking cigarettes.

"I'm sorry. I haven't. Sounds like a catch though. I hope you find your girlfriend," the woman said. Gideon flushed.

"She's not my…never mind," Gideon groaned as she walked away from him. Gideon looked around when he felt a tap on his shoulder. The redheaded teen turned and looked at the boy.

"Er, what?" Gideon asked. The boy smirked.

"I saw that chick. She was nice looking. She your girl? Because she was with this three other boys. A fat one and two rich looking guys. They had on nice leather and all. The girl was a little feisty too. I like that," the boy smirked.

Gideon frowned at the derogatory way they were talking about Bella. And when they had asked that question, Gideon had had a strange flash of Bella staring up at Riddle with complete adoration in her eyes. He shook his head.

"She's not my girlfriend. Though, I'm pretty sure she fancies someone. Not that that's any of your business. Can you just tell me which way she went? I think she ran into some trouble. I'm just checking up on her for…her mum," Gideon said. He almost grinned on the spot.

He found it was much easier lying to kids around his age than to adults. The boy sized him up before exchanging a look with his friends. He shrugged and pointed across the street.

"Disappeared near that telephone box. I think she walked past."

"Thanks," Gideon said, running across the street. He looked at the telephone box and stepped inside. He grinned as the memories came back to him. He pressed the necessary buttons and he heard the cool female voice.

"Gideon Weasley. I'm just checking in."

_Gideon Weasley, Visitor_

Gideon pinned the badge to his shirt as the floor began moving and he sank down into the depths of the Ministry. He stared at the sight that met his eyes. He didn't move and he couldn't breathe. Bella was standing in front of a man. The man had to be at least six feet tall. His head was bald and he was pale, almost greenish in color. His eyes were slit and red. They weren't red like Bella's sometimes became. His eyes were the color of drying blood.

He was wearing long billowing black robes and he didn't hold a wand in hand. His fingers were long and his hands resembled gigantic spiders with long spindly legs. His nose was flat to the point that it was nonexistent. Instead of nostrils, he had slits for a nose.

His fingers were holding up her face by her chin. Bella was staring up at him with dark and angry eyes. Gideon felt as if he had just walked in on something exceedingly private and intimate.

"Come now, Nikolai. Talk."

"Don't call me that! You don't have the right!" Bella snarled, angrily. The man or monster looked amused yet subdued at the same time. Gideon looked behind the man. Standing near the fountain was a twenty-year-old man that would always look familiar to Gideon. Gideon cringed away from the man who haunted his nightmares.

Gellert Grindelwald.

"Didn't you want to talk?" Voldemort taunted. Bella nodded once. Voldemort looked up and his red eyes fell on Gideon. Gideon pressed against the back of the lift.

"It seems we have a guest, however."

Bella spun around and her eyes widened when they fell on Gideon. She shook her head, frantically.

"No…don't hurt him."

"I did not plan to," Voldemort said with a slight smirk. Bella glared at him.

"You lie."

"I thought I told you that I do not lie."

"And I'm supposed to believe you after what I just discovered? You've got another thing coming _Voldemort_. Gideon…go. Please go. I can handle this," Bella said, softly. Gideon shook his head, slowly.

"I'm not leaving you with these sickos," Gideon said, sharply. Bella glared at him with anger and command.

"You will go! Now! Tell Mum that I'm fine but…Dad isn't," Bella commanded. Gideon paled several shades, his freckles becoming predominant feature on his face. The lift lifted with Gideon inside. Only three remained in the room. Bella had the feeling that Luna was holding them back to allow her this.

"Now, I will tell you what I've done for you. Fifty thousand tears I've cried over you. I've lied for you again and again. I vouched for you with Sirius when I'm sure that in that state, he would've torn you apart. I _trusted_ you. Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for _you_! And you still won't hear me. You truly don't believe that you haven't lied to me?" Bella demanded. Voldemort raised a hairless eyebrow.

"I did not ever explicitly state that I wasn't Lord Voldemort."

"That's as good as lying! Why didn't you tell me something this important? I can't believe you! And when I thought I couldn't go any lower just when I thought I'd reached the bottom. And it gets better. My siblings. What will they say when they find out that the person we trusted more than anyone was the man working against us? Not to mention that you fucking tortured my father!" Bella shrieked. Voldemort continued to look rather stoic. Grindelwald was snickering the background. Bella gave him a withering look. He returned it with a nasty look.

"I did not lay a hand nor a wand on Sirius Black. I had Bellatrix take care of it. She does so love torture," Voldemort said, almost affectionately though he viewed Bellatrix as almost a niece. Bella's eyes flashed.

"God! I fucking _hate_ you! You're acting as if it doesn't matter at all and I'm getting sick of it! I wish…I wish you'd just drop _dead!_ You're such a fucking pain in the ass. I've never been angrier. I thought you'd _cared_ for me!" Bella screamed.

"Go ahead and scream. Scream at me. It won't change a thing and you know it. I tried to tell you all year. Don't you think I tried? You always interrupted me and told me that you didn't want to hear it, dammit. I saved you last year. If I didn't care I wouldn't have done so," Voldemort hissed, angrily. Bella was too angry to even see reason. She could only feel the hurt and betrayal. She shook her head, tearing at her hair. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Tom…you don't get it. I thought I _loved_ you. Now, all I feel for you is complete and _utter_ hatred," Bella whispered, brokenly. Voldemort froze and Grindelwald was watching with bright eyes like it was Christmas. He had never seen his enemy this broken. She was crushed because of something as little as heartbreak. She was crying over this but not a Cruciatus.

Bella began to twirl the Elder Wand just as the two lifts from the Department of Mysteries came to the Atrium. Bella wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were on Voldemort. Voldemort slid his yew wand up his sleeve and drew his Acromantula web wand. He pointed it at Bella. Bella's mind shut down and she went on animalistic instincts once more.

"_KVEYKVA!_" Bella shouted. The cursed black and white lightning met white and crimson lightning. Bella held the curse and she glared at him. Voldemort's eyes were wide. Grindelwald was shielding his eyes from the glaring light.

"You are a fool, Bella Potter! And you will lose everything!" Voldemort shouted. Bella hissed, angrily.

"I've already lost it all. There is nothing more you can take from me," Bella said, just for him to hear. Voldemort's spell built in intensity and Dumbledore made his way forward, ready to stop the fight. Bella held up a hand and she looked at him.

"No!" Voldemort and Bella shouted, as their spells grew stronger and stronger. Dumbledore stopped and watched, anxiously.

Suddenly, Voldemort jerked his wand back, breaking the spell. The _Kveykva_ went towards the fountain and Grindelwald ducked out of the way. It hit the gold fountain and the fountain exploded. Shrapnel flew everywhere and Bella was suddenly on the ground and someone stood in front of her, shielding her from the gold. Bella looked up at Voldemort and he was glaring down at her.

The fireplaces roared to life, green flames. Fudge, Umbridge, and a load of other Ministry workers flooded into the Atrium. They saw Voldemort and Grindelwald and it was thrown into chaos. Voldemort almost groaned. Her grabbed Bella by the neck, pulled her up, and put his wand to her forehead.

Silence reigned.

"Gellert! Stop your apprentice!" Dumbledore shouted. Grindelwald smirked.

"I can't really do that. Really, once Voldemort gets something into his head…he's been increasingly fascinated with little Bella Potter for quite a while," Grindelwald taunted. Everyone stared in terror at Bella's captor. The Elder Wand hung loosely from her fingers. She suddenly looked less angry and more tired and just sad.

Hermione and Blaise were frozen in horror in the lift, unable to move.

"Make one move and I'll move her brain to the Brain Room. Permanently," Voldemort threatened.

No one moved. No one wanted to be blamed for the death of the Girl-Who-Lived. Voldemort bent to whisper in Bella's ear.

"I have seen your heart and it is mine."

Bella glared at the ground.

"I'm sorry and repulsed to that…that's true. I wish I wasn't. I wish I had nothing to do with you," Bella whispered back to him.

"You lie. I'll always be there…inside your mind."

Voldemort threw Bella to the ground and backed away. He Disapparated with a crack and Grindelwald began inspecting his nails. Everyone stared at him and Grindelwald looked up with a smirk.

"I'm sure we'll meet again, Bella. Albus. Ta."

And with another crack he was gone.

Bella fell to the ground and Hermione and Blaise were by her side in a second. They tried to help her up but her eyes looked dead.

As everyone cried out around her and Fudge declared Voldemort and Grindelwald's return, Bella sought out the one girl that she needed. Luna walked up to her and stared down at her with sad eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella murmured, her voice filled with the emotional pain that she felt. Luna's breath hitched. Blaise and Hermione frowned in confusion.

"I couldn't…I tried.

_Going under._

_Heart torn asunder._

_As she falls with Elder, rain and thunder._

_There the Angel goes, down, down, down_

_Going under_

_Her hear torn asunder_

_As she falls, rain and thunder_

_Catch her, catch her, don't let her fall._

_Oh, too late._

_Rain and thunder_

_She's way down._

_She's gone under_

I tried to tell you that he would bring you despair_,_" Luna whispered. Bella's lips twitched into sad smile.

"And I stand by my answer. I rather feel despair than nothing at all. Though, I can't seem to tell the difference between the two anymore."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22****nd**** of June 1996**

**12:40 AM**

Maya's silent tears fell onto the pillow. Hermione was sobbing, quietly, into Blaise's shoulder. Bella couldn't even bare to look at her godfather. Bella was sitting by her brother's bedside. Maya's hand fell to his waist and she shook with sobs.

"God…I'm such an idiot. I…I didn't get to tell you yes," Maya whispered. Hermione looked up at her mother. Maya slid her hand into Sirius' pants pocket. She withdrew a small black box. Bella's eyes widened though she didn't have the reaction that most would think she would. Luna, Daphne, and Neville were in beds next to them.

Luna had a punctured lung that was almost mended. Neville's ankle and nose were broken. Daphne's arm was broken in two different places. Bella watched as Maya flipped open the box. She picked up the beautiful diamond ring and slid it onto her finger. Hermione's eyes watered more now that she realized the full extent of what had happened.

"When…when did you see that?" Hermione asked, quietly.

Maya looked stricken at the question and she clutched Sirius' hand tightly. She shook with her grief and she brought his hand to her lips. She pressed them quickly to his hand and let go of his hand. It fell and bounced on the bed.

"The day before yesterday. He asked me if I was averse to marrying him. He had the ring out, the wine, and dinner was so nice…and I told him _no_."

Hermione's mouth fell open and she wanted to ask her mother how she could that but at the same time she just didn't want to talk about it. There would be plenty of time to talk to her mother but she doubted that Bella would want to talk for very long. Hermione crossed over to her sister with Blaise and they say next to her. Maya barely even noticed.

"What is it? What's wrong? Why did you get so mad at Voldemort?" Hermione whispered. At the mention of the man, Bella's eyes flashed with hurt, anger, and betrayal. She gave a sickening version of a smile.

"Have you ever noticed the way Tom holds his wand right before we begin to duel? It hangs from her fingers, as if he can't be bothered to pick it up. The Dark Lord holds his wand about the same, you know…" Bella said, cryptically. Blaise paled and shook his head.

"No…"

Hermione frowned in confusion and watched as Blaise wrapped his arms around Bella. Just as the arms encircled her, Bella broke down crying. She was sobbing but tears weren't running down her eyes. She had cried all her tears in the Department of Mysteries.

"A-and, d-did you know that Tom says 'I d-do not lie. I may m-m-manipulate and twist the truth u-until it's almost un-un-unrecognizable but I do not lie'. Voldemort quoted those same words to me. Oh God I'm such an _idiot!_" Bella sobbed. Hermione's felt the realization wash over her and it felt like cold water. She wrapped her arms around Bella as well as she sobbed into their chests.

The three siblings didn't notice when a fourth party joined in their hug. They tried to pull apart but Luna held them tightly. Luna glanced to the door and looked at the two men standing in the doorway. Her eyes didn't hold any contempt for Tom Riddle. Just immense sadness.

He walked over briskly and stood, impatiently.

"We need to talk."

Blaise and Hermione turned suddenly, their wands pointed at the man. Their eyes showed incredible sadness. Blaise looked rather understanding for someone who didn't know all the facts. Hermione looked particularly murderous. Bella's eyes widened and her nose flared.

"Like hell! Like hell we need to talk. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! GET _AWAY_ FROM ME!" Bella shrieked. Pomfrey rushed out of her office and stared, as Bella became hysteric. Tom stood stoically as Bella began to sob again.

"Bella…Bella, what is wrong?" Dumbledore asked, curiously. Bella's eyes widened in anger ands he stood up, pointing her finger at Dumbledore.

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_? MY GODFATHER WAS BEING TORTURED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES AND IS NOW IN A _COMA. _MY BROTHER'S IN A SIMILAR STATE TOO! DAPHNE HAS A BROKEN ARM AND WAS TORTURED ONCE OR TWICE! NEVILLE'S NOSE WILL PROBABLY AS CROOKED AS YOURS! AND LUNA! LUNA HAS A PUNCTURED LUNG! AND YOU ASK ME WHAT'S _WRONG_? I DON'T WANT TO BE FUCKING NEAR HIM! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO FUCKING _SEE_ HIS FACE," Bella screamed. Pomfrey rushed up to her, holding a Calming Draught.

"Miss Potter, if you wish to remain in my Hospital Wing, you will calm—"

"I will calm the fuck down when he gets away from me! NOW!" Bella shrieked back at the woman. Pomfrey turned back to Tom with an apologetic look on her face. She took a step back when she looked at the raging glare on Tom's face.

"You don't even know the story, you daft little girl," Tom hissed angrily. Bella sneered at him.

"I've heard enough! Get away from me, you asshole! And by the way _fuck you_."

"**Doubt it, prude. I was getting tired of you anyway,**" Tom said, yawning maliciously. Bella's eyes widened and she reached for the nearest thing to throw at Tom.

Which was the lamp.

Tom ducked and the lamp soared over his head and broke into pieces. Bella glared at him.

"**You took advantage of me…**"

"I did not. **You offered**."

"God, I _hate_ you."

"Likewise, you _infuriating_, _insufferable_ orphan-bitch," Tom hissed, angrily at her. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Dumbledore stared at Tom and then back to Bella, frowning in confusion.

"What has just happened?" Dumbledore asked. Bella glared.

"Tom has had an identity crisis. It's none of your business. Now what do you want?" Bella snarled. Pomfrey glared at her charge.

"You should show respect to the Headmaster. He should know everything that happens in this school," Pomfrey sniffed. Bella lifted her left hand, exposing the scars that Pomfrey had not seen. Pomfrey gasped and Dumbledore's blue eyes widened, the twinkling disappearing.

"Yeah, did he know about this? That Umbridge was putting me through weekly torture?"

Maya looked up sharply at that and her eyes narrowed on the curses.

"I…must not tell lies," Maya read. Bella nodded with a nauseating smile on her face.

"You didn't know. You don't know a lot of things! And despite them telling you not to keep me in the dark, you continue doing so! Why were they looking for a prophecy in the Department of Mysteries? And _what_ did have to do with me?" Bella shouted.

Dumbledore looked incredibly old and sad.

"I believe that there is something I must tell you. Something I should have told you long ago. Please follow me to my office," Dumbledore said. Bella glared at him.

"I not going anywhere without Draco. IT'S MY FAULT THAT HE WENT INTO THAT DAMNED VEIL! I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL—"

"Shut _up_," rasped a voice.

Bella looked down, sharply. Draco was moaning, rubbing his temple. He sat up, looking particular pale to the point that he looked grey. His eyes were bloodshot and he pushed himself up. His eyes were silvery in color. He looked at Bella and he took in a sharp breath.

Bella looked horrible. Her eyes were red from crying so much. She was sniffling every few seconds. She was overly pale and there was dirt, grime, and blood on her. Draco couldn't tell if it was her blood or excess from the carnage. They hadn't been gentle when dealing with the Death Eaters. Draco had spilled some intestines and Neville had finished him, albeit nervously. Neville had even thrown up.

But in Bella's hand was a wand. It wasn't her normal wand. Even though Draco had never seen it before, he knew instinctively the wand. It was the Elder Wand. Bella was trembling and she leaned down, hugging her brother.

"Where's Tom?" Draco whispered. Bella jerked back from her brother, as if she were burned. Hermione and Blaise winced.

"He…had other engagements," Bella said, coldly. She turned to Dumbledore and he was looking at her, expectantly. She tilted her head.

"You wish for me to go? Then my siblings and Lu will have to come with me," Bella said, coolly. Dumbledore looked forlorn and he gave them looks of mistrust, especially the Slytherins.

"I do not believe that they should be aware of such sensitive information," Dumbledore said, instead. Bella gave a cold and mocking laugh. Dumbledore's eyes widened at the cruelty in her laugh.

"Do you think I care what you believe? After all that…they deserve to know. I would tell them anyway. I don't care if you think my brothers are Death Eaters. They would never sell me out. Family comes first," Bella said, sharply and almost haughtily. She stood and turned to Draco. Draco was already sliding out of bed. His scythe had returned to his tattoo. He stumbled but Luna caught him, easily. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his ripped and bloodied shirt. Hermione and Blaise stood as well.

Bella walked towards the door without another glance at Dumbledore. She threw open the doors and blinked when she saw the rest of Hydra standing there, waiting for her. Padma and Parvati threw their arms around Bella but Bella could barely move.

"We were so worried! The Weasleys said you were hurt and that you had confrontation with Lord Voldemort," Lalita said, looking over Bella. Bella gave a grim smile.

"You could say that. I'll explain it you later. I have a meeting with the Headmaster. Stay down her and check on Neville and Daphne. They're awake," Bella said, softly. They nodded and let go of her. They ran into the Hospital Wing. Bella walked along the hallways. Everyone was in bed still.

Bella could swear that she felt someone walking next to her. Every time she turned to look, no one was there. A reassuring and calming hand was on her shoulder. Bella looked at her shoulder but nothing was there. Bella could feel a kiss placed to her temple.

_My darling daughter…you have done well. Be safe._

Bella trembled as she descended the stairs and took a turn. She stopped in front of the gargoyle.

"Lemon drops," Dumbledore said, quietly. Bella walked up the steps and into the office. She sat down in the chair directly across from Dumbledore's chair. Dumbledore sat down. Her siblings stayed towards the back. Draco was slumped against the door and Luna was the only one that walked next to Bella and sat down in the chair next to hers.

"I know how you're feeling, Bella" Dumbledore said, quietly. Bella looked at him with rage in her eyes and she clutched the Elder Wand tighter.

"No you don't."

"You see, Dumbledore? Never try to understand the students. They hate it. They would rather be tragically misunderstood—" Phineas Nigellus started. Bella glared at him with rage. Her mother's words disappeared. She wouldn't…couldn't see reason. Not when she felt so angry.

So used.

So…human.

"Shut up! You don't understand! No one understands what I've gone through tonight!"

"I do. There is no shame in what you're feeling, Bella. The fact that you can feel your pain is your greatest strength" Dumbledore said, calmly. Bella was shaking with rage and her lip quivered.

"My greatest strength? You senile fool! You don't have a fucking clue!" she snarled. Dumbledore looked at her with calm eyes.

"I don't have a clue about what? Bella, suffering like this still proves that you're a woman. This pain is part of being human."

That word again.

Human.

Bella shook with grief, tears running from her eyes. She didn't want to feel this pain. She didn't want to feel the emptiness where her heart should be. She didn't want to deal with the heartbreak. She couldn't. It hurt too much.

"THEN I DON'T WANT TO BE HUMAN! I DON'T WANT IT! I DON'T WANT IT! I DON'T WANT THIS!" Bella roared with rage. Luna's eyes widened at the words. She grabbed one of the silver instruments on Dumbledore's table and threw it with all her strength at the wall. It shattered and caused a dent in the wall.

"I DON'T WANT THIS! I WANT MY UNCLE SIRIUS! HE'S IN A _COMA_! I DON'T WANT THIS! I WANT OUT! I WANT IT TO END! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! I'VE SEEN ENOUGH! I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS WAR BECAUSE I—DON'T—CARE!" Bella screamed. Only her siblings and Luna knew that being in the middle of the war wasn't the only thing she wanted to end. She let out a wordless scream that held all of her agony. Dumbledore's eyes almost widened at the sound of it. He quickly controlled his emotions and leaned forward.

"Oh, yes you do. You have lost your father, your mother, and now your godfather is in a coma that he might not come out of. Of course you care."

"YOU DON'T GET IT! YOU DON'T GET IT! YOU! STANDING THERE! I—I LET HIM…I DIDN'T…LIES! ALL THOSE FUCKING LIES! EVERYONE HAS FUCKING _LIED_ TO ME!" Bella screamed. Luna leaned up and stared with wide eyes as Dumbledore finally looked confused. Bella suddenly felt drained. She didn't want to see the dark eyes staring at her. She didn't want to feel the steel and gold eyes piercing her. She didn't want to see those large grey eyes.

And she didn't want to stare into those hatefully calm blue eyes.

She turned on her heel and went to the door. She tugged on it. It didn't open. She turned to Dumbledore.

"Let me out."

"No."

"Let me out."

"Not until I've said my piece."

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET—ME—OUT!" Bella screamed, turning the Elder Wand on Dumbledore.

"No."

"DO YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY? I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT _ANYBODY_ HAS TO SAY!" Bella screamed. She fell to her knees and clutching her stomach and letting out a loud sob.

"You will hear what I have to say because you're not nearly as angry with me as you ought to be. If you attacked me, I would fully deserve it," Dumbledore said, steadily. Bella sobbed.

"YOU WOULD! YOU _WOULD _DESERVE IT!"

"I know. I should have explained to you long ago about this connection between your scar and Grindelwald. I should have told you why he wished to go after you. I've made a grave mistake. I own you an explanation. An explanation of an old man's mistakes. For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young… and I seem to have forgotten, lately…" Dumbledore trailed off. He sighed.

"I did not expect this of Gellert Grindelwald. Once upon a time, we were…friends, you could say. Very good friends, indeed," Dumbledore explained. Bella gave him a flat look though tears still streamed down her face.

"He was in love with you. He still is," Bella said, her voice flat. Dumbledore's eyes widened but he didn't make a comment on her words. He looked at the window and then back to Bella.

"Despite his dreams of power, I never thought he was power hungry enough to attempt to kill a child. Let us start with your first year then. You came, snarky yet delightful. Talented. And in so much danger despite the obvious protections. Grindelwald had possessed Quirrell in hope of reaching the Philosopher's Stone. You protected it, against all odds. I was so incredibly proud of you. And then, as you lay, in the hospital bed, you asked why Grindelwald came after you," Dumbledore started. He looked at Bella with sad eyes.

"You do not see the flaw in the plan yet? No… perhaps not. Well, as you know, I decided not to answer you. Eleven, I told myself, was much too young to know. I had never intended to tell you when you were eleven. The knowledge would be too much at such a young age. I should have recognized the danger signs then. I should have asked myself why I did not feel more disturbed that you had already asked me the question to which I knew, one day, I must give a terrible answer. I should have recognized that I was too happy to think that I did not have to do it on that particular day… YOU were too young, much too young.

"And so we entered your second year at Hogwarts. And once again you met challenges even grown wizards have never faced: once again you acquitted yourself beyond my wildest dreams. You did not ask me again, however, why Gellert had left that mark on you. We discussed your scar, oh yes… we came very, very close to the subject. Why did I not tell you everything?

"Well, it seemed to me that twelve was, after all, hardly better than eleven to receive such information. I allowed you to leave my presence, bloodstained, exhausted but exhilarated, and if I felt a twinge of unease that I ought, perhaps, to have told you then, it was swiftly silenced. You were still so young, you see, and I could not find it in myself to spoil that night of triumph…

"Do you see, Bella? Do you see the flaw in my brilliant plan now? I had fallen into the trap I had foreseen, that I had told myself I could avoid, that I must avoid."

"I don't see actually," Bella hissed, annoyed.

"I cared about you too much," said Dumbledore simply. Bella scoffed.

"You had a nice way of showing it, Headmaster. You let me deal with all of that on my own."

"I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. Bella, I truly did care though I suppose I didn't show it to the best of my abilities. I tried to remain impartial.

"Is there a Defense? I defy anyone who has watched you as I have - and I have watched you more closely than you can have imagined - not to want to save you more pain than you had already suffered. What did I care if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in the vague future, if in the here and now you were alive, and well, and happy? I never dreamed that I would have such a person on my hands.

"We entered your third year. I watched from afar as you struggled to repel Dementors, as you found your sister, learned what had happened to her at the hands of escaped Death Eaters and rescued her. Was I to tell you then, at the moment when you had accidentally let Death Eaters run free in your haste to saved your beloved sister? But now, at the age of thirteen, my excuses were running out. Young you might be, but you had proved you were exceptional. My conscience was uneasy, Bella. I knew the time must come soon…

"But you came out of the maze last year, seeing your dead mother, having escaped death so narrowly yourself… and I did not tell you, though I knew, now Gellert had returned, I must do it soon. And now, tonight, I know you have long been ready for the knowledge I have kept from you for so long, because you have proved that I should have placed the burden upon you before this. My only Defense is this: I have watched you struggling under more burdens than any student who as ever passed through this school and I could not bring myself to add another - the greatest one of all."

"I do not understand," Bella said, swiftly. Luna touched her hand and Bella looked at her.

"I do. He's going to tell you words of the Oracle," Luna said, swiftly. Dumbledore looked at her in surprise and nodded, slowly.

"Gellert tried to kill you when you were a child because of a prophecy made shortly before your birth. He knew the prophecy had been made, though he did not know its full contents. He set out to kill you when you were still a baby, believing he was fulfilling the terms of the prophecy. He discovered, to his cost, that he was mistaken, when the curse intended to kill you backfired. And so, since his return to his body, and particularly since your extraordinary escape from him last year, he has been determined to hear that prophecy in its entirety. This is the weapon he has been seeking so assiduously since his return: the knowledge of how to destroy you."

Bella frowned. Did Voldemort…Tom want to destroy her as well? Was it really true?

"The prophecy's smashed," Bella said blankly. "I made it explode when Grindelwald reached for it. I knew he wanted something and I wasn't going to let him have it."

"The thing that smashed was merely the record of the prophecy kept by the Department of Mysteries. But the prophecy was made to somebody, and that person has the means of recalling it perfectly"

"Who heard it?" asked Bella, though she knew the answer already.

"I did," said Dumbledore. "On a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all. The applicant, however, was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer and I thought it common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself. I told her, courteously I hope, that I did not think she would be suitable for the post. I turned to leave."

Dumbledore got to his feet and walked past Bella to the black cabinet that stood beside Fawkes's perch. He bent down, slid back a catch and took from inside it the shallow stone basin, carved with runes around the edges.

Dumbledore walked back to the desk, placed the Pensieve upon it, and raised his wand to his own temple. From it, he withdrew silvery, gossamer-fine strands of thought clinging to the wand and deposited them into the basin. He sat back down behind his desk and watched his thoughts swirl and drift inside the Pensieve for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he raised his wand and prodded the silvery substance with its tip.

A figure rose out of it, draped in shawls, her eyes magnified to enormous size behind her glasses, and she revolved slowly; her feet in the basin. But when Sibyll Trelawney spoke, it was not in her usual ethereal, mystic voice, but in the harsh, hoarse tones Bella had heard her use once before:

"The one with the power to vanquish the - Dark Master approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Master will mark her as his equal, but she will have powers the Dark Master knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Master will be born as the seventh month dies…"

Bella watched as the image of Trelawney sank back into the basin. She looked behind her at her shocked siblings. Bella felt like she was going to be sick. Dumbledore seemed to notice and summoned a basin for her. Bella vomited into the basin with a wet sound. Luna rubbed her back, soothingly as the girl puked.

She set the basin to the side and wiped her mouth on her grimy sleeve.

"That might, indeed, have been the more practical course," said Dumbledore, "except that Grindelwald's information about the prophecy was incomplete. The Hog's Head inn, which Sibyll chose for its cheapness, has long attracted, shall we say, a more interesting clientele than the Three Broomsticks. Of course, I had not dreamed, when I set out to meet Sibyll Trelawney, that I would hear anything worth overhearing. My - our - one stroke of good fortune was that the eavesdropper was detected only a short way into the prophecy and thrown from the building."

"So he only heard -?"

"He heard only the beginning, the part foretelling the birth of a girl in July to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort. Consequently, he could not warn his master that to attack you would be to risk transferring power to you, and marking you as his equal. So Voldemort never knew that there might be danger in attacking you, that it might be wise to wait, to learn more. He did not know that you would have powers the Dark Master knows not–"

"If you're saying that he was a Death Eater, they don't go to Grindelwald all that often. They reported to Voldemort," Bella said, saying Voldemort's name as if it were a vile curse. Dumbledore nodded in agreement to Bella's surprise.

"I am so sorry, Bella. I am sorry for not telling you. I beg your forgiveness for my great folly," Dumbledore said. Bella didn't seem to be listening as she stared out of the window.

"Neither can live while the other survives. Well…I suppose that means I'll just have to…keep surviving," Bella said, softly. She looked away from Dumbledore.

Albus watched the girl, calmly. He had never wished this upon the girl. He had thought he was doing the right things. All for the greater good. But as he looked at the silent weeping girl, he felt that the greater good didn't quite matter anymore.

A single tear trickled down Dumbledore's face and into his silver beard.

:::

**A/N: **Wow. There we go. Bella's distraught. Tom is angry. Blaise is somehow, understanding. Draco is clueless. Hermione is murderous. Luna's reaction is somewhat strange. She knew this was going to happen and so she is perhaps, blaming herself. Finally, there's Sirius who is in a coma. Maya who is depressed. And then we don't even get to find out the cost of Sirius' life. We also find out that Dumbledore isn't as evil as he seems. He's just a misguided yet increasingly manipulative old man who think he's doing what is best for everybody. Granted, it's not the best for _everybody_ but still. So, who will be Bella's enemy you ask? You will find out in the next arc which is DRACO'S ARC. But before Draco's Arc, we get one more chapter and an Interlude. I hope you like the chapter. It met my standards. I wanted this chapter to be epic and I think it is.

SO, WHO WAS SCARED BY ME THROWING SIRIUS INTO THE VEIL?

Next Chapter: The Second War Begins and Confrontations


	65. Chapter LX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Okay, this is probably one of the least well-written chapters I ever written. But, I like it I suppose because my favorite OC, Gideon is getting the spotlight in the beginning and the end of the chapter. That makes me slightly happy. I mean, he's not a bad character at all. He was just a bit persistent before.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22****nd**** of July 1996**

**8:40 AM**

Christine Jackson stared down at the Daily Prophet, her mouth wide open. Everyone in the Great Hall was silent as the read the declaration of Grindelwald and Voldemort's return. It gave a brief summary of the events that had apparently happened last night. They had mentioned Bella's name among others. They'd also mentioned that someone was injured enough for that person to be in a coma. Christine looked around and saw the doors to the Great Hall open.

Gideon, Ginny, and Ron Weasley walked in, looking tired. They settled down next to Christine and Michael Brown. They stared with wide and worried eyes. Gideon looked down at his plate and shook his head, slowly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Christine asked.

"Bella…Bella's in a right state. Won't come down. Won't eat. Won't do anything. She's just sitting there, not doing anything. Even Hermione can't get her out. I suggested maybe Riddle. And when I said Riddle, she got violent. She tried to strangle me. I think she could have actually killed me," Gideon said, quietly. Christine gasped and leaned forward, looking Gideon over once. Ron turned to Seamus and Dean and began talking in a subdued manner.

"Oh, that poor girl," Christine said, softly. Michael swallowed his food.

"Who's in the coma?" he asked. Ginny sighed.

"Her godfather, Sirius Black. I'm not too sure on what happened. No one was talking. Maya, Hermione's mother, was crying. She's his girlfriend. I think it happened when he took a curse for Hermione. That's all Hermione would say. Hermione is blaming herself. Zabini is sitting with her, trying to comfort her. Malfoy is sick apparently. Maybe from a spell. But, Bella…she's just sitting there. Not moving. She looks so…dead. Like she's just tired. Tired of living," Ginny whispered. Christine and Michael shook their heads and Christine went to say something when the doors flew open.

Christine's mouth fell open when she saw that it was Bella. The girl wasn't dressed in school robes. Gideon noticed that she was still in the clothes she had worn the night before. Dried blood was in her hair and her clothes were in tatters. One boot was unlaced and blood was splattered over it. In her right hand was a small box and a nondescript book. She wasn't accompanied by any of her siblings for once.

Christine cringed at the Dark aura rolling off the girl. Her eyes were hollow and a dangerous and poisonous looking green. Dark circles were under her eyes and the little color she had had was gone. She looked like a wraith especially donned in the dark and ripped clothing that she wore. She walked towards the staff table and handed it to Riddle, looking at him with an unexplainable expression.

Christine strained to hear over the loud din and whispers as everyone stared at Bella. She was lucky that she was sitting so close to the staff table. Dumbledore was looking at her with a sad expression.

"Here is your locket. Here is your book. I shall not breathe a word but do not forget this. I despise your very being. I hate you with my mind, my body, and my soul. I hate you more than I hate life itself. I hate you so, so much that it hurts me," Bella said, softly. The other teachers looked at her in surprise but Bella paid them no mind. Riddle's expression didn't change. He was still as stoic as ever.

"And?" he whispered. Bella's eyes softened the slightest bit.

"But…isn't all that part of being human? Mistakes. Satisfaction. Regrets. Happiness. Fear. Joy. Pain. Love. Hatred. All parts of being human. Hating you…reminds me that I _am_ human. If there is one thing I've learned from you that I will value most, it is the lesson of being human even when you…you are less than," Bella said, cruelly.

Riddle didn't look affected by her callous and severe words though the other teachers were stricken by her words. Dumbledore looked more worried than the others and he held up his hand when Snape leaned forward to say something.

"I see. Are those words supposed to…hurt me, somehow?" Riddle asked. Christine watched as Bella shook her head and leaned forward on the table.

"No. I was simply stating fact. I hope you hear my words. You have made an enemy out of Nikolai. And no face…no mask can hide the monster that you truly are," Bella stated, quietly. Riddle raised a cold eyebrow and watched as Bella turned away from him, her head held high. Gideon stared at her in shock.

Bella stopped in front of him and turned. She gave him a wintry half-smile.

"Hey, Gideon…" Bella said, softly. Gideon looked up at her.

"Y-yeah?"

"Thank you. For checking up on me. For leaving when I asked you to. For not interfering in…in something that I needed to do," Bella said, quietly. Ginny grabbed Bella's wrist and was surprised when Bella didn't immediately go for her knife. However, a strange looking wand was pointed at her, right between the eyes.

"Don't. Do. That. Ginny, I thought I taught you that," Bella said, softly. She didn't meet the girl's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but what was _that_? Up there? With Professor Riddle?" asked Ginny. Bella turned with a slight smile. She sighed and slid her wand up her sleeve. She was wearing tatters of a glove on her left hand. Christine gasped when she saw the scars.

"Sometimes…sometimes, we do less than human things, despite the fact that we are human. We do things that not only go against the code of society, but go against our very nature. I suppose, that was me…trying to remind him that he's human. In my own twisted and angry way. I'm not going to say sorry for the cruel things that I said. I'm not because the things he did…the things he's doing are too much. They have taken him and twisted him into someone different. He is so different…but perhaps I didn't know him at all. So foreign…so alien...so wicked. Sometimes you can take things too far. And because of that he is less than human," Bella said, wisely. She pulled away from Ginny's grasp and walked from the Great Hall. She didn't even bother looking at the Daily Prophet.

Christine watched her go and she turned to look at Riddle. He was staring after her with dark and empty eyes.

Bella stood outside of the Great Hall, her back pressed to the wall next to the doors. All she wanted to do was fall to her knees and cry. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be strong. She wanted to be a little girl again and have her godfather hug her.

No…she felt like that little girl that had been used when she was ten years old as a punching bag for an angry man. Now, she was fifteen and was used by a man that she had trusted and cared for. She wasn't sure why he used her or what he used her for exactly. It was true that he hadn't really taken advantage of her. He had said no so many times and now, Bella was grateful that she hadn't.

Bella didn't hate herself. She truly didn't but she knew she would have loathed herself if she had given herself to Tom. He already had her heart and mind. But, at least she had one thing that she hadn't given. Bella took a gulp of air and closed her eyes. But all she could see were those dark eyes, flashing crimson.

_Less than human. Less than human. Less than human._

"Oh, God!" Bella choked out. She ran to the nearest bathroom, which happened to be on the second floor. She bypassed the sinks and went straight to the closest loo. She fell in front of it and heaved into it. She wiped her mouth with the toilet paper and stood, shakily.

"Are you okay?"

Bella looked up, sharply. A translucent girl hovered in front of her. She wore horn-rimmed and round glasses and she wasn't in particularly good looking. Her hair was in two pigtails and she was looking at her almost worriedly.

"Y-yeah…no," Bella admitted. The ghost gave her a sad look.

"My name's Myrtle. What's yours?"

"Bella…Bella Potter," Bella whispered through the acid taste of the vomit. Myrtle's eyes widened slightly in recognition and she leaned forward.

"What's wrong?" Myrtle asked, not unkindly. Bella hugged herself, trying to keep herself together in some way.

"I…someone I trusted very much didn't tell me the truth. And…I…I called him a monster. I told him that he was less than human. A-and h-he…oh God," Bella whispered. She put her hands to her face, shaking with suppressed sobs. She pushed out of the loo, leaving Myrtle staring behind her.

Bella walked up the stairs, getting stares as she went. She moved with a graceful quality though all she wanted to do was cry. Arms wrapped around her and everyone stopped to watch as Bella wrapped her arms around Luna's waist and buried her face in Luna's neck. She shook with suppressed sobs on the Grand Staircase, for everyone to see. Not a sound escaped her lips.

"You are wise beyond your years, Bella. You are so strong," Luna murmured. Bella shook but said nothing. Luna turned her eyes onto the other students. Despite her calm and almost welcoming gaze, they looked away in discomfort. Luna helped Bella up the stairs, the other girl leaning on her.

They reached the Hospital Wing and Bella walked in, slowly. Daphne, Neville, Blaise, and Hermione were sitting near Draco's bed. Draco gave a slight smile. Bella knew just by the hard look in his eyes that Blaise or Hermione had filled him in on what had happened.

"Hello, Ana," Draco said, softly. Bella smiled.

"Hello, Drake. Guess what?" she said as she walked towards his bed. He moved over a little and she slipped in next to him. Her wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Bella didn't look at Sirius. He was in the other bed with Maya sitting by his bead, asleep.

"What is it, Ana?"

"I got my wand."

"Good girl. I love you little sister. You know we love you, right?" Draco asked. Bella's eyes drooped. She gave a slight nod and Luna gave a slight smile. She turned to Draco and tilted her head at the young man that she cared for.

He was so strong. So loving. So caring. He had done a great thing to soothe his sister's grief. A great yet terrible thing. Luna knew that Draco had a great burden that he alone must carry. He had given the one thing that he he shouldn't have.

But, perhaps, if what she had Seen came to pass…they were not meant to be.

Perhaps or perhaps not.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 22****nd**** of July 1996**

**1:15 PM**

"You want to go where? I thought you did not like it there. Was I wrong?" Albus asked in surprise. He stared at Bella in confusion. She didn't look much better than she had in the early hours of the morning. She looked like she'd showered since she had been downstairs. He wanted to confront her about Tom but perhaps it wasn't the time.

"Sir, I wish to go to the Dursleys this summer. I…I suppose it was fine there. I just want to get away from the wizarding world for a bit. I don't care for them but it's better than Riddle Manor. When you're there, can you have my piano moved back to Grimmauld Place?" Bella asked, not meeting his eyes. Albus nodded, slowly. Bella gave him a grateful look. She sighed and looked out the window.

"Sir…thank you for understanding. Well, not understanding since you don't understand my reasoning. But, understanding as much as you can in this current situation," Bella said, softly. Albus nodded, contemplating Bella's turmoil. He knew she was still in a sorry state from the night before and he supposed that it was because of her godfather's current state.

"How is Ms. Granger?" Albus asked. Bella stiffened.

"She hasn't moved from Uncle Sirius' side. Though, she's doing better than I am. I can't keep food down whereas she can. I'm just not feeling well. Not after last night. I don't suppose I'll feel well for a long while. Last night was…traumatic at best," Bella said, a grim smile on her face.

Bella didn't look up at Dumbledore. She continued to look at her lap. Three prophecies were upon her and she didn't know what to do with them. Luna was obviously not worried about it but still…

"I can attempt to understand but alas, I probably will not. Have you attempted to eat anything?" Dumbledore asked. Bella snorted.

"I'm not in the mood to eat."

Bella stared at her lap as she felt Dumbledore stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. He wanted to understand what was wrong with her but Bella didn't trust him. The little trust she had in him had all but disappeared when he revealed that he had kept hidden an important prophecy for five years.

"Bella, is there anything you wish to tell me?"

Bella stood, surprising Dumbledore. She gave him a blank stare and she drifted to the door, calmly.

"Good day, Headmaster."

"Good day, Bella."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of July 1996**

**7:30 PM**

"Enter."

Hermione pushed the door open first, her wand pointed at Tom. Tom's own wand was pointed at her. Draco and Blaise didn't have their wands out though they looked tense, ready for a fight. Tom gave each of them a cold stare.

"Do the students believe their ready to fight me and come up on top?"

Hermione bared her teeth.

"Of co—"

"No. Of course not," Blaise said, quietly. Hermione looked at him in surprise and she frowned as Blaise took her wand from her grip. Tom looked surprised at Blaise's answer. Hermione and Draco looked at their brother in confusion. Blaise walked forward and sat in the chair across from Tom's desk. He crossed his legs and placed his hands on the armrests. Tom put down his wand.

"Hand your wands over," Tom commanded. Draco snorted.

"No chance in hell, _Voldemort_."

"We are not speaking to Lord Voldemort, Draco. We are speaking to Tom Marvolo Riddle. Do not talk about things that you don't understand," whispered a voice. The four looked up and in the doorway. Luna stood there, her eyes soft. Tom frowned as she danced forward, closing the door behind her. She placed her wand on his desk and sat down in the chair next to Blaise's. Her eyes narrowed on him.

"And you understand, Miss Lovegood?" Tom asked. Luna nodded.

"I know much, Tom Marvolo. Human…what is the meaning of that word, hmm?" Luna asked, softly. Tom's eyes didn't betray anything.

"A Homo sapien."

"She does not see being human like that. Tom Marvolo, you are not a god," Luna said, sternly. Blaise looked from the girl to the man. If he understood what she was saying, he hid it well. Blaise looked at Tom and sighed. The man was purposefully not meeting his gaze but was staring at Luna.

"I try to wrap my head and I see the signs. We should've known. Bella's obsession with Voldemort and how she cared for Tom. The crimson eyes…the snake-like appearance. The trust Draco felt when you spoke with him. The way you spoke of Bella when you were Voldemort. The way she spoke of you when she spoke of Voldemort. I should have known," Blaise said. Tom looked at him with a blank expression.

"And what does it mean, now that you know?"

"I don't know. What does it mean? I think about it and I can see that you didn't lie to us like you lied to Bella. Perhaps, she thinks that way because she cares for you more. We looked up to you, yes, but Bella cared for you in a different way. She liked to see you happy more than anything else. I suppose, when she saw your other face, she felt like you had lied about yourself. Which in another way, I suppose you _did_ lie. So, now we are at a crossroads. What does it mean?" Blaise said, calmly. Tom looked at him and leaned back in his chair, looking slightly impressed with the convoluted way Blaise had said all of that. Hermione was frowning at Blaise now.

"He hurt her. We can't condone that, Blaise. She's hurting…" Hermione said, quietly. Draco held up his hand and Hermione glared at him, though she fell silent. Draco looked at Tom and then Blaise.

"I can see Blaise's reasoning. In one way, you didn't lie to us. You never explicitly said that you weren't Voldemort. But in another way, you lied to Bella and hurt her in a way that even we probably cannot comprehend," Draco stated. Hermione's eyes hardened and she glared at Tom, angrily. She clenched her fist, tightly and Draco placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"She is utterly destroyed. Her mind…her emotions were ragged before. But you have torn her into pieces. Her soul is in tatters. Her eyes are empty. She looks haunted," Hermione snarled. Tom gave her a dark look and she fell back, almost scared. He was truly Voldemort and the look told her not to forget it. She knew that without Bella, she wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him.

"And that makes her human. That makes her strong," Tom said, calmly. Blaise gave him a calculating look and he leaned forward with dark eyes.

"I know you do care for her. And I know why you do so. I've seen into your mind. So, why hide something like this from her?" Blaise asked. Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It fell silkily to his shoulders and he crossed his arms.

"Do you think I didn't try to tell her? She's so stubborn. She never _listens_. She doesn't want to hear anything I have to say so why try to explain it to her?" Tom demanded. Blaise, Draco, and Hermione exchanged looks. They knew how stubborn Bella was. She never listened to reason.

It was a less than endearing trait.

"Why don't you go listen to what _she_ has to say? Do you not wonder why she's being so stubborn?" Luna murmured. Tom raised an eyebrow at her and she gave a slight, sad smile. She took her wand from the table and he straightened.

"Listen?"

"Where you brought her…before the lake."

Tom gave her a suspicious look but she only gave him a smile. Luna began fiddling with her wand. He stood and swept from the room, leaving the four teens in the room. Hermione looked at Luna in confusion.

"Where did you send him?"

"To Nikolai. He may just see an acquaintance."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25****th**** of July 1996**

**8:00 PM**

Tom stood inside the classroom, Disillusioned, as Bella played that God forsaken piano piece. Her hands were dancing across the keys in that elegant motion. Despite the fact that she had been through quite a bit in the past week, it still sounded incomplete. Tom wondered briefly about how much more she'd have to go through before it would sound absolutely perfect. Bella played, surer than ever now that nobody was watching. Or to her knowledge, no one was watching.

There were no imperfections in the way she played. She swayed with the music. Her eyes were closed as the volume increased and decreased. Her pianist fingers brushed across the piano, putting the correct pressure and getting out the perfect sound. Bella ended the song, softly and she took a deep breath. Her eyes slid closed and Tom suddenly felt cold.

Another presence, similar to a ghost, joined them in the room. It felt familiar to Tom, somehow. He watched in shock as a transparent woman formed next to Bella. Bella was so lost in her world that Tom doubted that she could see the woman. The woman that Tom identified as Lily Potter looked back at Tom with piercing eyes and a slight smile on her face. She leaned next to Bella and brought her lips to the young woman's ear.

"My brave little girl, do not think such dark thoughts. Bella, you are so loved. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Bella, be safe. Be strong. I am so proud of you. I am so proud of the woman you are becoming, my little one. You are nearly there. Nearly there. Be strong…" Lily whispered. Bella stiffened and Tom knew that though she couldn't see Lily, she could hear her. Tom wondered why he could see the dead woman and her own daughter couldn't. Bella looked around.

"Mama? Mum?" Bella asked, quietly. Lily pressed her lips to Bella's cheek and whispered something in her ear. Bella glanced back and her eyes met Tom's though she couldn't see him. Bella stood from the piano, slowly. Lily vanished into thin air with a slight smile.

Bella walked up to Tom, slowly. Tom didn't move. He stood, watching her with a pained expression. Bella's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She looked up at him and her hand reached out. Her hand pressed against his chest. Her other hand went out and pressed against his chest. She leaned into him.

"Why? I just want to know why you're _Voldemort_?" Bella murmured.

"Fear does that to a person."

"What do you fear so much that you have to be a monster?"

"If fear makes me a monster than fear makes _you_ a monster," Tom retorted. Bella hissed at him, angrily.

"No, you're wrong. You don't understand a word I said. You don't get it and I should've known that you never would. Tom, I don't even _know_ you anymore. And I don't think I ever did," Bella whispered. Tom snorted and looked down at her.

"Maybe that's because you never _asked_."

Bella looked away, towards the ground.

"I cared for you. I hate you so much. Yet, I can't stop caring. You're…always there…" Bella whispered. Tom frowned.

"Always where?"

"Inside my mind."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 28****th**** of June 1996**

**9:45 AM**

Gideon, Ron, and Ginny stood in the doorway of Entrance Hall. Gideon looked around for Hermione. Bella almost never showed up on time so he wasn't worried about her. For the past few years, she'd run into the compartment just as the train would start moving. Last year, Bella had actually jumped on the train while it was moving. Ginny pointed at the staircase before frowning.

Gideon looked up and saw Bella walking down the stairs, looking subdued. Her hair was pulled back and she was abnormally pale. Paler than usual, anyway. The dark circles around her eyes stood out quite a bit. She was tripping over her steps and she didn't don the ornate locket anymore. She almost fell down the staircase when Hermione grabbed a hold of her. Bella gave a slight smile.

"Hey, Bell—" Ron called. He stopped when Bella swept past him and stopped in front of Daphne Greengrass and a few other students. Greengrass was smirking at her. Gideon wondered when they had become friends.

"So…"

"So…" Bella mocked. Greengrass tilted her head.

"Did you say goodbye?" Greengrass asked. Bella stiffened and Greengrass looked at Bella in surprise. Bella forced a smile onto her face and wrapped her arms around Greengrass pulling her close. The girl was taller than her so Bella had to lean up to whisper in her ear. Gideon strained to hear but he couldn't. Daphne paled, considerably and she pulled away from Bella.

"Why?" Daphne murmured. Bella gave a sad smile.

"Too different. It's not a big deal," Bella whispered. Daphne snorted and shook her head. She hugged the girl once more.

"Not a big deal my arse. But…we'll talk later, yeah?" Daphne asked. Bella nodded. She held up her hand, as if she were about to arm wrestle with Daphne. Daphne entwined her arm with Bella's and grasped her hand. Gideon got a clear view of the leather cuff around her wrist and he wondered what it was hiding.

"Of course, Jabberwocky. You'll always be there for me, right?" Bella asked, quietly and just for her to hear. Daphne's eyes brightened and she gave a slight smile. Daphne couldn't help but love her best friend like a sister. She couldn't help but respect her for being so strong.

"Always."

Bella turned to the others and she hugged Lalita. Lalita hugged her back, gratefully.

"Be good, Lalita. I'll see you after you come back from India."

"I'll miss you, Bella."

"I'll miss you too."

Bella tore herself from Lalita and continued to hug everyone. Gideon watched, curiously when she looked around for one more person. She looked down at her feet when she didn't see the person. Gideon watched as Luna swept down the stairs in a long dark purple dress with a high collar and large sleeves. She touched Bella's cheek and Bella looked up, sharply.

"Bella…"

"Lu. I understand now," Bella said, quietly. Luna looked at her with a slight smile on her face.

"What do you understand?"

"Everything. Nothing. I understand why you told me that you were sorry. Don't be sorry, Luna. Don't be sorry. _I'm_ sorry for asking you why you didn't tell me. I'm sorry that you had to cry for me because I wasn't brave enough to cry for myself. I'm sorry that you carry such a heavy burden. I'm sorry that I was stupid enough to place all my hope and all of my trust in someone I knew nothing about. I'm sorry I was so foolish. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. _I'm_ sorry, Lu," Bella swallowed. Luna's lips spread into a wide smile and it was a proud smile. Gideon wondered why the young woman was so proud of Bella. What had Bella done?

"You've grown so much. You are wise beyond your years. You're nearly there, Bella. Nearly there. You are so loved, Bella. So loved and don't you ever forget it. Just because of this…don't you _dare_ think you're not good enough. I know your thoughts. I've seen your mind. You _are_ good enough. You are so loved, Nikolai," Luna said with a smile. Bella gave a grim smile. Gideon frowned at the wrongness he felt when he saw it on her face. She looked so strange and lost and he just wanted to help her.

But even he knew, she was beyond help at the moment.

"You aren't the only one who has said that to me."

"I know. I just thought you needed a reminder. Sometimes, you do. Sometimes you need to be reminded of the people that love you. Sometimes…" Luna said. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes?"

"Sometimes, monsters need love too."

:::

**A/N: **And I am finally finished with Order of the Phoenix. Next chapter is the interlude. That won't have any main characters in it, quite unfortunately. Next time it's Draco's Arc. His Arc will be centered around the exchange he made for Sirius' well-being. Anyway, another name for the Arc is: Things Fall Apart.

Yes, you got that right. They fall apart even _more_. It's so much fun, jacking them up! Anyway, Bella's not going to want to put her trust into someone that easy again. So, they WON'T be getting back together for quite a while. Sorry but they won't. However, that doesn't mean they won't be interacting. They kind of went from magical guardian and student to lovers. That won't happen this time. Bella's more mature so that means they're going to be FRIENDS.

Next Interlude: Ministers


	66. Interlude V

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** Here is the little Interlude. So, as you know, Bella and Tom are going to become _friends_ first. And, now that we're here at what would be the equivalent of Half-Blood Prince I will be _barely_ following canon. Some key elements will remain but how and why they are done is yet to be revealed to you though I know perfectly why. Anyway, I'll be getting on with this.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude V**

**Number 10, Downing Street, City of Westminster, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 9****th**** of July 1996**

**7:30 PM**

The Prime Minister was having a _long_ week and he was grateful that it was quickly coming to an end. He was at wit's end with all of the issues going on. A bridge had collapsed of its own accord and that had been only one of the many incidents happening not only in Britain but also all over Europe. The French were phoning him, demanding an explanation. He had had to remind them that they had a steady partnership and it could not have been the English.

The Prime Minister shifted through his paperwork, ready to sign another while waiting for a call from the President of some distant country that he couldn't quite think of at the moment. Just as he pressed the pen to the paper there was a short little cough. The Prime Minister froze. He had heard that cough, about fifteen years ago when _he_ had come to deliver crazy news about some dead madman.

"Hello?" he called, quietly.

The cough came again and the Muggle Minister looked at the dirty oily painting of the froglike man in a silver wig. He looked decidedly grim.

"To the Prime Minister of Muggles. Urgent we meet. Kindly respond immediately, Sincerely, Fudge."

The man in the painting looked inquiringly at the Prime Minister.

"Er," said the Prime Minister, "listen… It's not a very good time for me… I'm waiting for a telephone call, you see… from the President of —"

"That can be rearranged," said the portrait at once. The Prime Minister's heart sank. He had been afraid of that.

"But I really was rather hoping to speak —"

"We shall arrange for the President to forget to call. He will telephone tomorrow night instead," said the little man. "Kindly respond immediately to Mr. Fudge."

"I… oh… very well," said the Prime Minister weakly. "Yes, I'll see Fudge."

He watched as the fireplace burst into green flames. A man was spinning like a top before walking out of the fireplace and onto the antique rug. He brushed ash from his pinstripe cloak and he was holding a lime green bowler hat in hand. Cornelius Fudge walked forward with an outstretched hand. The Minister grasped it, tightly.

"Ah…Prime Minister. Good to see you again."

The Prime Minister couldn't honestly return the sentiment so he remained silent.

"How can I help you?" he asked, cutting through the pleasantries. He didn't have time for this though he was curious as to why the man was here.

"Difficult to know where to begin," muttered Fudge, pulling up the chair, sitting down, and placing his green bowler upon his knees. "What a week, what a week…"

"Had a bad one too, have you?" asked the Prime Minister stiffly, hoping to convey by this that he had quite enough on his plate already without any extra helpings from Fudge.

"Yes, of course," said Fudge, rubbing his eyes wearily and looking morosely at the Prime Minister. "I've been having the same week you have, Prime Minister. The Brockdale Bridge… the Vance murder…not to mention the ruckus in the West Country…"

"But that was in our newspapers! Our newspapers. Amelia Bones… it just said she was a middle-aged woman who lived alone. It was a — a nasty killing, wasn't it? It's had rather a lot of publicity. The police are baffled, you see**.**"

Fudge sighed. "Well, of course they are," he said. "She's not dead. She barely escaped with her life. She was severely injured and is still being treated. We, on the other hand, know exactly who did it, not that that gets us any further toward catching him. And then there was Emmeline Vance, maybe you didn't hear about that one —"

"Oh yes I did!" said the Prime Minister. "It happened just around the corner from here, as a matter of fact. The papers had a field day with it, 'breakdown of law and order in the Prime Minister's backyard. Your people are involved?"

Fudge fixed the Prime Minister with a rather stern look. "Of course they were," he said, "Surely you've realized what's going on?"

"How should I know what's going on in the — er — Wizarding community?" snapped the Prime Minister now. "I have a country to run and quite enough concerns at the moment without —"

"We have the same concerns," Fudge interrupted. "The Brockdale Bridge didn't wear out. That wasn't really a hurricane. Those murders were not the work of Muggles. And Herbert Chorley's family would be safer without him. We are currently making arrangements to have him transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The move should be affected tonight."

"What do you… I'm afraid I… What?" blustered the Prime Minister.

Fudge took a great, deep breath and said, "Prime Minister, I am very sorry to have to tell you that he's back. Grindelwald is back."

"Back? When you say 'back'… he's alive? I mean —"

The Prime Minister groped in his memory for the details of that horrible conversation of three years previously, when Fudge had told him about the wizard who was feared above all others, the wizard who had committed a thousand terrible crimes before his mysterious disappearance fifteen years earlier.

"Yes, alive," said Fudge. "That is — I don't know — is a man alive if he can't be killed? I don't really understand it, and Dumbledore won't explain properly — but anyway, he's certainly got a body and is walking and talking and killing, so I suppose, for the purposes of our discussion, yes, he's alive. But, he is not behind these attacks."

The Prime Minister faltered and looked at Fudge wide-eyed.

"What do you mean?"

"The man behind these attacks would be Lord Voldemort. It is a reversal of what happened the last time, fifteen years ago. Voldemort stayed in the background. He has caused riots and mass destruction across Europe. He is angered but why, I do not know. And the only person who may have the faintest idea has seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth!" Fudge said, looking more and more worked up as he went on. The Prime Minister's mouth fell open.

"I don't understand. Who has the faintest idea?" he asked. Fudge sighed.

"Bella Potter."

"Bella Potter? A woman? His lover? Who is she?" asked the Prime Minister. He wanted a firm grip on the situation. He hated interacting with the Wizarding World as it never brought good news but if he had to speak to them to protect his people, he would.

"Hardly. Bella Potter is the young woman who caused Grindelwald's downfall almost fifteen years ago. She is turning sixteen this month. She saw his return and had been spouting it for a year. Without substantial proof, we didn't believe her. We finally saw with our own eyes not a month ago. She was in a right state. Lord Voldemort had his wand to her head and she looked dead on her feet. He whispered something to her and she answered back before he left with Grindelwald. It was pandemonium. She refused to answer any questions and wouldn't even speak. Apparently, her godfather was put into a coma by a spell. Anyway, we've been trying to get a hold of her to question her but she has disappeared. We've tried tracking her but she has powerful wards…barriers around her," Fudge ranted.

The Prime Minister stared at him shock before sputtering.

"Now see here, Fudge — you've got to do something! It's your responsibility as Minister of Magic!"

"My dear Prime Minister, you can't honestly think I'm still Minister of Magic after all this?

I was sacked three days ago! The whole Wizarding community has been screaming for my resignation for a fortnight. I've never known them so united in my whole term of office!" said Fudge, with a brave attempt at a smile.

The Prime Minister was momentarily lost for words. Despite his indignation at the position into which he had been placed, he still rather felt for the shrunken-looking man sitting opposite him.

"I'm very sorry," he said finally. "If there's anything I can do?"

"It's very kind of you, Prime Minister, but there is nothing. I was sent here tonight to bring you up to date on recent events and to introduce you to my successor. I rather thought he'd be here by now, but of course, he's very busy at the moment, with so much going on."

Fudge looked around at the portrait of the froglike man. Catching Fudge's eye, the portrait said, "He'll be here in a moment, he's just finishing a letter to Dumbledore."

"I wish him luck," said Fudge, sounding bitter for the first time. "I've been writing to Dumbledore twice a day for the past fortnight, but he won't budge. Trying to convince him to tell me where the girl is…Well, maybe Scrimgeour will have more success."

"Who's Dumbledore?" the Prime Minister asked.

"One of the most powerful wizards in the world. There are only a few on his level. Voldemort, Grindelwald, and Tom Riddle, for one. He's close to Bella Potter but apparently, he doesn't think it's my business and if I ask one more time, he'll put me into a coma, the Muggle way," Fudge snarled under his breath.

The Prime Minister was well-mannered enough not to tell that this Riddle person had the right idea. If Fudge wasn't Minister anymore, it really _wasn't_ his business anymore.

Fudge subsided into what was clearly an aggrieved silence, but it was broken almost immediately by the portrait, which suddenly spoke in its crisp, official voice.

"To the Prime Minister of Muggles. Requesting a meeting. Urgent. Kindly respond immediately. Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic."

"Yes, yes, fine," said the Prime Minister distractedly, and he barely flinched as the flames in the grate turned emerald green again, rose up, and revealed a second spinning wizard in their heart, disgorging him moments later onto the antique rug.

Fudge got to his feet and, after a moment's hesitation, the Prime Minister did the same, watching the new arrival straighten up, dust down his long black robes, and look around.

The Prime Minister's first, foolish thought was that Rufus Scrimgeour looked rather like an old lion.

There were streaks of gray in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp. There was an immediate impression of shrewdness and toughness; the Prime Minister thought he understood why the Wizarding community preferred Scrimgeour to Fudge as a leader in these dangerous times.

He would anyway.

"How do you do?" said the Prime Minister politely, holding out his hand.

Scrimgeour grasped it briefly, his eyes scanning the room, then pulled out a wand from under his robes.

"Fudge told you everything?" he asked, striding over to the door and tapping the keyhole with his wand. The Prime Minister heard the lock click.

"Er — yes," said the Prime Minister. "And if you don't mind, I'd rather that door remained unlocked."

"I'd rather not be interrupted," said Scrimgeour shortly, "or watched," he added, pointing his wand at the windows, so that the curtains swept across them.

"Right, well, I'm a busy man, so let's get down lo business. First of all, we need to discuss your security."

The Prime Minister drew himself up to his fullest height and replied, "I am perfectly happy with the security I've already got, thank you very —"

"Well, we're not," Scrimgeour cut in. "It'll be a poor lookout for the Muggles if their Prime Minister gets put under the Imperius Curse. The new secretary in your outer office —"

"I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting!" said the Prime Minister hotly.

"He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work the rest of them —"

"That's because he's a wizard," said Scrimgeour, without a flicker of a smile. "A highly trained Auror, who has been assigned to you for your protection."

"Now, wait a moment!" declared the Prime Minister. "You can't just put your people into my office, I decide who works for me —"

"I thought you were happy with Shacklebolt?" said Scrimgeour coldly.

"I am — that's to say, I was —"

"Then there's no problem, is there?" said Scrimgeour.

"I… well, as long as Shacklebolt's work continues to be… er… excellent," said the Prime Minister lamely, but Scrimgeour barely seemed to hear him.

Fudge attempted to smile, but was unsuccessful; he merely looked as though he had a toothache. Scrimgeour was already rummaging in his pocket for the mysterious powder that turned the fire green. The Prime Minister gazed hopelessly at the pair of them for a moment, then the words he had fought to suppress all evening burst from him at last.

"But for heaven's sake — you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out — well — anything!"

Scrimgeour turned slowly on the spot and exchanged an incredulous look with Fudge, who really did manage a smile this time as he said kindly, "The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister."

And with that, the two wizards stepped one after the other into the bright green fire and vanished.

* * *

**The Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 9****th**** of July 1996**

**9:00 PM**

Bellatrix looked at her Lord from her perch next to his chair. She always sat there when it wasn't a formal meeting. She wanted to be as close to her Lord as possible even if she was on the ground like a dog. Rodolphus always told her that her Lord respected her enough not to _want_ her on the floor all the time but Bellatrix knew she didn't deserve his respect. She was not worthy of his greatness.

So she sat on the floor.

"My Lord? Another raid?" she requested, hopefully.

Lord Voldemort gave a hissy chuckle. He looked over at Bellatrix.

"So eager…your malicious urges are quite endearing, Bellatrix. As inspiring as I find your bloodlust Bellatrix, I am only doing this for one reason and one reason alone," Voldemort said, quietly. Bellatrix pouted, knowing the reason and she didn't like it one bit.

"Yes, my Lord. We know. To capture Bella Potter's attention," Lucius said, lazily. He stiffened when he found himself on the receiving end of Voldemort's yew wand. Lucius looked up at his Lord without a shred of fear.

"You are too forward, Luciusss. Do you not fear me? Or what I may do to punish your insolence?" Voldemort asked. Lucius knew it was a test.

And if he didn't pass it with flying colors, he'd be under the Cruciatus for a good five minutes. That was never pleasant and he wouldn't give Bellatrix the satisfaction.

"I do not fear you, my Lord. I serve you out of respect. Not fear. Never fear. You have trained me to be one of your lieutenants. You have instilled into me that I shall never lie to you. I did not lie. I simply did as you trained me to do. Tell the truth," Lucius said. Voldemort let out a cold and high laugh. Rodolphus looked up from his book and rolled his eyes at Lucius Slytherin answer.

"My slippery friend…how Slytherin of you. But, yes, that is our goal at the moment. But, we are working towards a much higher goal that I have yet to inform you of," Voldemort said. Bellatrix looked up, shocked at that. She had known that he wanted to get the attention of the young woman. He had written to her once but she had ignored him. He had sent Nagini but Nagini returned with an unsatisfactory answer.

Bellatrix thought he was acting a little like a teenage boy over a girl. She thought it unnecessary when he had _her_ but he was stuck on Bella Potter. So, Bellatrix would do anything to see her Lord happy and if Potter made him happy, then so be it. She would have to judge if the girl was good enough but…she seemed to be. She _had_ held Bellatrix under the Cruciatus Curse. And it had been _excruciating_. But in a good way, Bellatrix thought.

"A higher goal, my Lord?" Rodolphus asked, curiously. Voldemort nodded. He looked around and saw that the only in the throne room were his lieutenants, his most-trusted.

"Yes. Did you think I simply wanted Bella Potter's attention? You are mistaken. Lucius, are you aware of your son's position?" Voldemort asked. Lucius nodded his head, slowly. Bellatrix and Rodolphus frowned in confusion and looked to Lucius.

"As the Claimer's Son? Of course. I noticed when he was just a babe."

"Do you know of his position in what we can call Bella Potter's Inner Circle? Much like you three are?" asked Voldemort. Lucius cleared his throat.

"I was aware that they are blood siblings but I am not…not aware."

"As you know, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse have not been able spoken of since 1979. Hermione Granger was born in 1979. War was mentioned first in the lullaby. Blaise Zabini was born only a few months after Miss Granger in November. Plague is next mentioned. There was a grace period of a few months until June 5th 1980. Draco Malfoy was born into the world as Death. And then on July 31st 1980, Bella Anastasia Potter was born, sealing the Dark and the Light's fate. She was the Fallen Angel of the lullaby. In other words, she was Victory," Voldemort explained, calmly.

Bellatrix gasped, finally realizing her Lord's intentions. She knew what he wanted.

"You wish for my son to convince Bella Potter to join you? To become a Death Eater?" asked Lucius, doubtfully. Voldemort gave a cold laugh. Lucius blinked in surprise.

"As a Death Eater? Bella Potter is much to independent, not to mention angry at me, to be a subordinate to me. No, I wish for her to join our cause as an ally. I will work on that from one angle but your son and Blaise Zabini must work on it from another angle. Her brothers hold much power over her, despite the fact that it is clear that she leads them and her Outer Circle," Voldemort explained. Bellatrix cackled at her master's great plan. Voldemort looked down at her with an amused smirk and he crossed his legs.

"But what about the Dark Master, sir? Doesn't he despise Bella Potter? If that is so, this won't work. I doubt the plan even more if Miss Potter is still angry," Rodolphus said, blandly. Bellatrix glared at her best friend in annoyance. He gave a shrug and looked to Voldemort. Voldemort looked thoughtful.

"You're so pessimistic Rodolphus. Grindelwald is of no consequence. He merely wants revenge. We will deal with him when the time comes. I have a weapon on my side that will turn all of the tables to my advantage," Voldemort continued, looking exceptionally proud of himself for having this weapon. Bellatrix looked at him, questioningly.

"What is it, my Lord? What great weapon?" Bellatrix breathed, excited. Voldemort smirked.

"Luna Lovegood."

* * *

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 10****th**** of July 1996**

**3:00 PM**

Bella Potter sat at the piano, the one that she had decided at last minute to bring to the Dursleys. They had pretended to be annoyed by it at first though it was quite the opposite. Petunia couldn't wait to brag to her friends about a brand new piano in her house despite the fact that she couldn't even play. Lily and Petunia had learned together at a young age but Petunia had dropped it by the time she was ten. Lily had continued, diligently.

She had been amazing but Bella was playing on another left.

Petunia watched from the doorway, carefully. She hadn't been pleased when Bella had returned but she had been in a right state, so Petunia had taken pity and accepted the girl into the house, generously. Two of Petunia's friends, Melissa Robinson and Christine Jackson were standing behind her. They didn't even notice the newspaper in Bella's lap.

Bella's left hand was going slow as her right hand did most of the work. The sound was absolutely beautiful and almost heartbreaking. Petunia didn't think she'd ever heard anything as beautiful even when Lily had played. She was rocking back and forth as her fingers danced along the keys. Her playing reached a peak before she slammed her fingers down on two chords.

Her fingers began playing faster now and she slammed chords on her left hand without a care in the world. Now that Petunia really watched, the girl's eyes were _closed_ and Petunia could tell that she was close to tears. Petunia wondered what she was crying about.

She knew there were several things that girl could cry about. The old man, Dumbledore, had informed Petunia of the fact that her godfather was in a coma. The woman, Maya Granger looked almost as bad as Bella. The daughter, Hermione Granger didn't leave Bella and Maya's side once. She had hugged her tightly.

Petunia focused on the beautiful music escaping the piano. The song seemed to be coming to an end. Bella ended with a chord and her fingers dropped from the piano. Christina and Melissa began to clap. Petunia only stared as Bella jumped and slammed the piano cover over the keys. Bella opened her eyes and they were surprisingly dry.

Bella looked at Petunia before walking from the room. They were standing next to each other when Petunia got sight of the newspaper in Bella's hand. There was something about the Vance murder on the front page.

Petunia just barely heard the whispered words as Bella left the room.

"Well, you've got my attention Tom. What are you going to do with it, you selfish bastard?"

:::

**A/N: **Well, here is the Interlude. Quite a lot of it is taken from the first chapter of Half-Blood Prince. I hope all of you notice that Snape hasn't been summoned yet. That's going to be a crucial thing. Just wanted to let you know. I'm kind of upset right now because I have three quotes for Half-Blood Prince. And I want to only use two. So I'm drawing pieces of paper out of a hat. Which is kind of sad, now that I think about it.

OH RIGHT! The song that Bella is playing is called: As I Am (Intro) Here is the link: youtube. com/ watch?v=mc_2QrVdvg

Next Chapter: Meetings and Masks


	67. Chapter LXI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I am going to love this year a lot. Probably because I get to develop Bella and Tom's relationship but not in a sexual way. This year will also resolve the issue of Draco's sexuality. I hope that people don't stop reading because of my choice. I also hope that you realize that just because I choose one thing, doesn't mean I won't change it. That's one thing I need you to realize. Please, come to terms with that. Thank you.

I decided on a poem for my quote this time. I hope some of you recognize what poem it is without looking it up. That'd make my day since it is one of my favorite poems in the entire world.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXI**

_Out of the night that covers me,_

_Black as the pit from pole to pole, _

_I thank whatever gods may be_

_For my unconquerable soul._

_In the fell clutch of circumstance _

_I have not winced nor cried aloud. _

_Under the bludgeonings of chance_

_My head is bloody, but unbowed._

_Beyond this place of wrath and tears_

_Looms but the Horror of the shade,_

_And yet the menace of the years_

_Finds and shall find me unafraid._

_It matters not how strait the gate,_

_How charged with punishment the scroll,_

_I am the master of my fate:_

_I am the captain of my soul._

_-William Ernest Henley_

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 11****th**** of July 1996**

**4:00 PM**

Petunia watched from the window. Bella was in the backyard, sitting on the grass cross-legged. She was reading a scroll of some sort and was writing quickly on it with a quill. She leaned back, looking at it before tilting her head and writing something else on it. She had books spread out around her. Petunia knew that the girl was probably doing homework. She'd never know that Bella was doing the complete opposite.

Bella didn't interact with the Dursleys at all. She had seemed to have gotten along well with Dudley the previous summer but when he had asked her where her boyfriend was, she had screamed at him to mind his own business. Then, she had locked the door of her room and wouldn't emerge until the next day. But, now, she was much calmer after she had played an angry song on the piano. Petunia had to admit that her playing was beautiful yet the person playing the notes seemed broken somehow.

Petunia saw Bella stiffen. Bella set her books to the side, slowly and looked to the shadows near the gazebo. The gazebo was in shadows, weeping willows hanging over it and keeping it shrouded in darkness. It wasn't finished yet so they had thought it'd be best to keep it hidden until it was. Petunia's mouth fell open when a man glided from the shadows. They pulled away from him reluctantly, as if they were a part of him.

Petunia thought he looked familiar but her pale blue eyes drank in his features. He was extremely attractive. His dark hair was pulled at the base of his neck into a ponytail. The man made it look aristocratic. His dark eyes were flecked with crimson, strangely enough. He was wearing a suit and it looked extremely expensive. A wand was dangled between his fingers and Petunia stared as he looked at Bella with a look akin to hunger. Bella was glaring at him.

"Go away. I don't want to see you. You disgust me," Bella snarled. The man walked forward, almost gliding before he came to a stop in front of Bella. Bella was kneeling and he smirked at her, seeming to find amusement in that. Bella jumped up and gave him a disgusted look.

"Do I really, Anya?" he murmured, touching her cheek. Bella slapped his hand away and hissed.

"Don't call me that. How could you? How could you kill all of those innocent people?" demanded Bella. Petunia silenced her gasp. _He_ was the one killing all of those people? The handsome man talking to her niece?

"You have no right to preach on the behalf of the innocent when you are not counted among them any longer. I killed only one person personally. Emmeline Vance. And don't pretend you didn't want her dead. You were jealous of her," the man teased. Bella hissed angrily at him again. The man walked around her, surveying her before he stopped behind her. He brushed her dark hair from her neck and leaned down and pressed his lips against the column of her neck. Bella hissed again.

"You sound angry, love."

"Angry? Tom, I'm _furious_. You betrayed me! And you lied to me. I see you for why you are and you've got everybody fooled. The Ministry, the students, the Order…" Bella trailed off. She stepped away from Tom and looked up to the sky with dark and haunted eyes. She spun back around, looking more frustrated than angry.

"What are you doing here? Is there a purpose other than to make me hate you even more?" Bella asked. Tom crossed his arms.

"Do I need a reason?"

"When I'm angry with you, yeah you do. What do you want from me? Tom, I know how you operate. You want something from me," Bella said, sharply. Tom stepped up to her until they were almost chest-to-chest. Bella looked up at the man defiantly and angry.

"You don't even understand what this is all bout. Bella, you haven't been alive as long as I have. This war is about more than you. I am fighting for what I believe in," Tom said, flatly. Bella snorted.

"Tom, you could've _told_ me! I'm so angry with you…what happens if I let it slip that you're Lord Voldemort at the next Order meeting?"

"You won't."

"But if I did? Without the mask, where will you hide? You can't even find yourself, lost in your lies…" Bella whispered. Tom straightened and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"You wouldn't dare. You wouldn't dare betray the Dark. You know the punishment for denying your nature. Anastasia, your soul is as black as mine. You've murdered and tortured. I remember the Quidditch Cup. I watched you strike down Death Eater after Death Eater…you were a sight to behold" Tom said, softly. Bella hissed, dangerously at him.

"Don't try to flatter me now. I know the truth now! I don't know who you are and I can't even look you in the face without being disgusted by you and the Dark," Bella growled. She turned away from him and Petunia watched as Tom's expression transformed into something fearsome. She took a step back.

"You think you know everything but you _don't_. You don't know a damn thing and I'm tired of your holier-than-thou act, Bella Potter," Tom hissed, angrily. Bella spun back around with a disbelieving look on her face.

"A holier-than-thou act? Tom, you're a bastard. A hypocritical bastard. You think you're the reason that people get up every morning! I am tired of people trying to control me. I know why you're here. You're trying to guilt me into joining your side in the war. You're trying to get me to become a Death Eater. Well, I'm not doing it and you can't make me. I am in charge of my destiny. Not you. Not any prophecy. Not Dumbledore. Not _anyone_. Me. Bella Anastasia Potter. So, you can go to wherever you came from and stuff it. I won't ever let you trick me again!" Bella shouted.

Tom glared at her in disdain and rage.

"Then, rot here in this Muggle hellhole."

He spun around and Bella glared at his back. Her glare melted away into a pained and hurt expression. Petunia cringed on seeing that expression on the young woman that looked so much like Lily.

"I rather be here. I rather be anywhere where you _aren't_. You aren't even sorry," Bella whispered, harshly.

"I cannot be sorry for something that I wanted to happen. Though, that was not the way I wished to tell you, it was still done. But you will do well to realize that you do not have the entire story and until you do, you shall not judge," Tom said.

Bella stared after him as he melted into the shadows, disappearing without a sound. Bella fell on her knees in the grass and began tearing grass up from the dirt. Petunia watched as Bella shook with unspoken sobs and she turned away, feeling like she was intruding on something.

Bella's eyes flashed up and the two met gazes. A single tear fell onto a blade of grass and Bella turned away, her expression ashamed.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 11****th**** of July 1996**

**4:30 PM**

Bellatrix watched from the kitchen as her Lord came storming down the hallway in his…human-looking form. He was waving his wand, applying the glamours to change his face into the more frightening face of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Narcissa peeked out from the kitchen just as he finished his glamours. Rodolphus walked out with Lucius, a toothpick in his mouth.

"Struck out, my Lord?" Rodolphus asked in a flat tone. Voldemort stopped in his storming and turned to face Rodolphus. His wand was pointed at the man.

"_Crucio_."

Rodolphus fell to the floor laughing at the pain he felt. It left him after a minute. Voldemort looked furious and frustrated that Rodolphus wasn't screaming from the pain. He hissed, angrily and turned from Rodolphus as Rodolphus struggled to stand up.

"You are trying my patience, Rodolphus. Bellatrix! Lucius! Rodolphus, let us go. Resume what you were doing, Narcissa," Voldemort said, sharply. Rodolphus stumbled into a standing position and Lucius, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus followed their angry Lord. Lucius watched as Bellatrix berated Rodolphus.

"You're too disrespectful, Rodolphus. He should've killed you for your insolence."

"Nah. Then he'd miss me too much. I keep it real. You're the crazy bitch. I'm the pessimist and Lucius is the optimist."

"I am no such thing. I am just as 'real' as you are, Rodolphus," Lucius snapped at his friend. Rodolphus shrugged and they entered the chamber where Voldemort was already sitting he looked impatient. He waved his hand and the door slammed shut violently. Bellatrix went to sit in her usual seat but Voldemort held up his hand. His eyes slid closed and he placed two fingers to his forehead.

The three knew that he did that only when he was incredibly angry or incredibly frustrated. He seemed both at the moment.

"What happened, my Lord?" Lucius asked, slowly. He was hoping not to be cursed. Rodolphus snorted.

"Optimist."

"I am no such—"

"Would you stop behaving like children for one minute? I am trying to _think_! Something that you don't seem able to do!" Voldemort roared. The two fell silent and looked at their feet. Voldemort's crimson eyes flashed open and he stared at the ground before looking up at them. Lucius' question still hung in the air and it was clear that he was debating whether he should answer it or not.

"Bella Potter is a stubborn brat. She does not listen to reason and she thinks she knows all things. I was very close to torturing her in her backyard," Voldemort said, flatly. Rodolphus opened his mouth to say something when Voldemort fixed him with an angry look.

"Not. Another. Word. Rodolphus."

The Lestrange fell silent and he went back to staring at the far wall. Voldemort sometimes wondered if he was as crazy as his brother. He looked to Bellatrix whom looked like she wanted to say something. He nodded at her, addressing her question. She almost looked to be bouncing.

"Raid?" Bellatrix asked, hopefully. Voldemort rolled his eyes and beckoned her closer. Bellatrix walked forward, jauntily and sat in her normal seat. She looked up at him with a hopeful look that fell when he shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, Trixie. Though I'm _itching_ to kill someone, perhaps…now is not the best time," Voldemort decided. Bellatrix sighed, wistfully. Lucius looked anxious to ask a question. Voldemort gestured to the man.

"My Lord…what exactly did she say?"

"Bella Potter announced that she was disgusted with me. She attempted to yell at me on the behalf of innocent people. It was angering. She was dangerously close to breaking a Natural Law," Voldemort said in a dangerous voice. Bellatrix controlled her gasp though she looked increasingly alarmed.

There were three Natural Laws and they were followed _always_. Mudbloods and Muggle-raised weren't told of the Natural Laws until their sixth year. Their head of house always told them. It was unspoken that both sides respect the Natural Laws. Breaking a Natural Law was reason enough to be shamefully executed and would bring shame to your family for at least three centuries.

"A Natural Law? Which one?" asked Lucius, surprised.

"The first. _By the Order of the Houses of Families, both the Dark Sect and Light Denomination, and the newly formed Wizengamot thou shall not deny thy innate nature. To do so is blasphemy against the Dark Lady Morgan le Fay and the Light Lord Merlin Ambrosius. To do so is treason of the highest degree against the great gift of Magic. Failure to follow this infinite and undeniable rule will result in immediate execution and the condemning of thy family for three centuries. So mote it be,_" Voldemort recited. Lucius snorted and crossed his arms.

"It'd be a pity if she broke it. She is Victory. How can she deny the Darkness? It's just not done," Lucius said calmly. Voldemort rolled his eyes and gave a dark chuckle. Bellatrix looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"My Lord?"

"There are many people that have failed to acknowledge their innate nature. Most have long forgotten the old ways. Perhaps, when I claim what is rightfully mine, I will change that. But, let us focus on the task at hand," Voldemort continued. He had to stay task-oriented or his thoughts would drift to Anya and that was never a good thing. He would never get anything done if he did.

"The task at hand, my Lord? What do we do now?" asked Bellatrix. Voldemort tapped his chin before his eyes widened.

"Where is your son, Lucius? Where is Draco?"

"At his friend's house. Blaise Zabini's. He has gone 'hunting' with him. I assume that is what the Black Widow calls her husband hunting. Why, my Lord?" asked Lucius. Voldemort leaned back in his seat and examined his fingernails. He looked up at two curious lieutenants and his surprisingly quiet lieutenant.

Normally, Rodolphus _always_ had something to say.

Perhaps, that was why Voldemort had made him a lieutenant. Rodolphus Lestrange was considerably more talented than his brother. He was level-headed and charismatic and just in general, rather amusing. And he had things spot on. Voldemort had picked him because he was a pessimist. Despite, Lucius's numerous attempts to be otherwise, Lucius was the optimist. Bellatrix balanced it all out.

"I believe he has feelings for one Luna Lovegood. The girl influences him greatly. Bring her to me. Unharmed."

Lucius gave a firm nod and he gave a stiff bow. Voldemort rolled his eyes. Lucius had been his lieutenant for years and he still was with the formalities. Lucius turned on the spot and walked out of the room at a fast pace. Voldemort turned to look at Rodolphus.

"You're surprisingly silent. Why?" Voldemort asked. Rodolphus gave a cocky smirk.

"You told me not to say another word."

"_Crucio_."

Rodolphus fell to the ground, cackling. Voldemort resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nonexistent nose. He lifted the curse in a moment and looked at the Lestrange with annoyance on his face.

"I cannot even take pleasure in torturing you. You enjoy it far too much."

"Admit it. You enjoy my wit far too much," Rodolphus grinned. Voldemort lifted his wand and glared at the Lestrange. Bellatrix was glaring at her friend for his insolence.

"Trust me, Rodolphus. I can find a way to torture you in such a way, you won't find it enjoyable any longer."

* * *

**Lovegood House, outside of Ottery St. Catchpole, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 11****th**** of July 1996**

**5:00 PM**

Lucius Malfoy stood outside of the rook-shaped house with a look of disgust on his face. He didn't read the Quibbler. He felt that it was useless newspaper, no matter what his Lord said. His Lord read it for some very strange reason but he never questioned him. He didn't want to be lectured.

And Lord Voldemort's version of lecturing had pain involved. Lucius didn't do pain well. The blond man walked forward and up the steps. He raised his hand to knock on the door but it swung open on its own. Lucius' wand was pointing at the person. It wasn't Xenophilius Lovegood as he had thought it'd be.

Luna Lovegood was an odd-looking girl. She was pretty in a very strange way. Her eyes resembled his son's a strange way. They were full of knowing and a silvery grey. Her pupils were blown wide and she seemed to be in a slight daze. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and radish earrings hung from her pointed Elven ears. She wore the traditional Elven clothing, a high Mandarin collar dress in bright yellow. It hung to her shins and she wore heeled brown boots. She looked ready to leave.

Lucius remembered her infatuation with his son well. He also remembered the infatuation that the Weasley boy had with his son. He didn't in particular approve of either but if he were forced to choose, he'd go with Charlie. The Lovegood girl unsettled him.

"Mr. Malfoy, I knew you would come. You are rather late but please do come in for some tea," Luna said, beckoning Lucius in. Lucius followed her inside, rather confused as to what she was doing.

She knew she was going to be kidnapped?

He walked inside a perfectly circular kitchen. There were stoves and counters curved to fit against the walls. A tray sat on a table near the side of the room. Lucius made to sit there but Luna picked up the tray. She gestured to the spiral staircase that was in the very middle of the room.

"Please go upstairs to the top floor. My art studio is up there. We will discuss things up there," Luna said. Lucius did as she asked he walked up the staircase. He entered the top floor and looked around. There were canvases hanging on the curved walls and paint splattered the wood floor. There were several easels with paintings. Four easels were currently being used. The paintings were almost finished.

At the foot of the first easel were inks and pens. It was finished and Lucius could tell it was a man. He was running through what looked like a hospital ward. Despite it being only of ink, it was still beautiful. Luna put down the tray on a small table. Lucius picked up a cup of tea and sat on a stool. He watched as Luna reached over and began painting in gold instead of using ink. She pulled away and Lucius stared at the picture. The man looked vaguely familiar with his golden eyes and dark hair.

"Apollo, Lord of Plague," Luna muttered as she wrote that in the corner of the portrait. She smiled at her finished piece.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy but before we can depart, I have a few portraits I must finish. As I'm sure that Tom Marvolo told you, I am a Seer. A Seer must have an outlet so she or he may be rid of the prophecies and visions that he or she may constantly see. I have seen many things the past year and I have spent every moment I can painting these portraits," Luna explained.

Lucius looked around in wonder. All of the paintings were absolutely beautiful and intricately detailed. One was of the black unicorn that Lucius had purchased. Another was of a redhead man crying. Another was of a woman with long dark brown hair. Her eyes were rimmed with black and she was laughing, insanely. There were many others of similar quality but none looked very happy.

Luna moved onto the next one. This was an oil painting of a blonde teenager. On his back was an intricate black tattoo. He was lying on his stomach in an all white room. Dark circles were under his familiar grey eyes. Lucius' eyes widened as he realized that it was his _son_.

"Draco," Lucius said, softly. Luna didn't turn around as she made long strokes along the figure, solidifying the shadows and adding the look that made it all look too real. Much too real.

"Yes, that is your son. Draco…Thanatos, Lord of Death," Luna whispered. The air seemed colder as Luna wrote that on the bottom of the painting. Luna turned from that easel and looked at this one. She didn't move. This one was acrylic, if Lucius could identify right.

He knew the room. A woman, a young woman with wild curly brown hair and dark eyes rimmed with black sat in a chair. She was sitting in it like it was a throne. There were chains wrapped around her middle and she looked rather regal. She was on a dais in the center of a room. It looked almost like an arena. Lucius could see that everyone was looking at her. One side of the room was donned in dark clothing while the other side in bright and light clothing. In the middle, they wore plum robes. The spectators' faces were undefined.

"My dear, my dear. Temper, temper, you said once. Return the sentiment. Return the favor. Temper, temper, you said once. Your temper shall rage for he will once more break the Natural Law. You will do the unthinkable. You will do the unspeakable. Mórrígan, Lady of War," Luna muttered. Lucius' eyes widened. He knew the girl wasn't talking to herself. She was a Seer. She was sorting through her visions and they did so by talking aloud.

Luna gave one more sweeping rim of black around the woman's eyes before turning away from her. She turned to the last painting and Lucius' eyes widened in shock. A beautiful woman was standing in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She was one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen. She was slim and had curves. Her dark hair fell down her face and to her waist. Her eyes were the color of the Avada Kedavra curse. She was wearing silver chainmail robes and looked positively deadly. She was glaring at Dumbledore and two wands were pointed at him. Black gloves encased her hands and arms.

"Which one do you like better, Mr. Malfoy? This one or that one or that one?" Luna asked, softly. She was pointing at two other paintings. Lucius looked to them and blinked in surprise.

A younger woman that resembled the beautiful woman was standing facing a woman that looked almost just like except with auburn hair. They were in profile. It was Lily Potter, Lucius knew. And that made the younger woman Bella Potter. They were looking at each other. Lily was smiling brightly at her daughter. Bella Potter was looking up at her mother with hopeful eyes and a sad smile.

The other one was of Bella Potter looking in a mirror. Her hair was excessively curly and she looked to be wearing something that resembled a nightgown. It fitted her slight curves and had long billowy sleeves. Over it, she looked like she was wearing a dressing gown that wasn't closed. A man stood behind her his nose touching her neck. He was looking in the mirror, his eyes dark with flecks of red.

It was Tom Riddle.

Lucius looked at the one with Lily Potter once more. And then his eyes found the largest painting that he had looked over. It was tall and a short little ladder was next to it. A young girl, Bella Potter, who looked about eleven in the painting, was standing, looking into a mirror. The same dark haired woman stood in the mirror with a slight smile on her face. An older version of Draco was smirking. The man with golden eyes was tan, Lucius could see now. He looked rather Italian. He was smiling as well. Tom Riddle was kneeling in front of the eleven year old girl. Her hands were pressed against the mirror and Tom Riddle's hands were pressed against the mirror. The mirror was a barrier. His forehead was pressed against one side of the mirror and hers was pressed against the other side.

Across the top of the mirror were the words: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._

Lucius knew the mirror from stories. It was the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror of Desire. Painted at the bottom of the picture were the words: _Melinldë ilya_.

It was such a beautiful portrait and Lucius' breath and criticism was taken away in a moment. The portrait spoke volumes though it could not say words. Lucius looked to the paintings that Luna had pointed out.

"That one, Miss Lovegood."

He was speaking of the one that had Bella sitting in the mirror with Tom Riddle. It was a beautiful portrait. Luna smiled, brightly.

"Thank you. I have a portrait for Tom Marvolo. This portrait, the one you were admiring is not the original of course. The original is within Bella's memory. I have been inside of her mind and it is a beautiful place of portraits, big and small. I could be there forever, admiring them. However, it was this portrait that captured my attention. It was the largest of them all, signifying it as Bella's most treasured memory whether she knows or not. I believe that this will be her most treasured memory until she has what she wishes. Her family. Her _whole_ family. I have not included two people for a reason. I have seen their faces but she has not. She knows not that that is her family and it may not if she knows," Luna explained as she rummaged through portraits on the floor. Lucius finished his tea and waited patiently as Luna pulled a portrait from underneath a sheet. Lucius stared in surprise.

A woman was dancing in the snow with a man known as Tom Riddle. He was smirking at her and she was laughing. They were in a courtyard of some sort and there was a statue of Morgan le Fay in the background. Luna brushed her hand across the surface and the portrait changed into something else. Tom Riddle was standing there, looking into a mirror. Voldemort stared back at him.

"A monster…" Luna whispered. She picked up the portrait and turned back to Lucius with a firm look upon her face.

"Mr. Malfoy, we may depart now," Luna said, sharply. Lucius nodded and extended his arm to Luna. Luna grabbed it and Lucius Apparated to the gates of Malfoy Manor. Luna walked alongside him, passing several Death Eaters that were milling about. They stared in shock. They were mostly grunt Death Eaters and they probably wondered why a little girl was accompanying Lucius Malfoy.

"A little bed warmer, eh Lucius? Narcissa not good enough for you?" asked a Death Eater and he chuckled. Lucius looked appalled and he was about to have words or rather curses with the Death Eater when he was interrupted.

"You will do well to be silent, Warwick. Miss Lovegood is here as a _guest_. An honored guest who holds more value over you. You will respect Miss Lovegood as you would respect myself."

The Death Eaters froze and dropped to their knees when they saw Voldemort standing in the doorway, Bellatrix and Rodolphus flanking him. Rodolphus was twitching every few minutes but he looked very satisfied.

"The Dark Lord…the proclaimed monster," Luna said, softly. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Voldemort to respond. He raised a hairless eyebrow.

"I prefer the term 'radical'."

"Of course you do, Voldemort. I fear that you did not go about everything the right way. Getting attention like that only pissed Nikolai off," Luna said with a slight smile on her lips. Voldemort beckoned Luna forward and she followed him as he turned from the room. Lucius was right behind him. They entered the throne room and everyone resumed their normal seats.

"Did I now? She knows nothing and she has the right to judge?" Voldemort asked, angrily. Luna tilted her head.

"You gave her no information to judge. She will judge you on what she knows of you. And all she knows is that you're a liar, a manipulator, and a murderer. One thing that Nikolai cares about above all things is humanity. She does not think you have any. And because of that, I give you this gift," Luna said, firmly. She presented the portrait and Voldemort surveyed it. Rodolphus was gaping at the skill of the painting. Bellatrix's eyes were wide.

"What does it do?" Voldemort asked, with a bored voice. Luna smiled.

"It displays your humanity and your malevolence. Your mercy and your cruelty. When you have learned to balance your two halves and have shown Nikolai that you _are_ human, then the portrait's reflection will become human. You will be a perfect mix of the two and you will know what it means to be someone's _Vaelor Oli_," Luna said, with a slight smile. Voldemort snorted.

"Someone's _Vaelor Oli_? You're amusing, Luna. I am no one's _Vaelor Oli_."

"You were Nikolai's _Vaelor Oli_. Her _Myr Shyl_. You were her Precious One. But, now she hates you. Or perhaps, she hates monsters. She thinks you are a monster," Luna said with a slight smirk. She turned and looked for a chair. Voldemort flicked his wand and a chair flew from the corner. Luna sat down on it. She held the portrait in her lap. Bellatrix was glaring at Luna.

"Don't you dare call my Lord a monster," Bellatrix snarled. Luna's lips twisted into a large smile.

"I do not think he is a monster. I know who he is. I know _exactly_ who he is. I know his past, present, and future. Bella Potter, Nikolai, however, doesn't. And it doesn't matter if _I_ know who he is. It matters if she knows why you are. And you will need to help her learn. Voldemort, you must understand one thing. You may think you know all and I do believe you know much but you do _not_ know all. I do not even know all things. I cannot see the future of a nondescript Muggle. I do not know how the world began. I was born to See for the Horsemen. I was born to be their guide. And to an extent, _your_ guide. So, do listen and listen well," Luna said, camly. Her voice left no argument in the matter and Voldemort decided to humor her.

"I am listening."

"You understand much but you do not understand emotion. You cannot control emotions so you do not understand. Bella is hurt and confused. You used her. You went from me being her guardian to her lover. There _is_ a step between, Voldemort," Luna continued. Voldemort smirked and tilted his head. Luna may be a Seer but she pretended that she knew him when in fact, she didn't. Or to Voldemort's knowledge, she didn't.

"Is there now? I pray that you enlighten me," Voldemort said, his voice dangerously close to mocking.

"You have to be her _friend_. And then you shall receive her trust. If you are her friend then she will ally herself to you. You cannot win this war without her. You can win this war without the Horsemen. They follow her and only her. They are loyal to her as Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Lucius are loyal to you," Luna stated, firmly. Bellatrix awaited to hear her Lord scoff at the idea of being a 'friend' to anyone. But, it never came. Voldemort seemed to be taking Luna's idea into consideration.

"What do you have in mind then?"

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 15****th**** of July 1996**

**10:00 AM**

Penelope and Helen took in their goddaughter's story with wide eyes. They looked to Maya who looked like she had heard the story too many times. She wasn't smiling nor laughing and she looked much too tired. She wasn't old in the least but she did look tired. Hermione's eyes were dark and her hair was in loose curls now. She was twitching every few seconds and she had dark kohl rimming her eyes to hide the dark circles under her eyes.

"And…and I was dueling Bellatrix with S-Sirius. Bella was dueling Voldemort and they were arguing. Throwing curses back and forth. Bella…Bella threw an Unforgiveable Curse…if you use it…you go to A-A-Azkaban. She used the Killing Curse and tried to kill Voldemort. It hit a Death Eater. And I wasn't paying attention. Bellatrix tried to throw a curse at me. S-Sirius pushed me out of the way and he fell through the Veil of Death…and Voldemort took off after Bellatrix. He was angry and she ran from him. I was frozen. Bella…Bella was distraught. She tried to run after him but Blaise and Draco had to tackle her. She was sobbing and crying out. It was horrible…and then Draco went through the Veil and brought him back," Hermione whispered.

She continued the story and they got to the part where Bella had disappeared and ran after Voldemort. Hermione explained how Dumbledore had checked them over when Grindelwald disappeared. They were all injured in some way. Hermione continued about Luna and how she informed Dumbledore that she was dueling Voldemort. Hermione's voice broke when she got to the part in the Hospital Wing. She shook her head, not wanting to continue.

She didn't want to voice the vicious betrayal that had ripped through her when she had realized that her sensei had used her sister. How he had used their trust and twisted against them.

"I'm…I'm so sorry that you had to go through that," Penelope said, softly. Hermione nodded and she buried her face in her mother's side. Helen looked to Maya and she saw Maya looking down at her left hand.

Her eyes found the simple yet meaningful ring. It was a platinum band with a single diamond. Sirius knew that she didn't like excessive extravagance. He knew her so well and he was now gone. Helen didn't bring up the ring, knowing it would make her friend feel even worse.

"So…how is he now? Is he getting better?" Helen asked instead. Maya shook her head, limply.

"No. He's…his magical core…part of his life-force is regenerating. When he went through the Veil, it stripped the magic from his soul, his body, and mind. It has regenerate. It could take a long time they said," Maya said, softly. Helen swallowed and felt her own eyes burning. A hot tear slid down her cheek. Penelope looked just as sorrowful.

"Where's Bella?" Penelope asked. Hermione shook her head.

"She's…she couldn't deal with it. She couldn't stay in the wizarding world. She just couldn't," Hermione said, simply. Helen's eyes widened.

"She killed her—"

"No. She's in the Muggle world. She knows that she has to duty to do and she would _never_ abandon my siblings and I," Hermione said, coldly. Helen recoiled from her goddaughter and Penelope looked annoyed with that statement.

"What do you mean she has a 'duty' to do? She's just a kid, your age. She's not even sixteen yet! She should be being a kid but she has to worry all about this. Why can't the adults—" Penelope started.

"You wouldn't understand, Aunt Penelope. You're a _Muggle_," Hermione said. She spat the word 'Muggle' like it was a vile curse. Penelope and Helen reared back and Maya gave her daughter a sharp look. Hermione's eyes were dark and haunting. There was a hint of those chocolate brown eyes hidden deep inside them but it was masked but hurt, pain, and ruthlessness.

"Hermione! Apologize," Maya said, quietly. Hermione gave her mother a look but she sighed under her mother's stair.

"I apologize."

"It's…it's all right. I understand that you're under a lot of stress and pressure. But, even though I'm Muggle, please, help me understand," Penelope said, softly. Hermione let out a deeper sight than the one before. She rubbed her eyes, looking tense and pale.

"I…I can't explain it. Bella…Bella's an important figure in the wizarding world, politically, economically, and historically. She…has several prophecies about her that she has to sort through. Draco, Blaise, Bella, and I made a vow that went unspoken for quite a while. 'We are Four. We are One'. We are four different people. We have our own individual likes and dislikes. But, we are also one. We are united against all odds. And…right now, she can't deal with all of this. She needs time to herself and so we're letting her have that time," Hermione explained.

Helen and Penelope didn't look like they completely understood. Even Maya looked a little confused. Maya stiffened as her eyes shifted to the fireplace. The fire was turning green. A figure stepped out of the fireplace and Hermione stared.

"_Mi sei mancata, bellissima ragazza_."

Hermione jumped up and ran at the young man and tackled him with a hug. He hugged her back, tightly and he pulled her to the side as two more people stepped out of the fireplace. Luna watched with a slight smile. Draco looked a little angry at the moment but he said nothing.

"_Blaise! Mi sei mancata così tanto ... mi manca Nikolai. Voglio che mia sorella. Mi manca mio padre. Vorrei che tutto potrebbe tornare come era,_" Hermione exclaimed. Helen and Penelope shared surprised looks. Blaise brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her forehead.

"I know. I know. I wish the same," Blaise said, soothingly. Draco brushed the ash from his robes and he looked at Luna with a betrayed look. Luna gave a slightly apologetic smile.

"Luna just kidnapped us. We were in New York. And you won't believe who she joined her in her little kidnapping spree," Draco snarled.

Hermione looked at Luna with surprise on her face. Luna tilted her head.

"I believe this conversation would be better if it was held in a more private place. Hello, Ms. Granger, Miss Penelope, Miss Helen," Luna said. Helen and Penelope frowned as they looked at the strange girl in confusion. Their eyes widened when they realized that they had met her long ago.

"Hello, Luna. What do you have to discuss? Is it Order business?" Maya asked. Luna shook her head with a slight smile.

"Seer business. It has nothing to do with the Order," Luna said, softly. She turned from the Muggle women and held her hand out to Draco. He looked at her with silvery eyes.

"I'm angry at you, Luna."

"Draco, I did what I had to do. You know that it's what Bella would have wanted," Luna said, softly. Draco glared at Luna.

"No she wouldn't! She doesn't want anything to do with _him_! Nor do I! You basically signed our souls over to the devil! Bella will want to believe that he _is_ human even though she knows he's a monster. She doesn't think with her head! She lets her _heart_ think for her," Draco said, disdainfully. Luna shook her head and she gripped the fireplace with a hard hand.

"You will see, Draco. Come, let us inform Hermione," Luna said, softly. Hermione nodded and she led the trio out of the room without ever letting go of Blaise. Helen frowned in confusion as they left.

"Is she dating that boy?" asked Penelope.

"No. I believe she does love him but they are not dating," Maya said, softly. She watched as Hermione left, clinging to Blaise. Hermione led the trio into the closest room. It just happened to be the library. Hermione instantly began constructing wards. She turned to Blaise, Draco, and Luna as soon as she finished.

"What happened?" she asked.

She took on leadership in the absence of Bella. Hermione viewed Bella as Field Marshal. Hermione was her General and she would take over until Bella returned. Draco leaned back in the chair that he had sat in.

"Blaise, Gianna, Ms. Zabini, and I were hunting. It's great fun, by the way. I have the honor of killing her husband. Anyway, we were in New York City. Blaise and I were in a Muggle shopping store called Saks Fifth Avenue because Ms. Zabini wanted to have a list of the businessmen in the city. She was trying to see if she could identify a wizard on the list. I don't know if she did. But, suddenly Luna came through the door with my _father_, Rodolphus Lestrange, and my _aunt_. She was standing next to Voldemort, in his Tom Riddle form of course," Draco said.

Hermione's eyes widened and they fell on Luna. Luna gave an apologetic smile. Hermione opened her mouth to berate the Seer but Blaise raised a hand.

"We conversed and made dealings. Luna was 'kidnapped' by Lucius Malfoy. She went willingly. _Tom_ and Luna conversed. Tom wishes to ally himself with us. They were discussing how to go about this," Blaise explained. Hermione gave a loud sigh and she shook her head.

"What is this? This war is getting out of hand and it hasn't even started. We have to solidify our views and such before we even think of fighting. And if he thinks we're going to become Death Eaters, he is sadly mistaken," Hermione snarled under her breath. Draco gave her an incredulous look and he crossed his arms in anger and frustration.

"I can't believe you're _considering_ this!" he shouted. Hermione glared at him.

"Of course I'm considering it! This is _war_, Draco. I thrive in war and I wish to win this one. I do not like Tom Marvolo Riddle. At this point in time, I abhor him. Our instructor, even our 'friend', betrayed us in such a large way. But, you must admit, he's a powerful wizard and some of his ideas, the ideas that you said he spoke of last summer, aren't bad. They're almost completely in line with Bella's and by extension, ours. However, the Light hasn't done anything bad to us. Choosing to side with the Dark and ally ourselves with them would be condemning them to damnation," Hermione concluded. Her eyes were bright with excitement despite her cool and calculating expression. Draco shook his head, still angry.

"I can't believe you're consider this! He hurt our little sister!" Draco cried out. Luna looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"He hurt both of them. Despite what you think and _he_ thinks, Draco, they are _both_ hurting. Bella almost broke a Natural Law on Sunday," Luna said, coldly. Draco froze and looked at Luna. Blaise raised a single eyebrow. Hermione frowned in confusion. She looked at Luna.

"What the hell is a Natural Law?"

Everyone looked at Hermione in surprise.

"Oh…I forgot that you're a Mudblood. I think you learn about them this year. It's a law that has to be followed _always_. It's an ancient law that has only been broken a handful of times. My father drilled them into me," Draco explained. Blaise nodded in agreement.

"Even my mother found time to inform me of the Natural Laws. There are three of them but the first one is the most important," Blaise explained. Hermione nodded. Luna was the one who answered her unspoken question.

"_By the Order of the Houses of Families, both the Dark Sect and Light Denomination, and the newly formed Wizengamot thou shall not deny thy innate nature. To do so is blasphemy against the Dark Lady Morgan le Fay and the Light Lord Merlin Ambrosius. To do so is treason of the highest degree against the great gift of Magic. Failure to follow this infinite and undeniable rule will result in immediate execution and the condemning of thy family for three centuries. So mote it be_."

Hermione's eyes widened and her pupils dilated as she took the information in. She knew that she could get used to that rule. If there was one thing that Hermione hated more than anything it was treason. She hated Tom for betraying them. It was almost just like treason.

"I…I see. She almost broke it? How?" Hermione asked, quietly. Luna crossed her arms.

"She threatened to tell the Order about Tom's double life."

"How is that breaking the Law?" asked Hermione. Draco leaned back with his arms crossed.

"Bella is Dark. She's very Dark. Being Dark is more than just practicing the Dark Arts. A Light person can practice the Dark Arts but that doesn't instantly make them Dark. Being Dark requires the ultimate act. Murder in cold-blood without a shred of guilt. Once you become Dark, there is no turning back unless you wish to go through the painful act of having remorse. Nobody does. So, they are Dark, forever. That becomes your innate nature. To deny yourself and then betray another being as yourself is blasphemous in the Wizarding World," Draco explained. Blaise nodded in agreement.

"Only the old families practice the Natural Laws anymore. Though, subconsciously, most wizards do not break them. Breaking _every_ Natural Law is…_horrible_," Blaise said, softly. Hermione's eyes widened at the disgust and horror in his voice as he spoke of the Natural Laws. Even Luna seemed to be in a dreamier daze as she thought of that. She shook her head and turned to Hermione.

"We won't immediately ally ourselves with Tom Marvolo. I told him that he must gain my trust. He must convince Bella of his humanity. He must become her _friend_. And that will be hard for him. I only suggested that I convince Draco and Blaise in helping me convince her that he _is_ trustworthy. I trust him despite his mistakes," Luna said, earnestly.

Hermione gave a loud sigh and she shook her head. She looked up at Luna with dark eyes and she crossed her arms. She looked to her siblings. Draco looked annoyed still but Blaise seemed willing.

"What do you think?" she asked. Draco growled.

"I don't approve. My father may be a Death Eater but I'm not. I _am_ Death. And I won't be spending my time on this Earth bowing down to someone else," Draco said, carefully.

Hermione frowned at the odd phrasing of his statement but said nothing. She turned to Blaise and he was giving Draco an odd smile as well. He turned his smile onto Hermione and Hermione was struck by how calm and _happy_ that the smile made her. She just felt so…stress free.

"I'll follow you anywhere, _bellissima_. Personally, I believe that this may benefit us and I understand why Tom did what he did. I do not trust him as far as I can throw him but you cannot deny benefits that such an alliance could have. When Bella attempts to form a friendship with him, we can begin to mention alliances. In the meantime, we can just be there for Bella," Blaise suggested. Draco seemed to be considering what his brother was saying. He looked to his siblings and Luna.

"What you're saying has merit. But, when Bella finds out what we're trying to do, what do we do then? What do we do when she finds out that we're attempting to manipulate her?" Draco asked.

Blaise's pleasant smile faltered for a moment and he was serious once more.

"_If_ she finds out," Blaise said, weakly. Draco gave him a doubtful look and gave a loud sigh. Hermione inspected him and frowned. He was paler than usual and he looked tired and strained. Draco gave her a warning look as she opened her mouth to ask. A smile played around her lips.

He knew her so well.

"What's the name of your house elf?" Draco asked, suddenly.

"Kreacher," Luna and Hermione answered, absently.

"Well, then. KREACHER!" Draco shouted. The other inhabitants in the room jumped and with a loud crack Kreacher appeared in the room. His eyes watered up when he saw Draco.

"Master Draco! Kreacher never thought he'd see a good pureblood!" Kreacher sobbed. Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione pressed her lips into a thin line to avoid bursting in laughter. Kreacher shot Luna and Hermione disgusted looks.

"Mudblood. Half-breed."

"Hello, Kreacher," Luna said with a slight smile. Draco sighed.

"Bring us a bottle of white wine, Kreacher, and glasses."

Kreacher disappeared to do the task. Blaise rolled his eyes at his brother's request and Hermione frowned in confusion. Draco smirked.

"In New York, he had white wine for the first time. He'd only had red wine. He thinks it makes him elite if he drinks white wine," Blaise explained. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes as Kreacher appeared with the requested items. He poured wine in each glass and grudgingly gave Hermione and Luna.

"You're such a ponce, Draco. Now, your concerns are noted but perhaps we can worry about that when the time comes. Now, we just need to soften Bella up a bit towards him, so we can talk to her about him," Hermione said.

Now, Luna, Blaise, _and_ Draco gave Hermione looks that definitely called her crazy. She looked at them in surprise.

"What?" she asked. Draco took a sip of the wine.

"You're insane, Mudblood. Bella doesn't even want to be in the same _country_ as him, let alone talk about him. We have to get her to relax in general. Her letters sound tense. She's writing to Daphne still. Daphne is in South America right now. In Rio. Perhaps, for her birthday, we should bring her to Rio. That would make her relax," Draco suggested. Luna's eyes narrowed.

She had seen this. She knew what would be their choice in the end. And she knew what would result of it. She acknowledged temporary defeat. But it _wasn't_ over.

"Not Rio. I really don't think my mother will let me go all the way to Rio without her. And she's not leaving England any time soon. Not until Sirius wakes up at least," Hermione said. Blaise's eyes lit up and he looked at Draco.

"Didn't Charlie ask you to visit him in Romania this year?"

Draco tensed up and he shook his head, fiercely.

"I haven't seen Charlie since last year. And I'm _not_ going to Romania."

"But you've talked to him all year. More than half of the letters you send out are at to him. You write him every week," Blaise pointed out. A faint dusting of pink appeared on Draco's cheek though it didn't remain there for long. Hermione was caught between grinning and frowning. He still looked embarrassed but he seemed…_paler_ instead of pink.

"Every week?"

"Shut up, Mudblood. I'm not going to Romania," Draco said, flatly. Hermione gave him a pleading look.

"Please! It'd get Bella to think of other things. I know all she's doing is brooding. That's all she ever does anymore. And it's considerably closer to Britain than _Rio_. My mum will probably let me go. She knows Charlie and she liked him well enough. Do this for _Bella_," Hermione said, using the guilt trip. Draco glared at her.

"Fine. KREACHER! I need parchment, ink, and a quill!"

:::

**A/N: **Originally, I was going to have them go to Rio and join Daphne. Daphne was going to learn the entire truth. Then, I decided that it'd be more productive if I had them go to Romania. Then I can begin to resolve the issue of Draco's love interest. I just wanted to ask a question. If I choose the person that you don't like, will you stop reading?

Anyway, there wasn't a lot of Bella. Just in the first part. But, there was a lot of important information. Remember, it isn't all about Bella anymore. Now that the war has started, we're going to see a lot of all three sides. Next chapter will be a filler and then after that, we're going to see some things about the Light. Then, finally we're going to move onto the sixth year. I have a lot of things planned for sixth year. Unfortunately, that includes a character death. Yes, I will be killing people off. I'm not afraid to.

Next Chapter: Romania, Roaming, Raunchy


	68. Chapter LXII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **The poem that I used last chapter will be used like every other quote has been. I love the way that it's going to be used however. I already wrote the scene and it takes place near the end of the sixth year. It's going to be really good. Originally, it was going to be in a scene between Luna and Bella. Then it was going to be a scene between Luna and Hermione. Now, it's going to be a scene between Bella and Tom.

I've also included part of it in this chapter.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXII**

**Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1996**

**11:40 PM**

Dudley Dursley sat with Piers on the couch as they watched the telly. Dudley glanced at his cousin. She was sitting at the piano, as usual. She was writing something on lined paper. It looked like little squiggles and dots with lines connected to it. Piers was ogling Bella.

"Are you available now?" Piers finally asked. Dudley snickered at his friend's question. Bella didn't even look up from what she was doing.

"No."

Piers looked crestfallen and he fell back against the couch. Bella finally stood, gathering the papers. She shoved them into a folder that she had and closed the lid of the piano. She gave the piano a wistful look before she walked into the kitchen. Dudley watched as she returned with a soda and _his_ candy bar in hand.

"Hey those are m—" Dudley protested.

The doorbell rang. Bella rolled her eyes at Dudley and she pointed to the door as she ate the chocolate. Dudley looked at her and then looked up.

"MUM! THE DOOR!"

Petunia bustled in from the kitchen and she casted her niece a sad look. She opened the door and she blinked at who she saw. A young man stood in the doorway. He was dressed impeccably. His suit looked expensive and he wore silver and black cufflinks. His hair was slicked back except for one stubborn piece that hung in front of his face. The next girl was wearing dark jeans, a white shirt, and a navy blazer. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl. The girl almost frightened Petunia. The next girl was pretty though strange looking. She had _pointed_ ears and radishes hanging from her earlobes. Her dress was a shocking purple that made Petunia blinked a few times to get rid of the black spots. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had a dreamy smile on her face. A young man with dark hair and golden eyes was leaning against the side of the house. He was dressed more casually than his friend. He was wearing slacks and a white button down shirt. The top buttons were unbuttoned. The last man looked like an older version of the first man that Petunia had noticed.

"Is Bella Potter here?" asked the blond teenager. Petunia glanced back and saw her niece stiffen. Bella stood and her face broke into a wide grin. She ran to the door and jumped on the blond boy. He caught her easily and her legs wrapped around his waist. She hung onto him like koala.

"Draco! You came for me. Why?" Bella asked, curiously. Petunia looked back and she knew the neighbors might be watching. She didn't want anyone seeing them. They'd wonder if Petunia or Vernon had done something wrong. Wealthy looking people never showed up on the block unless you owed them something.

"Maybe…maybe you should come inside," Petunia suggested.

The strange looking girl almost skipped in. Bella snickered at her. Petunia was awestruck when the scary girl glided in with a malicious air about her. The golden-eyed teen was right next to her. Petunia realized that they were holding hands. Petunia was surprised that the Draco boy could walk inside with Bella hanging onto him. The blond man entered last and Bella noticed him. Her eyes narrowed.

"Uncle Lucius," Bella said, coldly as she pulled away from Draco. Petunia watched the animosity that she glared with.

"Bella Potter. I'm afraid I don't see what my Lord finds so interesting in you. Your décor leaves something to be desired," Lucius said, coldly. Petunia took this as an opportunity to observe her niece in her element. Bella straightened and she looked cold. Her eyes were wide at the challenge.

"I think your _Lord_ should just go and fuck himself because he's certainly not fucking me. That son of a bitch can go and rot in hell, just like he told me," Bella said, stiffly. Petunia's eyes widened at the foul language. She looked at Dudley and Piers. They were watching as if it were television.

"He realizes that, I'm sure. He told us about your…encounter."

"He came here and tried to get back in my good graces. I put the fool in his place. He may be your Lord but he is in no way, mine. I am law over him. I'm sure he has informed his _trusted_ lieutenants about our positions in the hierarchy," Bella hissed. She was circling Lucius like he was prey. The dark haired girl was smirking. She whispered something.

"Don't eat him now, Ana."

"I promise I won't, Hermione," Bella snickered. Hermione nodded once and waved her hand, letting Bella continue. Lucius was glaring at her in anger.

"I also heard you almost broke a Natural Law."

Bella froze and she spun, her eyes wide and her nostrils flaring. She hissed at something unintelligible at Lucius. Lucius looked smug. Accusing someone of almost breaking a Natural Law was worst than accusing them of murder.

"I did no such thing!" Bella shrieked.

"You _did_. You almost broke the Natural Law. You are innately Dark. You've done the unspeakable act to do so. I believe…you broke his neck? Or perhaps electrocuted him. Or when you stabbed someone. Or perhaps when you shot the tell tale green curse at my Lord, your _lover_? If he were dead, would you feel remorse?" Lucius asked, cruelly. Draco was glaring at his father but he said nothing. Blaise was giving him a look and Luna was enforcing it with her own stare.

"No! I wouldn't! I wish _your Lord_ were dead. That was the purpose of our duel. I attempted to kill him and if he were dead, I would feel completely and _utter_ satisfaction. And, if you must know, it was when I broke the man's neck. Why are you here, Lucius?" Bella demanded.

Lucius gave Luna a disdainful look. Luna gave him a bright smile and shrugged. He sighed and turned back to Bella and pointed to his son.

"My son wishes to bring you and your…siblings and friend to Romania. I had to escort them here."

"Shouldn't you be entertaining _your Lord_?"

"That was for you to do. You were obviously not doing your job. Perhaps, he'll turn to Bellatrix."

Hermione, Blaise, and Draco froze. Luna was rocking back and forth on her heels. She began to whistle. Bella was glaring with rage. Lucius looked incredibly impassive yet at the same time, smug.

"That bitch will _never_ be more than me. That bitch doesn't have _anything_ on me. She's his little puppy. She'll do anything he says. He doesn't want her. If there's one thing I know about your Lord, he doesn't like submissive women. He likes them aggressive," Bella said, flatly. Despite her soft tone, it was incredibly deadly.

_Now_ Lucius could see what his Lord saw in the young woman. She turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs. Hermione pulled Blaise up the stairs after her. Draco glared at his father.

"Father, was that really necessary?"

"She started it with her insolent tone," Lucius snapped back. Luna tapped her chin as she drifted towards the living room. She was looking at the plain paintings with distaste on her face.

"You started it by being here, Lucius Abraxas. You started by bringing up Tom Marvolo. You should have never mentioned him in the first place. We are lucky that it did not come down to bloodshed. She hides a knife in her boot," Luna said, softly.

Dudley and Piers were staring at Luna in disbelief. They finally couldn't stay silent anymore.

"Who're you?" asked Piers. Luna gave a slight smile.

"Luna Lovegood, Bella's 'therapist' at your service."

"Draco Malfoy, Bella's 'brother'. And this is my father, Lucius, Bella's new number 1 enemy," Draco said, coolly.

"HE'LL NEVER BE NUMBER 1! THAT FALLS TO TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE!"

Draco looked up and couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face. Bella had shouted that from her room. She came down a moment later, Sasha wrapped around her neck and her trunk in hand. Her wands were obviously up her sleeve.

"I'm insulted that I'm not number 1," Lucius said, coldly. Bella glared at him.

"You shouldn't be. Undesirable # 1 is first in line for a firm ass-kicking without magic," Bella hissed under her breath. Lucius' eyes widened and though he didn't move, it was obvious that he wanted to. Petunia was still staring wide-eyed. Luna looked at the paintings.

"These paintings are atrocious."

Petunia gaped.

"I painted them myself!" she cried out. Luna nodded once.

"I know. Nikolai, it's time to go," Luna said, softly. Bella nodded once and Lucius turned to Petunia and then to Bella. He gave her another disdainful look before giving a loud sigh.

"Do you have everything?"

"No. My piano but the…Muggles…" Bella said, softly. Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Ooh! I just learned a Memory Charm…" Hermione said.

"We'll make a Death Eater out of you yet, Mudblood," Lucius muttered under his breath. Bella glared at him.

"We're not anyone's subordinates. Hermione, no killing."

"Or maiming," Blaise added. Draco nodded in agreement.

"No bodily injuries or psychological damaging either."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her brothers and sister.

They honestly didn't think that she had any type of control.

She didn't.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1996**

**12:20 PM**

"He's in there. If I see his face, I'm going to break it," Bella said, coldly. Lucius cast another look at the girl. He honestly just _didn't_ like her. She was rude to his Lord. He imagined briefly if Bellatrix had heard all the things that Bella had said about her and her Lord. He knew that it wouldn't have been pretty.

"No you won't. You're just going to get into a shouting match with him," Luna said with a slight smile. Bella scowled at the girl and she glared up at the large Manor. They were standing inside of the gates and there were peacocks strutting around the grounds.

They all resembled Lucius in some way, Bella noticed to her immense amusement. She turned to Luna who was already trotting off towards a peacock. She began cooing to it and Lucius looked rather constipated now. Bella snorted but her amusement disappeared when she remembered that her ex was inside, lording over Death Eaters.

"Why couldn't you leave your luggage at Grimmauld Place?" Bella asked, annoyed. Hermione and Blaise exchanged a look. Bella would've been suspicious but they were always exchanging looks.

"I live here. Where else would I have left my luggage?" Draco said, coolly. Hermione nodded in agreement, fiercely.

"Yes. And we didn't want to make a trip to Grimmauld too. Mum and I aren't staying at Riddle Manor with the rest of the Order. I refused under the pretense that I was still distraught about…Sirius, which I am but…yeah…" Hermione said, ending awkwardly. Bella was staring at her intensely. It was almost freaking her out but it just made Hermione feel like she'd been caught in the middle of snatching a treacle tart.

"I see. Have you seen…_him_?" asked Bella.

"No."

"No."

"No."

"Yeah!"

Bella turned to look at Luna. Luna was walking back over with a bright smile. Two peacocks were following her. Lucius chose not to answer. He knew that Bella probably didn't even want to see him and she was on _his_ property. Draco grabbed Bella's hand and he led her into Malfoy Manor.

Bella's holly wand was in hand and she looked around. The halls were deserted and Lucius frowned. There was normally at least _one_ Death Eater walking around. Luna brushed past Lucius, Hermione, and Blaise. She grabbed Bella's hand and smiled back at Draco. Draco only looked confused.

"That way, Draco. Your room is that way. I'll just lead Bella to a…sitting room. We'll meet you in the drawing room. Make sure you have Floo powder," Luna said with a slight smile. Bella gave Luna a narrow-eyed look. Draco frowned in confusion. Blaise and Hermione seemed to get it. They grabbed their brother by one arm each and dragged him towards their luggage. Lucius followed Luna and Bella as the younger girl dragged the girl towards the throne room.

Luna stopped outside the door and opened it. She shoved Bella into it and dragged Lucius in, roughly before closing the door behind her. Bella looked from the Death Eaters bowing at Lord Voldemort's stone throne and to Luna. Luna was looking unperturbed.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus blinked as they looked at Bella.

"My Lord, I think you've got her attention," Rodolphus said in a stage whisper.

Voldemort looked Bella in the eye as he lifted his wand and pointed it at Rodolphus. Bella blinked when she saw Bellatrix elbow her husband.

"Shut up, Rodolphus."

"Yes, my Lord."

"I _thought_ I said 'shut up'!" Voldemort snarled. Rodolphus made a show of zipping his lips, locking them, and then throwing away an imaginary key. Bella turned to look at Luna again.

"Had to do it," Luna said, softly. Voldemort glared at the confused and shocked Death Eaters.

"Get out."

The two words were spoken so coldly that the Death Eaters began rushing out of the room as they bowed. One nodded to Luna and she smiled. Another cringed from Luna. Bella watched as they walked out of the door.

Soon, only Bella, Voldemort, Lucius, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Luna remained in the room. Everyone was silent. The silence was an incredibly awkward silence.

"Anya," Voldemort started. Bella gave him a glare.

"Don't call me that. You don't have the right," Bella said, coldly. Voldemort began undoing his glamours and soon Tom Riddle stood in his place. Rodolphus had to keep Bellatrix from swooning.

"Then no one does," Tom said. Bella shrugged.

"So be it. Luna, what was the purpose of bringing me into this room?" Bella asked, coldly. Luna gave Bella a stern look before reassuming her smile.

"I just thought I'd give you two the chance to…talk."

"If you mean yell, we already did that," Tom said, coldly. Luna shrugged and looked to Bellatrix, Lucius, and Rodolphus. Bellatrix looked intrigued yet judgmental. Rodolphus looked exceedingly entertained.

"You started it. By lying to me."

"Yes, well, maybe if you listened you know _why_ I 'lied' to you. Which I didn't. I attempted to tell you," Tom pointed out. Bella glared at him.

"Why didn't you? Is it really so hard to say 'Hey, Anya, I just wanted to tell you. I'm the blood _Dark Lord_!" Bella shouted back.

"Strike 2, my Lord," Rodolphus muttered. Tom's eye twitched. He turned back to Bella and stormed up to her. Bella looked him full in the face with anger on her face.

"Yes, it actually is, if you must know. If I told you I was the Dark Lord, you would've attempted to kill me. Like you did in the Ministry."

Bella couldn't say that that wasn't true. She crossed her arms and looked up into the face of the man that she used to know.

"I'm really angry at you," Bella said, coldly. Tom nodded once.

"I'm pissed at you myself."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Bella finally asked. Tom tilted his head and looked to Luna. Luna was whistling. She wasn't going to be any type of help.

"At Hogwarts? You stay to yourself and I stay to myself. You stay out of my business. I stay out of yours."

"That's never worked before. I doubt it will now that you're in a war, killing Muggles and innocent people," Bella said. Tom nodded once and looked to the ceiling.

"I know. You're incredibly nosy and too stubborn for your own good. This is war. People will have to die. Be they innocent or not innocent," Tom said, coldly. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"You are a wretched, calloused son of a bitch, you know that?"

"I'm well aware. You're an annoying little brat who thinks too highly of herself. Have we got the pleasantries out of the way?" Tom asked. Bella's eyes narrowed and her fingers curled into claws. She prepared to lunge when Luna grabbed a hold of her. Luna glared at him and pointed towards the disguised portrait hanging on the wall. The faces were blurred slightly but it was the couple dancing in snow. Tom groaned.

"Look, calm down. You're not annoying. You're not little. You're not a brat. And you don't think too highly of yourself. I apologize for not alerting you sooner about my position as the Dark Lord Voldemort and I _deeply_ and _sincerely_ beg your forgiveness," Tom said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Bella's expression softened though her eyes didn't. Her lips twitched into an amused smile.

"Your sincerity could use a little work. And a simple 'I'm sorry' would have sufficed. Though, you can beg all your life for forgiveness, you won't be getting it. Though, I do acknowledge your apology."

Luna gave Tom a discreet thumbs up. He rolled his eyes and Bella looked back at Luna. Luna was whistling once more. Bella's eyes narrowed again and she turned back to Tom. Her eyes found Bellatrix. Bellatrix gave a smug smile and she wiggled her fingers in greeting.

"I'll forgive you if you let me kill her," Bella said, coldly. Tom froze and looked at Bellatrix. Bellatrix's smug smile never left her face. Tom glared at her and he crooked a finger at her. The woman stumbled over her feet to get to his side. Bella gave her a disgusted look.

"You cannot kill her. She's one of my most loyal, most powerful, and she's my third-in-command," Tom said. Rodolphus looked outraged.

"My Lord! Why am _I _fourth-in-com—"

"SHUT UP, RODOLPHUS! _Silencio!_" Tom roared. Rodolphus attempted to say something but he was extremely silent. He glared at his Lord's back. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at his playful attitude. He was just as insane before Azkaban as he was now. Bellatrix turned back to her Lord and his ex-lover.

"However, she will apologize."

Bellatrix froze and looked at her Lord as if he were crazy. Then, Bellatrix just assumed that he was joking. Perhaps that was what her Lord did in the presence of Bella Potter. She didn't know very much about his Tom Riddle personage anyway. Bella looked just as surprised. She raised an eyebrow and gave a slight smile.

"Her apologizing won't wake my godfather up."

"But, perhaps it will make you feel better," Tom said, forcing the sappy and syrupy words out of his mouth. Bella looked like she enjoying his effort to be nice. Tom hated because he _wasn't_ nice.

All for the alliance. All for the alliance, he chanted in his head.

Even the part of him that was in denial knew that it wasn't.

Bella waited patiently for Bellatrix to answer.

"My Lord, you were serious?"

"I am always serious," Tom said, flatly. Bellatrix choked over air.

"I thought you were _joking_," Bellatrix said in horror. Lucius looked rather amused with all of the proceedings. Bella looked less than amused with everything though there she looked slightly impressed with Tom's attempted.

"I never joke."

"But I'm not sorry, my Lord! Normally, you would've approved," Bellatrix blurted out. Tom's eyes narrowed even more and he looked closed to punching her in her face.

Bella's impressed look had completely disappeared and was replaced with a look of contempt.

"I expressly told you that certain members of the Order were not to be harmed. Perhaps you can recall the names," Tom said, coolly. Bellatrix's eyes fell to the ground.

"I do, my Lord."

"Tell me those names."

"Hermione Granger, Maya Granger, Sirius Black, and Bella Potter."

Bella's eyes widened and another small smile made its way onto her face and the impressed look returned though minuscule in size. Bellatrix looked like she wanted to kill Bella right then and there.

"And what did I do after you deliberately disobeyed my orders?"

"You tortured me with my own wand, humiliated me in front of the other Death Eaters, had _Lucius_, the little optimist, torture me, put me on _sentry_ duty, and then made me train with the grunt Death Eaters for a week, my Lord. And it wasn't even the fun torture," Bellatrix said, saying the last sentence under her breath. If Tom heard her, he didn't address the sentence.

"Do you wish a repeat?"

"No, my Lord."

"Then will you do as I say?"

"Yes, my Lord."

They waited for a minute. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Now, Bellatrix."

"I apologize for killing your godfather…too bad he didn't stay dead."

"_Crucio_," Tom snarled. Bellatrix fell to the floor, writhing in pain. She wasn't as crazy as Rodolphus. She legitimately felt pain with the Cruciatus was used on her. Bella watched in a morbid fascination. Lucius was rather smug. Rodolphus was close to throwing a fit as he was still silenced.

"Bellatrix, _now_," Tom hissed, angrily. Bellatrix looked up at Bella. Bella was giving her a smug look.

"On the floor in your place, like the bitch you are. I'm _waiting_."

"I apologize for attempting to kill your godfather," Bellatrix spat, angrily. Bella smirked and shrugged. She turned to Luna. Luna looked accomplished for some strange reason though she didn't do anything but whistle and look suspicious. Bella pointed to the door.

"Can we leave now? I'm sure it doesn't take that long to get luggage."

"You'd be surprised. Draco's room is on the other side of the Manor. It'll take a while," Lucius said, his tone of voice haughty.

"No one asked you, now did they?" Bella snarled. Lucius glared at her and opened his mouth to back talk her. Tom gave him a narrow-eyed stare that reminded him too much of Voldemort. Despite them looking nothing alike, the stare was always the same.

Terrifying.

"We can leave…soon. You have to say goodbye. It's rude to just walk out of the room without a proper goodbye. I'm sure that Sirius taught you that," Luna said, sweetly. Bella glared at her.

"You're up to something."

"Say goodbye, Bella," Luna said, her voice full of suppressed laughs. Bella sighed and turned the Death Eaters and their Lord.

"Goodbye."

"I'm sure you can be a bit more personal than that, Nikolai," Luna said.

With her using the name for Victory, Bella knew that she was being incredibly serious about all of this. She extended her hand to Lucius. He looked at it with a sneer. Tom fixed him with The Stare again.

Lucius couldn't grab her hand fast enough. He shook it.

"Have a good trip, Miss Potter."

"Thank…you, Uncle Lucius," Bella said, unsure. She turned to Bellatrix and gave a curt nod.

"Good dog," she said, patting Bellatrix on the head. Bellatrix glared.

"I bite."

"I'm sure. Maybe that's why Tom's never taken you to bed."

Tom's eyes widened and he gave a barely noticeable wince. Having sex with Bellatrix…didn't sound very fun. Admittedly, Tom wasn't a kinky person though he did enjoy sex quite a bit. Bellatrix…seemed the complete opposite. Bellatrix glared at Bella.

"And Rodolphus…I enjoy your antics. Do you bother Tom often?"

"He never shuts up. He always has something to say," Tom said. Bella glared at him in anger and annoyance.

"I didn't ask you. But, I approve. Do that when I'm not present."

Rodolphus saluted her and Tom resisted the urge to groan. He would've snapped back at Bella for her rudeness. But, Luna had given him a look, reminding him what was at stake. Though, gaining her forgiveness was a bonus.

"Well, goodbye, Rodolphus. Perhaps you're not as bad as the other two Death Munchers. Okay, was that adequate, Luna? Can we leave?" Bella asked, quietly. Luna shook her head and she pointed to Tom. Tom was standing there, patiently. Bella sighed and extended her hand.

Tom raised an eyebrow at it. He grasped and Bella gasped when she felt the electric charge just from their simple touch. Tom didn't react. He gave her hand a firm shake and they both reluctantly let go.

"Goodbye," Bella said, stiffly. Tom gave a slight nod.

Luna gave a little wave, a smile, and then when Bella's back was to her, a thumbs up. She unlocked the door and pulled Bella out, closing the door behind her. Tom sighed and went to sit in the stone throne. He waved his wand, lifting the silencing charm off of Rodolphus though rather reluctantly.

"Merlin…she's annoying."

"That bitch called me a dog."

"She's an insolent girl. She's probably the most frustrating woman on the face of planet!"

"_I _like her!"

Everyone turned to look at Rodolphus. He gave a shrug.

"I do. She's very…free-spirited. Good catch, my Lord. Beautiful, foul-mouthed, witty, powerful, foul-mouthed. You have an amazing girlfriend," Rodolphus smirked. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"One, she's not my girlfriend, Rodolphus. Two, you said foul-mouthed twice. And three, Rodolphus you're incredibly nosy for a Death Eater. I would torture you but you find sick pleasure in being tortured. I truly have no idea what to do with you," Tom said, his tone showing his amusement. Rodolphus gave a shrug and looked leaned against the wall.

"You could set me up for sentry duty," Rodolphus suggested. Tom snorted.

"And have you destroy the wards 'accidentally'? No, you can babysit your brother. The last time I checked, he was convinced that he was a plant. A fern to be exact. I do believe that Narcissa is tired of constantly watching him," Tom smirked. Rodolphus looked ashen-faced now and he groaned.

"Yes, well. Sir, I believe she was impressed with your abilities to…apologize. Perhaps you should check the painting," Rodolphus said. As he said 'apologize', he began to snicker under his breath. Tom glared at him but the insane man's laughing didn't stop. Tom walked towards the portrait and he waved his hand over it.

He frowned at the picture and took in a new detail. The Voldemort in the mirror had slightly more color. He didn't have that greenish quality anymore. He didn't look human in the least but at least he didn't look like a head of lettuce anymore.

Tom didn't even realize that Bellatrix, Lucius, and Rodolphus were right behind him.

"I don't see anything different, my Lord," Bellatrix said. Tom looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was hanging over his shoulder, clutching his arm. She seemed to realize what she was doing and she was now looking at the arm she was clutching with reverence.

It was his wand hand.

"Bellatrix…I thought we spoke about personal space."

Bellatrix dropped his wand arm and looked at the portrait again though she continued to look at Tom every few seconds.

"I do. My Lord's reflection is less…green in pallor," Lucius explained. Rodolphus rolled his eyes at Lucius' posh accent and words. He was always with the formalities. He never knew when to break the mold.

There were times when Rodolphus could openly mess with his Lord's head. His Lord had known that Rodolphus was touched in the head from the moment he recruited him. Rodolphus also knew that he was one of his Lord's favorites purely because he was a constant source of entertainment. His Lord would never get rid of him and that was good. He'd always be there for Trixie, like he promised all those years ago.

"So…my Lord, is it hard being nice?"

Tom glared at Rodolphus.

"Shut _up_, Rodolphus."

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

**Bucharest, Municipality of Bucharest, Romania, Europe**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1996**

**1:30 PM**

"Draco!"

Draco found himself being hugged. A slight smile tugged on Draco's lips and he hugged Charlie back though it was loose and perfectly respectable. As expected of a Malfoy. He pulled back from the tall redhead and he was struck by how handsome he was once more.

"Hello, Weasley," Draco said, teasingly. Charlie grinned and looked at the rest of the guests.

"Hullo, Hermione, Blaise, Bella…Lovegood," Charlie said, his smile faltering when he saw Luna. A wide smile was on Luna's face. The smile looked dangerous and her teeth were sharp like a snake's.

"Hey, Charlie."

"_Ciao_."

"Hello, Charlie."

"Weasley."

Charlie's smile faltered even more when he saw Luna draw luggage from her pocket. So, she was staying. Well, then he was going to make sure that he got Draco no matter what. He liked Draco quite a bit and he wasn't willing to give him up very easily. Charlie looked at Draco and then did a double take.

The boy looked tired. Even more tired than Bella looked. And Bella looked absolutely exhausted. Draco's skin was grey in color and though his hair wasn't lank, it wasn't exceptionally shiny as it had been the year before. Charlie frowned but decided to question him on it later.

"Do you have wards around here? We tend to do underage magic," Draco said. He turned away from Charlie and Charlie's eyes widened. The back of Draco's neck was slightly red. It wasn't by a lot but his skin seemed mismatched.

"What? Er…yeah. I have wards up. Bill put them up when I first moved here. Come in and get settled," Charlie said. They were standing in the living room now. He brought them into the kitchen. It was wide and spacious with quite a few Muggle appliances. Charlie watched as Bella's eyes fell on the microwave.

A short and quiet laugh escaped her mouth before she looked down and away. Charlie frowned.

"What's wrong, Bella? I heard about what happened but…yeah…are you all right?" Charlie asked. Bella looked up as if shocked that she had been addressed and she gave a smile. It was a genuine smile and her siblings looked at her in surprise.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about how much I love Barcelona."

Luna's lips twitched into a half smile while her siblings looked at her in surprise. Charlie frowned in confusion.

"What does that have to do with Barcelona?"

"Everything. So, what are we going to do today? It's my birthday, by the way," Bella said with a slight smile. Charlie nodded in agreement and her siblings seemed to take it as a cue. Luna drew something from her pocket and she placed it on the table.

"Weasley…Charlie, do you have a big open space for me to give Bella her present?" Luna asked. Charlie nodded and beckoned them back into the living room. Bella sat down on the white couch and she clutched a red throw pillow to her body. Luna was leaning over her present and whispering things to it, which wasn't very strange.

It _was_ Luna.

"Well, this is from all of us. It was rather expensive," Draco explained, presenting a package. Bella took the package and opened it. Her lips spread into a smile. It was a beautiful and glossy black camera.

"We thought that this year would be a little more eventful than last year," Hermione said. Bella snickered at that and she gave her siblings' a grateful smile. She reached over and gathered them in a hug.

"Thank you. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to think about you guys. I've been a bit selfish," apologized Bella. Blaise looked down at his sister with a proud smile. He had yet to call her sister yet but he loved her like one and in his own head he always referred to her as his sister.

"Sometimes you need to be selfish. We forgive you," Hermione said, easily. Bella smiled at her and turned back to Luna. Luna pulled something from her bag and tossed it to Bella.

"Is that my gift from you?"

"No. It's from your ex-boyfriend," Luna said, cheerfully. Bella's smile dropped and she dropped the parcel as if it had burned her.

"No."

"_Bella_, he got Bellatrix to apologize to you for harming Sirius. He at least has a nice side. Just open it," Luna said. She was borderline nagging. Bella sighed and nodded. She picked up the parcel and unwrapped it slowly.

She stared unimpressed at the locket. She had seen it before but she ogled at the two bracelets and earrings that went with them. The earrings held magic, she knew. They were the shape of the Elder Wand. Every little detail was there. The bracelet were golden with emeralds inlayed into them. Bella blinked when she saw an inscription on the inside of the bracelets.

_I am the master of my fate._

Bella looked to the other bracelet and her eyes widened.

_I am the captain of my soul._

"Invictus. William Henley. There's a note," Luna said, softly. Bella blinked and she took the note from the small parcel. She opened it slowly.

_Dear Anya,_

_I understand that you're angry with me. I am sorry that you are. You do not know me and I do not know you. Maybe, if you asked me, I'd tell you about my decisions and why I am the way I am. There may be a chance that you can understand and know who I am as you claim to not know me. Perhaps, I could learn who you are as well._

_Tom_

_P.S. You are the master of your fate. You are the captain of your soul. Do not let a prophecy rule you. Rule the prophecy. And look up the poem._

Bella swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Her siblings were looking at her curiously. Bella looked to Luna with a bright smile on her face.

"I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul."

"That you are. And now, here is my gift to you," Luna said, softly. She picked up the tiny thing and placed it against the wall. She pointed her wand at it and muttered the spell. It grew in size. Everyone gasped. Bella's was the loudest.

In front of her was a portrait of her as an eleven-year-old standing in front of the Mirror of Erised. Tom was in the mirror, kneeling in front of her. Older versions of Hermione, Blaise, and Draco were smiling back at her. The Portrait Bella looked longing as she stared at the mirror. The Portrait Tom's expression held the same longing. The Elven words curled at the bottom of the portrait.

The portrait was taller than even Charlie, standing at a solid seven feet tall. The detail of the portrait was impeccable. Bella walked up to it and brushed her fingers against the canvas. It wasn't moving like normal portraits. It was made of oil paints, Bella could tell. Bella turned to face Luna. Charlie was gaping as well.

"That…this…this is beautiful, Luna," Bella said, softly. Luna gave a slight smile.

"I saw it in your mindscape. It's your most treasured memory. It was beautiful. I wanted to capture it in the outside world," Luna said, softly. Bella hugged the blonde girl tightly. Luna returned the hug.

"What would you see now? If you could look into the Mirror of Erised? Would you like to know the answer?" Luna whispered. Bella nodded once. She knew that her siblings were giving her strange looks as they whispered to each other.

"You would see your Uncle Sirius awake. You'd see Maya happy. You'd see your siblings. And then you'd see Tom. Trust me when I say this Bella. Your Uncle Sirius will be fine," Luna said softly. Bella gave a slight smile though it was slightly bitter. She turned away from Luna and she crossed her arms.

"Even after all that happened. Even though I don't trust him, I still desire him?" Bella asked, curiously. Luna tilted her head.

"You don't consciously. But your heart, your mind, your soul thirsts for him."

Bella looked at the ground.

"Nice to know. Thank you, Luna. Really. And…what's that Charlie?" asked Bella looking at the book Charlie was holding out. He looked a little shy as he wasn't surrounded by any of his siblings. He looked at Draco. Draco gave a slight smile and gestured. He placed the book into Bella's hands. Bella's eyes widened.

"It's compliations of classical piano pieces. Draco said you played the piano sparingly. He said it made you uneasy but I thought, perhaps you'd like—"

"Thank you. So much," Bella said, brightly.

Hermione's eyes widened. She wondered what Luna had told her sister to make her happy about receiving something that had to do with the piano. Bella reclined against the sofa and she looked at the locket. Hermione watched as Bella stroked the cover of the locket before she pulled out the bracelets. She slid each one onto her wrist. They shrunk to fit her perfectly.

For the first time, Charlie noticed the scars on her left hand.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked as he read them.

_I must not tell lies_.

_I must not tell lies._

_I must not tell lies._

"Umbridge. I'm sure you've heard of her. Every week, since probably the beginning of fifth year, she made me carve those words into my hand. They're a constant reminder to myself that I shouldn't tell lies," Bella said, softly. Luna gave her a look that Bella ignored.

Bella ignored the fact that she was lying to herself.

"Oh…I'm sorry that she did that."

"It's no big deal. Honestly. So what are we going to do today?" asked Bella with a bright smile. Charlie tilted his head.

"Have you ever been to a wizarding rave?"

* * *

**Bucharest, Municipality of Bucharest, Romania, Europe**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of July 1996**

**11:30 PM**

Bella was dancing among the packed bodies, not caring who she was dancing against or with. She wore contacts tonight to avoid her glasses from being broken by careless dancers. A hand rested on her exposed thigh as she pressed her body against the man in back of her. Her dress was short, high above her knees, though incredibly tasteful. The first half of her dress was taupe and the skirt part was a deep pleated back. Her locket was hanging from her neck as it had went beautifully with her dress, Luna claimed. Bella just knew that Luna had wanted her to wear it.

Bella took another swig of Firewhiskey. She had already been teetering on the edge of becoming tipsy but with that one swig, she was far into being tipsy and approaching being completely drunk. She staggered over her four and a half inch heels and fell into a man.

"You look ravishing, love."

Bella looked up into those damned charcoal eyes.

"Do I? You look equally so…" Bella murmured.

Bella was torn greatly now. She was torn between cursing him or having him fuck her until she couldn't freaking move. And then there was that tiny, tiny, _tiny_ miniscule part of her that was telling her to do neither and just walk away.

Bella looked around for her siblings. She almost giggled when she saw Draco. He was dancing between Charlie and Luna. Charlie had quite a bit of his attention but Luna dancing on him rather indecently distracted him.

Well, it wasn't indecent here. It was rather tame. There was quite a bit of groping and just obscene acts on the dance floor. Bella found that she enjoyed a rave quite a bit. There were even a few wizards smoking cigarettes in the corner.

"Dance with me," Bella said against her better judgment. Tom smirked at her and looked at the people around.

"There are a lot of people around. I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"Yes, well, they'll be too drunk to realize that Tom Riddle is here, grinding up on some sixteen-year-old girl."

"You're not some sixteen-year-old girl. You're Bella Potter. And grinding up on you sounds interesting," Tom said, lecherously. It was clear that he was slightly tipsy as well. Bella wouldn't be doing this if she weren't drunk but she didn't really care at the moment. She pulled him onto the dance floor and stood there with him for a moment.

"Then do so," she whispered.

Tom pulled her flush against him and he ran his fingertips up her thigh. Bella felt that electric shock at his touch again and blood rushed to her cheeks. She pressed against him and licked the column of his neck as his hand continued to stroke her thigh with something akin to reverence. He pressed his face into her hair. His hands found her hips and she rolled her body against his. A slight smirk slipped onto her face as she sensed his bodily reaction to her antics.

"Is that your wand or are you just happy to see me?" Bella asked, mischievously. Tom's eyes were possessive and lustful.

"How about both?"

He then proceeded to give her a

"Is that? Is that Bella and _Tom_?" Hermione gasped from her corner with Blaise. The two tamer siblings of the foursome were sitting on a lounge. Blaise's arm was thrown across Hermione's shoulders, claiming her as his so she wasn't approached. His golden eyes inspected the pair.

"I think it is…I can't tell. His face is buried in her hair."

It was true. Tom's face pressed against Bella's hair as her fingers pushed up the back of Tom's shirt and pressed against his bare back. One of Tom's hands was up Bella's dress on her thigh, Blaise assumed, and the other was pressed against her other thigh. Bella's lips were parted and she seemed to be speaking to him over the loud music. Whatever she said had Tom's lips crashing down upon hers and they were snogging, ravenously.

"Oh Merlin…they'd be at each other's throats if they weren't drunk. By the rate their going, they'll be having sex by the end of the hour," Hermione snickered. Blaise nodded in agreement and he showed his amusement with a light laugh. He took a sip of the burning whiskey and leaned back. He looked at the beautiful girl next to him and he leaned forward, kissing her on her cheek.

Blaise genuinely loved Hermione and he knew that she loved him. They loved each other unconditionally and that was probably why they were fine with showing their affection in marginal ways. As opposed to Tom and Bella, who were loud and passionate people, they showed their love in a quiet and reserved way.

"You look gorgeous," Blaise murmured. Hermione smiled, softly. She was wearing a tamer dress than both her sister and friend. Whereas Luna wore a short, though not as short as Bella's, grey dress, Hermione wore a navy dress that fell to her knees. Her excessively curly hair was unbound and fell to right underneath her breasts.

"Thank you. Oh Merlin, they're really getting into that," Hermione said in amusement. Blaise looked as well and blinked at his previously emotionally stunted sister. She didn't look too emotionally stunted at the moment.

She was pressed against wall at this point. Tom was attacking her neck fiercely and one of Bella's legs was wrapped around Tom's waist. This only exposed more of her thigh and Tom was still stroking it. She moaning, her eyes half closed though her fingers weren't inactive at all. Her hands were still roaming Tom's back and from the look of it, raking her fingernails down his back.

"Should we stop here? Before she does something she'll regret?" Blaise asked, curiously. Hermione held up a hand and watched in complete and utter surprise as Tom suddenly broke away from Bella. He placed one more searing kiss on Bella's lips before backing away, looking regretful and resentful at the same time. Hermione saw as Bella reached out to him. Tom pushed her hand away and stormed away, looking particularly vengeful. Bella stumbled over towards them with a slightly confused look on her face. She sat down on the couch next to Blaise. Blaise wrapped his other arm around her shoulders.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella shook her head, confused.

"I…I don't know. Is that a Firewhiskey?" Bella asked, reaching out for Blaise's drink. Blaise held up a hand and laughed.

"No, no, Ana. I'm cutting you off," Blaise laughed. He drank the remaining Firewhiskey all at once. Bella pouted and crossed her arms.

"I keep being denied what I want!"

"Yes, well, that's not our problem," Hermione snickered. The drunken Bella pouted, childishly, at her siblings.

"You're mean!"

"My girls…" Blaise muttered as the two girls began bantering.

He wouldn't trade them for the world.

* * *

**Bucharest, Municipality of Bucharest, Romania, Europe**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of August 1996**

**12:30 PM**

"Merlin…I've got a headache," Bella moaned. She remembered, around her pounding head, every moment of the night before and early that morning. She ran a hand through her knotty black hair and she remembered Tom nipping and kissing her neck. She could feel the soreness of the love bites along the side of her neck. And then she remembered the words he had spoken in Parseltongue.

"_**I can't take advantage of you.**__"_

Bella sighed to herself. Perhaps he had a heart after all. She couldn't say that he didn't now that he had rejected her when she had been perfectly vulnerable and willing to have sex. She shook her head and she realized her big mistake. She groaned and pulled the covers of her forehead. She realized that she had someone in the bed next to her. She looked to the side and saw Luna lying on the bed, awake. Her own hair was messy and she was frowning, deeply.

She heard the door open.

"_AHHHHHHHH!_"

Bella felt like she had just heard the screams from hell itself. Her head felt like it had been smashed into pavement over and over. But her assumption about the screams weren't very far off. Bella watched as Hermione walked in with two potions and Draco running in behind her, dressed in a robe far too big for him.

"I almost slept with him. I almost slept with him. I almost slept with him," Draco repeated like a mantra. A slightly relieved smile broke out on Luna's face and she leaned up though she looked very hung-over. Bella knew she looked like a train wreck and even with a hangover potion, she'd have to wear sunglasses instead of her regular glasses to hide the bloodshot eyes.

Suddenly, bile rose in Bella's throat. She crawled off the bed, tumbling and then crawled to the bathroom. She knelt before the porcelain god and then promptly vomited into it. She pulled back and wiped her mouth on her arm. She groaned and looked up as a potion was thrust into her hand. Hermione was looking at her with an amused yet stern look.

"This will teach you not to drink so much. I'm not going to always be there to give you a hangover potion," Hermione said, sternly. Bella nodded as she drank the potion. Her head cleared almost immediately and the feel to vomit disappeared. Bella stumbled upwards and she suddenly realized that she was only wearing one shoe. She pulled it off and walked towards the bed. Draco was lying on it, looking rather shocked and Luna was carefully running her fingers through his ruffled hair.

"You almost slept with Charlie?" Bella asked. Draco nodded.

"Is that a bad thing?" Bella asked. Draco stopped.

"I…don't know."

"Then shut up. I saw Tom last night at the rave. And we…snogged…and groped…" Bella said, adding the last one as an afterthought. Draco smirked and leaned up as Blaise walked into the room without Charlie.

"What happened?" Draco asked. Bella blinked.

"He…I…wanted to have sex with him. And he said…no. He told me that he didn't want to take advantage of me," Bella said, softly almost adoringly. Luna looked at her smugly and Bella blinked in surprise.

"See. A monster wouldn't have done that. A monster would have taken advantage of you when you were drunk. He's still human deep…deep…_deep_ inside. Maybe…maybe you've just got find him," Luna said with a bright smile. Bella looked like she was considering this.

"Maybe…"

* * *

**Bucharest, Municipality of Bucharest, Romania, Europe**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of August 1996**

**12:50 PM**

"Oh…dear…Merlin. Kill me now," Tom hissed. His hangover was killing him. He knew he shouldn't have drunk so much. He had gone to the rave to stalk…_find_ Bella but he had ended up drinking so much that he had gotten drunk. Rodolphus was smirking but he knew that if he said anything, he'd be dead within the second. Bellatrix was mothering him and was passing him a hangover potion. Tom was sitting on the stone throne, staring at the portrait. He drank the hangover potion in one gulp and tossed it to Bellatrix. She caught it.

Tom crossed towards the portrait and waved his hand over it. The original portrait revealed itself and Tom stared at it. Voldemort was growing hair. It was the tiniest patch and if Tom didn't have sharp eyes, eh wouldn't have noticed the small patch of black. He sighed.

Perhaps not doing what his primal instincts had done some good. He hadn't gotten any sex but he ahd gained some of Bella's trust once more.

He would've opted for the sex if he had a choice.

:::

**A/N: **HERE IT IS! The rave scene was great fun to write and I really enjoyed writing this filler chapter. Lets pretend that the rest of Romania was tamer than what they were doing that night. They went to the opera and jazz clubs and then they had a lot of fun. Next chapter is focused solely on the light as the past chapter was focused solely on the Dark. Then, we'll be going back to Hogwarts and Bella and Tom will have their first interaction since the rave. That'll be fun. Well, I hope you review. I think I know what pairing I'm going with in the end but I want to satisfy both readers. I'VE MADE MY FINAL CHOICE.

TEMPORARY DM/CW. LONG-TERM DM/LL.

There.

The. End.

Too bad about Anthony though. Now I have to just leave him all alone. I was planning to set them up if I didn't feel like writing DM/LL. I hope you all remember that Draco has only one year now to find Lalita a husband. And it's not Neville like some of you hoped. A certain blonde Slytherin Potions Mistress-in-training/assassin-in-training has her eyes set on our bumbling Herbology genius/dagger master.

Next Chapter: Light, Dumbledore, and the Order


	69. Chapter LXIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I know a lot of you think that Tom was doing a completely one-eighty. First of all, he's an amazing actor, a manipulator, and all around bad guy. HE'S NOT DOING A ONE-EIGHTY! He was _drunk_. She was drunk. They are going to discuss what that was all about and I have a perfect way to do it. It was going to be a violent confrontation at first but I don't think so.

I'VE CHANGED MY MIND! THIS CHAPTER WILL HAVE THEM GOING TO HOGWARTS BECAUSE THE SUMMER IS INCREDIBLY BORING! BUT, THEIR CONFRONTATION WILL BE NEXT CHAPTER. Not this chapter because I have things to handle. Like Hydra.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXIII**

**The Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 2****nd**** of August 1996**

**8:30 PM**

Tom walked down the hallway. He could feel Ginevra and Gideon Weasley peeking out from behind a door, staring at him, as he walked down the hallway with a scowl on his face. He could almost hear Gideon's glare and Ginevra's heart accelerate as he passed. He would've called them out but he had false information to feed to the Order.

He walked to the door where they held meetings. The dining room of course. He threw open the doors and walked inside. The rest of the Order was sitting there. Dumbledore was sitting at the head of the table, looking extremely worried. Snape sat to his right, looking angry.

The seat to Dumbledore's left was left open for him. Tom sat down and everyone turned to him, waiting for his report. It seemed that he was late. But, no, Tom was never late. Everyone else was simply early. Tom leaned back in his chair and he slammed his hand on the table.

"She's in Romania."

Everyone stared at him in shock. Dumbledore frowned in confusion and turned to Tom. Dumbledore had discovered that Bella had disappeared from Privet Drive just this morning. Tom didn't feel like it was required of him to tell them before they found out. It wasn't his fault that they weren't keeping tabs on their 'Savior'.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked, softly.

"She's in Romania at Charlie Weasley's apartment. She wanted to get out of England. Her current guardian, Maya Granger, allowed her to go along with Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy, and Blaise Zabini," Tom said, flatly. Snape sneered at him and Tom had to restrain himself from killing the traitor right then and there.

But, no…he had to patiently wait. It was only a year. Just a year and then he would have his way.

"Shouldn't you have more control over your ward? You allowed her to run off to Romania," Snape said, disdainfully. Tom's eyes narrowed and his eye twitched. Now, Snape was different from Rodolphus. Rodolphus' wit and humor could easily be received as being rude. Snape was _trying _to be rude.

"She's not my ward, currently. Sirius Black is legally dead until he wakes up. He named that if he were ever rendered unable to care for his goddaughter, that Maya Granger should have control over his vaults, estates, investments, and the care of his goddaughter. I may be her magical guardian but he blood adopted her. I have no say in the matter. If her current legal guardian gave her leave, she can," Tom said, coldly. Snape looked surprised by this.

"Where is Maya? Shouldn't she be here?" Molly asked, curiously. Tom restrained himself from sneering at the woman. He didn't want any issues. He was tired and he just didn't want to deal with them. Not when he was trying to formulate a plan for forming an alliance with Bella Potter.

"Her fiancé is in a coma. I doubt that she'll be coming until he comes out of that coma. There are few that can bring him out of the coma any sooner than he is ready. Most at St. Mungo's believe that he won't come out of it. But, I believe that I know a Healer that may be able to bring him out with more training," Tom said, carefully. He didn't want to exploit the boy but if it gave him more standing with his sister than he didn't give a damn. He needed the damn alliance badly.

Many of the Death Eaters were still in Azkaban and he knew that it wouldn't be easy getting into there with Draco controlling the dementors. But, Draco…Draco didn't look completely well. His hair, though still platinum blond, had a silvery quality to it. His skin was grey and though he moved with elegance, he had a slightly dementor feel about him.

"Do you now? Sirius is a great asset to the cause. Who is this Healer?" asked Dumbledore.

"Blaise Zabini."

The rest of the Order stared at Tom as if he had gone crazy. Molly gave a little chuckle. Nymphadora snorted.

"Zabini? Son of the Black Widow? I doubt he knows how to heal anyone when his mother probably trained him how to kill since he was younger," Nymphadora said, chortling. Tom sneered at her in disgust. Nymphadora cringed at the look.

"I doubt you know him personally. Blaise Zabini is a gifted Potions student, as I'm sure Severus will say as well. He has been reading medical journals since I've known him. He knows quite a few healing spells and he has helped reattach limbs before. He is also a gifted Legilimens. I doubt you can say the same," Tom said, coldly. Nymphadora flushed considerably and she looked down at her lap in shame. Tom turned from her and looked at Snape. He wasn't sneering any longer.

"That is true. His Potions work can be compared to Mr. Malfoy's but it pales compared to Miss Greengrass' potions. She's a prodigy," Snape added. Tom nodded in agreement.

"Working together, they'd be quite a team. Though, Miss Greengrass' ambitions lie elsewhere," Tom said, muttering under his breath. The Order looked at him curiously but he said nothing. Dumbledore finally seemed to make his decision.

"I believe he is a Natural Legilimens. If he can create a link between Sirius' mind and his magical core, I'm sure that will be enough for his body to repair itself on its own," Dumbledore concluded. Tom nodded once. Snape raised an eyebrow at Tom and he crossed his arms.

"Will it be you that convinces him to do this?"

"He won't do it unless his sister thinks that it's okay. Bear with me as I use Lord Voldemort and his lieutenants as an example. Lord Voldemort could be compared to Bella Potter. Powerful and charismatic. As well all know, Voldemort had his lieutenants. Three. Their masks were always different. Silver in color and they always fought by his side when he did fight. That is correct, yes?" Tom asked.

He watched with a thrill as someone shuddered at the name 'Voldemort'. He restrained his malicious grin easily. It was exhilarating to see that someone just feared his _name_. He would enjoy making _everyone_ fear his name.

"Yes. Do go on," Dumbledore prompted.

"Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy can be compared to Lord Voldemort's lieutenants. They are her most trusted and they look to her as their leader. Even then, Luna Lovegood will be looked to as well. Luna Lovegood could be compared to as Grindelwald. Grindelwald and Lovegood are not the leaders. They are the _advisors_."

Everyone took in this information carefully with wide and desperate eyes. Albus frowned in frustration. If what Tom was saying was true, Grindelwald wasn't the orchestrator behind everything. He was somewhat of a _puppet_. Voldemort had been pulling the strings all along and he had manipulated all of them into thinking that Grindelwald was the true enemy. They had focused all of their attention on Gellert during the First War.

They had lost many men and now, Albus felt like a fool. A complete and utter fool. They had lost them to the wrong man. They had wasted eleven years trying to kill the wrong man. He knew that Death Eaters followed Voldemort but he had assumed that if Voldemort died, they'd follow Grindelwald. It seemed that that wasn't the case at all.

Not at all.

* * *

**Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1996**

**9:45 AM**

"Hello there, _Uncle _Lucius. Hello, Aunt Narcissa," Bella said with a slight smile on her face. The two Malfoys had planned with Draco to meet on the platform. They had Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron early that morning, straight from Romania. Then, they'd made their way to King's Cross from there. Narcissa gave her a warm smile and she pulled Bella into a hug. Bella hugged her back. Hermione was looking around for her own mother.

"Bella," Narcissa said, warmly.

"Brat."

Luna gave Lucius a rendition of The Stare while Bella lifted her left hand and gave him a gloved middle finger. Lucius looked away quickly. Hermione was looking around when suddenly someone tapped on her shoulder. She spun around and her lips curled into a smile as she stared at her mother. Bella pulled away from Narcissa and she almost tackled Maya at the same time Hermione hugged her. Maya pulled both girls into a tight hug.

"Mum!" Bella cried out. Maya's hug tightened if possible. She kissed both girls on the top of their head. She had to stand on her toes to kiss the top of Hermione's head, as Hermione was taller than her now.

"Hello, Bella. Hello, Hermione. How was Romania?" Maya asked in a soft voice. Bella smiled and nodded in excitement.

"Beautiful. We went to the opera and a few jazz clubs," Bella said, purposely leaving out the fact that they had also attended a rave. Maya nodded with a slight smile on her face. She brushed Bella's hair from her face and kissed her cheek. She turned to her biological daughter and gave her a tight hug. She kissed Hermione's cheek.

"How are you, Hermione? Have you been taking your medicine?" asked Maya, quietly. Hermione nodded.

"I have but…sometimes…it isn't working as well anymore," Hermione said, softly. Bella looked at Hermione in alarm. She frowned and looked around. Blaise was already on the train with Draco. They were waving to Lucius and Narcissa. Luna was nowhere to be seen so she couldn't ask her what was wrong with Hermione. Maya looked slightly alarmed before she sighed.

"We'll do something about that. I…I'll find someone to help you. Don't worry. I love you. Both of you. Be safe," Maya said, hoarsely. Both girls nodded before crossing to the train. They both got on safely and began walking down the hallway and into the compartment where they had seen Draco and Blaise. Draco and Hermione stood.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked, softly.

"The prefect carriage. We'll be back," Hermione reminded her. Bella nodded and the two walked out, speaking in soft tones to each other. Blaise leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window when suddenly there was a knock on the glass.

Bella turned and smiled when she saw it was Daphne, Neville, and Lalita. She beckoned them in and the three filed in. Daphne threw herself into the chair next to Bella. Neville sat down next to her, shyly. Lalita's hair was pulled into a messy bun and she looked as awkwardly pretty as ever.

"Hey you," Bella smirked. Daphne hugged her best friend, slightly. Bella smiled and leaned on Daphne.

"Hey you. You've got the locket back. And a few new baubles too. Birthday gifts?" Daphne asked. Bella's smile slid off her face and she looked slightly grim-faced now. She turned back to Daphne. Daphne's smirk was gone and they were staring at each other, seriously.

"You guys have to meet me in the Room of Requirement after the feast. I have something important to tell you. I'm not going to lie to you guys. Or keep things from you. You deserve to know," Bella said, cryptically. She sighed and reassumed her bright smile. Blaise looked at everyone with a slight smile.

"So…how were your summers?"

That prompted a conversation that was less serious and they didn't even notice when the train began to move. Lalita recounted how surprised her brother, father, and mother had been when she had returned home without her braid. They hadn't even really recognized her. She had worn her hair loose and they were completely surprised by her look. Even with her glasses, she had still looked beautiful.

Daphne spoke of Rio de Janeiro and how beautiful it was. She claimed that she had met a gorgeous boy in Rio but that he paled in comparison to the boy she currently fancied, personality wise. She then spoke of how annoyed her parents were when she told them how she had accidentally destroyed her katana in the Department of Mysteries. She also told how Astoria had cried when she realized how badly injured Daphne had been.

Then, Neville talked of how proud his Gran was of him for their adventure in the Department of Mysteries. He also talked about how parents weren't better but they at least recognized him. Blaise had gone strangely silent when he talked about how his parents were insane.

"Is…is there room in here for us?"

Bella looked up at the set of twins that were standing in the doorway. They weren't the twins she was expecting. Ginny and Gideon Weasley stood without their trunks and they looked rather awkward standing there with all eyes on them. Daphne raised an eyebrow but shrugged. Bella nodded with a half-smile. Gideon sat across from Bella and she looked him up and down with one sweeping look.

He wasn't a little gawky first year anymore for one thing. He wasn't exactly handsome like his brother. He was definitely not sexy and dark like Tom. But, he was…cute, Bella had to admit. His curly red hair was quite unlike Percy's. Percy's always looked like a bush but Gideon's fell tamely to his ears. His freckles were spread across the bridge of his nose and onto his cheeks.

And Bella had to admit that blue looked nice on him. Bella's lips curled into an amused smile as she saw his cheeks heat up from her staring.

"What?" Gideon stammered. Bella shook her head and snickered.

"Nothing. You're adorable," Bella said, simply. Gideon's cheeks heated up even more and Bella's snickering turned into cackling. Lalita looked at Bella in surprise and Daphne leaned over and whispered something in Lalita's ear. Lalita nodded. Neville looked completely confused.

"Bella, are we going to continue our lessons this year?" Ginny suddenly asked. Bella frowned and she leaned back.

The memories of suppressed dreams flowed to her. She could remember the nineteen-year-old Ginny quite clearly in her burnt robes. Her hard face showing that hardships of war. She had taught Ginny how to kill. And now, Ginny…Ginny would be her rival. Her rival in what, she had yet to know but it seemed that the girl was her rival.

"Ah…no. I believe you can manage on your own. I have a lot of things to do, Ginny. I believe that you're ready to get better on your own," Bella said, carefully. She knew it'd be easier to just kill the girl now. In private of course and she had Hydra. They would help make it look like an accident. Her siblings would set up an alibi for her. But, she couldn't.

She wouldn't.

Because Bella had learned that she enjoyed challenges.

Ginny looked disappointed but she nodded. The Weasleys sat there awkwardly. Suddenly, Ginny's eyes fell on Daphne's wrist. Her leather cuff covered the tattoo easily. She glanced at Neville's wrist and then at Lalita's wrist. She swallowed and then cleared her throat.

"Why do you wear the leather cuff?" asked Ginny. Bella crossed her arms and waited for someone to answer. Blaise had stiffened at the question as well. Daphne crossed her legs, patiently.

"Our DADA group. Speaking of DADA, do we know if we all got into the same class?" Daphne asked. Bella crossed her arms and gave a slight smile. She leaned back in her seat and turned to Daphne.

"I don't know. And I haven't been in any position to ask him. We aren't speaking," Bella said, with a slight smirk. Blaise snickered at that and everyone turned to look at the quiet boy, carefully. Blaise's snickers didn't stop.

"Yes…you didn't do much speaking. That rave…" Blaise teased. Bella glared at her brother and her friends excluding Neville and Gideon stared at her in surprise. Ginny looked the most surprised.

"You went to a rave?" Daphne asked, excitedly.

"What's a rave?" Neville asked. It was clear that both he and Gideon were much too innocent. Bella's eyes glinted at the idea of somewhat corrupting both boys. Not in a sexual way because then Daphne would try to murder her and Bella just couldn't have sex with a man with freckles.

She didn't pay attention to that traitorous, disgusting, _Light_ voice telling her that she wasn't adverse to making out with a man with freckles.

"A rave is a party. Where you get drunk, have public sex, and do drugs. Where was this rave?" Daphne asked, bluntly. Neville flushed at the mention of sex. Daphne flashed him a brief but extremely lecherous smile. Neville flushed even darker.

"In Romania. Charlie Weasley invited Draco. Draco thought he should take me on a vacation to get me to relax. I am very relaxed at this point," Bella said, subtly changing the subject. Daphne gave her a look and Bella laughed. Gideon was blushing.

"What happened at the rave?" he asked, softly. Bella's eyes lit up before they dimmed and then she snickered.

"Too much for your little virgin ears. But, if you must know, I got drunk and did a lot of things that I wouldn't have done if I'd been sober."

" 'Virgin ears?' Oh stuff it, Bella. You're a virgin too," Daphne said. Bella's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And you're not?"

"No. I'm not. Theodore and I commenced in what we call casual sex. He's not very good. So…_Neville_, how good are _you_?" Daphne leered. Neville flushed even more and he looked close to passing out. Lalita put down the book that she had been reading and rolled her eyes at their behavior.

"Stop teasing him, Daphne. It's not very nice."

"Oh, you and your _Gryffindor_ moral compass. I'm sure that's not all you did at the rave, though, Bella. I'm expecting it out of you later," Daphne warned. Bella grinned and nodded.

"Sure thing. So, what did _you_ do this summer?" Bella asked, addressing the Weasleys. Ginny scowled and Gideon grinned, almost dazedly.

"Bill's getting married."

Bella gaped and she grinned.

"Congratulations. To who?"

"Fleur Delacour."

Bella shrieked and she grinned, leaning forward. Gideon was suddenly struck by how different she looked from June. The dark circles under her eyes were gone and she looked happier in some way. There was still the sadness in her eyes but it wasn't as pronounced.

"Really? That's fantastic, actually. I have to write to her, congratulating her. Anything else happened?" Bella asked. Ginny and Gideon shrugged and Bella leaned back in the chair when suddenly the compartment door slid open. A girl with short red hair flew into the room, tackling Lalita. Bella stared in shock. She looked like a prettier version of a Weasley.

"Is she a distant cousin?" Neville whispered. Ginny and Gideon shook their heads. The girl spun around and glared at Neville.

"Neville! I look _nothing_ like a Weasley. I wouldn't be caught dead in red and gold."

"Ah…it's Linda," Blaise snickered. Neville flushed at his mistake and Linda glared at Blaise, annoyed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're easily offended. I suppose having freckles is a bit sad. Forgive me, but it is. Your hair. You chopped it," Blaise said, calmly. Ginny looked offended but Gideon just looked confused. Bella snickered at his expression before looking at Linda. The voluptuous red head nodded and she stroked her curly red bob. She snuggled next to Lalita. Lalita looked amused.

"I can remember a time when you used to make fun of me all the time. And now I'm your body pillow," Lalita said. Linda laughed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms under her large breasts. Gideon stared for a moment before flushing. He looked around, guiltily and his eyes met Bella's. She'd been staring at him with an amused look on her face.

"I remember that too. That was when you were an ugly duckling. You're slowly but surely becoming a swan," Linda joked. Lalita rolled her eyes.

"Yes, thanks."

"Your welcome, Gryffindor."

"There is _nothing_ wrong with being a Gryffindor," Bella said, firmly. Gideon and Neville nodded in agreement.

"I don't know, Bella. You're not really a Gryffindor yourself," Daphne said, slyly. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Then what am I?"

"A snake. You even have the familiar to prove it. Hello, Sasha," Daphne said, greeting the snake that had been hidden in Bella's clothes. The black adder poked her head out from Bella's collar. Gideon and Neville cringed. Daphne leered at him and she ran a hand down his face. He was more fit than he had been the year before but he was as shy as ever.

"Don't be scared, Nev. You're hanging with the snakes now," she sniggered. Neville nodded, half-heartedly though he still looked frightened by the snake. The doors slid open again and Draco, Hermione, and Luna slid into the room.

"Lu! Where have _you_ been?" Bella asked. Luna flashed the prefect badge in her hand and smiled, softly. Bella's eyes widened and she grinned.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. Hello everyone! Hello Ginny, Gideon," Luna said, happily. Ginny watched in shock as she hugged everyone. Ginny knew that the blonde girl hung out with Bella and her siblings but she had never expected her to hang out with the others kids that Bella hung out with.

"Luna! Did we get into the NEWT DADA class?" asked Daphne. Luna's lips curled into a smirk and she looked at Bella.

"Why don't you get Bella to ask him when we get to Hogwarts?" Luna asked, curiously. Bella scowled at her friend and shook her head before stroking Sasha's head.

"No."

"Did you look up the poem like he told you to?" Luna asked.

"No."

"Are you going to look up the poem?" Luna asked.

"No. Probably not."

"Why not?" Hermione interjected as she sat down on Blaise's lap. There was limited room in the compartment now. Draco sat down in the last seat and Luna fell into his lap, absent-mindedly. Draco didn't look like he minded at all.

"Because he told me to. He didn't _ask_. I'm not talking to him. I'm pissed at him at this point and time," Bella sighed. Gideon frowned.

"Are you talking about Riddle?" he asked. Bella nodded. Ginny looked at her curiously.

"Why are you angry at him?" she asked.

"He…well…because I want to stay angry at him for being a filthy liar but I can't because he said he was sorry. He legitimately apologized and it wasn't even a good apology," Bella explained. Luna looked triumphant for the shortest of moments before she crossed her arms.

"So…you're not mad at him. You're mad at yourself. And you're just being incredibly stubborn," Draco said.

"Ye—no! Shut up, Draco."

Luna burst into loud laughter and everyone looked at the cackling girl. Bella frowned in confusion as Luna tried to say something. Bella frowned and listened hard.

"Rodolphus!"

Bella's mouth fell open and she began laughing, quietly. Her laughter grew louder until she was laughing as well. Her siblings looked at her in surprise. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time. She'd giggled and snickered and gave short barks of laughter but never like that. Bella shook her head and bit her lip as she laughed. Gideon and Ginny frowned.

"I don't understand. Rodolphus Lestrange?" asked Ginny. Bella couldn't even answer as she gasped for breath.

"Oh…jeez. It's an inside joke. You just had to be there…but being there would've been incredibly bad for you…" Bella giggled. She brushed stray tears from her eyes and she looked at Luna. Luna was grinning at her.

"You're a lot like him, you know."

Bella's smile was replaced by a surprised yet cool look. Gideon got the impression that they weren't exactly talking about Tom anymore. They were talking about…someone else, somehow.

"How so?"

"Powerful and rich. Hot-tempered, stubborn, and that intense violence. Strong in both heart and mind, the ability to admit your wrong, _Dark_, damaged," Luna said, softly.

"Not to mention attractive and alcoholics," Hermione teased. Blaise whispered something in Hermione's ear and Hermione snickered.

"I am _not_ an alcoholic. And what do you mean damaged?" Bella asked, softly. She had all but forgotten about the Weasleys in the room. They were listening intensely but Bella couldn't bring herself to care.

"Ask and you shall receive, _Anya_."

The use of the nickname had Bella freezing. Her eyes were almost cold.

"Don't, Luna."

Luna offered a smile and leaned back into Draco.

"I wasn't done, though. You have three that are more trusted. As does he. Do you ever wonder why they're so familiar with him? It's because they're not only his most trusted…they are his _friends_, Bella. Maybe…just maybe, you should be his friend too," Luna said, softly. Bella looked like she was considering this before she leaned back and looked at Luna.

"Not my decision to make, Luna. After I speak to them."

"Bella…you answer to no one."

"I'm not like _him_!"

The shriek had everyone cringing. The members of Hydra that were there looked worried. Luna looked at her, unmoving. Bella's eyes were wild and then Luna smiled. She leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"No…I suppose not. You have more compassion then him. Compassion must be taught, Bella. Compassion cannot be taught in an orphanage."

Bella froze and her eyes found Luna's. Luna looked at her sadly.

"You're lying. He wasn't…he isn't…what?"

"Past, present, future, Bella. I know it all. I See but cannot change the past. I'm afraid that I'm not lying," Luna said, carefully. Bella shook her head and stood. Hermione grabbed her wrist. Ginny watched in surprise as Bella didn't move for her knife, immediately.

"Ana…what's wrong?"

"He…orphan…what? I…not true," Bella muttered under her breath. She pulled away from Hermione and disappeared out of the compartment. Hermione stood to follow her but Luna held up a hand.

"No. Wait. She'll be back," Luna said, calmly. Hermione frowned and gave a deep and annoyed sigh.

"What's up with her now? I hope she doesn't fall back into her pseudo-depression. Because then I'd be really pissed…_at _you, Luna," Hermione said, sharply. Draco glared at Hermione and he wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Oh, leave her alone, Mudblood. She had a reason. Probably. What's wrong with her?"

"The truth. I just twisted her vision of Tom Marvolo beyond recognition. It has yet to be seen if it's for the better or worst. So, Exploding Snap?" Luna asked. Linda and Daphne snickered. Neville and Lalita looked more worried for their friend.

"No thanks, Luna. I do have a question for you Hermione," Ginny said. Hermione nodded.

"Why didn't she try to slice your hand off for grabbing her wrist?" asked Ginny, curiously. Hermione smiled.

"She knows me. She knows my touch. We've been best friends for five years. If I'd been anyone else except for may be Blaise or Draco, my hand would've been chopped off. There's a level of trust that Bella, Draco, Blaise and I have. We work together seamlessly. The only group of people that work better together than us would probably be Bella and Riddle. Now _that_…" Hermione said, trailing off. To Ginny's surprise Neville was nodding.

"I've seen them spar without magic. They can't exactly fight each other well. It's like…they know each other's next move and they counter it before they even make their move," Neville said, struggling to describe it. Gideon raised an eyebrow.

"So…I don't get it."

Daphne rolled her eyes and decided to humor the boy.

"They are like two halves of a whole. If they fought together, they'd be virtually unbeatable. It'd be hell on Earth, essentially," Daphne explained. Gideon's eyes widened and Ginny nodded in agreement.

"When Bella taught me…it was horrifying. One day, we were dueling without wands. I had bruises for days," Ginny muttered. Suddenly, Lalita looked up at the siblings and she crossed her arms.

"Why is she wearing that glove again?"

"I…I actually don't know. I didn't notice, honestly. I didn't see her this morning. I mean I saw her come out of the shower. She was hogging all of the hot water and then she went into Luna and her room," Draco said, softly. Luna tilted her head and she looked at Blaise.

"She's not ashamed of her scars. That's not why she's wearing the glove. The sign on her palm constantly calls the Wand that she acquired in the Ministry. The glove is blocking the calling," Luna explained. Blaise looked at her with a dawning expression. Hermione frowned and she leaned back into Blaise. Her eyes widened, somewhat and she choked on her words.

"The Ange…Bella's Wand is calling her," she struggled to say. Those who knew what that meant looked at her strangely but decided to pass it off. Blaise still looked concerned.

"That's correct. It'll stop after a while but right now, since she hasn't used it for a while, it's calling to her. It wants to be used," Luna explained. Hermione tilted her head and she drummed her fingers on the window. She suddenly looked extremely cruel.

"I'm _bored_! I want to _duel_," Hermione moaned, almost childishly. Blaise frowned.

"Mione, love, did you…did you take your medicine?" Blaise asked, curiously. Hermione giggled and nodded.

"Yah…it's not working very well."

Blaise's eyes widened and grabbed her chin, looked into her eyes. There was a glint in her eyes that told him that it wasn't good. He remembered the conversation he had had with Mórrígan in her mind. He remembered it word for word.

And he knew who this was.

"Mórrígan."

"Apollo," Hermione said, brightly. Blaise spun to face Luna.

"You said that we were done with changing."

"I said no such thing. However, Hermione's luck has run out," Luna said, flatly. She reached up and opened Hermione's trunk. She pulled out a pill bottle and tossed it to Blaise. Blaise opened it with one hand and shoved two pills into Hermione's mouth.

Luna gave a sad look and turned away.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, Somewhere in Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1996**

**5:00 PM**

"Bella? Are you all right?"

Bella frowned at the voice. She looked up at the people standing over her. Gideon Weasley and Luna Lovegood had found her. Bella shook her head. Of course, Luna found her. She was hiding in the bathroom near the wall. Gideon looked embarrassed at being in the girl's bathroom but he quickly got over it.

"No. I'm not all right, Gideon."

"What's wrong?" Gideon asked, softly. Bella turned from him.

"Nothing. Go away. Both of you."

Gideon looked at her with soft eyes and respected her wishes. He left the room. Luna didn't move. She closed the door, locked it, and she drew her wand.

"_Muffliato._"

Bella looked at Luna and she crossed her arms.

"Why'd you tell me that?"

"I thought you should know. You're both damaged. Both orphans. However, you were raised in different circumstances. You are so alike. Yet so different. Bella…you must talk to him," Luna said. Bella groaned.

"Why me?"

"Because he _needs_ you. Just as you need him."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1996**

**8:00 PM**

Tom sat at the staff table, calmly. He watched as Bella filed in with her friends. Luna seemed to whisper something to her. Bella sighed and whispered something back. Luna nodded and made her way to the Ravenclaw table with Ginevra. Tom's eyes followed Bella, easily.

The black glove encased her left hand for some strange reason but Tom didn't mind. She wasn't wearing the millions of bangles that usually did. She wore the bangle with the key to his library, her charm bracelets, and the two bracelets that he bought for her. Hanging from her ears were the images of the Elder Wand.

Finally, hanging from her neck was the silver locket that she had gotten from Black and the locket. He knew that if she asked him…if she asked him about who he was and why, he would have to tell her about his Horcruxes. In all honesty, he wasn't sure that he wanted to divulge his secret.

But, he knew that if it came down to that, he'd have to.

Bella met his eyes once and they were full of mistrust but just underneath that layer of wariness and uncertainty was an emotion that Tom could identify as longing and sorrow. She looked rather sympathetic for a moment and he wondered why. Not to long ago, she'd been screaming at him obscenities and he was pretty sure that Luna had told him that she said she was going to castrate him by ripping his penis off. If Luna had been being honest that is…

Bella looked up at the table and saw Tom. An orphan…just like her…

Tom looked to his left, past Dumbledore and he offered Horace Slughorn a hair-raising grin. Slughorn cringed and Tom smirked and turned. If it wasn't his _favorite_ professor. The man who gave him the means to immortality. He was sure that if Slughorn ever found out, the man would be ridden with ultimate guilt. As he should since he was essentially the creator of one the most powerful, the Darkest wizards of all time. It was extraordinary.

Bella's eyes swept across the staff table. A man sat next to Dumbledore, interestingly enough. Umbridge was gone and Bella had a feeling that Tom had something to do with it. She promised herself that she would ask him…but wait, she wasn't talking to him was she? She gave a loud sigh and went back to staring at the fat man that resembled a walrus.

He was watching Tom, carefully, as if waiting for him to snap. Tom gave him a malicious smirk and the man cringed. Bella frowned in interest before she looked over at Snape. Snape was smirking, triumphantly and Bella wondered what would make that greasy fool happy.

Suddenly, Dumbledore stood and his eyes fell on Bella. Bella turned away and stared down at the near empty table.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as though to embrace the whole room.

"Do you think he's upset about our excursion to Romania?" Bella said, softly to Hermione. Hermione rolled her eyes and fixed Dumbledore with a disgusted stare. Dumbledore wasn't looking at them any longer.

"It is not our Headmaster's business what we do, Bella. He is not to know our business," Hermione said, coldly.

"… and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year, Professor Slughorn"— Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table into shadow — "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?"

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking the position of assistant Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Bella's face portrayed her horror and she looked up at Snape. His expression made sense now. Bella spun to look at the Gryffindor members of Hydra. They all looked confused. Hermione looked furious. She spun to look at Snape. Snape was smirking at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione bared her teeth and made a vicious sound that resembled an animal of some sort. Snape's eyes widened but that was the only change. Hermione made another hissing sound that sounded far from a snake hissing. She sounded almost cat-like to Bella and Bella's eyes widened.

"Hermione…Hermione, are you okay?" she asked, softly. Hermione spun to face her and she pinched the bridge of his nose.

"He is strong and without fear. I taste fear. But stupid. Ignorant like a child. He thinks he knows what war is. He thinks he knows what war is. He knows nothing," Hermione snarled to herself. Bella's eyes widened and she leaned back. She placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, attempting to calm her.

"Mione…what's wrong? How is he ignorant?" Bella asked. Hermione didn't answer and she continued to stare.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Grindelwald, Voldemort—"

"LORD VOLDEMORT!"

The shouts had come from all over the Great Hall except from the Hufflepuff table. Daphne, Theodore, Linda, Blaise, and Draco had shouted that. Neville, Fay, Lalita, and Hermione had shouted from the Gryffindor table. Luna, Padma, Anthony, and Michael had cried out from the Ravenclaw table. Everyone turned to stare at them with surprise. Hermione glared up at Dumbledore whom looked surprised.

"He is the Dark Lord Voldemort, Headmaster," Hermione said, coolly. Snape was pale and Tom looked rather smug.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, confused. Hermione glared at him.

"With all due respect, you heard me. He is the Dark Lord Voldemort. I'd greatly appreciate it if you referred to him as such," Hermione hissed. Snape glared at her.

"Sit down, Miss Granger. You will not interrupt again," he commanded. Hermione made the cat-like hissing sound again, baring her teeth. Snape reared back and Bella grabbed Hermione's arm and yanked her down before going through Hermione's carry bag and shoving a bottle of pills in Hermione's hand. Hermione looked at Bella.

"I don't need it, Bella. I just want him referred to properly."

"Hermione, I think you should just take your—"

"It is fine. It is fine. I apologize, Miss Granger and all others that I offended. Grindelwald, Lord Voldemort,and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. Now, let us begin to eat."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1996**

**10:30 PM**

Bella sat in the chair nearest to the fire. Most of Hydra surrounded her and now they were only waiting on Luna and the other Ravenclaws. Linda was going on and on about Lalita's eyes and how beautiful they were without her glasses. Bella grinned when she noticed the contacts. She knew Lalita looked different somehow but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what.

"We're here."

Everyone turned as Luna walked in, the Ravenclaw members of Hydra filing in after her. Luna walked up to Bella and grabbed her by the chin. Bella cringed at the hard look that Luna fixed her with. Luna leaned forward and looked into her eyes.

"He's going to be here. You will wait for him."

"Why should I?" Bella countered, harshly. Luna's eyes widened and she suddenly looked different. Her eyes looked so much older and they held the knowledge of her ancestors.

"Because you are Nikolai. You triumph over all things. You do not run from your troubles. You _conquer_ them. So conquer them one at a time, Nikolai," Luna said, coldly. Bella looked away, knowing the girl was right. She nodded once as she looked into the fire.

The door opened and closed and everyone turned to look except for Bella. She could feel him approach her. She knew he was standing behind her and she crossed her arms, not saying anything.

"Well, I'm here. Get on with it."

He was leaning on the high-backed chair and him standing next to her was annoying her. She spun around and glared at him.

"Could you get off my chair?"

"Yes."

He didn't move and Bella gritted her teeth in annoyance

"Could you _please_ get off my chair?"

"I _could_ but I won't. I have things to do. Please get on with it," Tom said, coldly. Bella gave him a dirty look and she turned to the group waiting patiently. Draco looked almost amused and Hermione and Blaise were snickering together.

"Okay…this is my evil ex-boyfriend, Tom Marvolo Riddle."

There was dead silence and everyone only stared at her.

Daphne and Lalita didn't look as surprised at the fact that Tom had been her boyfriend of sorts though they were at the term 'evil'. Neville was bright red. Theodore raised a single eyebrow. Padma and Parvati had equal expressions of shock and disbelief. Linda looked impressed though confused. Fay stared.

Luna flitted forward and she smirked at Tom's expression. He was partly shocked and mostly outraged. Luna began tracing the letters of Tom's name in the air with her wand.

"He is my ex because he is an evil, filthy git."

Tom hissed at her, angrily. Bella hissed a warning hiss right back at him. Luna admired her handiwork and Tom's eyes widened when he saw what she had written. He leaned forward.

"Don't you dare, Lovegood…"

Luna slashed her wand through the words.

_TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE_

_I AM LORD VOLDEMORT_

Everyone stopped and turned to look at Tom. His eyes were narrowed and he glared at all of them. There was silence for a moment and then Bella watched in fascination and pride as they spun into action.

Daphne's wand was out and she had pulled Bella behind her. Neville's daggers were out and he was holding them without shaking one bit. He was standing in front of Luna, deeming her extremely important. Theodore had snatched a sword off the wall and was standing in front of Blaise and Draco. Fay had got into a fighting stance that resembled a Brazilian jiu-jitsu form. Padma and Parvarti had their wands raised and were defending Hermione. Anthony and Michael stood back, calculatingly, though their wands were out.

"Relax. He's not trying to kill anyone," Luna said, calmly. They all looked at her, confused, before they turned their attention back to Tom who they had decided was their enemy.

"Yet. You've trained them well," Tom said, off handedly. Bella looked at him, coldly and slightly awkwardly. She _had_ made out with the man just a few weeks back. And then they had parted on weird terms.

"Yes. I suppose we learned from the best. Now, all of you, wands away. We're not done here. I have to explain what happened and why it happened. It started a while back," Bella started. Daphne suddenly looked panicked.

"Wait! It wasn't my fault was it? When I told you what you should give for Yule? Was it?"

Tom gave a slight cough and he looked away. Hermione flushed and Blaise and Draco turned green. Everyone looked rather confused. Luna giggled and Bella pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No. It had nothing to do with that and I'm pretty sure you know that _that_ has nothing to do with this. You're just using this as an excuse to make everyone feel uncomfortable," Bella said, blandly. Daphne smirked.

"Just trying to get everyone to relax."

"You're not helping," Draco said, sharply.

"Shut up, Draco. Now, this wasn't your fault, Daphne, and it was actually mostly _his_ fault. I'm going to give you the abridged version. We snogged during the Yule Ball, we argued, we snogged again, we dated, Grindelwald is resurrected, we date some more, we go to the Department of Mysteries, I found out he's Voldemort, and we argued some more. There. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the straight answer, Daphne," Bella apologized. She turned towards Tom, slightly

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about him in the first place. And I'm sorry that you're a bastard," Bella finished. Tom sneered at her.

"I'm sorry that you're such a bitch."

"I'm sorry that you're such an asshole."

"I'm sorry that you're such a—"

"_Enough_. Get on with it," Hermione snapped. Tom turned from her and glared at the wall. He turned to Luna.

"Why am I here?"

"All in good time, Tom Marvolo. Now that you know, we hope you're not hurt that we kept this from you," Luna said, cheerfully. Padma shook her head.

"I think we're just in shock."

Everyone nodded an affirmative.

"Now, don't go around telling that our DADA teacher is Lord Voldemort and…sleep on it, okay?" Luna asked. Everyone stared at her before nodding. Bella sighed and stood, waiting to leave. Luna grabbed her arm.

"Uh, no. You have something to discuss. The rest of you, you're dismissed. Go on with your lives like you just didn't found out that your favorite teacher is a mass-murderer. Good night everyone and sweet dreams," Luna continued, happily. Hermione snickered as everyone left through the colored doors, snickering. Tom turned to walk out but Luna grabbed him by the arm and Bella's eyes widened. Tom glared at her but he knew he couldn't elbow her.

She was a Seer and she could definitely make his life more miserable than it was.

"You three, goodnight," Luna said. Draco's eyes widened.

"I'm not leaving her here with _him_," Draco snarled. Luna gave him a sharp look.

"Draco…you're straining yourself. Any moment, my dear," she said. Her eyes were sharp though her tone of voice was extremely soft and sympathetic. Draco sighed and gave a nod before grabbing Hermione and Blaise by the wrists. He dragged the surprised teenagers to their respective doors.

Hermione waved, uncertainly.

"I'll tell Fay, Parvati, and Lalita that you'll be up soon. They'll want to ask you questions, I'm sure," Hermione said, trying to sound amused though failing slightly. Bella gave a slight nod and offered a half-smile.

"As long as they don't ask about it all in front of Lavender."

Hermione went through the red door and it disappeared. Blaise looked to Bella.

"Good night, Bella. Night, Lu…T—Riddle," Blaise said, carefully. He had caught himself just in time. Bella still thought that he was pissed at Tom though that wasn't entirely the case. He was a little confused was all. He was nowhere near angry like Bella was.

"Night, Ana. Night, Lu. Night, Voldemort."

"I'm not Voldemort right now," Tom said, annoyed. Draco smirked at him.

"_Right_. And I'm not Draco Malfoy. Good night, _Voldemort_."

He disappeared through the green door and it disappeared. Luna looked at the two remaining people. They were looking in every other direction except at each other. Luna sighed.

"You two need to talk. You'll leave once you do. Good night."

And with that, she stormed out of the room.

Bella and Tom looked at each other in surprise as the last remaining doors disappeared.

Including the one leading out into the corridor.

Bella took a deep breath.

"So…you're an orphan, huh?"

:::

**A/N: **Well, here it is. Not much to say since I have to leave in exactly two minutes. Hope you liked it. It wasn't very hard to write but it did take a long time to. I guess I just haven't had my muse lately. Though, I will never stop writing. Usually, if I lose my muse, you'll just have to deal with slightly crappy chapters for a while and then you get a shitload of chapters in about a day. So, yeah.

Next Chapter: Conversations, Confrontations, and Combat


	70. Chapter LXIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, the song that would go with this chapter would be: The Love We Had Before. Someone asked if Tom would be sentimental. He won't be. He's been hiding a lot of stuff and he'd like all of that to _stay_ hidden. But…that doesn't mean things stay hidden. So, lets get on with it.

Inside my Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXIV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 1****st**** of September 1996**

**10:56 PM**

"So…you're an orphan, huh?"

Tom froze where he stood. His eyes found hers and Bella almost took a step back. They were filled with an intensity that made Bella uncertain. His eyes were full of rage and his hands were clenched into fists. Bella stood her ground and looked up at him with a frown. He didn't move from his spot in front of the fire. The flickering flames made his face a shadow of sorts.

"Who told you that?" Tom asked in a low voice. Bella swallowed and she looked away from him and at the weapon covered wall. She stared for a long moment, not wanting to answer. She couldn't answer him. Not when he sounded so upset about it…

"_Who_ told you that?" Tom shouted in rage. Bella cringed back and she took a step back. In all of her time knowing Tom, he had _never_ shouted at her like that. They had argued and screamed but there was pure rage and _hurt_ radiating off of him. He took a step forward and grabbed her arm, harshly and Bella's eyes widened as he squeezed.

"Lu-Luna," Bella whispered. Tom glared at her before throwing her back. She stumbled over her feet as Tom let out a shout of anger. He began pacing, ignoring Bella almost entirely.

"That little _bitch!_ How dare she? How dare she tell you? What else did she tell you?" shouted Tom. Bella took a daring step forward and she looked at the man with something akin to pity in her eyes.

He was _hurting_.

And even though Bella was mad at him. Even though she didn't trust him, she couldn't…she just _couldn't_ see him hurt. It hurt her for some strange reason. She didn't give it a second thought before she grabbed her hand and turned him towards her. He was looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, Tom. Nothing…it's okay…" Bella said, softly. He ripped his hand from hers with a glare and a short hiss. Bella blinked in surprise as he looked at the fire. He looked into the mirror above the fireplace and he almost cringed from the mirror, it seemed. His eyes softened into something like sorrow.

"Don't pity me," he said, sadly. Tom growled in anger and his fist slammed into the mirror, shattering it. The distorted versions of himself and Bella were reflected back into the room. He turned towards her with blazing eyes again.

"I don't pity you, Tom! I would never pity you. I empathize with you," Bella said, softly. And she really did.

She could understand…no she could _start_ to understand why he had become a monster. Why he was the way he was?

"I don't care, Bella. It's the same thing for you, anyway. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't change a damn thing. I'll still be Lord Voldemort. I'll still be the monster. Just because I'm an orphan doesn't change one damn _thing_. I'll still be a murderer that you can't stand and I just don't give a shit anymore. You have no business knowing or caring that I'm an orphan. So, shut up and mind your business," Tom snarled.

Bella took a deep breath as she attempted to keep her temper in check. She couldn't blow up at him. He was hurting too much. She could see it in his eyes despite the fact that he didn't say anything. Tom wasn't one to show his emotions. He hid them behind callousness and anger.

"Tom, I understand. I'm an orphan too. I know what it means to want paren—"

"No! You _don't_! You don't know what I want! My father was a _rich, handsome, filthy _Muggle. That son of a bitch had _everything_. Riddle Manor is where my father lived for most of his pathetic life. My mother…my mother lived in a shack down the road. She was the daughter of a _tramp_. She had nothing. She was _nothing_. She fell in love with my father but he thought she was disgusting. He thought that she was a pitiful creature…an animal. Her living conditions were worst than any animal. She was her father and brother's maid. Their servant. She was hit, snapped, and yelled at every time she did something wrong. They called her a Squib! Yet she was a descendant of Slytherin. And…one day, it was hot outside…and my mother…my poor, wretched, _ugly_ mother gave my father something to drink as he rode past…" Tom whispered.

His eyes were glazed over as he spoke. He seemed to be thinking about something else as he spoke the story. Bella's eyes were wide. He was a half-blood. Bella knew that Tom was a private person but she'd never thought that he'd be a half-blood. That didn't change her opinion of him. But the way he hated Muggles was so pureblood in nature.

"He took it and he…he fell under her spell. She drugged him with a love potion. Amortentia, to be exact. She ran off with him to London. After a year…she fell pregnant with me. She was stupid. She believed that he had fallen in love with her despite the fact that he was drugged to be infatuated with her. Or that he'd stay for _me_. He did nothing of the sort. He ran away like the cowardly son of a bitch that he was. And in the wizarding world…if the marriage wasn't registered in the Wizengamot Records…it was illegitimate. And I automatically became a _bastard_. After he abandoned her, she fell into a depression. She lived as a pauper even though she was a witch. She didn't know about the Slytherin fortune…she wasn't powerful enough to access it anyway. To continue living…she sold that locket around your neck. That locket is priceless and she sold it for ten galleons. She stopped using her magic entirely. And on New Year's Eve of 1926, poor, wretched Merope Gaunt went into labor. She stumbled into the orphanage and gave birth there. She _died_ within the hour. Despite the fact that she could do to magic, she _died_. And so, here I am. The illegitimate son of a Muggle and the unwanted child of a pauper," Tom said, harshly.

His eyes cleared and he glared at Bella in anger. Bella opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't think of anything to say. She swallowed hard and she crossed her arms. She had nothing to do with them.

"I'm…"

"If you apologize, I swear I'll curse you. So, no you _don't_ know. Your parents were perfect martyrs and then your godfather adopted you. You don't know me. You don't know what it means to feel abandoned. You don't know _anything_. You were a _pampered, spoiled, famous _princess," Tom hissed, angrily. Bella's eyes flashed and her hold on her temper disappeared completely. She gripped her arms so hard that her nails formed little crescents in the exposed skin.

"You know what? Shut up. JUST SHUT UP! You think it's easy? You think it's easy being famous for something you can't remember? YOU THINK IT'S EASY BEING FAMOUS FOR SOMETHING MY MOTHER DID? YOU THINK IT'S EASY BEING FAMOUS FOR THE DAY WHERE I LIVED WHILE MY PARENTS DIED? DO YOU? Fuck you and fuck your sob story. Shut the hell up, Tom! I _do_ get it. I'm sorry that your mother was too weak to stay alive for you! I'm sorry that your father was too much of a coward! How do you think it feels? People around me talking about my parents. About how great they were. How do you think it was growing up for me? When I was nine years old my godfather got sick. He was hallucinating and he called me Lily! He was sick for eleven days and he talked about the times they had at Hogwarts and he asked me if it was fun and I had to pretend to be my dead mother," Bella screamed.

She turned from him and glared at the destroyed mirror.

"I have to live up to my mother. She could've been a Charms mistress. I'm barely passing Charms because all of the spells are TOO. DAMN. _LIGHT_. I have to live up to my father. My godfather used to buy me prank things from Zonko's until I told him that that wasn't my thing. He was so disappointed. At least you can be better than your parents but _I_? I LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THEM BECAUSE I'M TOO DIFFERENT. I'll never be good enough. I can't be an Auror. I can't be an Unspeakable. Because…I'm. Too. _Dark. _I'M A CONSTANT DISAPPOINTMENT COMPARED TO THEM BECAUSE I'M _DARK. _I like killing! I like maiming! I'm not like them. I'm not a martyr…I'm a survivor. I'm a _monster_," Bella shrieked. She finished softly.

Bella was breathing hard by now and she was staring at Tom with dark eyes and she closed them, tightly. She was centering herself now. She reigned her anger in and took in one more deep breath before she leaned against the wall.

"See, I've admitted it. I'm just as Dark as you. I hate this, Tom. I just can't anymore. Every time we see each other, we end up yelling at each other."

Tom stared at her for another moment before he sat in a chair. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, pulling it loose from its ponytail. It fell messily just past his collarbone and he glared at a lock. He'd have to cut it soon.

"I've noticed," he finally said. His voice was cool and even. Different from how it had been before.

"Why is that? Why can't we compromise? Why are we choosing sides?" Bella asked, tiredly. She sat down in the chair across from him and pulled her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and stared at Tom.

"I've already chosen. Have you?" he countered.

"I thought I did."

"We don't have to fight anymore. It's you who his fighting me. You're still angry at me about something that's in the past. If I told you any sooner, it wouldn't have changed your reaction and you know it," Tom said, quietly. Bella gave a great sigh and she rubbed her eyes.

"I know…and I'm just so tired of being angry at you. But, I can't trust you and that angers me. And I convinced myself that it was you that I was angry with. And I still can't make these choices. All of these big choices that I already thought I had made. The world would be better off if I just decided," Bella whispered. Tom crossed his legs and gave one nod. He tilted his head, slowly.

"It probably would."

"It seems like I don't even have any choices any more. Everything is preordained for me…"

"There is _always_ a choice," Tom said, forcefully.

Bella's eyes widened at the tone of voice he used and she brought her legs down from her chest. She looked at him, curiously. He was looking at her with a strange expression on his face. Bella couldn't quite identify what it was but she suddenly felt so…

"I'm sorry that I was so angry at you. I'm sorry that I was such a fool for not seeing your point of view. And I'm sorry for screaming at you just now," Bella said, softly. Tom's expression hardened from that fierce expression before and he stood up. Bella stood as well. She glanced at the door and it seemed to be solidifying into view.

"I…apologize for not telling you the truth. And I apologize for shouting at you."

The apology sounded strangely stiff coming out of the man and Bella could tell that he wasn't used to apologizing in the least. But despite his formal apology she could hear the sincerity in it and she gave a smile.

"I accept your apology and I…I forgive you. I…even if we're not together…I'd like to be at least be on friendly terms," she said, softly. Tom raised an eyebrow at that and she gave a slight smile. She doubted that he exactly had normal _friends_. She knew he'd never admit that he was friends with Bellatrix, Lucius, and Rodolphus, despite the fact that that was what they were.

"I…I suppose that would be fine."

The door turned completely solid. Tom walked towards the door. Bella grabbed his wrist before she could lose her nerve. Tom stopped though he didn't turn towards her. Bella was fine with that. She didn't want him to see her face.

"Why…why did you…take advantage of me?"

"I didn't."

"You didn't?" she said, flatly.

"I didn't. I found you…fascinating. Amazingly so. I was fascinated with your beauty, your wit, your power. So, no, I didn't take advantage of you."

"Did you love me?"

There was a silence that seemed to last for a lifetime but in reality, only lasted a few seconds. Finally, Tom took a deep breath as he answered.

"No."

Bella felt nothing. She nodded once and turned towards the door. She made her way towards the door and her hand was on the doorknob when Tom's voice called out to her again.

"And Bella..."

Bella didn't turn but she stopped, acknowledging that she was listening.

"You're not your mother. You're not your father. You're better. You're Bella Anastasia Potter. You're Nikolai. You're Victory. You'd do well to remember that."

A slight smile spread across Bella's face and she looked down.

"And...you're not your mother. You're not your father. You're better than both your parents. You're not a coward and you've made it farther than both of them. You're Tom Marvolo Riddle. You're Voldemort. You're the Dark Lord, the most powerful Dark wizard in the entire world. You'd do well to remember that."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1996**

**8:05 AM**

"Pass the porridge," Bella said, attempting to reach over Daphne. Daphne stared at her put passed her a bowl of the requested item. Bella dug into it, almost oblivious to the looks Parvarti, Fay, Lalita, Daphne, and Hermione were giving her. Draco, Blaise, and Theodore were sitting at the Slytherin table for some reason but Bella was too hungry to pay attention.

"Hello, Bella."

Bella looked up from her food and raised an eyebrow at the smug Luna Lovegood. Luna sat down across from the girl with the same smile on her face. Bella tilted her head, waiting for her to say something.

"Good morning, Lu," Bella finally said. Luna smiled.

"So…"

"You meddle too much."

With those words Daphne grabbed onto Bella's arm and leaned in. Bella's eyes widened and Neville just looked confused. He was sitting next to Daphne as always. She always made an attempt to sit next to him nowadays.

"What happened? What happened?"

"Nothing. It was a conversation, Daphne. A conversation that isn't your business," Bella said, sharply. Daphne groaned in annoyance as she finished her breakfast.

Hermione was looking at her sister, calculatingly. Suddenly, there was the sound of owls and Bella looked up just as Hedwig dropped a parcel in front of her.

On the front, it was addressed to both Bella and Hermione.

"Hmm…what's this?" Bella asked, smugly. At least, now she could change the subject. Hermione's eyes widened and she cleared her throat.

"I think those our OWLs. Mum probably got them while we were in Romania. I mean no one knew that we were there so it probably went to Grimmauld Place," Hermione suggested. Bella's eyes widened and she reached for the parcel and unwrapped it. She first took out the letter.

"_Dear Bella and Hermione,_

_These are your OWL results. You both did exceptional and I understand that you, Bella, won't say the same. But, that isn't your fault and I'm sure Hermione will convince you that it isn't your fault. I hope you have a wonderful year and I'm sorry I forgot to get this to you._

_Sirius is slowly, but surely, getting better. His magic is regenerated but they can't seem to make the connections. It's a bit like the nervous system I'm told. If one connection is made, then all connections can be made. But that one connection just isn't working, so we'll have to wait for the Healers to do a bit more research._

_I love you._

_Love,_

_Mum_

_P.S. Congratulations Bella. I'm so happy for you_," Hermione read aloud over her shoulder. Bella smiled at her mother's letter. She then sighed and reached inside to pull out the daunting OWL results.

Ordinary Wizarding Level Results

Pass Grades:

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Fail Grades:

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

Bella Anastasia Black-Potter has achieved:

Astronomy: E

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Charms: A

Defense Against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: D

Herbology: E

History of Magic: T

Potions: E

Transfiguration: O

"Well…I only failed two things. Seven OWLs," Bella said with a slight smile. Daphne leaned over and looked. She snickered at the two failing grades and frowned when Bella's lips fell from their smile as she trace the word 'Charms'.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Daphne asked, softly. Bella looked up.

"Um…Charms. My mother was good at it. I don't give a damn about History of Magic or Divination but I'd hoped that perhaps…I would be able to do a bit better," Bella explained, quietly. Hermione looked at her sister, sympathetically.

"Bella, Charms is hard for people with Dark magic. Neville is Light so he did rather well. An 'E', right?" Daphne asked. Neville nodded, bashfully. He then mumbled something. Daphne turned on him, instantly, with narrowed eyes.

"Hey! No mumbling."

"Oh…I didn't—"

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall interrupted. Daphne scowled at the Scotswoman but said nothing as McGonagall looked at his applications and OWL results. Bella looked at Hermione. Hermione was already looking at her schedule.

"Herbology, fine," she said. "Professor Sprout will be delighted to see you back with an 'Outstanding' O.W.L. And you qualify for Defense Against the Dark Arts with 'Exceeds Expectations.' But the problem is Transfiguration. I'm sorry, Longbottom, but an 'Acceptable' really isn't good enough to continue to N.E.W.T. level. Just don't think you'd be able to cope with the coursework."

Neville hung his head. Professor McGonagall peered at him through her square spectacles.

"Why do you want to continue with Transfiguration, anyway? I've never had the impression that you particularly enjoyed it."

Neville looked miserable and muttered something about "my grandmother wants."

Daphne scowled.

"Hmph," snorted Professor McGonagall. "It's high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she's got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have - particularly after what happened at the Ministry."

Neville turned very pink and blinked confusedly; Professor McGonagall had never paid him a compliment before.

"I'm sorry, Longbottom, but I cannot let you into my N.E.W.T. class. I see that you have an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Charm however - why not try for a N.E.W.T. in Charms?"

"My grandmother thinks Charms is a soft option," mumbled Neville. Daphne growled and crossed her arms. McGonagall looked at the girl in surprise. Daphne was glaring at the table.

"You grandmother needs to shut up. What's his Potions grade?" Daphne asked, sharply. McGonagall looked at her with even more surprise.

"I don't think it's any of your business," she said, primly. Daphne glared. Neville flushed slightly.

"Um…she can know."

"Are you sure, Mr. Longbottom?" McGonagall asked. Neville nodded, firmly. McGonagall turned a disdainful eye onto Daphne and Daphne sneered right back at the woman.

"He, unfortunately, only achieved an A."

"Well, then. He can't take N.E.W.T classes?" Daphne asked. McGonagall shook her head. Daphne growled and she leaned back before looking at Bella.

"He needs to take one of them," Bella said, softly. Daphne sighed and nodded.

"I'll tutor him in Potions if he can enter the N.E.W.T class," Daphne sighed. McGonagall looked at her in surprise.

"I'm afraid that you can't—"

"I'm _the_ best Potions student in this school. I'm set to take my Mastery by the end of next year along with my N.E.W.T and I'm going to attempt to apprentice with Professor Snape the year after," Daphne said, coldly. McGonagall looked surprised and she sighed.

"I will have to consult with Professor Slughorn. But I will see what I can do."

"And I'll tutor him in Transfiguration," Bella blurted. Everyone turned to look at her. Bella was holding up her OWL results. McGonagall looked less stern but still wary of allowing this.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. And, since we're talking about classes, I'd like to apply for this year's Ancient Runes classes instead of Divination and Care for Magical Creatures. I'm cleared to take Transfiguration, Astronomy, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I need another class to apply for a job at the Ministry. Especially, if I want to work in the DMLE as an attorney," Bella explained. McGonagall shook her head as she sorted through the papers, looking for Bella's.

"Ah, yes. I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark. However, you're also cleared for Potions and Charms as well."

Bella looked at her in surprise.

"But…I had to get an 'Outstanding'."

"Ah, that was when Professor Snape was teaching the subject. Professor Slughorn accepts students with Exceed Expectations. Do you wish to proceed with Potions?" McGonagall asked. Bella bit her lip. She looked at Hermione. Hermione shrugged and nodded once.

"I suppose…I'll also be studying Politics and Political Science so I can take my Masteries. But, I'd like to graduate with at least…two Masteries. One in Defense Against the Dark Arts and one in Ancient Runes. So if Potions gets in the way, I don't know if I can continue," Bella explained. McGonagall nodded, understanding.

"I truly doubt that it will."

"Well, I suppose, I'll take it. But…not Charms."

"If you're sure…here's your schedule. Before you can take Ancient Runes, you will have to take a placement test. How does this Saturday sound?"

"Perfect."

"Oh, yes. We have more than twenty hopefuls for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team," McGonagall added. Bella stopped short in the middle of examining her schedule. She looked up at McGonagall, confusedly.

"I'm sorry but…what does that have to do with me?"

"Miss Potter? What do you mean?"

"Why…why do I have to know that there are twenty hopefuls for the Quidditch team? Shouldn't you tell the Captain?" Bella asked, slowly. McGonagall gave her a disbelieving look. Bella spun around to see Hermione pulling something shiny from the parcel. She handed it to Bella slowly.

"What the…what hell is this?" Bella gasped, looking at the badge. McGonagall looked at her amused.

"Language, Potter. And that is the badge for the Quidditch Captain."

"What the hell, Mum! She couldn't tell me this first?" Bella gasped, examining the badge, not even paying attention to McGonagall anymore. McGonagall shook her head, amused.

"I shall pass the list to you in due time."

"Yeah…yes…all right," Bella said, not even listening. McGonagall went on, her lips twitching into a slight smile.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1996**

**10:00 AM**

"Inside."

Bella's eyes narrowed on Snape and she pushed past him, rudely, into the room. She smirked when she saw him step away from Hermione. Bella skipped forward and looked at Tom. He looked pissed off to say the least. She leaned forward on his desk and smirked at him.

"What's up, stranger?"

"He's attempting to take over my class," Tom said through gritted teeth. Bella smirked.

"We can't have that. He'll have to spar with _me_. The teacher always spars with me. Where's Nagini?" Bella asked, snickering slightly. Tom smirked and pointed at a chair behind her. The great snake was curled around the chair.

"Where you always sit. Where is Sasha?"

"Miss Potter, sit down," Snape snarled. Bella spun around and glared.

"We operate differently here. Sasha's upstairs, asleep. All right, lets get to it," Bella said, taking charge. She looked around at group with narrowed eyes and she crossed her arms. She looked over each person and turned to Tom. She seemed to have been taking attendance in her head.

"Is that everyone?" she asked. Tom made a humming noise.

"Yes…isn't it fortunate that I picked everyone in your little group. Now, you'd do well to sit and observe _Severus_. I didn't invite you to teach this class. Your job description is to teach the less…extensive classes. So, you may sit in a corner and observe. What the hell are you doing, Miss Greengrass?" Tom asked.

Daphne looked up from whatever she was doing. She'd been leaning over Neville, telling him something apparently. He was extremely red in the face and Tom sighed and pulled her from him, setting her in her seat. She looked up at him innocently.

"I was licking Neville's ear. You know…I have to prepare for my infiltration and assassination bit, right?" Daphne said, sweetly. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose before he went to his desk and sat on it, legs crossed.

"You're unbelievable. Fifteen points from Slytherin for sexually harassing a student. Now, everybody…do whatever it is you do. Except you, Bella. We're going to see how good you are," Tom said, carefully. Bella smirked. Blaise jumped up and dragged Padma, Parvarti, Michael, and Anthony to a corner. He set up the desks and took out his wand. They sat there, motionless.

Hermione snickered and grabbed Neville along with Daphne and Theodore. Daphne attached herself to Neville like a leech and she began whispering things in his ear that made him turn pink with embarrassment. Fay joined Lalita and Linda with Draco as he began talking to them, quickly.

Bella turned to Tom as he conjured a dueling platform. Snape sneered.

"What exactly are you trying to teach them?" Snape demanded. Bella rolled her eyes at his attitude. Tom turned to him, looking extremely annoyed. Snape looked at him mildly surprised at Tom's annoyance.

"I don't teach them. They teach themselves. I am merely a guide of sorts. On the platform," Tom commanded. Bella smirked and she backed away towards her desk and began pulling off her jewelry. She kept the earrings and the two bracelets she had gotten from Tom off. The only necklace she kept on was the one she had gotten from Sirius. She pulled one wand from her sleeve and tossed it to Hermione. Hermione caught it and looked down.

"Which wand?"

"I'm using the holly wand. It's easier to handle. I'm still taming that one," Bella explained. Hermione nodded once before sliding the wand up her sleeve. She turned back to Daphne and Theodore and continued instructing them.

Severus watched Potter jumped onto the dueling platform with an annoyed look, despite his curiosity. He had heard of how the girl had dueled the Dark Lord with great prowess. He doubted she had the drive to be that good. Lily had never liked to hurt people and the male Potter had been a clown.

Potter slid off her robe and her white shirt, leaving herself in a black tank top and tight black slacks tucked into dirty combat boots. Severus' eyes widened when he saw what looked like dried blood on her combat boots. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Severus looked around and saw many of the students, watching from the corner of their eyes.

"Ready to go?" Riddle asked. Bella smirked.

"You know it. We bow," she said. She dropped into a flourishing bow. Riddle bowed to her and they stood, facing each other for a moment. Suddenly, Potter jumped and Riddle shot forward and grabbed the heel of her foot. Severus watched in shock as he threw her down forcefully. She fell to the ground and spun up into a crouch. She hissed at him.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Riddle smirked. Bella hissed again and shot forward towards his legs. Riddle jumped, anticipating this. Bella slid past him and spun, pointing her wand towards the platform.

"_Reducto_."

The wooden platform exploded and Greengrass burst into laughter. Severus looked at her as Greengrass and Granger cackled. Everyone looked rather amused at this point. Riddle just looked pissed off now as the platform reformed.

"What is so amusing?" Severus asked, stiffly. Greengrass pointed to Potter.

"She has her weapon of choice now."

In Potter's hand was a piece of wood. She leaned down and pulled a knife from her boot. She began slicing, quickly, when suddenly Riddle shot a curse at her. She ducked and slid along the floor as she slashed at the wood. She suddenly stopped and then looked up with narrowed eyes.

"So…how far?" Potter asked. Riddle tilted his head.

"How about…anything legal."

"Only legal?"

"We're in the prescence of law-abiding citizens," Riddle said, carefully. Severus blinked in surprise as Potter considered this before sighing. She looked playfully at the other students.

"You guys are so _boring_. Law-abiding is so old. I just turned fourteen when I first killed."

Severus blanched at how casually she mentioned the fact that she had murdered someone. Despite the fact that she looked like Lily, she was nothing like her and this made Severus dislike her even more. Draco rolled his eyes and looked up from where he was teaching Singh and Moon.

"You broke the law when we were thirteen. You used _it_ for the first time."

"Ah…he's correct. Oh well. Lets get this show on the road," Potter said before she turned and threw the knife at Riddle. Riddle caught it easily but Potter was already running at him.

"_Confringo_," she snarled. Riddle blocked it and Severus watched as he threw a punch at her. It caught her in the side of the face and she stumbled. She spat blood onto the platform. Some of it splattered on her boot and Severus' eyes widened as she hissed again. She picked up her knife and spun. She jumped, making it obvious that she was trying to kick Riddle in the face. Riddle caught her foot again and Potter wrapped her other leg around his neck until she was hanging upside down.

"Get off me," Riddle snarled. Potter snickered and grabbed one of his legs. She pulled with all her strength and he fell to the ground on his back. Potter unhooked her leg and straddled him before slashing his cheek with her knife. Blood covered it and she smirked at the scarlet liquid.

Severus couldn't help but notice that Granger was giggling now because of the blood. Potter licked the blood clean off the knife and Severus struggled not to show his disgust. Riddle jumped up, making Potter fall to the ground. They backed away from each other before running at each other.

"_Astrapi!_"

"_Optrunco_."

The curses connected and Potter's eyes widened in horror. Severus stared in shock now. The curse that Riddle had used was a Mutilating Curse. And it had looked powerful. Potter reached her hand out.

"HERMIONE! Wand. Now," Potter commanded. Severus watched as Granger threw another wand at Potter. He couldn't get a good look at it as she turned back to Riddle. The curses were still connected. Potter suddenly spun breaking the connection and sending the Mutilating Curse at her.

She took a deep breath and began twirling both wands.

"_Protego_ _Maxima_."

Two shields shot from the wands and made the curse harmless. Suddenly, Potter was on the ground and Riddle was next to her, holding her leg down. He looked down at her with narrowed eyes and a smirk.

"You just won't give up will you?"

"Not until my heart starts beating."

"Or perhaps…if your leg was broken?"

And with that question there was a loud snap and Potter let out an agonized shout. Severus started forward. Even he couldn't condone this of all things.

"Riddle, what are you doing?" Severus asked, sharply.

"Wait!"

Severus turned to Blaise. He glared at him.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Zabini?"

"Bella's got this."

Severus turned back to the fight as Potter held her leg in pain. Riddle smirked, standing up straight. Potter seemed to be laughing slightly, however, and this confused Severus greatly. Potter struggled to sit up as she held her leg.

"I suppose I deserve that."

"You certainly do. But for what?"

"Being angry when I didn't listen to your side, I suppose. But…you've lost your privilege," Potter said, her eyes flashing. Riddle raised an eyebrow, curiously. He was twirling his wand between his fingers, lazily.

"What privilege?"

"I'm not feeling too…legal at the moment. Honestly, I'm kind of pissed," Potter said, harshly. She tossed one wand at Granger and Granger caught it. Potter began twisting her wand and Severus watched unimpressed before it dawned on him that the technique was familiar in some way.

He had never seen it done but he'd heard…he'd heard of the cursed lightning. Not many survived it and Severus doubted she could.

"Potter!" Severus barked. She didn't even hear me. She was standing, slowly.

"_KVEYKVA!_"

The lightning shot from her wand and Riddle ducked just in time. The lightning crashed into the wall, leaving an enormous scorch mark. Potter tilted her head and she gave a loud annoyed sigh.

"Now, I meant for that to hit you."

She lunged, despite her broken leg. She stumbled when she missed him. Her eyes narrowed and she got into a strange stance. She leaned one arm over the other and leaned to the side on her unbroken leg. She suddenly jumped, throwing her legs through the air. Her leg landed on Riddle's shoulder. She fell onto her hands and then pushed herself up as Riddle fell to his knees. She pushed him with her foot and he fell to his back. She straddled him just as his hand grabbed her wand.

Severus looked, impressed. She was straddling him, the wooden stake at his jugular. Two wands were pointed at Bella. Bella cursed.

"Dammit!"

"You lost."

"No I didn't!"

"You lost. Get over it and let me heal your leg," Riddle sighed. Bella hissed at him and slid off to the side as he pointed his wand at her broken leg.

"_Episkey._"

It healed, easily with a soft glowing light and Bella hissed at him again. Granger was staring, fascinated. She leaned forward instead of teaching the students she had taken as her own. Riddle looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, curiously.

Granger gave a slight smile and pointed towards herself.

"I want to practice."

"Did you do your katas?" Riddle asked, curiously. Granger coughed and looked away, innocently, as if she had never heard him ask the question in the first place. Greengrass began to laugh and Potter grinned before sticking out her tongue.

She jumped off the platform before grabbing Longbottom and Dunbar and bringing them to the corner of the room near the scorch mark.

Seeing it reminded Severus that she had just done something _very_ illegal.

"You allow this?" Severus hissed, pointing to the wall. Riddle shrugged.

"She didn't kill anyone."

Severus glared at Riddle.

He would _not_ enjoy working with him.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 2****nd**** of September 1996**

**4:00 PM**

"Bella, how are you? I didn't get a chance to speak to you earlier at breakfast."

Bella looked away from Hermione and blinked in surprise. Ernie Macmillan was standing there, looking her up and down. Bella raised an eyebrow at his flirtatious behavior.

"I don't really speak to you in general," Bella said, flatly. Ernie flushed and he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Yes, well, I suppose we should. Do you know when Hogsmeade visits are starting up again?"

"No."

"Oh…hello, Hermione," Ernie added, nervously. Hermione was giving a half-smile and she was holding her giggles rather well. Suddenly an arm was slung across Bella's shoulders. Ernie glared at the person and Bella turned. Draco was standing there with a slight smirk.

"Macmillan."

"Malfoy. So, Bella, do you want to maybe…do something in Hogsmeade? When we can go there, again?" Ernie asked. Bella's mouth dropped open and she looked at Draco. Draco was glaring at Ernie and Ernie was ignoring him, adamantly.

"Hmm…we'll see," Bella finally decided. Ernie's eyes lit up and he nodded. He turned to the other students and Bella looked around.

The class was small. Draco, Theodore, and Blaise were the only Slytherins there at the moment. Lalita, Bella, Ron, and Hermione were the only Gryffindors at the moment as well. Ron looked a little put out that Hermione was still ignoring him. Ernie was the only Hufflepuff. Padma, Michael, and Anthony were the only Ravenclaws.

"Where's Daphne?" Bella asked, curiously. Two hands suddenly cut off her vision and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Daphne…"

"The only and only! With her assistant and student, Neville Longbottom."

Bella spun around and saw Neville standing there, sheepishly. Bella grinned at him. She gave him a high five.

"What's _he_ doing here? He can't get through one Potions class without blowing something up," Ron said, scathingly. Bella's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to say something.

There was suddenly a loud slamming noise and Ron was quickly turning purple. Hermione hand was around his neck, pinning him to the wall. She made the same cat-like hiss that she had made the night before.

"Shut your filthy blood traitor mouth," Hermione snarled. Bella's eyes widened.

Ron was quickly turning blue now.

"Say your sorry. Say. It."

"I-I…I…so…rry," Ron choked out. Hermione let go of him and Ron stumbled, rubbing his neck. There was a hand shaped bruise. Hermione turned from him and reached into her bag, her eyes flashing. She pulled out a bottle and fumbled to open it. She snatched out two pills and shoved it in her mouth before swallowing them dry.

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose before she gave a sigh.

Two arms wrapped around her waist and she turned her head. Blaise pulled her flush against him.

"Are you okay?" he murmured. Hermione nodded, slowly.

"I've been better…Bella's Quidditch Captain," Hermione added. Ron gaped at Bella before scowling. Bella nodded with a bright grin. Draco's eyes widened and he smirked at his younger sister.

"So am I."

"So, an official sibling rivalry. Nice," Bella smirked. Draco nodded though he suddenly went into a coughing fit. Bella looked at him in surprise. Draco grimaced and he crossed his arms.

"A cold," he said, shortly. Bella nodded. Suddenly, the door open and a stomach was the first thing protruding from the door. Horace Slughorn backed away from the door and the group filed into the room.

Bella, Hermione, Draco, and Blaise claimed a table for themselves. Lalita, Daphne, Theodore, and Neville shared another table. Padma, Michael, Anthony, and Ernie sat down together. Ron was left in the back of the room at his own table. Bella smirked back at him and Ron gave her a pleading look. Bella turned around, tossing her hair as she looked forward.

"What is that smell?" Bella whispered. She looked at the golden cauldron and scowled at it. She grabbed the bridge of her nose. She didn't appreciate what it smelled like.

"It's a love potion…Amortentia," Hermione whispred. Bella nodded.

"Well, if it isn't Bella Potter. My word."

Bella looked up at the man who resembled a walrus. She nodded to him.

"That's me, Professor."

"The Girl-Who-Lived," Slughorn continued. Bella frowned.

"I don't like that title. I'd prefer to be called my name. I didn't really do anything except live. If I'm the 'Girl-Who-Lived', so is every other girl who lived," Bella said, sharply. Slughorn nodded, simpering. Bella sneered and turned away from him. She leaned her head on her brother's shoulder.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapors. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making…"

"Sir, I don't have a copy," Bella said, softly. Slughorn made a slight noise.

"Bella, m'girl?"

"I'm not your girl, sir. And, I didn't know I'd be able to continue with Potions—"

"Have mine, Bella. There are extras in the cupboard," Daphne said, cheerfully. She dropped her brand new copy of the textbook and walked towards the cupboard before stopping in front of. Slughorn's eyes widened when he saw her.

"You must be Miss Greengrass. The third-highest Potions OWL in history," Slughorn commented. Bella gaped, surprised and impressed at Daphne. Daphne grinned and gave a slight shrug.

"That's me. Right behind Severus Snape and Professor _Riddle_," Daphne said, emphasizing the name in Bella's face. Slughorn frowned in confusion while those of Hydra and the Horsemen laughed. Bella pushed Daphne's face away.

"Shut up, Daphne and get the book," Bella snapped. Daphne snickered and she kissed Bella's cheek before darting towards the cupboard and pulling out a battered copy of the Advanced Potions-Making. Daphne flipped through it before sneering and tossing it back in. She opened the next one and her eyes widened before a delighted smirk crossed her face and she walked back to her seat next to Neville.

"You can sure a scale with me," Hermione said. Bella nodded and looked to the board.

"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

Bella's hand shot up at the same time Daphne and Hermione's did. Slughorn pointed at Daphne.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth. It takes one lunar phase, 28 days, to brew. Ingredients include but are not limited to the spine of a lionfish, dragon blood, belladonna, and puffer-fish eyes," Daphne listed. She sounded as if she were reading a book aloud. Slughorn looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean by that? It is not limited to?"

"Well, if one was to add .002 milligrams of…atroquinine, a slow acting poison, it would give one fifteen minutes to question the drinker and then the poison would kill the drinker," Daphne said. Slughorn flinched but look very impressed with her and he nodded.

"Ten points to Slytherin, Miss Greengrass. Very impressive. You'll be a great Potions Mistress," Slughorn commented. Daphne smiled.

"That's my goal."

"Now," he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest the Ravenclaw table, "this one here is pretty well known… Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too… Who can —?"

Hermione's hand shot up immediately. Slughorn pointed to her with a slight smile on her face.

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," Hermione said, primly.

Bella sneered at the bubbling mud-like substance. It looked absolutely disgusting though Daphne looked thoroughly interested. She looked in love with the potion. She whispered something to Neville and Neville took down something on a piece of parchment.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here… yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Bella's hand punched the air. Hermione and Daphne were both half a second behind. Blaise and Draco looked at Bella in surprise.

"It's Amortentia," Bella said, softly.

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world," Bella whispered.

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"Not really…I…someone told me about it," Bella explained.

"And what do you smell?" Slughorn asked. Bella turned away from him and gave a loud sigh.

"Scrolls…books…Red Vines, a muggle candy. And…blood and chocolate," Bella said, almost whispering the last part. Slughorn paled at the last description and Bella wondered if he'd made the last connection.

"Blood and chocolate?" Draco questioned, teasingly. Bella turned to him with a glare and leaned forward against the table.

"Well, what do you smell?" she asked, haughtily. Draco rolled his eyes and tilted his head.

"Broomsticks, death, Luna, and dragon blood," he said, simply. He suddenly seemed to realize what he had said when Daphne began to catcall. Hermione laughed, delighted.

"I smell new parchment, freshly-mown grass, drying blood, and Blaise's cologne," Hermione suggested. Blaise kissed her cheek and leaned back in his chair before taking a long smell.

"Strangely enough…dust, freshly-mown grass, and Mione's perfume."

Bella shook her head, slowly, still thinking.

"I still can't understand why I smell blood and chocolate."

"Perhaps because you're still attracted to whatever smells like blood and chocolate," Daphne suggested, snickering. Bella spun around and glared at Daphne. Daphne still smirked at her maliciously.

"Shut up, Daphne."

"Whatever. Deny the attraction. Deny the lo-ove."

"There is and was no love. There was raw sexual attraction. Get it right and shut up."

"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Ron, whom was smirking skeptically. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love."

"And now, it is time to start work," Slughorn said.

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Ernie Macmillan, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.

"Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis," Slughorn said, dramatically. Hermione and Daphne gasped.

"I take it that you know what this is," Slughorn said. The two girls nodded. They opened their mouths to answer.

"It's liquid luck."

Everyone turned towards the speaker. Draco was lounging in his chair with a slight smirk. Slughorn looked at him.

"And you are?"

"Draco Malfoy. The third best in this class," Draco answered. Daphne grunted.

"Not for long. I'll make sure Neville takes that spot."

"Doubt it," Ron muttered. Hermione spun in her seat and made the cat-like sound again. Ron cringed and bit his lip, turning away.

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed… at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" asked Padma.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know… highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally…"

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Michael with great interest.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." He gazed dreamily into the distance.

"And that," said Slughorn, apparently coming back to earth, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

There was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions… sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only… and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win this fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

Daphne was moving in a second. She looked at her scribbled on book and her eyes widened. She began scribbling notes in the corner of the book and she shifted through her potion kit and took a silver knife from her kit. Bella examined her closely and watched as she crushed the sopophorous bean with the flatside of it.

Bella walked to the cupboard and pulled out the supplies. She began following the directions until she reached the part with the bean. Bella did exactly what Daphne had done and she watched in surprise as juice squirted out. Bella dropped the bean into the potion and watched as it turned lilac.

It wasn't ideal and wasn't as good as Daphne's but it was pretty damn good. It was close to Hermione's but not as good. Bella leaned over the potion book and started to stir counterclockwise. She glanced at Daphne. Daphne was stirring it clockwise after every seven counterclockwise turns. Bella did the same.

The potion turned pale pink.

"How are you doing that?" Hermione hissed. Her hair was bushy despite the fact that it was pulled back into a briad.

"I'm following Daphne. She's adding a clockwise turn after every seven counterclockwise," Bella explained. Hermione blinked in surprise before shaking her head.

"It says counterclockwise."

"But Daphne is the best," Bella pointed out. Hermione shook her head, stubbornly.

"No. It says counterclockwise."

She continued doing what the book said and Bella shrugged. Perhaps, Daphne was wrong. She began doing what the book said and she frowned when she didn't make any more progress.

"And time's… up!" called Slughorn. "Stop stirring, please!"

Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. At last he reached the table where Bella, Blaise, Hermione, and Draco were sitting. He nodded approvingly at Blaise and Draco's. Hermione's potion he gave an approving nod. He saw Bella's and smiled.

"Nicely done," he commented before moving on to Daphne's table. Hermione gaped at her and Draco stared, outraged. Bella snickered when suddenly Slughorn gasped.

"The clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon. "Excellent, excellent, Miss Greengrass! Good lord, it's clear that you deserved that OWL. Third best is correct. Here you are, then, here you are — one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"

Daphne grinned and slipped the little bottle of gold liquid into her trousers pocket.

When they left, Hermione slipped between Bella and Daphne. Even she knew that Daphne couldn't possibly be separated from Neville. She was like a leech and Neville didn't seem to mind (or notice).

"How did you do that?" she demanded as they made their way to the library. Daphne pulled the battered copy of Advanced Potions-Making out of her bag. She opened it and pointed to the bottom of the cover.

_This book is the property of the Half Blood Prince._

"There with tips in the margins of the page. I looked through it and there's a lot. He corrected most of the potions book. I knew most of it already but it's nice to have it written down. I just added a few things is all," Daphne said. Hermione gave her a stony look. Blaise groaned and shook his head. Lalita looked at him in surprise.

"What is it?" Lalita asked.

"Mione's really competitive," he explained. Bella nodded.

"She…she's going to see that as a challenge."

As if to prove the two right, Hermione scowled and crossed her arms. Daphne looked at her in surprise.

"What?" Daphne asked.

"That's cheating," Hermione said, shortly. Daphne looked at her in surprise.

"No it's not!"

"Well, it wasn't actually your own work, was it?" Hermione asked, stiffly and haughtily. Daphne sneered at her and grabbed Neville's hand.

"It was! I already knew most of that and I made my own tweaks on the potion anyway. And I just think you're resentful because you're not the best at something. You may be a better swordswoman but you're just jealous that I'm a better Potions Mistress," Daphne snapped. She stormed away and Hermione glared after her, angrily. She stormed back to Blaise's side and glared after the blonde. Padma, Theodore, Lalita, Michael, and Anthony rushed after Daphne.

No one wanted to be around Hermione when she was in a bad mood.

"Can you believe her? Who's jealous? I'm not jealous! I just pointed out that it wasn't all her work," Hermione said, quickly. Her left eye was twitching every few seconds and Bella looked at her, nervously. She didn't want to voice it but of course, Draco did.

"It kind of was," Draco pointed out. Hermione glared at him and Draco took a step back. Her left eye was twitching, furiously.

"No! It wasn't! Fine! Take her side!" Hermione shrieked before turning around and storming down the hallway. She shouted something at a first-year. The first-year promptly burst into tears. She turned the corner.

"Wow…" Bella said, softly before she began to laugh. Blaise rolled his eyes and he passed Draco his bag.

"I'll go get her…jeez…" Blaise said before taking off down the hallway. Draco and Bella exchanged looks.

"Someone's a sore Mudblood."

"I'm pretty sure it's 'sore loser'."

"I know what I said."

:::

**A/N: **This is my 70th chapter. I only have one more year after this one. Seventh year will be the shortest yet most politically and academically oriented. I know Tom and Bella seem friendly but that's probably because they formed sort of a bond previously to their little spat. It's strengthened by the fact that they are both orphans with a LOT of emotional issues.

I hope you noticed my tribute to canon! Hermione. Also, the little cat-like noise that Hermione is making is from a movie. If anyone has seen the movie Avatar, you'll know. The movie Avatar with the blue aliens called the Na'vi, for those who haven't seen it. The Na'vi make a cat-like hiss when their angry or feeling threatened. Hermione's doing that for a reason and she doesn't actually _mean_ to do it.

Anyway, I love this chapter since it's probably better than the crappy chapters I've been previously writing. Oh well…here you go.

Next Chapter: Lessons, Runes, Try-out and (possibly) A Slug Club Samhain


	71. Chapter LXV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Another chapter. I'm trying to finish this year before September, when I have to go back to school. That's probably not going to happen. Maybe by mid September. I was trying to get this story done by October and then perhaps a nice break before I started the still untitled sequel.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 4****th**** of September 1996**

**1:00 PM**

"Professor Babbling," Bella greeted. She smiled at the Rune Mistress and nodded to her. Professor Bathsheda Babbling looked at her, apprehensively. She was a heavyset woman, slightly heavier than Mrs. Weasley. She had a stern look on her face unlike Mrs. Weasley's kind face. She also looked disbelieving.

"Potter. Professor McGonagall told me of your request to join my N.E.W.T Ancient Runes class. She insisted upon it, actually," Babbling said. Bella nodded, her half-smile never leaving her face though her eyes hardened, slightly. The woman sounded condescending in some way.

"That is true. I did ask and she said I'd have to take a placement test," Bella explained. Babbling nodded once and she slapped a scroll of parchment on the table between the two women.

"Yes. However, I have no idea why you would wish to do that. My class is rigorous and even more so just before the N.E.W.T. It has come to my attention that you wish to get your _Mastery_ along with your N.E.W.T. It is my personal opinion that you do not have what it takes," Babbling said, sharply.

Bella stopped and her eyes narrowed. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and her half-smile looked a little forced now. She crossed her arms, defensively, and she shifted her weight.

"Excuse me?" Bella asked, stiffly. Babbling gave her a smug look.

"Potter, I don't think you have what it takes. Ancient Runes is a fine art and you may be gifted into fighting and Quidditch but that doesn't mean you have the delicate hand for writing Runes. Now you best get the idea of Ancient Runes out of your pretty head and run along," Babbling said, coolly. Bella's smile looked extremely forced now and she sat down, stiffly. She obviously surprised Babbling as she pulled out her quill and ink.

"It's fine, Professor. I think I know what I'm doing," Bella hissed between gritted teeth. Babbling gave an easy shrug and sighed, almost pityingly.

"If you're sure…I hope you prove me wrong. I doubt you will," Babbling said, softly. The woman walked back to the teacher's desk and sat down. Bella leaned down and began to write, furiously.

Her eyes narrowed on every rune as she named what they were used for.

Twenty minutes went by and suddenly Bella was standing in front of Babbling with the scroll in her hand. Bella was smirking, smugly. She placed the scroll on Babbling's table. Babbling snatched it and looked through it with a critical and judgmental eye.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Every…everything is correct…and you added other things that I didn't ask for…" Babbling whispered. Bella nodded with a smile.

"Yes. I did."

"You're…you're welcome to join my class," Babbling said, grudgingly. Bella nodded and she tilted her head as she tapped her chin with a gloved finger.

"Professor, I hope you enjoy teaching me in class. Personally I don't think you'll not hold up very well, you see, my personal opinion is that you do not have 'what it takes.' That you cannot keep up with me. I hope you prove me wrong...I doubt you will."

Bella smiled, haughtily before sweeping out of the room, a superior look on her face.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 11****th**** of September 1996**

**8:30 AM**

Bella rushed into the Great Hall donning her Quidditch Robes. She seemed completely oblivious to the looks she was getting. The tan trousers fit her hips like a glove and her sleeveless high collar sweater attracted quite a bit of attention. The red and gold robe fluttered behind her, her Firebolt clutched in her hand.

"Dammit! Why didn't you wake me up?" Bella swore as she fell into the seat next to Hermione. Hermione was reading something and she didn't even bother to look up.

"You wouldn't wake up. Kept muttering about blood and chocolate."

Bella flushed as the group around her snickered. Daphne gave a little fake laugh before sneering at Hermione. Obviously, she was still angry with Hermione for accusing her of cheating.

"No I wasn't."

"No, you weren't. Why are you in your Quidditch uniform?" Lalita asked. Bella sighed.

"Try-outs are today. And I'm captain so…yeah. Trials will take all morning! The team is so popular this year," Bella sighed, oblivious. She got shocked looked from all the girls around her. Bella frowned in confusion. Parvati shook her head.

"Bella! It's not Quidditch that's popular. It's you! You've never been more interesting or fanciable," Parvati pointed out. Bella gasped and then began to laugh.

"_Me?_ I need a haircut, I look a mess, and I have scars all over my body," Bella pointed out.

"Your hair looks cute when the fringe is swept to the side, you have that sexy, just rolled out of bed look, and you hide yours scars," Daphne said, flatly. Bella flushed and she looked down at her toast and porridge. She ate it adamantly, not paying any mind to what they were saying.

"Oh don't be a baby about it," Daphne sighed when Bella didn't say anything. Bella looked up with an annoyed look.

"I'm not being a baby! I just…never…really dated anyone before. I dated…_him_ for a while but as you can see, that didn't end too well," Bella said, off-handedly. Daphne gave her a skeptic look and she glanced at Hermione. Hermione returned Daphne's knowing look despite their anger at each other.

"Yes, well. You can date now, right? Is Macmillan's offer still standing?" Daphne asked, curiously. Bella shrugged.

"Didn't ask. Wasn't too worried about it. But, he'll try again, I'm sure. Hufflepuffs don't give up. _Ever_. Cedric Diggory didn't give up until I yelled at the top of my lungs, in Hogsmeade, that he was an insane stalker," Bella laughed. The girls laughed, quietly. Fay leaned forward on her hand and she looked out the window and then towards the head table.

"Hey, where's Dumbledore?" she asked. Bella and Hermione looked and Bella gasped in surprise.

"Hmm…no idea. I haven't seen him since last week. I wonder what that old man is up to. Despite the fact that you told him that I need to know _everything_, he still insists on hiding things. He's up to something and I'm _going _to find out," Bella said, sharply. She ate the rest of her food, quickly before jumping up and walking towards the Quidditch pitch. The other girls followed her and went into the stand. Bella shrugged off her robe and sighed.

Bella crossed her arms as the sun glared down on her. Half of Gryffindor House had turned up, including first years that were clutching school brooms, to seventh years that looked intimidating.

One seventh year immediately approached Bella. He bowed to her a kissed her gloved hand and she raised an eyebrow at his 'debonair' attitude. She suppressed her laugh, as she didn't want to embarrass him in front of the other students. She was mean but she wasn't _that_ mean.

"Hello, Miss Potter. Cormac McLaggen, Keeper," he introduced, arrogantly. Bella blinked.

"Hello. You didn't try out last year, did you?" she asked.

"I was in the hospital wing when they held the trials," said McLaggen, with something of a swagger. "Ate a pound of doxy eggs for a bet. Impressive, eh?"

Bella gave a snort.

"Not really. If you're trying to get something from me, please say it because I know you did _not_ put on cologne for a Quidditch try-out," Bella said, shortly. McLaggen flushed and he crossed his arms.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"No. I'm trying to try-out people and you're trying to score with me. It's not impressive and it's downright pissing me off. Now, could you please get out of my face," Bella said, blandly. Everyone began to snicker at her dismissal. McLaggen flushed angrily. He grabbed Bella by the arm and everyone gasped and some started forward. Bella's eyes flashed.

Her leg darted out, and swept McLaggen's legs from underneath him. He fell onto his knees and Bella grabbed his arms and pulled it back. She settled her foot against his arse and she glared down at him.

"Try that again and I'm gonna put my foot so far up your ass, your nose will bleed. Now, lets try this again."

She let go of McLaggen and he fell to the ground. He scrambled up and Bella looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. He looked thoroughly embarrassed at being thrown to the ground by a girl that was only five foot six compared to his five ten and a half.

"Hello, Potter. I'm Cormac McLaggen," he spat. Bella smirked.

"Yes, I know. I'm thoroughly unimpressed. Back in line please."

He backed away and stood next to the other seventh years. They began to laugh and heckle him, quietly. Bella sighed and looked at the group.

"All right. Divide yourself into groups of ten and fly around the pitch for me. Now," Bella barked.

It was a good choice, to start with such a basic test. The first ten was made up of first years, and it could not have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before. Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goal posts.

The second group was made up of the silliest boys Bella had ever seen. They couldn't be older than fourteen and they kept examining Bella with lecherous eyes. Bella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She put her hands on her hips and glared at them. One actually flushed.

"Look! If you're just going to stare at my breasts or arse, you can go and stare in the Quidditch stands! If you continue to stare at me in such close proximity, I'll be tempted to ram my foot up your arse and it _won't_ be pretty," Bella snarled. One boy shook his head.

"No. No. We'll try-out," he said, smirking. Bella turned the other way and he bent over and looked at her arse. Bella turned with a fierce glare and she hissed at them. The boy paled.

"I keep a knife in my boot so unless you want the boot up your ass and your erection cut off, I suggest you leave because you're _not_ getting on my team," Bella snarled. The boys all but ran up into the stands, settling on watching from a distance. Bella shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

The third group didn't even bother to come with brooms. Bella had resigned to sitting on the grassy pitch by now. She began to trace circles in the grass as they attempted to find a broom. She sighed when fifteen minutes passed and they still hadn't been able to get it together. Bella stood and mounted her broom. She shot up, easily.

Bella didn't even notice the stares she was getting as she flew, effortlessly, around the pitch. She flew over to the stands and her lips twitched into a smirk when saw who was speaking with Daphne.

"Miss Greengrass, though, I commend you on the length of your _short_ essay, I have to ask _once more_ that you refrain from using such vulgar terms," Tom said, harshly. Daphne laughed as she leaned back in her seat. She shook her head, softly.

"I'm just trying to communicate with the teenage age. You know we don't call it a penis. We call it a dick. And we don't call a vag—"

"_Enough_, Miss Greengrass."

"Oh look, it's Bella. Bella! Bella! Look! It's Mr. Blood and Chocolate," Daphne teased. Bella groaned in annoyance. Tom frowned in confusion as the other girls snickered. Apparently, Lalita had told the others. Bella looked at Tom and shook her head.

"You smell like blood and chocolate," Bella explained. Tom's confused frown only grew into a frown of confusion and disbelief. Bella groaned again at the weird comment she had made.

"And…how do they know that?"

"Er…nothing important really. ," Bella said, very fast. Tom blinked in confusion once more before shaking his head and sighing.

"I didn't understand a word you said."

"Oh…good. Very good. I'll be off now. Daphne, Parvati, you're right. McLaggen just asked me out on a date and I have a bunch of fourth years staring at me," Bella commented, off-handedly. Tom's expression changed rather quickly and his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Excuse me?" he hissed. Bella pursed her lips.

"It's none of your business. Butt out," Bella snapped before falling into a dive. She pulled up at the very last possible second and skimmed the ground, her finger dragging across it lazily. She stopped the broom and hovered. She looked up as the fourth group finally got into the air and flew around.

They sucked.

Bella sighed and gaped when she saw that the fifth group was a bunch of Hufflepuffs led by Ernie Macmillan.

"IF YOU'RE HERE TO ASK ME OUT TO HOGSMEADE, I WILL SIC PROFESSOR RIDDLE'S SNAKE ON YOU! SHE IS _POI-SON-OUS_!" Bella threatened angrily. The Hufflepuffs ran away, quickly. A small group of fifth year Ravenclaws rushed off of the field as well. Bella groaned into her hands.

After two hours, many complaints, and several tantrums, one involving a crashed Comet Two Sixty and several broken teeth, Bella had found herself three Chasers: Katie Bell, returned to the team after an excellent trial; a new find called Demelza Robins, who was particularly good at dodging Bludgers; and Gideon Weasley, who had outflown all the competition and scored seventeen goals to boot.

She quickly chose her Beaters as well.

Though Bella was very pleased with her choice of Chasers and Beaters, she was getting rather pissed off with the rejected players.

"LOOK! If you don't get off the pitch, I'll curse you. Yeah, not hex. _Curse_. I dueled Lord Voldemort and Grindelwald and lived to tell the tale. If you don't stop your whining, I'll curse you to the library. And there you will read a book that my foot wrote. It's called 'On the Road to In Your Ass'. Look it up. It's a good read," Bella hissed, angrily. This made quite a few kids turn away almost immediately. Her eyes flashed and she sighed as she looked at her chosen Beaters.

Neither of them were as good as Fred and George were but they were pretty good for their age. Jimmy Peakes was a short but broad-chested third-year and Ritchie Coote was a fifth year like Ginny and Gideon who looked weedy but aimed well.

"All right! Keepers! I want my Chasers to try to score on you. Five goals, you've gotta save," Bella called out. They try-outs for Keeper commenced and Bella sighed when she realized that most of the rejected players and other students had come into the stands to watch.

The first five applicants didn't save more than two apiece. McLaggen smirked, arrogantly at Bella when he saved all five goals. Bella gave him a disgusted look and rolled her eyes. Ron went up next and he saved only four. He looked dejected and then enraged when he spotted Gideon standing with the other Chasers.

"What are you doing here?" Ron snarled. Gideon shrugged.

"Gin said I try out for the team. So I did. I'm a Chaser."

"You can't even play! You never play with us when we're at the Burrow!" Ron spat. Gideon glared at his older brother, annoyed.

"That's because you never let me!" he spat.

Bella cursed under her breath. Ron had only saved four and McLaggen had saved five so…

"Oi! McLaggen!"

Cormac turned with a confident smirk. He looked the gorgeous woman up and down, admiring her curves. She was sneering at him and even _that_ was incredibly sexy. Cormac ignored her little posse that was coming down from the stands. He didn't even notice Riddle coming down with them.

"What is it, Potter?" he asked, suavely. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You're Keeper, quite unfortunately. Ron missed one and you saved all of them. First practice is in two weeks, Saturday, at four. Be there. On time," she said, flatly. Cormac smirked at her and began to walk past her. She gave an annoyed sigh and Cormac stopped.

"Wouldn't miss your perky little ass for the world."

He emphasized his crude words with a slap to her arse. Bella spun around and lunged at him. Cormac gaped in surprise as Riddle darted forward and grabbed Bella around the waist. He picked her up as she fought against him, trying to get at Cormac.

Granger glared at Cormac. Cormac smirked at her.

"You're an asshole. And you'd better watch what you do. Try that again and I'll be sure to sic my brothers on you. It wasn't the Aurors that killed those Death Eaters in June," Granger snarled. Cormac rolled his eyes and turned to looked at Bella. She was struggling against Riddle and he seemed to be hissing something in her ear. Bella spun and hissed.

"**THAT SON OF A BITCH! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM!**"

"Calm the hell down. McLaggen, fifty points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable little shit," Riddle said, softly. Cormac gaped and watched as Riddle dragged Bella from the pitch as she struggled to go back and strangle Cormac. Cormac watched as a few girls rushed after her but Granger and a Slytherin stayed. Cormac smirked.

"See you later, sexy. Damn she's hot," Cormac said, muttering the last part.

Granger's eyes twitched and she backhanded Cormac. Cormac spun and fell to the ground and the crowd started jeering at him. The Slytherin girl grabbed Granger by the waist and pulled her back.

"Come on, he's not worth it," the Slytherin said. Cormac looked her up and down. She was hot too though not as much as Bella Potter.

"You and Potter can share if you like," Cormac smirked. The Slytherin girl scoffed and tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"I'd rather die than date a jerk like you. Go fuck yourself," she snarled before dragging Granger away. Cormac turned to his fellow teammates and they were all sneering with disgust. Cormac shrugged and walked away.

He didn't care what they thought.

He just needed Potter.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 11****th**** of September 1996**

**8:00 PM**

Bella scowled at her plate as she stabbed at the kidney-and-steak pie. She looked to the Head table and the teachers were observing her. Tom was watching her from the Headmaster's seat. Daphne glared as well and she ate her food fiercely. Luna wrapped a reassuring arm around Bella's shoulders. Bella gave her a slight smile.

"I can't _believe_ he disrespected me like that. If I see him again, I'll kill him," Bella snarled. Hermione patted her arm and sighed.

"It's okay, Bella. Remember, I backhanded him. He has the bruise on his cheek to prove it."

This made Bella smile a tiny bit. Suddenly, the Great Hall fell into silence and whispers. Bella looked to the doorway and her smile fell when she saw McLaggen walking in confidently with two seventh year goons. It seemed that everyone had heard about how he had disrespected Bella.

Even some of the teachers were looking at McLaggen with disapproving eyes. Tom was giving the boy his death glare. McLaggen looked his way and Bella swore that he swooned at the sight of it. Bella knew that if he weren't such a bigheaded git, he would've fainted from the intensity of the glare.

McLaggen went straight up to Bella and promptly shoved Luna from her seat. Luna fell into Lalita who was sitting on the other side of her and she slipped from the bench. Everything was dead silent and Blaise, Theodore, and Linda were having trouble holding Draco down in his seat.

"Go back to the Ravenclaw table, egghead."

Luna's eyes narrowed and she tilted her head, slightly. She stood up and brushed her clothes off. Bella's hands were clenched into fists.

"So, babe, I was wondering where we should meet when we go to Hogsmeade."

Bella turned with a sweet smile before her fist flew forward. There was a loud breaking noise and McLaggen flew off the bench. Bella grabbed the large and stocky boy by the neck and brought her face close to his.

"Leave. Me. Alone."

She dropped him back onto the ground and slammed her foot on his face again. There was another sickening cracking noise. Blood covered McLaggen's face and everyone stared at Bella in shock. She didn't make a fuss over the shiny new blood covering her right boot. She slammed her bloody boot on his chest.

"Apologize," she snarled.

"Potter!" Snape called out. Bella wasn't even listening to him.

"A-pol-o-gize," Bella said, enunciating every syllable of the word. McLaggen groaned in pain.

"Sorry," he said, harshly. Bella sneered at him before grabbing Luna's hand. She dragged Luna over to the Slytherin table and sat her down next to Draco. Bella promptly turned from the entire Great Hall and stormed out of the room.

"McLaggen go to the Hospital Wing. Fifty points for assaulting a student and then harassing another student for the _second_ time. Twenty points from Miss Potter for breaking your nose," McGonagall said, shortly. McLaggen looked at her in shock though he stumbled from the room. Tom leaned back and added his two cents.

"Forty points to Miss Potter for a perfectly executed punch. And ten more points from McLaggen for being an insufferable little shit."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 17****th**** of September 1996**

**5:45 PM**

"Hey…Potter!"

Bella turned around, her eyes darting back and forth. She knew that McLaggen was staying out of her line of sight at the moment. He had learned after she had first seen him after the disastrous Quidditch try-outs. But, Bella was still pissed off and if she even saw his face, she'd murder him.

"Oh…Demelza. Just call me Bella," Bella said, absently. Demelza nodded and she held out a little scroll. Bella looked at in surprise and she opened it. She looked at the slanted handwriting in surprise.

_Dear Bella,_

_I'd like you to join me in my office for important business that has quite a lot to do with Grindelwald._

_Kindly come to my office as soon as you receive this little note._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. I enjoy Acid Pops._

Bella blinked in surprise before nodding. She had been going to the library but she guessed that wasn't going to happen in anymore. She turned back to Demelza who was waiting there.

"Oh…thanks, Demelza."

"Your welcome…and I just wanted to tell you…watch out for McLaggen. He…well I overheard him say something about seducing you," Demelza said, hesitantly. She watched for Bella's reaction carefully. She was surprised when Bella promptly burst into laughter. Bella's lips twisted into a smirk.

Damn, the boy never knew when to give up. She'd broken his nose and he _stil_

"Don't worry about me, Demelza. It takes quite a lot to seduce me."

"Are you sure? I…sorry but I overheard Ginny Weasley telling Christine Jackson and Michael Brown that you've never had a boyfriend before…"

"That's a lie. I've had a boyfriend, though he isn't my boyfriend anymore, and I just haven't told her since it wasn't any of her business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I seem to have a meeting," Bella said, softly.

The girl walked quickly towards the Headmaster's office and she looked at the gargoyle that was guarding the entrance to the office.

"Acid Pops," Bella said, softly.

She entered the office for the first time since she had been here in early June, when she had first heard of the prophecy. She looked around at the many portraits and she looked at Fawkes, who looked in the prime of his cycle. She could even see the dent she had made with one of Dumbledore's many silver instruments. Surprisingly, she didn't feel embarrassed about her reaction in June. She just felt a dull sense of pain.

Bella blinked when she felt the dulled pain. She knew that all wasn't forgotten but she didn't think she'd still be hurt after all this time. She was wrong of course. Bella sighed and she looked around for Dumbledore. She could only see a large stone bowl sitting on his table. Runes covered the rim of it and Bella could recognize quite a few of them.

Visions. Recalling. Sight.

And then the cycle was repeated until there was a Rune that held them all together in an ancient spell to create the Pensieve: Memories.

"Good evening, Bella."

Bella spun around and she stared at the Headmaster. He was standing near the door and Bella had completely failed to notice him. She frowned at that but she nodded in understanding.

"Good evening, sir. What is this about, sir?" Bella asked, curiously. Dumbledore sighed and he walked forward towards his desk. He sat behind it and Bella took a seat across from him.

"I hope you will forgive me for mentioning it, Bella, but I am pleased and a little proud at how well you seem to be coping after everything that happened at the Ministry. Permit me to say that I think Sirius would have been proud of you."

Bella noticed how he had completely ignored her original question.

"Please…please don't speak of him as if he's dead," Bella said, softly. Dumbledore nodded once.

"Please forgive me. How are you coping?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Bella gave a loud sigh and she leaned back in her chair.

"Fine…I guess? I've been better. I went to Romania and relaxed there and I'm loads better now. Maya said that his magic is regenerated and they're trying to form a connection. I'm optimistic," Bella explained. Dumbledore nodded in understanding and he placed his hands on either side of the Pensieve.

"Yes, yes. Now, I called you for a reason. Your greatest wish is to rid Gellert Grindelwald of the world, it seems. That corresponds perfectly with the prophecy that was given before your birth. It has come high time that you learn more of Gellert Grindelwald," Dumbledore sighed.

Bella's eyes widened and her lips twitched into a smirk. She nodded in understanding.

"I see. What's first?" Bella asked. Dumbledore gestured to the Pensieve.

"We will first see a trip down _my_ memory. Of the day that I first met one Gellert Grindelwald."

Bella leaned down over the Pensieve and she pressed her face into the substance that was neither liquid nor gas. She was pulled through utter darkness until she fell onto seemingly solid ground.

She looked around and she paled when she saw where they were. The setting was too familiar.

It was the cemetery where her parents were buried.

Bella looked around and shook her head as she tried to clear her head and remind herself that this was _decades_ before she would have to experience her worst nightmare. Bella looked around and she felt further relief when she saw that the statue of her parents and herself was not yet up.

"I apologize for the bad memories that I might have brought up with the setting of this memory. However, it is imperative that you see this. We begin our short excerpt of our story in early July 1899."

Bella spun around and she relaxed when she saw it was a grim-faced Dumbledore. She nodded in understanding and turned back to the graveyard. She watched as a tall, thin redheaded man walked through the gates, a shorter boy with strawberry blond hair and a girl with dark blond hair followed.

The girl was shivering though it looked to be early summer. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was looking around with darting eyes. A heavy shawl was wrapped around her shoulders and the blond boy's arm was wrapped around her shoulders, giving her further warmth. Her long heavy woolen black dress made her look washed out.

"Who are they?" Bella said, softly. She looked over at Dumbledore. He looked very old in that moment that she caught him off guard. He fixed the energetic mask on and he gave a smile.

"The redheaded young man is myself, many years ago, when I was only 17. The young girl was my sister, Ariana. The young boy is my brother, Aberforth," Dumbledore said, softly. Bella's eyes widened at the choice of words. Then they softened.

" 'Was'?" asked Bella. Dumbledore nodded once.

"She was only fourteen."

Bella gave him a pitying look and she turned away from the old man to look back at the younger Albus Dumbledore. He was standing in front of a marble tombstone. Ariana stumbled forward and Bella watched as the girl lowered a few wild flowers on the grassy ground in front of the tombstone. Ariana made a low sound that sounded like a cross between a growl and a sob.

"Mama…I'm sorry," Ariana whispered, angrily. Bella blinked and turned to ask why Ariana was apologizing but she turned when she saw the forlorn and mournful look on his face. Bella walked forward slightly and she watched as the young Albus knelt in front of his mother's grave.

"Mother…I'll take care of everything. I promise," he said, strongly. Bella's eyes widened when she saw him fall completely to his knees and sit there, staring with unshed tears. Aberforth was looking away, crying freely but not making a sound. Ariana was sobbing loudly and she was shaking like a leaf.

Bella gasped when she saw _him_ drift through the cemetery. His blond curly hair glinted in the sun and his soft effeminate features made him look even more androgynous. His eyes were sharp and he was looking at the Dumbledores with a sneer.

His hand fell on the tombstone and young Albus looked up at him with wide eyes. Young Gellert Grindelwald only looked a few years younger than how he looked now. He was sneering just the same and his navy eyes were just as harsh as they were now.

"What are you crying for?" Gellert asked, callously. Aberforth's eyes flashed and he sneered at the boy in anger. His grief seemed to be taking advantage of what looked to be a big temper.

"Our mother just died. Not that is any of your business, mind," Aberforth said, flatly. Young Albus couldn't say anything. He was staring at Gellert with a dumbstruck expression upon his face.

"Well, she's not going to come back to life by your silly tears. Wipe them off your face and go on with your lives," Gellert snapped, annoyed. Albus stood up straighter and Bella saw that he was indeed taller than Gellert.

"Who are you?" Albus asked, quietly. Gellert tilted his head, looking Albus up and down before he answered.

"Gellert Grindelwald. And you are?"

"Albus Dumbledore. Pleased to meet you," Albus said, politely. Gellert scoffed and he crossed his arms.

"There aren't many people pleased to meet you. I'd say the same about you but I have yet to judge if that would be a correct statement. At least _you_ aren't crying. There's no point in crying for a dead person," Gellert said, coldly. Albus' eyes widened and he looked back at Ariana. She didn't even seem to be listening to Gellert. She was muttering apologies under her breath.

"And why is that? Shouldn't you express your mourning?" Albus asked. Gellert snorted.

"Don't cry for your mother. If she wanted to live, she would have lived. Don't cry for a coward," Gellert snarled. Ariana looked up, her eyes flashing.

"My mama was _not _a coward! I did it…it was an accident," Ariana murmured. Albus nodded, sadly.

"My sister can't control her magic. She accidentally killed my mother in one of her fits. I'd appreciate if you refrain from insulting my mother in front of my sister. She's very fragile and temperamental," Albus said, shortly. Aberforth glared at his brother and then turned his glare back onto Gellert.

"Ari is _not_ a porcelain doll. And my mum wasn't a coward. You didn't know her so you have no business calling her names," Aberforth responded. He glared and then grabbed Ariana's hand and tugged her from the cemetery, angrily. Gellert watched him leave with an amused smirk.

He turned his navy eyes back onto the redheaded awkward teenager. He leaned forward, his eyes flashing.

"_So…_what do _you_ believe?" Gellert asked. Albus looked at the ground.

"No one can live forever. No on can conquer Death," Albus said, softly. Gellert's lips twitched into a smile full of malice and promise.

"You're wrong."

Bella's eyes widened and she looked at Dumbledore. He was looking away, diligently.

"I believe it's time to leave," Dumbledore said. He took hold of Bella's elbow and gave a tug. They were floating, effortlessly out of the memory and into the deep dark once more. Bella landed on her feet, firmly, in the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore returned less than a second later.

"What was that exactly? I don't understand how your mother died. And why did you show me that?" Bella asked, curiously. Dumbledore gave a quiet sigh that held his loss and grief. Bella pitied him once more.

"My mother died earlier that summer do to an accident caused by my younger sister, Ariana. When Ariana was about six, I believe, she had a run in with a group of Muggle boys that saw her do some accidental magic. They were quite upset after she couldn't do it again and they…assaulted her. She was so emotionally scarred by the event that she was never mentally or magically stable enough to go to Hogwarts. My mother always took care of her.

"And one day…Ariana became upset. The memories of what exactly led up to that moment have become unclear in old age. However, Ariana lashed out at my mother and her magic…killed her. It was only a few days after the funeral that I went to visit the grave. Ariana wished it so and we knew she needed it. She'd been too upset to go to the funeral, you see. And so we went and there I met Gellert Grindelwald," Dumbledore finished. Bella nodded in understanding and she sat back down. She leaned back in her seat.

"He…he seemed different. He didn't seem as evil. Only heartless and rather rude," Bella said. A slight nostalgic smile crossed Dumbledore face and he nodded in agreement.

"He was a bit callous at times, yes. But, he was goal-oriented. Do well to meditate on his last words and perhaps you will figure out what his goal was," Dumbledore said. Bella nodded and then she realized exactly what Dumbledore was doing.

He was dismissing her. Bella sighed nad stood, ready to leave.

"Bella…"

Bella spun around and looked at Dumbledore. He was giving her a bigger smile at this point and she wondered what was the cause of it, exactly.

"Yes, sir?" Bella asked.

"You have a kind heart…to accept Mister McLaggen even after he was quite discourteous to you. He will be properly dealt with by myself for his ill manners," Dumbledore said. Bella snorted and she crossed her arms before scowling at the mention of her new archenemy.

"Thank you, Headmaster, but I do _not_ have a kind heart. I wish to win this Quidditch season and he was the best, unfortunately. But…what are you going to do about him?" Bella asked, curiously. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mischievously, a far cry from the mournful look that had previously been in his blue eyes.

"I have sent a notice home to his mother. I hadn't been able to get around to it as I've been increasingly busy with the Order but just before you arrived, I did send the notice. I would be expecting to hear a Howler tomorrow morning," Dumbledore smiled. Bella's lips curled into a wicked smile and she nodded at the Headmaster.

"Thank you."

Perhaps he wasn't all bad.

But…perhaps Tom wasn't all bad either.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 17****th**** of September 1996**

**7:10 PM**

Bella walked into the far corner of the Restricted Section and everyone looked up, immediately. Hermione darted towards, looking frazzled and more than a little worried. Blaise looked rather impassive and Draco's expression was more than smug. The others had varying expressions of relief on their faces.

"Where have you _been_? We were so worried! Well, I was. Draco and Blaise weren't," Hermione said, annoyed. Bella laughed and she shook her head.

"There was no reason to be worried, Mudblood! I told you she probably just ran into Riddle and they got caught up talking or something," Draco said. Blaise nodded in agreement and he shrugged. Luna didn't even look up from her own work. Bella knew that she had probably known about what she had seen for weeks.

"I thought you two were snogging or something. That would've made my day," Daphne smirked. Bella rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms as she sat down on the ground next to Daphne's chair.

"That won't be happening. And I swear, if you even _think_ of attempting to be a matchmaker, I'll hit you. _Hard_," Bella warned. Daphne wasn't paying any attention to her, studiously ignoring her. The others of the group snickered and Linda and Lalita whispered something to each other. They burst into giggles and Bella rolled her eyes. Bella looked at the book that Daphne was so immersed in.

She was reading the Half-Blood Prince's book again. Hermione looked at the direction that she was looking at and her worried expression turned into a stony scowl rather quickly. Bella shook her head but didn't comment. She hoped that Hermione would get over it quickly.

It _was_ only a book.

"I was with Dumbledore, actually."

This caught everyone's attention. Theodore raised an eyebrow.

"What were you doing with the Headmaster?" he asked, curiously.

"He was just showing me some stuff about Grindelwald. Apparently, it'll help me deal with him once and for all," Bella said. Anthony looked at her in surprise and he put his schoolbooks to the side, something that he almost never did.

"That sort of makes sense. It'll help you fight him. If you know him and all of his tricks, you can't possibly lose to him," Anthony said. Hermione nodded sagely and she pulled out the copy of _The Art of War_ that she always kept on hand with her.

"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster, _Sun Tzu_," Hermione quoted. Bella nodded in agreement though she was still a little weirded out that Hermione could quote the book. She knew that she shouldn't be surprised.

She'd been reading the book _over_ and _over_ again since she was a little girl.

Which she wasn't anymore…she was turning seventeen in two days…

"Yeah. I didn't learn any of his weaknesses or anything yet but I did learn how Dumbledore and Grindelwald met," Bella said. Everyone looked very interested. Including Daphne now. Daphne slammed her book shut and she grinned.

"Oooh. Let's hear about the two star-crossed lovers."

Everyone, exempting the Horsemen and Luna, looked at her as if she were insane.

"What? Dumbledore was totally making eyes at Grindelwald while they were dueling at the Department of Mysteries," Daphne said. Parvati and Padma made disgusted and identical noises in the back of their throat.

"That's just…" Padma said.

"Eww," Parvati finished.

"Actually…it's true. They were in love with each other though I cringe to think that anything…sexual came out of that," Bella commented. Linda hissed and crossed her arms under her breasts in disgust.

"That's just gross. No one wants to imagine Dumbledore going at it with someone. I can't picture him as anything other than old and wrinkly," Linda said. She leaned forward, momentarily distracting Anthony. Linda winked at him, saucily and the Ravenclaw flushed before looking away.

"Then don't imagine it. Anyway, he had auburn hair and he was tall and his nose didn't look crooked yet. He was going to pay respects to his dead mother. His sister, Ariana, was assaulted when she was younger so she was emotionally and magically unstable. Ariana accidentally killed her mother. They met in a graveyard. Grindelwald was talking about how their mother was a coward for not trying to survive and the younger Dumbledore said that no one can live forever and that no one can conquer Death. Then Grindelwald said, you're wrong. That's the memory as a whole," Bella said, summarizing the entire memory rather clumsily. She didn't even care. They didn't need to know _everything_. Just the important stuff anyway.

"So, which was it? Was Grindelwald trying to live forever or conquer Death?" Lalita asked. Everyone looked to her.

"Isn't it the same thing?" Fay asked.

"No," Draco and Blaise answered together. Draco sighed.

"Living forever is immortality. Not everyone can achieve that. Even I cannot live forever," Draco said. Bella frowned the way he had said that was strange. It sounded so…resigned.

"And conquering Death?" Padma questioned. Blaise leaned back in his seat.

"Well, conquering Death is essentially preparing for death. To not fear Death," Blaise explained. Bella's eyes narrowed as she remembered a past conversation that she had had with Tom.

"Fear…" Bella whispered. She looked up at Luna and Luna was giving her an approving smile.

"You see. Fear does drastic things to people. I believe that he was trying to do both. Yet, he did not know the proper meaning of conquering Death. He believed that conquering Death meant becoming _Master_ of Death," Luna said, softly. Hermione and Bella gasped and everyone to look at them. Bella and Hermione shared excited looks.

"The tale—" Bella said, excitedly.

"I know," Hermione replied, just as ecstatic.

"The Wand, the Cloak, the Stone!"

"We read about it!"

"Second year!"

"It made one—"

"Master of Death," the two finished in unison. Everyone looked at them like they were insane. Bella ripped off her glove and she exposed her palm. She traced the line.

"The Wand of Elder was apparently made from an elder tree, fashioned by Death. I possess that wand," Bella said, excitedly. Everyone stared at her in shock. They hadn't really understood why her siblings had been so excited over the wand in the first place. It was just a wand to them. A wand made to mimic the fairytales.

She traced the circle.

"The Resurrection Stone, made from a riverbed stone. I don't have it but I soon will," Bella said. She finally traced the triangle.

"The Cloak of Invisibility, Death's own Invisibility Cloak. It was passed down from my father to me," Bella said with a bright smile. Hermione nodded and she looked at the symbol on Bella's palm.

"The Deathly Hallows. All three of them," Hermione smiled. Blaise gasped and he leaned forward. Everyone looked at him and he shook his head and he looked at Luna. The Dark Seer smiled at him.

"When three are united and Angel and serpent find one another, her curse of psychosis will end," Blaise whispered. Only Draco heard him. The blond young man looked at him in surprise and Luna made a shushing motion. Draco nodded once.

"So…one becomes the conquered of Death with those objects? That means…immortal, right?" asked Linda. Luna nodded with a slight smile and then she answered.

"The soul who possesses the Deathly Hallows becomes Master of Death. The soul, flesh, and blood who possesses the Deathly Hallows is immortal."

Luna gave Bella a meaningful look before she lifted the Quibbler in front of her face once more.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 18****th**** of September 1996**

**8:35 AM**

"HOW DARE YOU? CORMAC. ARNULFO. MCLAGGEN. HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT A WOMAN LIKE THAT! LAST NIGHT I RECEIVED A NOTICE ON HOW RUDE YOUR WERE TO ONE BELLA POTTER. HOW. DARE. YOU! I HAVE HALF A MIND TO MARCH RIGHT UP TO HOGWARTS AND BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU. HOW DARE YOU GO AROUND, PUSHING GIRLS AND THEN SLAPPING THEIR ARSES LIKE THEY BELONG TO YOU? YOU BEST STOP BEING AN ARROGANT TOERAG, RIGHT THIS INSTANT! NO MEANS NO, BOY! I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH OF A LADYKILLER YOU THINK YOU ARE! I WILL KILL _YOU_ IF YOU STEP WITHIN _TWO METERS OF THAT GIRL! _DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU BETTER! IF YOU BOTHER HER ONE MORE TIME, I WILL BEAT YOU UPSIDE THE HEAD UNTIL YOU HAVE BRAIN HERMORRHAGE!"

Everyone was silent as McLaggen stared, horrified. The Howler's screeching had everyone staring at the boy and McLaggen's face was a nasty purple color. Bella hid her smile well.

The Howler suddenly turned towards her and Bella blinked.

"I apologize for my son's ill behavior. You're such a sweet girl. I never doubted you by the way and congratulations on being the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Cormac has raved about you for years," Mrs. McLaggen said. Suddenly, the Howler burst into flames and ripped itself apart. Everyone was silent for a moment and then Bella couldn't contain her grin anymore.

"So…Cormac Arnulfo McLaggen…" she said with a grin. Daphne and Draco were the first to start laughing. They were two of the cruelest people in the room anyway. Hermione cackled and everyone was muffling giggle and snickers. Suddenly, Bella burst into laughter and everyone followed. Even Tom was snickering from the Head Table. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and McGonagall looked smug.

McLaggen looked around before storming out of the room. Bella laughed and she wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. Bella looked to her sister and she was laughing as well. Hermione stopped laughing slowly and she pointed at something behind Bella. Bella turned and blinked when she saw Ernie Macmillan. He looked rather embarrassed and a few of his friends, namely Justin Finch-Fletchley were urging him forward.

"Ernie?" Bella asked. Ernie flushed and looked away.

"Erm…it's Hogsmeade weekend and well…"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, sure, I'll go to Hogsmeade with you," Bella said, off-handedly. Ernie's eyes lit up and everyone stared at Bella as if she'd grown a second head. Ernie suddenly looked very confident although he didn't look overconfident.

"Oh, yeah. Meet me in the Entrance Hall?" he asked. Bella made a humming noise and she gave a smile.

"Yeah," Bella said. She turned back to her breakfast and Ernie walked back to the Hufflepuff Table, his friends thumping on his back. Bella turned halfway and rolled her eyes at the sight.

"What am I? Some kind of trophy?" Bella sighed. Daphne laughed and Bella looked at her in surprise.

"Well, sort of. You're famous, Bella. And you don't date and the last person you dated _publically_ was incredibly handsome. The man you dated privately is fucking _gorgeous_, by the way. So, of course people would be congratulating him. Theo's dorm mates congratulated him when he lost his virginity…to me of course," Daphne said, proudly. She didn't miss Neville's blush and scowl. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"All casual, love," she murmured to him. Neville flushed even more and Daphne pulled away from him. She looked away from Neville and leaned into the table. Bella was staring down, carefully, her eyes wide.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. Bella frowned, strangely.

"My locket…it's really, _really_ warm. The magic…"

Fay reached over and pressed her hand to the ornate locket. She shrieked and her fingers flew back and she stared down at her fingertips. Each fingertip was burned and she swallowed hard to keep the tears from flowing. Everyone leaned forward to look.

"It _burned_ me," Fay whispered. Bella ripped the necklace from around her neck and it fell to the table, ominously.

"**YOU ARE MINE!**"

The hiss rang from the locket, loud and clear, and Bella gasped as she looked at it. Hermione looked towards the head table. Tom sat there, stoically. Dumbledore and few other teachers looked alarmed. They had assumed that the hiss had come from Bella. Bella grabbed the warm locket.

"**My oath still rings true. I keep you safe. Always,**" Bella hissed, soothingly. The locket stayed warm but the magic wasn't pulsing from it dangerously any longer. She put it around her neck and looked at Hermione. Hermione was frowning.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella sighed.

"Remember the oath I made three years ago, before third year? Yeah…that. Fay, before you go to Hogsmeade, I suggest you go to the Hospital Wing," Bella said, softly. Fay nodded and Bella stood, suddenly not hungry anymore. Many students were beginning to leave now. Ernie was still speaking with his friends. Bella slipped form the Hall unnoticed and she jumped when a hand slipped into hers.

She blinked and suddenly she was being led down into the dungeons. She looked at the tall man pulling her along, his dark hair pulled into a low ponytail. Tom pulled her into a dungeon classroom and closed the door. His hand rested against the doorknob and he didn't let go.

"Why did you feel the need to bring me down here? And why did the locket just scream at me?" demanded Bella. Tom gave her a cold and stoic look.

"I don't share well."

"I'm not a possession, Tom. And even then, I'm not yours," Bella snapped. Tom gave a cold laugh and leaned against the door to prevent Bella from leaving. Bella pushed away her smirk. He knew her too well.

"You're wrong. My Ho…locket claimed you three years ago. A possession of my possession is mine," Tom said, coldly. Bella planned to push past him but she ran the words through her head once more. She blinked.

"Your 'Ho'? What were you going to say, Tom?" Bella demanded. Tom shook his head and turned away from her, looking slightly annoyed with himself. Bella grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Tom, I'm your friend. Tell. Me."

"It's none of your business. You don't know me and you're _not_ my friend. So, don't you dare pretend to know me," Tom snarled. Bella groaned and shook her head. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.

"Then why won't you _let me_ know you?" Bella demanded. Tom sighed and shook his head.

"I brought you down here for a reason. Don't do anything you'll regret. And…make sure my locket is safe and _doesn't _get irritated like it did just now," Tom said, sharply. Bella snorted and she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"First off, if you're insinuating that I'm _easy, _I'll kill you. Second, a spell can't get irritated, Tom. I don't even know how it demanded an oath," Bella said, angrily. Tom gave her a sullen look that made him look so much younger for a moment that Bella almost gasped. He looked very much like a sullen, brooding, _attractive_ teenager for a just a second.

" 'First off', I wasn't insinuating that you are a whore. I know you're not. Second, that's because it isn't a spell. If you want to know so fucking bad, figure it out. Because I'm not giving you any clues. You wanted to be on friendly terms. That is entirely different from being one's friend. And I'm a Dark lord. We don't have friends," Tom said, annoyed. Bella scoffed and he looked at her in irritation. She shrugged at his exasperation.

"You don't have friends? What about Rodolphus, Lucius, and Bellatrix?"

"They aren't friends. They're servants. My lieutenants, if you will."

"You don't treat them like servants. You treat them almost like equals. They're your friends and don't deny it," Bella snapped. Tom scoffed.

"I don't have friends."

"IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST A BASTARD OR BECAUSE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A FRIEND IS?" Bella shouted. Tom stopped and stared at her for a moment. She glared angrily at him in frustration.

"A friend is someone who is there for you, no matter what you do. They're loyal and try to cheer up no matter what. They tell you when you're wrong and they _care_ about you. That's all I want to be for you Tom! I just. Want. To. Be. Your. _Friend_. I want to help you figure out what that means. I can tell that you're not used to someone caring but I do. Lucius does. Rodolphus does. And of course, and most evidently, Bellatrix does. Can't you just accept that and _let_ someone care?" Bella demanded. Tom stared at her with a stoic mask. Bella hissed in aggravation at the mask that Tom always put up.

"People don't care for anyone but themselves, Bella."

"That's not true! And would you stop hiding your emotions? Can't you just be yourself? Tom, despite the fact that I don't trust you and you're decidedly evil, I somehow still care about you. Maybe not in the same way as I did but I still care in someway. You let me care when it was for sexual reasons. Can't you let me care about you when it's nonsexual?" Bella demanded.

"I didn't expect you to care even then. I believed it was hormones."

"No you didn't! Don't you dare lie to me, Tom Riddle. I _know_ you knew. I know you know now. You know what? Whatever. I'm gone. I'll let you wallow in misery. I offered to be your friend. I want to hear about you. I want to know you. But if you don't want someone to care, whatever," Bella snarled. She pushed him from the doorway and threw it open. His hand flew out, slamming it closed once more and Bella turned to look at him. She let out a little noise at the expression on his face.

He looked very tired then and though his face was young, his eyes were old and sorrowful.

"No one cared and I never expected anyone to. I don't trust easily. And I most definitely do not trust someone who does not trust me. Forgive me for not knowing what to do about your proclamations of caring for me," he said, stiffly and sarcastically. Bella's lips curled into a bright smile. If that wasn't an acceptance of the fact that she cared, she didn't know what it was. It was the closest she was going to get anyway. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Good. I want to know you then. And then, I want you to know me," Bella said, without letting him go. Tom sighed, impatiently.

"Yes, yes. Will you let go of my person now?"

"Err…right. I have a date to get to anyway. So…later, then?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom shook his head.

"No. I have to go into London next week. Accompany me and we will speak there. I will tell you…something about me and you will tell me something about you. Are we clear on the agreement?" Tom asked, just as formally. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Obviously, you don't know how to make friends. It's not like forming alliances with foreign Ministers," Bella said, knowingly. Tom's eyes shifted, suspiciously. Bella didn't noticed of course.

"You have to just go with it. You become close with a person after you learn to trust them and you know everything about them. You know someone's your truest and closest friend when you can guess their reaction before they even think to react themselves," Bella explained. Tom nodded, slowly, though he didn't really get it.

Why would someone be that close to another person? If they knew them that well, that was a potential liability.

Bella sighed and seemed to guess his bewilderment with being someone's friend. She gave him a little wave and she opened the door.

"Next week then. It'll have to be before or after Quidditch, though," Bella reminded him. Tom nodded in agreement.

"Before then. Now go on your silly little outing."

Bella nodded and she darted out the door and up the stairs. She walked into the Entrance Hall and she brushed her hair behind her ear. She looked at Ernie who was waiting, nervously. Draco was standing in front of him with Blaise. They both looked rather dangerous.

"Mess with my sister and I'll kill you. But before that, I will use every possible means of torture. McLaggen was going to get it. We were already planning to kidnap him and beat the shit out of you. The plan will work on you as well," Draco threatened, quietly. Ernie nodded, slowly. Blaise leaned in and his eyes darkened ever so slightly.

"And, we swear, if you _do_ come back alive, you will _not_ be coming back with certain parts of your anatomy. No run along and remember the rules," Blaise said, harshly. Bella watched as Hermione and Luna rushed by and grabbed their respective beau and pulled them away.

"Oh leave the poor boy alone, Draco," Luna laughed, gently. Ernie nodded in agreement, quickly. Hermione was giving the boy a stare.

"Bella's last boyfriend wasn't ideal. If you hurt her even a quarter of how bad he hurt her, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. And trust me, I know how to do that. Oh, and have a fun date," Hermione said, her tone starting out serious and the ending, lightly. Ernie paled at that and nodded. He spotted Bella as she wandered over and he blinked in surprise.

"You came from the dungeons?" Ernie asked in surprise. Her siblings and Luna turned to look at her as she smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I had to just handle some things. So, lets go," Bella said. Ernie nodded and the pair began to walk along the path from Hogwarts into Hogsmeade. Ernie looked at Bella, nervously, and he opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. Bella looked at him with a dry and amused smile.

"Something wrong with my face?" she asked, teasingly. Ernie blinked and then shook his head fiercely.

"N-no! You're gorgeous!" he blurted out. Bella laughed lightly as he flushed. It was a refreshing change seeing someone embarrassed. Nothing seemed to embarrass Tom. Perhaps there _were_ things that embarrassed him but Bella didn't know him well enough to know…yet.

"I was joking. And thank you. What's on your mind?" Bella asked curiously. Ernie swallowed and he rocked back and forth as they reached Hogsmeade. They ignored the looks and whispers around them.

"I…why me? Why did you accept the offer from me and not McLaggen? I'm just a Hufflepuff and he's the Gryffindor Keeper…"

"Okay, did you _not_ hear about what he did to me? He's an incredible asshole and I just can't deal with that. I've had a hard summer with my godfather in a coma and Grindelwald after me," Bella sighed. She crossed her arms and Ernie nodded in understanding. Ernie opened the door to the Three Broomsticks, holding it open for her. She nodded at him and they went towards a booth in the back.

"I'm sorry about that by the way. I read about it in the Prophet. How is he?" Ernie asked, sympathetically. Bella shrugged.

"He's…doing better I hear. My mum says that they just have to form a connection between his mind and his magical core and then he'll come out of the coma. But for now, they're researching," Bella said, softly. Ernie nodded and he cleared his throat and looked around at the restaurant as a whole.

"Lets talk about something…less sad. How was your summer besides that?" Ernie asked. Bella grinned and she tilted her head.

"Amazing, actually. I went to Romania with my brothers, sister, and Luna. We visited Charlie Weasley. He's interested in Draco, you see, and so he invited him over. Draco thought I needed to relax so we went there. We went to the opera and a few jazz clubs and then on the night of my birthday, a rave. It was absolutely brilliant," Bella sighed. Ernie's eyes widened. He'd never been to a rave. He had definitely heard of them but he'd never been.

"A rave you say?"

"Mhmm, yes. It was great fun. I like to have wild fun once in a while. So, how was your summer?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 18****th**** of September 1996**

**7:15 PM**

"I had fun," Bella said, softly. Luna watched from near the Grand Staircase, Draco by her side. Hermione and Blaise were sitting on the Staircase. Ernie nodded to her and he gave her a bright smile. It was clear that he enjoyed Bella's company.

"I had fun too. A lot of candy we bought, though. You'll be able to finish it?" asked Ernie. Bella snickered and she gave him a peck on the cheek. He flushed and she leaned back, the bag of candy hanging from her arm.

"I have an entire group of friends that will probably eat most of it, if not all. I like Muggle candy more than wizarding candy anyway," Bella explained. Ernie nodded in understanding and he rocked back and forth on his feet.

"I should remember that then. See you later?" Ernie asked. Bella grinned and nodded. She turned and began to walk away. She stopped suddenly and she looked behind her shoulder for a moment.

"So…next Hogsmeade weekend? You and me?" she asked. Ernie's eyes widened and his mouth fell open before he nodded, fiercely. Bella snickered as he walked into the Great Hall for an early dinner in a daze. Bella walked to the Great Staircase and she sat down.

"So?" Hermione prompted. Bella turned with a smile.

"He's nice. He listens to me. He doesn't insult me every second. And he doesn't look at me like he's expecting something. He's not demanding. He seemed to genuinely like my company," Bella said, with a smile. Her siblings smiled with her but Luna's face remained expressionless. Bella looked at her in surprise.

"Lu?"

"In other words, he's not Tom. He doesn't match you body to body, mind to mind, magic to magic, soul to soul. He's simple. He's easy for you to be around. You don't have to try around him," Luna said, simply. Bella looked away from her and she sighed, annoyed. She looked back at Luna.

"I don't want anything complicated, Luna."

"_Life_ is complicated, Bell. Get used to it."

:::

**A/N: **And here is the latest chapter. I don't really too much for it but whatever. I think it sings to me. I'm really tired right now and have been writing this chapter in between watching the crappy Twilight movies (my guilty pleasure), the Harry Potter movies, and my complete collection of That 70's Show. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you will, check out my new story _Piracy_, which features a pistol-wielding, cross-dressing Harry Potter and a sauve, cutlass-using Captain Tom.

Next Chapter: Birthdays, The Natural Laws, and (definitely) A Slug Club Samhain


	72. Chapter LXVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Another chapter. I'm trying to finish this year before September, when I have to go back to school. That's probably not going to happen. Maybe by mid September. I was trying to get this story done by October and then perhaps a nice break before I started the still untitled sequel. I KEEP SAYING THAT THIS WILL BE THE HALLOWEEN CHAPTER BUT IT'S NOT! DAMMIT! Next chapter for sure. The Halloween scene with the ending scene and the scene before that would be too much information for one chapter.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 19****th**** of September 1997**

**8:00 AM**

"Happy birthday!"

Hermione's lips curled into a grin when she saw all of her friends waiting at the foot of the Great Staircase for her. She looked at Bella and Bella gave a one-shouldered shrug. They all took turns in hugging her, even the rather aloof Theodore. Even _Draco_ hugged her. He pulled her to him, tightly.

"Happy birthday, Mudblood," Draco murmured to her. Hermione grinned and she hugged him back, just as tightly. Blaise pulled Hermione from her brother.

"Thank you, brother," Hermione said. Draco's eyes widened at the title and he smiled. He tilted his head.

"Your welcome, sister," he responded in kind. He coughed a little and looked away with a slight smile on his face. Blaise looked at Hermione and tilted her head up before he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Hermione smiled into the kiss and she hugged him.

"Happy birthday, _bellissima donna_. You're the age of seventeen now," Blaise whispered. Hermione's eyes widened at the new title and she smiled at him. She buried her face in his neck and she hugged him tightly. A hand touched Hermione's shoulder and Hermione turned and looked down at Luna. Luna had a slight smile on her face.

"Hermione Granger, Lady of War, Phantom Queen, Mórrígan. You are so strong. Your strength shall be tested and with this gift I hope you make more of it than I did," Luna said, softly. She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket and gave it to Hermione. Hermione opened her mouth to read it aloud. Luna interrupted, going into a slight trance.

"_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_One by Light she be shunned_

_One by Light she be loved_

_Deceitful of the Dark do beware_

_For the War Lady in power cannot compare_

_Fiercely, quickly, boldly she rides_

_With a broken mind, she decides_

_Life is not worth it without the Dark_

_And so her spell may hit the mark_

_The Half-Blood Prince does not see_

_That the Light has lost for eternity_

_Locked away in heart and mind_

_Darkness will come only to find_

_Three are united with power uncontrolled_

_Then the Four shall ride fast, fierce, and bold_

_Follows of Light shall fall down in fear_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_The Half-Blood Prince does not see_

_That the Light has lost…for eternity_," Luna said aloud, her voice deepening and lightening in all the right places. Daphne's eyes widened and everyone stared at Luna with varying degrees of disbelief.

"Two lovely daughters? It used to be one," Draco said, softly. Luna's lips curled into a smile.

"Now he has two. I can say no more. I'm not permitted to. You must figure this out alone. Only you. You can prevent what I have seen. It is set in stone. Sometimes, my visions are unclear if they are…yet to be decided upon. But this…this is clear as day," Luna said, softly. Draco nodded and coughed again. Bella frowned before remembering that he had said that he had a cold. Hermione nodded, diligently.

"I understand. We'll figure this out," Hermione said, softly. Luna patted her cheek and turned away from her. She turned to Blaise.

"You have a prophecy brewing as well. November you shall receive," Luna said. She smiled and she looked at Bella with a meaningful look. Bella pulled her camera from her bag. Hermione's eyes widened at the meaning of it.

"No! No pictures," Hermione laughed. Bella shook her head and tossed it to Luna. Luna caught it easily and raised it. Bella latched onto her sister and Draco wrapped his arm around Bella's shoulder.

"Oh shut up and take the damn picture," Draco snapped though he was smiling. Hermione laughed and Luna took a picture. Bella grinned and she took the camera and pushed Luna over to Draco. Draco caught her and Luna laughed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco dipped her with a rare grin on his face. Bella took the picture and Draco pulled her back up.

"Hermione and Blaise, you took a picture," Bella called out. The couple nodded and Blaise pulled Hermione's back flush up against him. He settled his head on her shoulder and she turned partially with a slight smile on her face. Bella couldn't let that past and she snapped a picture quickly.

"You and Professor Riddle, then," Daphne called out. Bella frowned in confusion at the mention of Tom. She tilted her head.

"Tom? He's not here."

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," a voice murmured in her ear. Bella let out a shriek and she spun around. Tom was leaning against the railing of the staircase. She glared at him.

"You're such a creep! Jeez," Bella snapped. Tom snickered and he gave a slight shrug. Daphne took the camera and held up. Tom's eyes widened and he stepped away from Bella.

"No. I don't take pictures," he said, coldly. Daphne laughed.

"Yes you do. Don't deny you want to take a picture," she smirked. Tom glared at her and he shook his head once.

"I do not want to take a picture. I do not take pictures and if you insist that I do then I'll give your latest and probably most vulgar essay a 'T'," Tom said. Daphne shrugged as she lifted the camera. A slight smirk crossed Bella's face. She lunged and tackled Tom. He stumbled and fell onto the staircase. Bella sat down on the step next to him, laughing as he lay on a few steps. He sat up and glared at her when there was the tell tale flash of a picture being taken. Tom glared at Daphne.

"Twenty points from Slytherin and you're getting a 'T'," Tom snarled. Daphne shrugged.

"My last one go an 'O'. I think I'll live."

"One more then," Bella said. She smiled into the camera while Tom scowled and attempted to get away. Bella grabbed his arm and pressed her nails into his arm. Even through the clothing he could feel her claws.

There was another flash.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for having claws. Get off me," Tom snapped. Bella laughed and let him go. He stood, brushing himself off. Bella stood and she grinned at him. She stiffened when an arm went around her shoulders and she spun, her fist flying out and her wand in the other. Suddenly, her fist was caught. Bella was too wound up to stop.

Her leg flew up and slammed down on the person's shoulder. The person didn't crumple. Bella's fist was still in the person's hand. She blinked, her mind clearing up and she realized it was Tom. Ernie was knocked back, looking rather surprise. Bella stood there for a minute, mesmerized by Tom's eyes. Bella blinked and removed her foot from his shoulder and she slid her wand up her sleeve and looked at Ernie. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"Ernie! I'm so sorry," Bella gasped. Ernie nodded, his eyes wide before he looked at Tom. Tom's face was expressionless.

"Sir, thank you," Ernie said. Tom nodded and he turned back to Hermione.

"Little prodigy, you're seventeen. I've been training you for three years and I believe it is time that you attempt to win against your sensei," Tom said, carefully. Hermione's eyes widened before they flashed black and her lips curled into a feral grin. She nodded once.

"Time and place?"

"The DADA room, noon," Tom said before he walked towards the Great Hall. Ernie frowned in confusion and looked at Hermione.

"What does he mean by calling you 'little prodigy'?" Ernie asked. Hermione tilted her head.

"He's been training me to fight with a sword since I was fourteen. I've never been able to beat him but I…" Hermione said, softly. Ernie's eyes widened, innocently, and Bella's lips twitched into a smile at the look. He knew nothing of her Dark world. She appreciated that and she hoped it would stay like that for a bit longer.

"A sword? Why?" Ernie asked. Hermione's eyes flashed.

"I like it. The violence…the blood…the agony in their eyes…the battle…the smell of sweat and exertion and pain," Hermione said, softly. Ernie looked horrified for a moment and Hermione seemed to remember whom she was talking to. She blinked and touched her forehead.

"I'm sorry…" Hermione whispered. Ernie nodded. Hermione looked at Luna. Luna was looking at Ernie, calculatingly. Luna walked past him and Ernie frowned in confusion.

"Why do you hang out with Loony Lovegood?"

"Don't call her that," Bella said, coolly. Ernie flushed and he looked away.

"I'm sorry. Habit."

"Yes, well, get out of the habit. Lu is one of our best friends. She is one of the only people I'd trust with my life. There are too few," Bella said, coldly. Ernie looked into the Great Hall as they entered. Some students were staring at Bella and Ernie still.

"Is Professor Riddle one of them?" Ernie asked, innocently. Bella stopped and she grabbed Ernie's hadn and pulled him to the Gryffindor table before he could even turn to Hufflepuff table.

"Not anymore," Bella said, softly. Ernie frowned and he looked up as Daphne swept into the room with Bella's camera. Bella held her hand out for it and then there was a hiss. Ernie paled when he saw where it came from. A black adder was curled around Bella's neck.

"**Sasha! Stop it!**"

"**He's not your mate! You have a mate!**" Sasha hissed back. Bella flushed and refrained from looking at the Head Table.

"**No I don't. Now stop being mean to Ernie and shut up,**" Bella snapped. Sasha hissed, annoyed at her before slipping back. Ernie stared at the black adder and shook his head.

"S-snake."

"Oh don't be afraid of Sasha. She's my familiar," Bella said, softly. She reached into her bag and pulled out tiny parcel. She tapped it with her wand and muttered something and it grew larger. She placed it front of Hermione. Blaise and Draco sat at the table for once. Theodore and Linda sat down as well. All of Hydra and the Horsemen were gathered at the Gryffindor table.

"The White Queen has reached the age of majority. I award you with this," Luna said, softly. She pulled from her bag a large parcel. Hermione took it and opened it. Bella's eyes widened at the gift. Hermione pulled out a painting. It was beautiful painted.

The picture depicted a strange scene. It was obviously Hermione to those who knew her well.

The young woman in the painting was sitting between the legs of a person that looked like Blaise. She had tears running down her face and they were leaning against a bookcase. The young woman who couldn't be more than fourteen was clinging to the boy that looked like Blaise.

"Your most precious memory," Luna explained. Bella's eyes widened.

"It's like my gift. She gave me a painting of my most precious memory. I have it in my trunk," Bella said, softly. Hermione frowned and she looked at Luna with confusion written on her face.

"What do you mean my most precious memory? That day…that moment…I destroyed my life," Hermione whispered. Luna shook her head and she gave a brilliant smile.

"That day…you gained a life. You will see, Hermione. I promise that you will see," Luna murmured. Hermione nodded, slowly though confusedly. Bella passed her a gift and Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"It's a joint gift from Blaise, Draco, and I."

Hermione opened it and she smiled at the collection of books and scrolls. Bella tilted her head as Hermione's fingers froze on one book in particular. Hermione looked up at Bella with a touched expression on her face.

"The Black Grimoire?"

The purebloods looked at Bella as if she were insane. Bella nodded.

"Your mum is marrying my godfather. You'll be a Black soon enough."

"Bella…thank you."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 19****th**** of September 1997**

**12:00 PM**

Ernie frowned in confusion as Hermione stood on the dueling platform. She looked perfectly relaxed. Ernie had been led to believe that this was a sword duel. She didn't have a sword in her hand and that confused him greatly. Riddle had a sword in hand and he was looking at Hermione with unfathomable eyes.

"To the first blood. We bow," Riddle said, softly. Hermione and Riddle swept into low bows. Ernie's eyes widened. He had heard that Riddle only did that with people that he truly respected. They straightened from their bows and Ernie watched in shock as Hermione drew a sword from the air.

Her eyes darkened a little and her lips twisted into a mocking smile. She glided forward, gracefully yet at the same time, drunkenly. She slashed down and Riddle easily parried. Hermione growled and she spun and sliced down again. Riddle blocked her again. Hermione jerked back as Riddle thrusted his sword at her. She leaned back as it sailed through the space where her head had been moments ago.

Ernie watched the skill that they moved at. It was quite obvious that Hermione was a master. He looked to the side. He gaped when he saw that some of them were placing bets. Blaise turned to look at them with a glint in his eyes.

"Stop betting on my girl or you'll piss her off."

The group shrugged and continued their betting. Bella laughed, quietly. Ernie looked at the beautiful girl next to him. She wasn't his girlfriend yet but they had definitely set up another date, which was absolutely great. He watched as she stared, intently at the duel and Ernie couldn't help but wonder for a split second who she was so focused on.

"Enjoying the duel?" Ernie asked. Bella looked at him and then nodded, slowly.

"Tom…is my sparring partner. We spar together and when we have double matches…I work with him. It's incredibly hard for me to work with anyone else. We…have an understanding. I don't trust him and I don't know him very well but we have a very deep understanding," Bella said, hesitantly. Ernie had the distinct feeling that she didn't want him to know something about herself and Ernie was a curious Hufflepuff. He really wanted to know.

"A deep understanding, you say? When did that start?"

"A very long time ago. I supposed you could say it all started fifteen years ago on the night my parents were killed. Or I could say it started on my eleventh birthday when I first received the brother wand of his wand—Hermione! He's going to get your feet," Bella called not even looking away from Ernie.

Ernie's eyes widened as Hermione frowned at her. Riddle was glaring at Bella.

"No he's n—" Hermione said. She jumped through the air and did a back flip. Riddle had almost cut off one of her legs. Ernie turned back to Bella. Bella still looked like she was in deep thought as she spoke to Ernie.

"That is the extent of our understanding. It's so difficult dueling with him. We almost always come to a draw. But dueling with him…I've never done it seriously but I'm sure that it'd be quite amazing," Bella said. Ernie nodded in understanding and he turned back to the duel.

"I'd like to see that someday."

"Perhaps."

Ernie looked back at Hermione and Riddle. Hermione's eyes suddenly flashed and she stopped in the middle of her thrust. She appraised Riddle and everything about her just repelled Ernie. He felt such an intense, overbearing fear and he looked at the others. Most looked just as frightened as he felt. The Slytherins tried to hide it but they looked sick. Luna Lovegood was watching with a pleasant smile upon her face.

"Pretty, pretty Angel, what have you done?" Hermione asked, softly. Bella stiffened next to Ernie. Hermione spun to face Bella with narrowed eyes.

"Hermione…" Bella said, coolly. Hermione turned away from Bella and she looked at Riddle. Riddle was watching her, his eyes calculating and cold. Even more so than usual actually.

"Hermione, pay attention. Focus your mind," Riddle commanded. Hermione gave a slight smile. Ernie was surprised that Riddle looked unperturbed by Hermione's bizarre smile. It was scary.

"She _is_ focused. Tom Marvolo…that's not bloodlust. She is an _intelligent_ psychotic. She knows what's she doing," Luna called out. Riddle looked at Hermione and then a proud smirk crossed his face. He patted her on the forehead and Hermione's scary smile widened.

"Very good. Let us begin once more," Riddle said. And then the intensity of the duel rose dramatically.

Hermione was moving with speed, her moves calculating and not as erratic as before. And even then, they hadn't been erratic to begin with. It soon became that Riddle was blocking her most of the time instead of dealing out the most damage. Hermione growled, suddenly and she slammed the hilt of her sword into Riddle's stomach and with brute strength, she wrenched his sword out of his hand. Riddle looked at her in surprise when she went to lower the sword.

"First blood, Hermione," Riddle reminded her.

Hermione slashed his cheek, lightly and there was a thin line of blood on his cheek. The curly-haired brunette suddenly seemed surprised at what she'd done and she dropped his sword. Riddle was smirking at her. Bella looked tense.

"Finally. You haven't drawn blood since I first started teaching you," Riddle commented. Hermione grinned.

"Finally is right! Yes!" she crowed, the frightening and ominous feeling leaving her quickly. Ernie relaxed and then looked at Bella curiously. She was smiling but she looked slightly worried about something.

"You all right?" he asked, concerned. Bella looked completely surprised by his concern and she frowned in confusion at that.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Are you okay? You seemed worried about something," Ernie explained. Bella cleared her throat and she bit her lip, still confused at his behavior. Ernie worried why that was.

"Oh…yeah…I'm fine. I'm just thinking a lot. Something…a dream…it's nothing. I promise," Bella said.

Hermione smirked and tossed her sword at him. Ernie's eyes widened. At the angle it was flying, it could easily stab through him. Riddle didn't make a move to catch it. Bella stood up and took off at a run towards the dueling platform. Ernie stared in disbelief as she easily somersaulted on and landed in a crouch in front of Riddle. She did this all in seconds and caught the sword easily.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella didn't respond. Her eyes were narrowed and she hissed, threateningly at Hermione. Hermione took a step back and the sword shimmered and disappeared from her hand.

"Nikolai…calm down," Luna said, softly. Bella frowned and she straightened, suddenly. She looked behind her shoulder at Riddle. Ernie wondered what had just happened.

"I…she…he…I don't understand," Bella said, softly. Luna gave Riddle a soft reprimanding look. He sneered at her and looked away. Luna turned back to a confused Bella.

"I suppose you wouldn't."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 19****th**** of September 1997**

**1:45 PM**

"Miss Granger."

Hermione looked up from the book she and Blaise were reading. The entire group was sitting by the oak tree. Hermione looked up at Professor McGonagall and she grinned at the scene they must depict. Hermione and Blaise looked rather innocent compared to everyone else and not only in a sexual way.

Draco was trying to climb up the tree because Luna and Bella had stolen his wand and were sitting on one of the top branches. Daphne was whispering lewd things to Neville. She was trying to see how red he could go before fainting. Theodore and Lalita were speaking in serious and hushed tones so that was okay. Linda was adding her two cents every few minutes. Fay and the twins were playing a Muggle hand game that Fay had learned from a Squib cousin. Anthony and Michael were attempting to develop a spell that could restrict certain people from reading messages.

Ernie was sitting to the side, looking awkward in general.

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione asked. McGonagall cleared her throat.

"As a Muggleborn—"

"Professor, Mudblood is the term I identify with," Hermione said, quietly. McGonagall sent her a strange look that looked like a cross between disapproval and some kind of pride. Hermione frowned in confusion but she reassumed her cheerful and content smile.

"I understand that but I would feel more comfortable if I could use the term 'Muggleborn'. As I was saying, as a Muggleborn, there are certain laws that you aren't aware of. As your Head of House, it is my duty to inform you of the Laws when you reach the age of majority. If you will come with me, we can speak," McGonagall said. Hermoine nodded and she turned her head and placed a kiss to Blaise's neck. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She stood and turned back to her younger sister and brother.

"Oh just give him back his wand," Hermione laughed.

"Not until he says that I'm a better Seeker!" Bella shouted, mock-indignantly. Draco glared up through the branches.

"That's because I am!"

"Oh give it a rest. We'll see when Quidditch season starts up," Blaise sighed. Bella and Luna were cackling in the branches and Hermione wasn't even sure if they had heard Blaise reprimand them.

It wasn't like they would listen to him.

Hermione followed McGonagall to the castle and they quickly made their way to her office in silence. Hermione sat down in front fo the desk and McGonagall looked at her with bright eyes.

"As you are one of the most studious students I've ever taught, may I assume that you've heard of the Natural Laws?" McGonagall said. Hermione had to beam at the compliment and she nodded.

"There are three. My siblings made sure I know the first: _By the Order of the Houses of Families, both the Dark Sect and Light Denomination, and the newly formed Wizengamot thou shall not deny thy innate nature. To do so is blasphemy against the Dark Lady Morgan le Fay and the Light Lord Merlin Ambrosius. To do so is treason of the highest degree against the great gift of Magic. Failure to follow this infinite and undeniable rule will result in immediate execution and the condemning of thy family for three centuries. So mote it be_," Hermione said, quoting it perfectly. She had committed the Law to memory. She hated the idea of breaking such an important rule and despite her differences with Tom, she _hated_ anyone who betrayed the Dark.

It was probably why she disliked Snape so much.

"Ah…very good. There are two others, almost as important. The second: _By the Order of the Houses of Families, both the Dark Sect and Light Denomination, and the newly formed Wizengamot, thou shall respect and honor the great gift of Magic. To dishonor the great gift of Magic is blasphemy. Failure to follow this infinite and undeniable rule will result in the stripping of your Magic and a mundane execution of burning at the stake_," McGonagall continued. Hermione frowned in confusion and she tilted her head before crossing her arms.

"Professor, what do you mean by dishonoring?"

"If one were to feel _ashamed_ of Magic itself, that person would be condemned. I believe that the last time this law was broken was by a Muggleborn. She was Protestant and the Bible says something about not being a witch. She was quite ashamed. She was stripped of her magic and burned as a witch. Many magical people believe Magic was an entity, almost a deity. They considered her a sacrifice of a sort," McGonagall explained. Hermione nodded in understand. She let out a sigh that she didn't know she was holding. She'd never break that Law. She loved her magic always. She loved it almost as much as she loved books.

"And the third, Professor?"

"Ah, the third. _By the Order of the Houses of Families, both the Dark Sect and Light Denomination, and the newly formed Wizengamot, thou shall not interfere with the Elven Guild unless deemed worthy. Interference with the Dark or Light Seer is cause for banishment and eternal shame. So mote it be_. The third Natural Law was more of a treaty with the Elven Guild than a Law. But it has been followed diligently for many years. However, there are a limited number of Elves now as they are almost at extinction. If they are not, then they are most certainly hiding from us," McGonagall said.

She didn't even seem to sense the turmoil going through Hermione. Hermione was stuck on this one Law. What did McGonagall mean by interference? What exactly qualified as interference?  
"Ma'am, by interference, you mean…"

"Surely, Miss Granger, you understand. It is essentially a kinder and a less crude way to say that one is not allowed to have sexual relations with one of the Elven Guild without being approve by the Elven Council. They are even _more_ strict when their _Seers_ are involved. It's as simple as that. Wizards and Elves are not to be together romantically or sexually."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 19****th**** of September 1997**

**2:15 PM**

Hermione approached the oak tree once more and she saw Luna standing there, waiting for her almost. Luna grabbed Hermione's hand and the two girls began to walk away. Hermione and Luna weren't as close as Luna and Bella were but they we good friends all the same. They'd been together for almost five years now. Of course, Hermione had doubted her for a while but she trusted Luna so much. She only doubted her crazy creature theories but knowing her, they were probably real.

"So you know now," Luna said, softly. Hermione turned towards her.

"Does he know?" Hermione asked, softly.

"Of course he knows. He tries to ignore it. He tries to think that someone won't put a stop it. But of course someone will. And then he'll go back to Charlie and I don't want that. Merlin! I hate him! I hate him so much!" Luna cried out, far from her usual calm and demure attitude. Hermione's eyes widened and she wasn't sure who Luna was actually talking about.

So instead she asked, "Why?"

"Because! In every single vision that I have that has a happy ending, I see him with Draco and they're happy and they have a child together. A little redhead they adopted. Even Bella saw it in the Mirror of Erised. I hate Charlie so much and he doesn't even know why I hate him. It isn't fair. I didn't ask for this. But even so, I accept who I am. My job…my visions are more important than my only personal needs," Luna said, firmly.

And then Hermione saw it. She had always saw Luna as a calm, demure, together person with relatively no flaws. This wasn't the case at all. She had seen Luna's fatal flaw. Everyone had a fatal flaw and Hermione felt honored suddenly that Luna had unwittingly exposed it to her.

"Luna…you allow duty to rule your life. It's not your duty to be unhappy. This is your life. Make the best of it," Hermione said, softly. Luna looked at her with sad eyes and she looked up at the sky.

"It is my duty to see the happiest feature for you four and to make it happen. If I'm not in the equation, so be it."

Hermione stopped and grabbed Luna's hand. She looked the girl straight in the eye and hugged her, tightly. Luna hugged her back, lightly, though she seemed hesitant in this as well. She didn't understand.

"Luna, duty is not everything. Sometimes, you have to take something for yourself. You are the most selfless person that I've ever met. You always, _always_ put someone else's happiness before your own. It's time for _you_ to be happy."

"It's not that easy, Hermione. For me to be happy…I must do a very vile thing," Luna said, softly. Hermione looked Luna in the eye and she smiled.

"Then…I'll do it for you. You're my future sister-in-law after all."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 23****rd**** of September 1997**

**9:15 PM**

"Draco…can we talk for a moment?" Lalita asked, softly. Draco blinked. Lalita had stopped sparring with Linda suddenly. Linda was standing next to Lalita. Linda looked over her shoulder at Theodore. Theodore nodded once but he didn't stop sparring with Daphne.

"What about?" Draco asked, putting his essay aside. He'd finish it later. Lalita's tone was far too serious to ignore at the moment and despite his inherently Slytherin nature, he always made time for friends. It was foolish to assume that Slytherins weren't loyal due to the fact that they were cunning.

"My father…my father wishes to know of your progress. For finding me a husband," Lalita said, formally. Draco paled at the reminder and he groaned, pinching his nose. He cursed under his breath in Old English and he pulled out a spare scroll of parchment and a quill.

He'd need to write a letter to the man.

"We haven't made _any_ progress. Shit, I forgot," Draco muttered. Lalita nodded in agreement.

"I know. So…that's why Theodore, Linda, and I were discussing…other options," Lalita said, softly. Draco looked at her curiously. Lalita gestured to Theodore and Theodore stopped sparring with Daphne suddenly. Daphne looked at him in surprise. Theodore jogged over before Hermione could hit him over the head with the hilt of her sword.

"I…I'll marry her. If it comes down to it," Theodore said, softly. Draco's mouth dropped open and he looked at his friend in completely surprise. Linda smiled, solemnly.

"What about your father?" Draco asked, still in shock.

"He'll be quite excited that I'm to marry the daughter of the Indian Minister for Magic. He won't object at all. He _is_ a Death Eater. He'll understand anyway," Theodore sighed. Draco looked at him and then he looked to Luna. Luna was smiling sadly at him. He returned the smile and turned from her. He couldn't think about Luna at the moment. Thinking of Luna made him remember the Natural Law that he wanted to break so badly…

"I can't ask you do this. I'll marry her or something. You don't even love her," Draco said, sternly. Theodore's eyes flashed.

"Purebloods don't marry for love. Love is not required. Not everyone can marry the Elven Seer that they're hopelessly in love with, Draco," Theodore spat at him. Draco grabbed him by the neck and his eyes flashed. Despite his grayish skin, blue lips, and slightly lank hair, Draco Malfoy made an imposing figure even though he was only one inch taller than Theodore's six feet.

Everyone fell silent watched the scene unfold.

"You will watch your tone. You are my subordinate. You will do well not to forget that. And for your information, I can_not_ marry the Elven See that I'm hopelessly in love with, Theodore. In case you've forgotten the third Natural Law, interference with the Dark or Light Seer means banishment and eternal shame. I can't risk that in my position," said Draco, coldly. Everyone fell silent and Hermione looked back at Luna. Luna's eyes were wide at the insinuation. Draco turned from Theodore and looked at Lalita. His glacier-like eyes melted, slightly. It was true that he was quite fond of his charge.

"Do what you wish. We'll discuss this later. I'm not feeling well," Draco said, coldly. He turned from the room and stormed out through the doors. Everyone glared at Theodore. Linda smacked his arm and glared at him. Hermione, Blaise, and Bella were giving Theodore seething looks.

"Why would you say that, Theo?"

"I was angry…"

"Control your anger," Lalita snapped, angrily. She turned towards the door when a hand held her back. Lalita turned and looked at Luna. Luna's eyes were sad.

"I'll go and speak to him."

Lalita nodded and Luna drifted from the room, her mind mulling over what had just been revealed. She didn't have to go far. She entered the nearest empty classroom. He was standing at the desk, looking away from the door. She didn't even think that he knew she had entered.

"Draco…"

Draco spun around and looked at her. His face showed the desperation and grief he felt. He crossed to Luna in seconds and looked down at the younger girl. Luna gave him a sad smile.

"You love me," Luna said, softly.

Draco nodded once.

"But you still care for Charlie. Enough to be happy with him. Draco, I care for you as well but…my duty is important to me," Luna answered, strongly. Draco groaned and he looked down at her with a burning look in his eyes. He turned away from her and slammed his hand on a desk. The sound of his hand smacking down on wood echoed through the room.

"Luna…I don't have long. You know the price I paid for Sirius' life."

"I do…you _don't_ have long. The middle of June, I saw it happen. You were seventeen though. Charlie was there. He was crying," Luna whispered. Draco turned away from her and looked at her with saddened eyes. He shook his head.

"If I don't have long why can't we just live in the now? Why can't I just kiss you?" Draco demanded. Luna put her hand to Draco's cheek and she sighed, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

"I wish you could. But, they'll know. The Elven Guild has been watching me. They're already giving me leeway and I doubt they can give me anymore. I'm choosing a _side_. I'm supposed to give cryptic remarks. I'm not supposed to fight. But, I did. In June, I took part in the battle. I'm already walking a very thin line, Draco," Luna said, earnestly. Draco pulled her into a tight hug. Luna returned it and she buried her face in his chest.

"Then why not just walk off. Just for a little while, Luna," Draco pleaded. Luna turned her head and she held him tighter.

"I want you to be happy, Draco. But it's hard for me. I have an obligation and I want to be with you fully but I don't want to be sad when you…" Luna said, leaving the words hanging. Draco sighed and he looked away though he didn't let her go.

"I used to be the pureblood prince of Slytherin. I used to rule my small little world. It's so much bigger out here. I can't do this anymore. It's too much pressure. It's too much for me. I'm not a Gryffindor like Bella or Hermione. I'm not calm, cool, and collected like Blaise. I'm a soul-sucking Necromancer. An abomination in Sometimes…Luna…sometimes I'm glad that I'm going to die."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 25****th**** of September 1996**

**8:15 PM**

A hand settled on Bella's shoulder and she looked up. There were several students gaping at Tom and his clothing. They were all talking about it and definitely not in hushed tone.s He was donned in Muggle clothing for once and he looked exceptionally put together. He was scowling, slightly. He crossed his arms and looked down at her.

"Come on."

Bella stood and she gave a little wave to Ernie, her siblings, and friends. Daphne was grinning at her and Bella rolled her eyes. The others just looked rather confused. Ernie grabbed her hand.

"I thought you were wearing a coat because you were cold. Where are you going?" Ernie asked. Bella tilted her head and looked at Tom. He gave Ernie a wintry smile and Ernie actually shivered at the cruelty of it.

"London," Tom said, shortly. Ernie frowned.

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"Is that really your business, Mister Macmillan? You'll do well that I'm your professor and you're not one of my favorites," Tom said, harshly. Ernie flushed and Bella slapped Tom's arm. She turned to her siblings and then back to Tom.

"You stop being mean to Ernie. I'm going to London because I have things to _handle_. Luna should know. She's entirely too nosy and meddling. Anything for you all?" Bella asked with a slight smile. Hermione tilted her head and she looked at Tom. He sneered at her. Hermione smirked.

"A few scrolls. You know my chosen subject."

"Yes, we do, psycho," Tom said, scathingly. Ernie was surprised that she wasn't angry. Luna leaned over to whisper in Ernie's ear.

"It's a term of endearment."

Ernie nodded and Draco tilted his head. He looked at Luna and then to Bella. He gave a loud sigh and cleared his throat.

"More broomstick polish. I ran out."

"A few more books on Occlumency for Michael and Anthony and a book or two on Legilimency for the twins," Blaise said. Bella nodded and she looked to Tom. She looked him up and down and she was struck by how attractive he looked. It was almost distracting.

He was wearing dark jeans, a white shirt that was very, ahem, fitted and an equally fitted blazer. It was entirely too distracting. Bella looked away, quickly. She straightened her white peacoat and sighed. She knew it was going to be crisp today, which was slightly unusual since it was September but it didn't matter much.

"All right. I'll see you lot later. I'll be back in time for Quidditch practice. Tell the team that I'll know if they're late and I will hex them if they are," Bella said. Hermione smirked and nodded once.

"Gladly."

Bella grinned and she waved one more time at them before she leaned down and gave Ernie's cheek a peck. Ernie flushed and Tom made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. Bella looked at him, amusedly, as they walked from the Great Hall.

"How old are you? Five?" Bella asked.

"I don't share well," he said as they made their way to the dungeons. He hissed to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. He opened without a snarky or curious remark. Bella made her way down the hallway and she stopped. She knew there wasn't a fireplace in his office. Tom pushed her down the hallway and made her turn right. She looked around the posh sitting room.

"Nice," Bella commented. She didn't comment on how _comfortable_ that couch looked because that made her thoughts turn down an unwelcome route. And since the only attractive male in the room was Tom…

"We're Flooing there," Tom said, sharply. He pointed his wand to the fireplace and it erupted into flames. He wrapped his arm around Bella's waist and dragged her into the fireplace. Bella glared at him.

"I can go by myself."

"I somehow doubt that. The Leaky Cauldron," Tom said, throwing down Floo powder. The flames turned green and suddenly Bella and Tom were spinning until they were spat out of the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace. Bella fell forward and Tom's hand wrapped her waist. He pulled her up and she sighed, flushed.

"Er…sorry."

"No matter. I've gotten used to it. You're unbelievably clumsy when you want to be so."

Bella's flush deepened and she glared at him. She pushed his arm from her waist and she crossed her arms.

"I'm not _that_ clumsy. It was an accident."

"I think you just want me to touch you," Tom teased. Bella hissed, embarrassed at him. She was glad that the Leaky Cauldron was widely deserted. People were too scared to leave their homes. Tom had really done a number on them. Some shuddered even at the mention of Voldemort's name.

"Wotcher, Bella."

Bella blinked and she looked up into the heart shaped, pink-haired woman. She smiled, nervously at Tonks. She hadn't spoken to her a lot but when she had, she'd been rather rude and sarcastic. She'd been just a little jealous and possessive.

"Oh. Hello, Tonks. Hi, Uncle Moony," Bella said, looking to the man standing next to Tonks. His eyes still looked slightly haunted but he looked younger than Bella had ever seen him.

"Hello, Bella. Professor Riddle," Remus greeted. Tonks flushed at him. Remus gave her a look from the corner of his eye and Bella could easily identify what he was feeling from the moment his jaw tightened.

Jealousy.

Well, well, well. Her Uncle Moony had a crush on the Metamorphous.

"Lupin. Nymphadora," Tom said, smoothly. Tonks' eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Professor, it's Tonks. I've been telling you that since I was a first year."

"And I will continue to tell you that your name is Nymphadora. You are not Cher. You have two names," Tom said, flatly. Bella choked on her laughter and Tom looked at her with an unimpressed look on his face. Remus looked rather amused. Tonks looked rather confused.

"Cher? You know about Cher?"

"Everyone who has been out in the Muggle world as I've been knows about Cher. Anyway, we have things to do. You need to fetch those books from the library and I need to withdraw books of my own. Goodbye, Lupin. Nymphadora," Tom said, grabbing Bella's hand and tugging her from the room. Bella looked over her shoulder and waved as they disappeared through the shop.

"I wonder what she's doing away from Hogwarts," Tonks said, curiously. Remus frowned.

"It might be Order business. I doubt that though. Perhaps, it's something else. Bella is rather secretive sometimes," Remus suggested. Tonks shrugged and the couple sat back down at their table. Remus gave Tonks a look and she looked at him in confusion.

"You blushed when you saw Riddle."

Tonks flushed again and she looked at him, defensively.

"He's a very fit man! Are you jealous?" Tonks asked, her voice suddenly sly. Remus flushed and he sighed, shaking his head.

"No. Dora, you know how I feel about this…"

"Well, I'll change how you feel."

* * *

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Saturday the 25****th**** of September 1996**

**9:20 AM**

"I'm hungry," Bella whined. Tom gave her a look and rolled his eyes. The sixteen-year-old girl gave him a small smile as they walked past the telephone box leading down to the Ministry of Magic. Bella glared at it and she turned her fierce gaze onto Tom. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Tom looking at her, apologetically.

His eyes said everything that he was too prideful to say.

"I do forgive you," Bella whispered. Tom nodded once. They crossed the street in silence when Bella smelt the smoke.

"Hey, you!"

Bella stopped, knowing they were talking to her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the familiar group of boys. Bella wondered if they did that everyday. If they hung around the corner everyday until it was dark, smoking cigarettes and calling out to pretty girls.

"What do you want?" Bella asked, coldly. The one who had spoken to her last June was looking her up and down. She was glad that she decided against a dress. She had told Parvati that it didn't make sense she wasn't doing anything that could merit her elegant boat neck dress. Instead she wore leather pants, courtesy of Sirius, and a short sleeve black t-shirt.

"I remember you. You're that hot girl that wore latex in June. Where's your posse?" he asked. Bella looked at them, rather unimpressed. The two other boys seemed to be watching Tom who looked rather pissed off at the moment.

"Not here. Not that it's any of your business."

"Do you like artwork?" he asked, curiously. Bella looked at the wall he was gesturing to. So, they'd spray painted the side of the building with a swastika.

Nice. Real nice. Not.

"You vandalized a wall. With a swastika. I should vandalize your ass with my foot. Go back to smoking your cancer sticks, dumbasses. And by the way, it was leather. Get it right. I don't wear latex," Bella snarled. She stuck up her middle finger, grabbed Tom's hand, and dragged him down the street. Tom smirked at her.

"Nicely done."

"I _do_ try."

"What's with you and the foot in the ass threats?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella tilted her head.

"It's a phase. Uncle Sirius went through it at one point. I think I was nine," Bella said, thoughtfully. Tom laughed, quietly, and Bella beamed at the sound of his laugh. The two walked inside the Stonebridge Starbucks, laughing amongst themselves. They definitely garnered attention though not form their laughter.

"Welcome to Starbucks. How may I—_hello_," the woman said before looking at Tom. Tom raised an eyebrow and he looked down at Bella. The young woman was scowling, slightly, and she looked the woman up and down, as if judging her.

"Two venti black coffees and a treacle tart," Tom said, his tone clipped and businesslike. The woman flushed and nodded once. She could easily hear the dismissive tone in his voice.

"You know my coffee order?" Bella asked, softly. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Bella. Why wouldn't I?"

It was a strange question and Bella wasn't entirely sure how to answer the question. She shrugged and then watched as the woman told Tom the price. He slid her the pound-note and told her to keep the change. He passed Bella her coffee cup and treacle tart.

The two sat down at the table farthest away from everyone else and Tom cast a silent _Muffliato_. Bella drank her coffee patiently and she waited. Tom was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and he drank his coffee, idly.

"I have to start? I find that rather unfair," Bella said. She took another sip of the warming coffee. It was a big difference from the cool air outside. Tom's lips curled into a half-smile. She noticed then that he only ever smiled for her and even then, he didn't truly grin unless he felt completely comfortable.

"I'm giving you the chance to ask a question."

"Oh…sorry. I…well, what was your life like in the orphanage?"

Tom paused and he tilted his head.

"The matron…I knew her as Mrs. Cole. She was all right, I suppose. She avoided me at all cost. She thought I was strange. She thought I was unnatural. All of the children thought the same thing. They were frightened of me and so they bullied me. It's a terrible thing to grow up in. I wasn't even aware that I was different until I was 6. I was smart. I remember one incident…a boy named Billy Stubbs was…harassing me. He had taken my book and we were arguing. And then…I could use my magic very well. I killed his rabbit and hung it from the rafters," Tom said, his voice soft. Bella's eyes were wide and she looked at him. His eyes were glazed over and it was like he almost wasn't there.

"I was a terror and I knew. I reveled in the fact that I inflicted fear in the other orphans. I loved the idea of being special. And if that meant others fearing me, I didn't care. It made me even more different. More special. But there was always one thing marring that. My name. I hated my name. There were too many 'Tom's. It made me less special and I despised that. I didn't want to be an ordinary orphan. I suppose you could say I wanted to be someone. When Dumbledore came, I _was_ someone. I was a wizard. And that made me infinitely more than an orphan. It made me _better_ than an orphan. I could ensure that I would survive because I was better.

"At first, when I was Sorted into Slytherin, they treated me, for a lack of a better word, like shit. And then in second year, I found out that I was descended from Salazar Slytherin. They respected me. They feared me. I had a small gathering of followers. I didn't trust them like I trust my lieutenants now but they served their purpose. Then, I turned sixteen…" Tom finished.

Bella sat there, waiting for the continuation of his heartbreaking tale. She took a sip of her still scalding coffee and Tom still said nothing more. His eyes were clear now and he was looking at her.

"What happened when you turned sixteen?" demanded Bella. Tom's eyes were sharp now and he fixed her with a look that made her freeze.

"I learned my greatest fear."

"What was it?" Bella asked, anxiously. Tom's eyes flickered for a moment and Bella finally saw how vulnerable this made him. He felt nervous telling this much about herself.

"I—"

"No…some things…some things aren't meant to be said in public. It's my turn now," Bella said, softly.

And then Tom's lips curled into a lopsided grin that made Bella's heart ache because she knew that he probably had never smiled like that as a child. His smile turned into a teasing and slightly mocking smile.

"Yes, tell me about how awkward you were."

"I wasn't _awkward_, per say. I was just a little…dorky. I wore the big round glasses. They were ugly. I like the glasses I'm wearing now more. I was teased at the muggle primary school I went to for my glasses. I despised some of them. I wore my hair in pigtails or two braids. It was worse than it is now. My braids were either lopsided because I had to do it or they were terribly done because Uncle Sirius did them. I used to love the piano and going to hear the orchestra. I adored operas though I've never been terribly talented at singing. I can carry a tune but my voice will never be as beautiful as Luna's.

"Then the whole ordeal with my piano teachers…I began to hate it. I hid my issues and tried to ignore them. Uncle Sirius never knew and he still doesn't know to this day. I don't plan to tell him. He'd only want to hunt down the man and kill him. I don't wish for him to die. He was simply an angry man. I hate him, don't doubt that but I don't wish him death," Bella said, quietly. Tom fixed her with another intense stare. Bella swallowed and she looked away.

"You wished me death and I didn't beat you."

"Tom…you hurt me, emotionally. That's worse than any physical beating."

"Bella, I don't wish to hurt you."

"I…I know."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 25****th**** of September 1996**

**6:20 PM**

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Luna Lovegood danced through the doorway and she smiled at Tom. Tom nodded once to the Elven girl. She sat down across from him and she gestured to the Disillusioned portrait on the wall.

"Have you checked?" she asked. Tom got the impression that he should. She was practically bouncing in the seat.

"Not yet. Should I?" he asked, making her wait rather cruelly. She laughed and nodded. Tom glared at her. If there was one thing that he _despised_ yet respected about Luna was that she always laughed when he was intentionally cruel to her. He knew that some of the other students thought he was being cruel just because.

That wasn't the case and Luna understood that. Perhaps it was because she knew him and his reasons. She wouldn't be the only one who knew him soon enough. In all honesty, Bella would soon know her better than anyone and that…he didn't know what to think about that.

"Yes! Yes you should."

Tom waved his wand and Luna bounced over to the painting of the man and woman standing in the snow. She waved her hand in front of it and she pointed to the painting proudly.

Tom blinked. The figure in the mirror looked like a strange mix of his true face and the face of Lord Voldemort. The figure's skin was still patched and very scale-like but he had closely cropped hair and an actual nose. His eyes were as red and slit as they'd ever been but Tom doubted that that would change.

Luna had said find balance. He supposed that would be the balance.

"Hmm. Progress. When do you think I'll be able to form the alliance?" Tom asked, curiously. Luna danced over to his bookcase just as she pulled out a long out-of-print book. She placed it on his desk.

"_Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_? An excellent book but what does that have to do with the alliance?" Tom asked, curiously. Luna smiled.

"That is Bella's favorite book. Samhain is next month. Magic is strong that night. The barrier between the living and the dead is thin. You'll figure it out," Luna said, placing something over the book. She picked up her bag and danced from the room as she waved her hand over the portrait once more.

Tom picked up the object and looked at with a raised eyebrow.

A white half-mask.

:::

**A/N: **And NOW I am pissed because I can't add Halloween. That takes an entire chapter. I realized that at the very last minute. It bothers me greatly that I hadn't realized that before. Oh well.

Next Chapter: A Slug Club Samhain


	73. Chapter LXVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **It's finally the SAMHAIN chapter, which actually has a name. If I named it, it would be _Inside My Mind_. Yes, this would be equivalent to a title chapter. I hope you like it because I absolutely adore it. I'm so sorry that it took so long but this is probably THE most important chapter in this entire story. So, I had to rework it again and again and again until I got it right. I still don't think it's completely right but that's all right.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 27****th**** of October 1996**

**5:00 PM**

"Now, off will all of you…ah, wait! Mister Macmillan, Mister Weasley, Mister Corner, Mister Goldstein, Miss Patil, you may go. The rest of you, please stay for a moment," Slughorn said. Bella frowned in confusion. She looked at her siblings. They looked just as confused. Bella had known something was up as Luna had been extremely happy all day.

"Sir?" Theodore voiced first.

"I wanted to hold you back because I'd like to request that you all attend a little party a friend of mine is holding on Halloween. I suppose you could call it a ball. Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, of course, invited me to her manor and I would love if my favorite pupils could attend," Slughorn said, simpering. He was looking at Bella directly and she knew that he had figured out that she made a lot of important decisions for the group.

It was a shame that this wasn't one of them. But…Luna had said something rather cryptic early.

Say yes, she had said. When she had asked about that, Luna had only gave a sharp squeal and grinned. Daphne had looked rather excited because that meant Luna was up to something and for her it was always an amusing sight when Luna was up to something.

"I'd like to attend, yes," Bella said, softly. Everyone turned to look at her before murmuring his or her agreement.

"Wonderful, wonderful! It _is_ a costume ball, so do wear costumes. Please do meet in my office and we'll all Floo right over. Seven o' clock, sharp will do," Slughorn said. He was practically bouncing like a ball and it took all the discipline that Bella had gained in the past year not to laugh at how foolish he looked.

"Yes, sir. We'll be there," Draco coughed.

"Oh, yes. And you may bring someone to accompany you. It wouldn't do for such an attractive group to come without dates," Slughorn said. Bella nodded and knew instantly that she'd have to ask Ernie. Ernie was nice and he was fun and she was sure that she'd have fun. She wasn't sure why since she barely knew the boy and he was Goddamn _Hufflepuff_ but she thought he would have fun.

She'd heard of Gwenog Jones and not only about her Quidditch skills. The woman was a snobby socialite as well and she knew how to throw a party. It wasn't as wild as a rave but it was rather close. Slughorn would feel so out of place or he'd feel _too_ in place.

Bella turned from the room and someone grabbed her hand the moment she left. It was Luna. Bella laughed at the excited look on her face and she shook her head.

"You knew?" Bella asked. Luna nodded.

"Of course. And I know your costume. Would you like to know?" Luna asked. Bella shrugged. She looked at everyone and they were listening intently though they were talking amongst themselves, excited as well. Daphne was on Bella's other side. Neville was walking alongside her.

"You'll be going as Christine Daae. When she's entering the Phantom's lair. I've already sketched the costume. It resembles the musical costume but prettier. I'm going to make it for you," Luna grinned. Daphne's mouth fell open and Bella choked on her own breath. She laughed and looked at Luna.

"Christine Daae from _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_?" Bella asked.

"Of course."

"What's so good about that?" Draco asked, confused. Bella glared at her brother in absolutely annoying. She sighed and bit her lip.

"_Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_ is one of my favorite books in the entire world. It's written in French and it is currently out-of-print. I read my copy so much that it fell apart. I haven't read it since I was twelve. I used to read it all the time. It was probably the only book I _did_ read for fun until Tom gave me a key to the library," Bella explained. Daphne sighed and nodded.

"It's French for The Phantom of the Opera. It's terribly romantic. I was always rooting for the Phantom but then Raoul got in the way," Daphne sighed. Hermione raised an eyebrow and she pulled Blaise until they were in line with Luna, Bella, Daphne, and Draco.

"What's it about?" Hermione questioned. Bella gave a small smile.

"A young, beautiful woman is learning music from an 'Angel' after her father's death. She was once just a chorus girl but with her 'Angel's help she triumphs. It turns out that her 'Angel' is none other than the masked Phantom of the Opera, a deformed man whom has fallen for her. The Phantom kidnaps Christine, the young beautiful woman, and she unmasks him, seeing his deformed face. He keeps her in his lair for two weeks until he releases her. She promises to stay faithful. She sees her childhood sweetheart, Raoul and realizes her love for him. The Phantom kidnaps her again and Raoul is in his torture chamber. Eventually, the Phantom saves Raoul and lets her go. He dies…from a broken heart," Bella explained, passionately. Everyone exchanged looks. Only Luna had the balls to say it aloud.

"Sounds familiar, don't you think? A young beautiful woman is learning _magic_ from something akin to a savior after her parent's death. It turns out the professor is none other than the Dark Lord, a man who had cared for her, if not fallen for her. The story continues. I do hope the ending is happier," Luna said, quietly to Draco. Draco stopped and then he slowly nodded. Bella frowned in confusion and she crossed her arms.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. May I accompany you, Draco?" Luna asked. Draco smirked and nodded. He tilted his head before sighing.

"I believe I'll go as Adonis. I mean, look at me," Draco smirked. Everyone hid their smirks and Luna gave him a genuine smile. She hesitated before pecking him on the cheek. It was not the friendly kiss she normally gave him. It was quite romantic in nature and everyone could tell the difference.

"I'll go as Artemis then."

"Fitting. What about the others? It isn't fair to them if they don't get to go," Hermione pointed out. Linda nodded.

"Thought about that. I'll invite Michael," Linda said.

"I'll invited Anthony," Lalita added. Theodore sighed.

"I'll invite Padma."

Blaise tilted his head.

"I'll invite Parvati, then. What about Fay?" asked Blaise. Hermione smirked and tilted her head.

"I'll invite Fay. She's my friend. Of course, Daphne will invite Neville," Hermione teased. Daphne smirked and she kissed Neville's cheek. Neville flushed and looked away.

"My man," Daphne murmured. Someone cleared their throat. Bella turned to look at Ernie and she smiled at him.

"Hey, Ernie. Want to come with me to Slughorn's costume ball at Gwenog Jones' mansion?" Bella asked, curiously. Ernie's mouth dropped open and he stared at Bella, looking absolutely shell shocked. Bella gathered that he was a big fan.

"Gwenog Jones? Absolutely! A costume ball, you say? I know what I'll go as," Ernie said with a bright smile.

"What?" she asked, curiously.

"A Quidditch player of course. From Puddlemere United," Ernie said. Bella couldn't help but notice how completely unoriginal that was but she continued to smile. She glanced at her friends. They were staring at Ernie with sneers. Even Neville looked a little bored with Ernie. They had noticed as well.

"Yes, well. Bella, we have measurements to make. Come on," Luna said, giving Ernie a bored stare before grabbing Bella's hand and pulling her away.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 27****th**** of October 1996**

**9:00 PM**

"He's not right for her," Draco said, looking at his siblings. They were sitting in the Room of Requirement together for once. They had said they would take a break that day to get ready for the ball instead. Luna was in a separate room, measuring Bella and every few seconds, white silk and chiffon would appear outside the door and Luna would run out, grab it and start stitching as she walked.

"He isn't. He's too…ordinary. He's boring. Bella's interesting, fun-loving, and powerful. She doesn't need ordinary. She can't have ordinary. She _needs_ extraordinary," Blaise said, softly. Hermione nodded and she was looking at her list of costume ideas. Blaise knew that she'd want to coordinate with him so he would let her have her fun and lists.

"Ernie's nice but they don't have passion. Bella's all about passion. What she and Tom had…that was passion. That was passion in its rawest state. There was rage, infatuation, and sexual attraction. Whatever it is that they felt for each other was _real_. What Ernie and Bella have _isn't. _And Bella would never go for a Hufflepuff. That's what confuses me the most," Hermione said, sharply.

Blaise and Draco nodded. Draco sighed and he crossed his arms.

"Bella seems happier though. And something has changed between those two. Since last month when they went to London. They seem…closer somehow. But not in the sexual way. Not in that way," Draco added. Blaise looked at him in surprise and he tilted his head.

"Do you approve?" Blaise questioned. Draco hesitated at the question and he turned to look at the door instead. White _lace_ had appeared outside the door. What the hell was Luna doing?

"Lu, _what_ are you making for her?" Draco asked. Luna grinned and she reached inside the room and murmured something. It appeared that Bella gave her a book. Luna danced out and handed Draco the concept art for her design. Hermione and Blaise leaned over it. Draco was staring at Luna like he'd never seen her.

"She's going to be dressed like a hooker?" he breathed. Luna laughed.

"No, of course not. She's going to look quite elegant when I'm done, thank you. Now, why don't you start brainstorming on costumes? Read a book for inspiration," Luna smiled. Draco made a face of disgust at the idea of reading and he scowled when a book on Greek mythology appeared in his lap. Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw it.

"We can match, yes? I'll be Athena," Hermione grinned. Draco's eyes looked up and he gave her a snide look. Hermione raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, waiting for his remark. His eyes softened and he gave a slight smile.

"I agree. Blaise can go as Apollo. It'd be more appropriate. I'll go as Hades. I mean I fit the role. Are you okay with that, love?" Draco asked. Luna looked up at him, surprise depicted on her face at the title he had assigned her. Her lips curled into a brilliant smile and she nodded.

"Of course. I'll go as Persephone," Luna decided. She danced back to the door where Bella was waiting and Hermione and Blaise looked at their sibling, amused. Draco looked at them, pointedly. He was obviously waiting for them to say something about the pet name.

" 'Love'?" asked Blaise, finally. Blaise looked at him, his expression changing from pleased to solemn. Hermione's expression became serious only seconds later.

"I hope you haven't broken the Law, Draco. You _know_ the consequences and we don't want to deal with them. We'd be heartbroken," Hermione said, sadly. Draco couldn't help but imagine how they'd feel in June when he'd finally die.

"Yes, well we'll deal with the consequences as they come. Luna fell in love with me and she knew. She wants me like I want her. She made me fall in love with her and I'm not going to give her up now."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**9:45 AM**

"Good morning," Bella said, cheerfully as she entered Tom's office. Tom looked up with tired and almost bloodshot eyes and he groaned at the girl. He was really doing too much for this damn alliance. And he was sure that was only a fraction of what Luna was planning.

Dammit, the girl was so manipulative and such a pain in ass, she was like a second Dumbledore. Tom wondered how she had convinced the Hat to put her in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin.

"If Luna's with you, go away," Tom groaned. Bella raised an eyebrow and Tom looked right back at her with tired eyes. He felt a yawn rise in him but he refused to voice it front of Bella. He knew he was being irrational but he was irrational when he was tired.

"She's not with me. Are you okay?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom didn't even bother to answer her question. It wasn't really her business even if they were 'friends'. At the moment, he was plotting on what to tell her when he essentially kidnapped her.

"Why are you here, then, if Luna's not with you?"

"Why do you keep asking about Luna?" Bella snarled, her eyes flashing. Tom looked up, slowly, suddenly interested in the tone of voice. She didn't sound too happy. Her eyes were narrowed at him and her arms were crossed, defensively.

Tom couldn't help but notice her chest for just as crossing second. His lips curled into a smirk.

"Is that…_jealousy_, I detect?" Tom teased. Well, he thought he teased.

She didn't really react well. A delicious growl escaped her lips and she slammed her hand on his desk. He saw faint little cracks around her hand and he held back his groan. Now he'd have to either get his wand out to repair it or get a new one. He knew Bella would accuse him of OCD if she ever found out. With that thought, a snort escaped him.

Another big mistake. Bella punched him in the shoulder. Hard. He slammed back into his chair and he held his shoulder and he looked at the young woman in shock.

"What the fuck, Tom? I'm _not_ jealous and I just wanted to know _why_ you keep asking about Luna. Dammit, if you're going to be an asshole, I'll just leave," Bella hissed, angrily. Tom looked at her like she was a volatile bomb, ready to go off at any possible second.

"I was only teasing," he said, quietly. Bella flushed and she glared at him.

"Shut up. I don't give a damn then."

She spun from the room and stormed off. Tom frowned after her. Nagini slithered up in his chair.

"**What was that?**" Nagini asked, quietly. Tom shook his head.

"**I have no idea…perhaps she has PMS,**" Tom suggested. Nagini sniffed the air and she nodded in agreement.

"**That seems about right. I smell the emotions…it's strange. She was envious of the Seer for a moment. Does she not know that you want her?**" Nagini asked, almost cluelessly. Tom sputtered for a moment before clearing his throat.

"**I do not **_**want **_**her in the way you're thinking.**"

"**I think you do. I can smell the lust radiating off you. The longing is rolling off you in waves. You want her…you **_**care**_** for her,**" Nagini said, her voice disbelieving. Tom glared at his familiar in annoyance. He'd like if she kept her fake observations to herself.

"**I do not **_**care**_** for her. I need an alliance with her. She's powerful.**"

"**You lie. You l—**"

"**Shut up.**"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**6:45 PM**

"Where is she?" groaned Ernie. He missed the glares he got from Bella's friends as he asked. Hermione, Zabini, and Malfoy were already here. So, her siblings were here but Luna and Bella were not. Hermione was the one who answered his question.

"She's getting dressed. Her costumes take long to put on," Hermione said, in clipped tones. Ernie looked at her in shock and he crossed his arms.

"I doubt that a Quidditch uniform takes that long."

"She's not going as a Quidditch player. My sister is a tad more original than you," Malfoy said, sharply. Ernie looked him over once and had to admit that he looked impressive in his long black robes. He had a scythe in hand and Ernie couldn't tell if it was real or not. Ernie decided to ignore the boy and then he heard a gasp.

He looked towards the door and stared, his brain going flat suddenly.

Bella stood there in the doorway, smirking at them. Her untamable hair was excessively curly and the top part was pulled back into a ponytail somewhat. She wore a white dressing gown with bell sleeves. There was ruffles and lace, something Ernie would normally never identify with Bella. He shrugged and pointed his wand at her before hissing the words that he knew she would resent him for if she ever knew that he was doing it.

"_What_ is that?" Padma asked, curiously. She was dressed in the same costume as Parvati. Bella noticed afterwards that they were supposed to be Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Bella shrugged. She caught a whiff of blood and chocolate, the scent she associated with Tom, but for some reason it was coming from Ernie. Bella smiled and she walked forward, the train of the dressing gown trailing behind her. That gave Ernie clear view of the petticoat/skirt that she was wearing. There was a slit up the side to give him a view of stockings that went up to the top of her thigh. She let the dressing gown come loose and everyone looked her costume up and down once again.

She seemed to be wearing a chemise and then, over that, a corset. It only accented her curves and Ernie's mouth almost began to water. Her eyelids were dark and she looked beautiful.

"I'm Christine Daae," Bella explained. She walked towards Hermione and Hermione gave her a smile. The girl was dress in armor herself and she was holding Blaise's spear as a prop. Blaise had a bow and arrow slung across his back and Bella wondered if it was functional. It probably was.

"You look lovely. Where's Luna?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella frowned at the question and she tilted her head. She couldn't help but remember Tom asking about her earlier and she felt a flash of irrational jealousy and rage. She blinked before swallowing her anger.

"Well…she…we were walking down the hallway and we passed _Tom_. He stiffened when he saw _Luna_ and he tried to walk faster to the Great Hall. Luna ended up chasing him back down into the dungeons. She was screaming about costumes and hair gel. I gather that he was invited and Luna is making him come. And now I definitely know she's up to something," Bella sighed, almost spitting out their names. Hermione tilted her head and she bit her lip. Blaise and Draco exchanged looks in confusion.

"Hair gel? Tom's going to let her near his hair?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella rolled her eyes and she sighed.

"I've touched his hair."

All but Ernie gave her varying reactions. Daphne, Linda, Fay, and Parvati began to cackle. Draco and Blaise shared a look that spoke volumes of her intelligence, subtlety, and obliviousness. Hermione smirked at Bella. Padma, Michael, Lalita, Anthony, and Theodore stopped their conversation and looked at Bella with raised eyebrows. Neville was flushed.

"I'd imagine so," Theodore said, dryly.

"Fuck you, Theodore," Bella snarled, her cheeks red. Ernie frowned in confusion.

"I don't get it," he said, softly.

"Lets hope you don't," Bella answered back. She turned back to her siblings and cleared her throat. She raised her head, despite her injured dignity.

"How does his hair feel? It looks soft," Fay commented, off handedly. Bella turned away from her.

"It doesn't matter how it feels. The point is, I've touched his hair and it isn't that big of a deal. He trusts Luna. Almost as much as he trusts Trixie, Dolph, and Lucy," Bella said, saying the first and last name mockingly. Draco snickered. Ernie frowned and he leaned against the wall, looking Bella over once again.

"Who are those people?"

"Tom's friends. I met them. Not very nice people. Well, Dolph is a bit of a dolt but he's nice. He pisses Tom off so he's my favorite. Trixie's a bitch. Lucy's an asshole. He is such a jerk. No offense, Drake," Bella said. Draco smirked and shrugged.

"I can understand that. My father's not a very nice person to people outside of the family," Draco explained. Padma frowned at that in confusion.

"Isn't Bella family? She's your blood sister."

"Not according to him. She doesn't like him and he doesn't like her."

"Ah! Everyone's here on time, yes?" Slughorn asked, coming into the office, suddenly. He was dressed like a walrus and he fit the role to a tee. The door was opened a moment later and Bella watched as Luna, decked in an elegant black gown danced through. She was wearing the crown of bones that Bella had lent to her. Laced through it were withering flowers. It was a haunting sight.

"I'm here," Luna said, smiling. Slughorn looked over the group. He looked at Bella in surprise and then he frowned.

"What are you supposed to be, Bella?" Slughorn asked. Bella tilted her head.

"Christine Daae from the _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_. It's my favorite book. Luna made the costume for me," Bella explained. Luna raised her hand to show who she was despite the fact that Slughorn should already know. Slughorn nodded and went out of the office, saying that he needed to fetch something. Luna took Draco's hand and everyone was looking at Luna.

"Did you really touch Professor Riddle's hair?" Padma blurted out. Luna's demure smile widened into a wicked one and she nodded. Bella looked at the girl, curiously. Luna leaned into Draco's side.

"I actually did his hair. I've been harassing him about this for weeks and I told him that he _has_ to go. It was a solid decision. I won't tell you who he's going as or it'll ruin the beautiful surprise that I have for Bella," Luna said, brightly. Bella's curiosity was peaked and she leaned forward, the curiosity shining on her face.

"Can I have a clue?"

Luna nodded and she took Bella's arm and pulled her towards her. Ernie looked at her in interest as Luna whispered in her ear.

"The barrier between worlds in thin and to breech that barrier, it takes more than one. You shall learn all of his Secrets as you enter the Chamber, Angel. Be sure to remember that he doesn't trust easily, Nikolai," Luna murmured. Luna pulled away and looked at Bella's stunned face. Her expression turned to one of dryness and Ernie wondered what Luna had told her.

"Really now? Was he ever going to ask me?"

"Probably not. I think he was going to just kidnap you, honestly. He doesn't do well with asking."

"Then I don't think I'll go. It doesn't make sense. You can't perform the ritual without trust. I don't trust him at all, really," Bella said, matter-of-factly.

She couldn't trust him not to let her lose herself if he told her to do the part that was always the most dangerous. If she was the one that was supposed to broadcast the magic, she could lose herself and be lost forever.

And she didn't know if she could that.

She didn't know if she could trust him.

"But you will…"

Bella looked at Luna and Luna only offered a smile.

* * *

**Jones Manor, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**10:07 PM**

"This party is actually…a lot of fun," Ernie crowed as the ballroom danced to the beautiful music, courtesy of the Griffins. They were just as good as they had been, two years ago at the Yule Ball. Bella would've wondered how Gwenog Jones had gotten them but then she realized it was _Gwenog Jones_.

"I've been to parties that were more fun," Bella said, truthfully. She took another sip of wine and she felt the familiar feel of getting tipsy. Ernie looked at her in surprise and he crossed his arms.

"Where?"

"Romania, actually. The night of my birthday, Charlie Weasley took Drake, Hermione, Luna, Blaise and I to a party. It was the most fun I'd had in months, truthfully," Bella said, honestly. Ernie shrugged as he couldn't exactly judge. He hadn't been there and Bella doubted that he'd ever been anywhere remotely like this.

A familiar tone picked up and Bella looked up, sharply at the ominous music.

_Out on your own_

_Cold and alone again_

_Can this be what you really wanted, baby?_

"Do you want to dance?" Ernie asked, noticing the excited expression on her face. Bella nodded and he led her onto the dance room. Everyone seemed to notice Bella Potter finally getting up to dance. They hadn't danced at all before. They crowded around in a sort of a circle, to avoid stepping on her train.

_Lacrymosa_

_Blame it on me_

_Dies illa_

_Set your guilt free_

_Lacrymosa_

_Nothing can hold you back now_

Bella was dancing comfortably but she truly wasn't having that much fun. Ernie danced like a pureblood. Perfect box shape. He didn't have passion when he danced. It wasn't as if Bella was unaware that there wasn't any passion in what she had with Ernie. But that didn't mean she didn't want to be with him or that she didn't genuinely like him. She did in fact like him.

But as a friend.

She found it strange that she had been attracted to him just hours before but now…he was…boring.

_Now that you're gone_

_I feel like myself again,_

_Grieving things I can't repair and willing…_

_Lacrymosa_

_To let you blame it on me_

_Dies illa_

_I'll set your guilt free_

_Lacrymosa_

_I don't want to hold you back now, love_

Bella was suddenly spun out of Ernie's arm and Ernie gaped in surprise and confusion. Bella looked up in alarm at the man she was dancing with and she almost stopped dancing completely. He was devastatingly handsome despite the white mask that was covering the left half of his face. His _extremely _familiar face.

_I can't change who I am._

_Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me_

His costume was simpler than hers and was mainly dark colors. He wore a cloak over an old Victorian suit. Under the suit jacket, he was wearing a vest and a plum-colored tie. He was smirking down at her as he spun her away from him, her dressing gown sweeping along the floor, elegantly. He spun her in and instead of dipping her, he held her to him, his hands resting on the corset. He grabbed on of her hands and kept his other hand to her waist. Her slender hand rested under the one on her waist. He danced with her, gracefully until he pulled her to face him once more.

_And in this short life,_

_There's no time to waste on giving up_

_My love wasn't enough._

He dipped her, pulled her up, spun her out, and then spun her back in. Then, he began to waltz with her, gracefully. Bella caught the eye of her siblings and they were looking at her in alarm. It seemed that they had not recognized him yet. She looked at Luna and Luna smirked.

"What the hell?" Bella mouthed. Luna winked.

They moved on quickly and they began dancing centrally in the middle of the large circle of watchers.

_Lacrymosa_

_And you can blame it on me_

_Dies illa_

_Set your guilt free, honey_

_Lacrymosa_

_I don't want to hold you back now, love_

He danced with Bella in what seemed like a mix of a tango and waltz move. The dance ended with him stepping away and dropping into a low bow. Bella beamed at him and her mouth dropped open when he withdrew a rose with a black ribbon. Bella recognized the gesture instantly.

"The Phantom…"

"_Mademoiselle, rencontrez-moi dans la salle au bout du couiloir, première porte sur la gauche,_" he instructed. Bella nodded, shocked.

If she'd been paying more attention, she would've noticed the magic lacing his voice.

He smirked at her and slid into the shadows before disappearing completely. Bella was left standing in the middle of the circle with a red rose and a black ribbon.

"What was _that_?" Ernie demanded, the jealousy almost palpable. Bella shook her head and beamed at Luna.

"You're insane. You set this up."

Luna nodded.

"I know."

Daphne was giving Luna a critical eye before the girl dressed up as the Jabberwocky approached the two girls and Ernie. Ernie was being wildly ignored and he glared at them before storming away to sulk in a corner.

"That face. That mask may fool everyone else but I'd recognize that attractive voice anywhere even if he spoke in French. That was Riddle, wasn't it?" Daphne whispered. Bella and Luna nodded. Daphne couldn't help but notice how annoyed Bella looked by the entire gesture and the dance just in general.

"He spoke French…I knew he could speak but I've never heard him speak in French. His accent is _perfect_. I've heard him speak Russian but his accent wasn't _that_ good. He really wants me to trust him," Bella said. Luna looked rather impressed with herself for orchestrating and setting the whole thing up for Bella and Tom.

"Didn't he tell you to meet him in a room?" Luna asked, quietly. Bella nodded. Her smile grew more sardonic

"I'd like to hear his convincing argument, for sure. I mean you _did_ say that he was just going to kidnap me. But apparently, he wants to speak to me. But Slughorn…"

"We'll cover for you," Daphne said, brightly. Luna nodded and Bella's smile turned into a full blown sarcastic grin once more. She threw her arms around Daphne and Daphne returned the hug. She kissed both of Luna's cheeks and Luna returned the gesture easily. She swept from the room, ignoring the eyes on her.

"I bet you they'll be back together by Yule," Daphne said. Luna gave her an amused smile.

"Nope. I shouldn't bet with you. I'm a Seer. It wouldn't be actually fair," Luna said, grinning. They watched as Ernie snuck out after Bella. This would be far too amusing to miss. The two girls snuck forward as Hermione, Blaise, and Draco started to walk out as well. Luna grabbed them.

"No. It's Tom Marvolo," Luna said, sharply. The three overprotective siblings relaxed and nodded.

"What about Ernie?" Draco asked. Luna and Daphne exchanged looks.

"Bella's in for a little surprise. She won't take too kindly to the information she'll learn in a few moments."

* * *

**Jones Manor, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**10:23 PM**

Bella stopped in front of the door that Tom had dictated. They were two double doors and were intricate with silver handles. There was a keyhole in it without a key so Bella assumed that it was unlocked. She grabbed the handle when someone grabbed her arm. She spun around, grabbing her wand from her stocking and pointing at the person.

Ernie stepped back, his hands held up.

"What are you doing?" Ernie asked, curiously. Bella glared at him, annoyed for some reason. She wasn't sure why she was acting so…like this.

"I'm just looking around," Bella lied.

"You shouldn't be going around other people's houses without asking," Ernie said, solemnly. Bella rolled her eyes and she pushed down the handle. Ernie pulled her hand away from the handle it snapped back into place. Bella gave him a fierce glare and he almost cowered away from him.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child and _don't_ touch me. Go back to the party, Ernie," Bella snarled. Ernie looked like he wanted to but he straightened, almost confidently. But it was a mask. He was actually scared out of his wits. Bella could tell and…

She liked it.

She craved it.

The fear.

"No. Not without you," Ernie said, sharply. Bella glared at him.

"Shut up, Ernie and go away," she said, sliding her wand back into her stocking. Ernie was distracted by the exposure of her milky white skin and Bella smirked. She would channel her inner-Daphne. She pushed Ernie against the wall and he flushed. She looked down and almost snorted when she saw that he was _already_ hard.

"You enjoy my company," Bella said, looking down pointedly. Ernie flushed and he leaned down to kiss Bella. Bella's lips curled into a wicked smirk and she held Ernie to the wall. She grabbed his hair as if she were about to kiss him. She then slammed his head back into the wall. He groaned and fell to the ground. Bella dodged into the room and looked around.

It was a drawing room and there was a vanity with a large mirror behind it. Bella sat down at the vanity and she didn't even notice a skeleton key being turned in the door by a gloved hand and tucked into someone's pocket.

"Insolent boy…but you're a tease. I can see how he'd react that way. He enjoys your outfit too much, I do think. But he doesn't know you, Angel. He doesn't know the Darkness that touches your heart. He's such an ignorant fool," a voice whispered. Bella jumped and she looked into the mirror. Tom was standing behind her and she hadn't even noticed.

What the hell?

"Tom…what do you mean by that?" Bella asked.

"Attraction charms don't work very well on the innately Dark," Tom stated, matter-of-factly. Bella's eyes flashed but she didn't turn around. Tom bent down and she felt his nose touch her neck. She restrained herself from shuddering at his touch.

"What do you mean by _that_?" Bella hissed.

"A Hufflepuff, love? And a pompous git Hufflepuff at that? You've got better taste than that. You were the only girl who wasn't throwing herself at Cedric Diggory. It's because you don't like Hufflepuffs. So _why_ are you dating a scrawny, freckly, _blond_ Hufflepuff now?" Tom asked, his lips moving across her neck.

And for some reason, Bella didn't try to punch him. What he was doing didn't feel sexual. He wasn't even actually kissing her neck. He was speaking against it. And Bella trusted him _enough_ not to do something stupid like kissing her neck.

"He hit me with an enthrallment charm? When?" Bella demanded. Tom hummed.

"Most likely during your date in Hogsmeade. Perhaps he spiked your drink. I don't know. I wonder why you didn't notice it before. He's the exact opposite of what you're attracted to," Tom said, shrugging. He pulled back and Bella groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm such an _idiot_. How could I…I'm a failure as Victory. I'm a failure as a Dark witch. How could I not notice an attraction charm? I was so stupid. If I didn't have you, I probably would've agreed to be that idiot's girlfriend," Bella grumbled into her hands. It came out muffled because of said appendages. Tom gave her an affectionate smile when she wasn't looking.

"You're not a failure. You're only sixteen."

Bella looked up sharply.

"I'm not _only_ sixteen. I'm Nikolai, Horseman of the Apocalypse. I'm the leader of the Horsemen and by extension, Hydra. I'm supposed to recognize these things. If I didn't even notice a _attraction_ charm—"

"Look at your face in the mirror," Tom said, shortly. Bella looked at him through the mirror as if he were insane. Her gaze shifted to her own. Her hair was coming loose and was about to sprout into thick curls instead of the tame half down, half up style she had going on.

"What am I supposed to see?" Bella snapped.

"A beautiful, talented, if a little naïve Horseman of the Apocalypse. A sixteen-year-old girl. You're supposed to see yourself for how you are," Tom snapped back, just as harshly. Bella's anger faltered and she sighed before her eyes showed her determination.

"I'm still going to kill him."

"No. You're not."

Bella stopped and looked at him in surprise. Then anger flashed through her eyes again.

"You're the last one I thought would be telling me _not_ to kill him. I thought you'd be egging me on," Bella snarled. Tom held out his hand but Bella got up without taking his hand. He touched her face.

"Come with me, Angel," Tom said, magic lacing his voice. Bella blinked as the thrall took over. She glared at him as she tried to fight the compulsion magic.

"Who is that? Who is that in there?" roared a voice.

It was obviously Ernie. Bella and Tom ignored that voice, easily. Ernie rattled the door, attempting to get in. Bella opened her mouth to say something but Tom placed a gloved finger to her lips and she stared at him in annoyance.

"Come to me, little Anya. Come with me, little Anya."

Bella blinked as she heard her real name being shouted more and more. Bella could only hear the voice and she could only smell blood and chocolate. Tom slipped a hand around her waist and he pulled her towards the shadows. Bella knew that somehow, Tom didn't travel by Apparition anymore. He traveled by shadow.

"Come to me, beautiful Nikolai."

He offered his hand again and Bella slid her hand into it. He walked her back into the shadows and suddenly Bella was a shadow herself.

As she left, she heard a shout.

"BELLA! BELLA!"

Wherever they were traveling through was dark and they seemed to be everything yet nothing at all. Everything seemed to melt into place suddenly and Bella realized that they were in Tom's office in the shadow of a bookcase.

Nagini looked up from her perch on his chair but didn't say anything.

Perhaps she was too astonished by the strange scene.

Bella followed him as he led her from the room. The words continued to echo through her head. Angel. Little Anya. Beautiful Nikolai. So many pseudonyms yet they meant one thing. Her.

She was they and they were she.

But that didn't stop her from being angry that Tom had used a thrall on her.

"How dare you?" Bella hissed as they exited the hallway and she felt the cold air of the dungeons hitting her face. She shivered but Tom didn't pay much mind to her. He pulled her up the stairs and dodged into an alcove as Filius Flitwick passed, patrolling the hallways. Bella squirmed against Tom. His hand was over her mouth and she was pulled flush against him, his hand on her flat stomach to prevent her from running.

"Stop moving," he hissed in her ear. She didn't. Flitwick passed and turned down the corner and Tom unwrapped his arm from Bella's waist and began pulling her down the hallway.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**10:46 PM**

"What are we doing down here anyway?" Christine demanded, none too quietly. Ginny hushed the girl and she turned to her brother with an annoyed look on her face. Her glare almost put Bella's to shame. Gideon didn't flinch. He had insisted Ginny come for a reason. They were looking for the kitchens that Fred and George had told them about.

The problem was that they had refused to tell them which floor. Bella wasn't there so they couldn't request the Marauder's Map so they had to make do. They were currently on the third floor, coming down a staircase.

"We're going to find the kitchen. I already told you. Be quiet," Gideon said, softly. Michael Brown sighed and he gave a loud yawn as they came to the second floor.

"Well, we're out after curfew. We should go back. We don't want to be cau—"

"I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to argue with you. Just let me go back."

Everyone froze and they looked at each other, fear and curiosity in their eyes. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Ginny grabbed them and pulled them into a doorway. Ginny was pressed again Michael Brown's chest and he flushed. She gave him a flirtatious smile and Gideon rolled his eyes.

"You're arguing with me right now. You wanted to know, so you'll know," somebody snarled.

They gaped as they watched a man in a half white mask and a suit pulling a beautiful young woman with wild curls along. Her white dressing gown dragged across the floor yet repelled dirt and dust. Part of her leg was slightly exposed by a slit in the side of her skirt.

"Please…I don't…I can't. I don't trust you. Tell me sometime else. I don't even know where we're going," the young woman pleaded. She had finally pulled the man to a stop and he looked back at her with unfathomable eyes. He pulled her flush against him. The young woman gasped in shock.

"Then learn to trust me. For some inexplicable reason, I seem to trust you," the man murmured. The young woman looked at him with wide eyes and she shook her head, the wild curls moving with her.

"You _kidnapped_ me. I was going to kick his ass but then you _kidnapped_ me. How am I supposed to trust you?" demanded the young woman. The man smirked at her and pressed his finger to her lips.

"_Je t'ai empêché de tuer un innocent._"

The young woman stopped at the French and she glared at him in annoyance.

"That…I…damn you. I just want to go back. I can't do this…_please_," the young woman pleaded.

"_Je ne pourrai jamais te laisser repartir, amour_."

The young woman's eyes narrowed.

"Don't call me that."

"Fine, I won't. It's not like it's true anyway."

The young woman growled at him and the man smirked. He tipped her head back.

"They don't fear me for nothing, _Magnifique_. I'm going to explain to you what I am and why I am what I am. Isn't that what you wanted?" the man asked. The young woman flushed and looked away.

"I didn't want to be _kidnapped_ for you to do that."

"Too bad. It's eleven. It's Samhain. The barrier will be thin enough soon."

"I don't want to do the ritual. It'll make me more than Dark and you know it. You're trying to corrupt me," the young woman accused. Ginny could see that she was quickly running out of excuses. Ginny wondered what was going on.

"I've already corrupted you. I can't do it again. And the ritual doesn't make you Dark. There's the possibility of losing yourself because of all the pure magic but it isn't Dark magic," the man argued back.

"Well…I…they're going to miss me. They're going to wonder where I am."

"You're such a silly child. Your excuses are so weak, I wonder if you actually want to go back. Though you turn from me, to glance behind, you _want_ this. You want the power. You want to help me," the man said, softly. The woman glared at him and the man took that as a sign that he had won the argument. He pulled her down the hallway and they turned down the hallway, the young woman looking back towards the staircase, worriedly.

Ginny, Christine, Michael, and Gideon slipped from the doorway and stared, shocked. Ginny couldn't understand _what_ had just happened. Christine seemed to realize what had just happened.

"That…that was Christine Daae! And that was the Phantom of the Opera!" Christine said, sharply. The three fifth year looked at her as if she were insane and she continued to point. She turned towards them.

"What?" Ginny asked, confused.

"My mother loves the book _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_. She read the English version, _That Phantom of the Opera_ by Gaston Leroux. I was named after the main character when I was born. Her name was Christine. Recently, I saw The Phantom of the Opera in the West End. It's a musical. She was dressed sort of like that…and that…that was the Phantom," Christine explained. The three fifth years frowned before Christine made to follow after them. Ginny grabbed her arm and Christine turned.

"No…they're doing a Samhain ritual. It's dangerous. Some are okay but we don't know what they're doing. We don't even know who they are. It'd be best if we just stayed out of it," Ginny said, being the voice of reason. Christine sighed and nodded.

She looked after the two people that had just disappeared down the hallway and frowned.

She'd figure out who they were. She would.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**11:05 PM**

Bella looked at the sink they were standing in front of and she frowned in confusion.

"This is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Bella said, softly. Tom looked back at her and nodded, slowly.

"It is. This is where she died. Moaning Myrtle was the girl I killed…when I was sixteen," Tom whispered, hoarsely. Bella's eyes widened and she looked at him in utter confusion. Tom had been very quiet about what had happened when he was sixteen. She had known that he had killed a girl but she wondered why.

"Why?" she whispered.

He didn't answer right away. He looked at her with soft eyes, so different from the cockiness that his eyes had held before. Bella wondered why there was a sudden change.

It would be a long time before she finally realized that it was to mess with the heads of four lone students.

"Don't think less of me, Anya. When you find out. **Open**."

The sink slid into the floor and then went to the side, revealing the gaping hole to a slide. Bella gaped and looked at Tom. He hissed something under his breath and the slide turned into stairs. He pulled out his wand and lit it. It revealed slimy walls though the stairs seemed clean enough.

"What is this?" Bella asked as he led her down the stairs. He waved his wand and fire erupted on all sides in torches that lined the wall. Bella couldn't help but feel wonder at the ethereal place that she was entering. As they went down, the torches in the brackets automatically lit to reveal more stairs.

"This is the stairway down into the Chamber of Secrets."

Tom didn't look back at her but if he had, he would have seen the stunned and perplexed expression on Bella's face. Her pretty face no longer held the anger and rage she had felt moments before. They was only immense interest.

"You shall learn all of his Secrets as you enter the Chamber," Bella whispered. Tom spared her a quick glance. It sounded so unlike her and Tom knew that it was Luna who had said it.

"Don't think less of me," Tom warned once more when they finally reached the bottom. Bella looked around at the disgusting antechamber. There was a vault like door with snakes running along it, like locks. Skeletons of rats and other small rodents littered the ground. Bella stepped over them, sneering.

"**Open,**" Tom hissed. There was a loud answering hiss and the vault-like door opened slowly, with a loud creaking noise. Bella stared inside in wonder. The Chamber was unlike anything that she had ever seen.

It was wet and it smelled like something was rotting but that didn't damper the medieval beauty of the entire scene.

The Chamber of Secrets was long in length and rather wide as well. It was flanked with towering pillars entwined with carved snakes. At the far end was a statue of the man that Bella had come to identify as Salazar Slytherin. The intricate detail was unlike anything that Bella had ever seen.

Tom grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her along as he shoved his wand up his sleeve. Bella looked back as he waved his hand. There was the echoing sound of something slamming shut and then another sound that was much closer. Bella imagined that he had just closed the two entrances. She looked at him in surprise.

"**Speak to me, Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four! Chamber, reveal your Secrets!**" Tom commanded. The great stone mouth of Salazar Slytherin opened with a loud groan. There was a wet sound as something moved inside of it.

And then a great snake emerged from the mouth of Salazar Slytherin.

Bella was frozen in admiration. She knew that deep inside she should be terrified. She _should _be running in fear. But she only wanted to experience more of this. She could feel the Darkness that the Chamber of Secrets radiated. And she wanted it.

Merlin, she wanted it.

"**Master…it has been a long time,**" the Basilisk hissed. Tom nodded and he looked away from the Basilisk's eyes. Bella averted her eyes as well.

"**Largato…shield your eyes. We have a guest,**" Tom commanded. The Basilisk suddenly seemed to notice Bella and it hissed, menacingly at Bella. Bella glared back at it and a thin layer seemed to come from where eyelids would be on a person. It was translucent but it hid the yellow color and transformed it to a green, almost the exact same shade as its deadly poisonous green shades. Bella looked in its eyes and she found that she was not dead.

"**Who is **_**she**_**? Master, is she my meal?**" Largato hissed, anxiously. She seemed to take pleasure in the idea and Bella glared right back at Largato, annoyed.

"**No I am not! Thank you very much!**" Bella spat. Largato reared back and swiveled her head to her master. She leaned forward.

"**She can speak it? She can speak the Snake's Tongue?**" Largato demanded, angrily. Tom sighed and nodded.

"**Yes. Evidently. She's also my…Heir. Treat her with the amount of respect that you treat me. **Anya, come. We have limited time to talk. We'll talk as we prepare for the ritual," Tom commanded. He walked towards the mouth that the Basilisk had emerged from and climbed inside. Bella looked at him in surprise and held out his hand. She grabbed it and he hoisted her up. She looked around and saw a long circular tunnel. Water was dripping from all sides and pooling on the ground.

Bella thanked and cursed Luna once more.

The two Parselmouths made their way down the tunnel until they emerged in what could only be called a burrow. It was almost like a bowl. Skeletons of rats and other small rodent littered the ground and there was fine powder that was obviously _used_ to be bones. Small pieces of snake shedding littered the ground.

For a brief second, Bella thought about Daphne and how she would rave on and on about Basilisk skin. Bella made a mental note to check when her birthday was.

"**Bridge,**" Tom hissed.

A slightly rotted wooden bride melted into view. There were no ropes and it swung dangerously despite the fact that there was no wind and there wasn't anyone on it. Bella looked at it and then gave Tom a look that suggested that he was insane.

"You can't expect me to cross that. And if you do, you're absolutely _insane_," Bella said, uncertainly. Tom gave a tense smirk.

"Scared?"

Bella froze at the insinuation before glaring at him and taking a hesitant step. It swung under her but she shakily walked until she was in the middle.

"You're going too slow."

And with those words, she was scooped up under the knees and she screamed. Tom rolled his eyes as he walked across, steadily. The bridge wasn't even moving any longer. He dropped her onto the ground on the other side and she groaned as she rubbed her back. She glared up at him.

"Bella, it's magic. The more nervous you are, the more it moves," Tom said, flatly. Bella flushed and she stood, annoyed. He opened the door and she stared in wonder at the inside. It was a circular study with books lining the walls. It was a sight to behold. Most of them were in Old English but some were in other languages.

But she knew now that this was where the Dark magic had been radiating from. She felt blissful. She gave a quiet moan as the magic worked around her. Tom cast her an amused look and he went forward, searching for something. His back was to her and she stared at him as he searched.

"It was 1943. I was fifteen going on sixteen. I opened the Chamber of Secrets. I killed Myrtle with the Basilisk. I murdered her. I felt no regret. She was a whiny Mudblood bitch. I hated Mudbloods then, you know. I still do to an extent. They were the bane of my existence. After Muggles of course. They only reminded me of the torment I went through until I found out about my heritage as the Heir of Slytherin. I ended up blaming the entire incident on the oaf, Hagrid, to keep the school from closing down," Tom said, flatly. He took down a book and began flipping through it as he settled behind a desk. Tom pushed the book towards Bella and he stood again, looking for something else now.

Bella looked at the cover and her eyes widened.

_Magick Moste Evile_.

The section that he had laid out for her was labeled: _The Moste Evile Of The Darke_

"Read it aloud," Tom commanded. Bella cleared her throat.

"_Of the Horcrux, wickedest of the magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction on the creation of such an evil thing,_" Bella read calmly. She opened her mouth to read more but Tom held up his hand. He brought down another book and began to flip through it once more.

"Horcruxes…I made my first Horcrux after I killed Myrtle. In your fourth year, Barty Crouch, disguised as Alastor Moody, began to explain the five Black Arts. I stopped him from describing the last. I said that the last was not to be taught. It is the worst. It is the vilest. And I am not ashamed to say that I practice it. Soul Magic, Anya," Tom clarified at Bella's confused frown. He pushed the book aside and Bella glanced at it.

It was for the Samhain ritual.

"What is a Horcrux?" Bella whispered. Tom gave her a dark look and Bella could truly see how Dark he was in that one moment. She could see how evil and wicked he was. She could see the slight insanity in her eyes. Those weren't the eyes of a Dark schoolteacher.

Those were the eyes of a psychopath. A murderer.

And they called out to her.

"You must understand that I had only one fear…one fear alone. Voldemort is French for—"

"Flight of Death. You're afraid of dying…but what does that have to do with Soul Magic?" Bella asked, hoarsely. Tom gave a twisted smile and Bella blinked as the crimson flecks in his eyes grew until they were a constant swirl of red and black.

"A Horcrux…is an object…in which a Dark witch or wizard…hides a fragment of…their soul for the purpose of attaining…_immortality_," Tom said, choosing his words carefully. Tom's voice caressed the word 'immortality' with loving. Bella's mouth fell open slightly and she shook her head in disbelief.

"No…you didn't…"

"I did. And there's only one way to do such a thing. Through _murder_. A horrifying act of brutality and coldness. I made a Horcrux when I was sixteen years old. I remember the date of every Horcrux I made. The first…January 7, 1943. The second…July 16, 1945. I didn't make the second one right away, you see. I had to wait…until I could be sure that it was okay. Horace Slughorn was such a fool. He told me that no one had ever made more but in theory, it could be done. The third…October 21, 1946. The fourth…November 16, 1946. I acquired the third and fourth at the same time. But, I needed time to recuperate afterwards. I was supposed to mutate by then, I knew but there is magic to attain your youth. It wasn't hard, creating the potion. I had the main ingredient at my leisure. I had made sure to take basilisk venom and scales from Largato," Tom said, conversationally. The slight insanity in his eyes grew and the wicked smile on his face grew. Bella couldn't help but be intrigued yet repulsed at what he had done to himself. She opened her mouth to interrupt but he kept going.

"The fifth, I searched for in Albania for a long time. The fifth was March 15, 1956. The sixth was relatively recent. August 9, 1963. Six Horcruxes. Six pieces of my souls. I split my soul into seven pieces. Seven…the ultimate number," Tom said, proudly. Bella let out a horrified sob and she couldn't help but feel sorry for Tom. She didn't think of less him and she didn't know why but she was horrified for him. She was scared for him. She pitied him.

"Tom…you mutilated your _soul_. Why? How could you do such a thing? How could you mutilate your very being? For something as silly as immortality?" Bella cried out. As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.

Tom grabbed her arms and she looked up at him. He was glaring harshly down at her with an indescribable anger on his face and in his eyes. The glints of insanity were so fierce and so twisted that Bella couldn't call him Tom. He wasn't Tom anymore. He was Lord Voldemort in that one moment.

"Do _not_ talk to me as if I'm a child, Bella Potter. I did what I must," Voldemort snarled at her. He let go of her and she fell back. Voldemort turned from Bella and he glared at the wall.

"The first was a diary…a small diary. The first Horcrux was the same diary that you wrote in, in your second year. The second Horcrux was a family signet ring that I acquired from my Uncle Morfin…after I framed him for the murder of my father and paternal grandparents. I used my father's murder to make the ring. The third I took from an old witch that was enamored with me. Her name was Hepzibah Smith. It's the necklace you wear around you neck, actually. I used murdered a Muggle tramp to create that one. The fourth I also took from Hepzibah Smith. The cup of Helga Hufflepuff. I used her murder to make that one. She was descended from Hufflepuff so I thought it was more poetic. Don't you agree?" Voldemort asked. He glared at Bella and Bella swallowed hard.

She nodded weakly and Voldemort seemed satisfied. He turned from Bella and cast a Tempus charm. It was eleven thirty. They had only thirty minutes until the barrier was at its thinnest. Bella knew that in thirty minutes, all would be silent. And then the centaurs would begin to chant and magic would whistle through the air. And then Magic would deem a pair to carry out the sacred task of reconstructing the barrier. She knew that Tom…no, Voldemort at the moment, and her would not be the only two attempting to do so.

She wondered if Magic would choose them.

"The fifth was strange. Did you know the Grey Lady is actually the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw? In my seventh year, I charmed her into telling me where the lost diadem of Ravenclaw was. It was in Albania, surprisingly enough. I killed a peasant to turn that one into a Horcrux. Finally, the sixth is my beloved familiar Nagini. Sweet Nagini. I killed a Muggle for that," Voldemort continued. Bella looked down at her neck and looked at the Horcrux. In thrummed against her chest and now Bella knew its true nature.

"Why did you give me two of your Horcruxes?" Bella whispered. Voldemort tilted his head.

"I've always wondered the same. I trust you for some inexplicable reason though you do not trust me. I'm sure you think I'm disgusting for _mutilating _my soul, as you so eloquently put it," Voldemort said with a cold smile on his face. Bella reached out slowly for him and he looked at her, sharply. He looked moments away from snapping. Bella grabbed onto his arm. He looked at her in surprise as she slowly wrapped her arm around his waist.

She wrapped her other arm around his waist and she buried her face in his chest.

"I don't find you disgusting…I feel sorry for you," she whispered, her voice surprisingly clear. Voldemort looked down at her, his arms hanging by his side.

"How dare you pity me?" he snarled. Bella looked up at him and she shook her head.

"Why would you do that? I don't understand…"

"Of _course_ you don't. You're destined to be immortal forever, Lady _Victory_. You had power bestowed onto you from power. I took my power. I stole my power. And stolen power is always the best. I ripped my power from Grindelwald. I was in Albania when I encountered him. He taught me things you could never dream of. Magic so evil…so twisted. But he was always a coward. Too scared to try it for himself. I convinced him to make his Horcruxes, you know. But of course, deep inside, he regrets it. And with each passing moment…a small little piece of his Horcruxes return to him. He becomes more and more mortal with each passing second. He's a _fool_," Voldemort spat. Bella froze and she looked up at him.

"Grindelwald? Horcruxes."

"Ah yes. Grindelwald's Horcruxes…such common stupid objects. That damned necklace that Draco consumed years ago. A copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard, hidden in Nurmengard. A book of letters from Albus Dumbledore, kept always with him. A romantic, he is. The last was supposed to be a brick from Nurmengard. It was all very simple. Pathetic even," Voldemort said as he went into a drawer and pulled out what looked like unicorn blood. Bella flinched at the sight. It reminded her too much of Nikita.

"But, then…I suppose he was preparing for another the night you vanquished him. He was going to use your death. You were his prophesied executioner. He performed the spell to break off a piece of his soul before the kill, which is probably the stupidest thing he's ever done. And with his soul so unstable, as he broke, a part of his immortal soul broke as well and embedded itself in the most powerful thing in the room," Voldemort said, pausing. Bella's hand went up to her forehead and she remembered the dream she had had just the year before.

The green light carving a lightning bolt and the white layer of protection. Her mother's protection didn't only protect her from Grindelwald. It held the piece of soul in her forehead at bay.

"No…" she hissed.

"Yes. The reason why you're connected. You're a Horcrux, precious."

Voldemort turned and picked up the book and a vial of unicorn blood. He handed them both to Bella before taking her hand and pulling her out the door. She flinched as she saw the bridge again. Voldemort picked her up again and walked with her to the other side. He placed her down and he continued down the tunnel. Bella walked, shakily as she absorbed all the information she had just heard.

Tom had split his soul. Because of the irrational fear of death. That was how…

"That's how…" Bella whispered. Voldemort looked over his shoulder as he led her out of Salazar Slytherin's mouth. The Basilisk was still coiled up, waiting. Voldemort knelt in front of the statue and pointed at a space. Bella put the book down and handed Voldemort the blood.

"Make that part of the circle. That's how what?" Voldemort asked, sharply. Bella swallowed.

"That's how…how you became Voldemort. You split your soul so many times that you…you became a different person," Bella whispered. Voldemort smirked and let out that high, cold laugh that sounded so familiar to Bella. She cringed when she realized that was because the same laugh came out of her occasion.

It was so different from Tom's laugh. His was rich and velvety, like chocolate. This was the complete opposite. It scared Bella that she enjoyed haring both.

"Ah, you're quite mistaken, precious. I am Lord Voldemort. I am Tom Marvolo Riddle. I'm not a different person. I suppose I could be described as two sides of a coin. It doesn't matter anyway. I'd hate to be two-dimensional in character," Voldemort drawled. Bella painted the ground in silver unicorn blood and she cringed every time she looked at it. She could only picture Nikita, her beloved stallion, twisting in pain.

"So…it's like…I'm Nikolai but I'm also Bella Potter," Bella said, softly as she finished drawing her half of the circle. It was the Wiccan pentacle.

Voldemort conjured five candles and handed it to her as he read the book. Bella placed the white candle at the top of the pentagram. She moved to the left of the top point. She placed down a blue candle. She moved down and placed down a green candle. She went to the next point and put down a red candle. She went to the last empty spot and put down a yellow candle and suddenly there was a flare of power and they were all lit.

All five candles seemed connected by an ethereal light. Voldemort's lips curled into a smile that resembled Tom's more than his own.

"Tom?" Bella whispered. The man turned to look at her and his lips held that sardonic smirk all the same. She wasn't sure what to call him now. It only got more confusing for her. She knew him but didn't know his name, now.

"Hmm, Anya?" Tom asked as he inspected the circle. Bella blinked. He wasn't calling her those ridiculous pet names anymore and he sounded saner. The crimson swirl wasn't gone from his eyes but that was okay, she supposed.

"You're back to normal?" Bella asked, hoarsely. Tom laughed, quietly.

"Normal is a relative term, darlin'. Voldemort has been repressed for far too long. It's difficult to go from one persona to the next. I do believe that they are…mixing. I believe my Horcruxes are causing this to happen. Voldemort is more human. I am more of a monster. I can't keep them separate any longer. Do forgive me if I do something slightly out of character," Tom said, softly. Bella nodded, slowly. Tom turned away from him and he whispered something under his breath before he looked back up at her.

"Magic has deemed us the ones to break and put up the barrier. I'm going to say a few words in Latin. You need to translate them into English. Can you do that?" Tom asked, quietly. Bella's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I-I…I can't. I'm not fluent enough. I'll mess up!" Bella stammered. Tom rolled his eyes at her stammer and he patted her on the top of the head.

"Perish the thought. You'd kill us if you did," Tom said, almost cheerfully. Bella's mouth fell open and she stared at him as he looked down at the book.

"Magic, we invoke your power," Tom said, softly. He looked at Bella and she nodded, slowly.

"M-magia, tuum invocamus," Bella stuttered. Tom nodded at her and then suddenly there was a flare of magic. It caressed her and it wasn't Dark or Light.

It was just pure, raw, unadulterated magic.

* * *

**Jones Manor, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**12:00 AM**

There was a low chiming noise and everyone felt the flare of magic. There was complete silence and Hermione let out a low moan as magic rushed through her. And it wasn't Dark or Light. It was just power…

"What's happening?" Fay whispered. Hermione hushed her and Luna closed her eyes. She pushed back her hair, revealing her ears and she walked towards the front of the room. It suddenly dawned on Hermione that Luna was wearing Elven clothes and passing it for a costume.

She had _known_ that this was going to happen. Luna stepped onto the dais that the Griffins were playing on and they saw her clothing. They stepped back in respect and recognition. It was clear that she was the Dark Seer to all that knew the old stories. Everyone stared up at her. Her eyes flashed open and the grey was completely gone.

Her eyes seemed like endless black pits of knowing. They were the eyes of her ancestors. Their wisdom resided in her for that one night as she carried out what she had been deemed to do. For this one night, she was a priestess of magic. She wasn't just as a Seer.

"Merry meet," Luna said, softly. Her voice rang clear to everyone in the room and they knew instinctually what they had to do.

"Merry meet," the crowd responded in kind. Luna smiled and started to sway with the magic sweeping over everyone. She smiled at everyone.

"May we witness this great Samhain night as two of our kind once more begins the ritual. Let them feel our given magic now. Blessed be," Luna said. Draco smiled at her and looked to the other Gryffindors. They looked completely confused. Even Draco was slightly confused. He knew when the ritual was completed. Everyone felt that.

But he had never heard of feeling the magic when it just began. He moaned as the barrier began to crack. He felt like he was high. The magic was associated with the dead and he was part of them as they were part of him. He was reminded of the vow he had made but he took his mind elsewhere.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**12:00 AM**

Lady Hogwarts came awake as the magic flowed from the Chamber and outwards. The inhabitants of the castle awoke and exchanged glances. They knew where they had to go. They could feel it in their very being. Ginny had just settled in her bed before she rose once more. She looked at her roommates.

"What?" Ginny whispered. They pointed to the door and gestured her along. Ginny nodded and they walked down the stairs, along with all the other girls. She looked around, confused. She wasn't sure why she was compelled to go to the Great Hall but she knew she had to.

She walked down in her pajamas and she saw other students doing the same. She looked to Gideon and he grabbed her hand. Ron was with him and they exchanged confused looks.

"Do you know what's going on?" Ron whispered. Ginny frowned before she saw a Slytherin walking past.

"Something's going on. The Samhain Ritual…it's happening now," he whispered to his companion. His companion nodded and everyone stopped as the magic roared up and they sighed as one. The group entered the Great Hall and there were other students standing there as well.

"Merry meet!"

Everyone stopped and watched as a fourth year climbed atop the dais where most of the teachers sat during the mealtimes. Ginny glanced at the fourth year. She was pretty with wide eyes that reminded her of Daphne Greengrass and dark hair. Ginny looked back at the doors. Dumbledore and a few other teachers stood, watching in confusion.

"Merry meet!" responded most of the congregation. Ginny frowned.

"May we witness this great Samhain night as two of our kind once more begins the ritual. From the sun setting on All Hallows Eve to the sun setting on this Samhain day, we shall honor the dead and our ancestors," the girl said with a given authority.

"What is going on, Miss Greengrass?" McGonagall demanded. The girl, Astoria Greengrass, looked at McGonagall with unblinking eyes.

"This doesn't involve teachers, Professor. It's Samhain. The ritual has started. _No one_ has ever documented feeling the magic before the ritual ends. The two doing this ritual on this night are exceptionally powerful. And so we must say, blessed be," Astoria commanded. Ginny felt the magic compel her to respond and she did in turn. The rest of the congregation did the same, barring the teachers.

"Blessed be!"

* * *

**Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**12:00 AM**

"Air, awaken and shred the barrier of the dead so they may join us for a moment of chaos and tranquility. May the East Wind bring Magic to all creatures, magical or no, alive or not. Representation of the mind and intelligence, we summon you. Heighten the power of wind magick and prophecy for this one moment as we join the dead to us. We call Air to this circle," Tom invoked.

He walked around the circle once and then gestured to Bella. Bella swallowed and hse closed her eyes in concentration. She called the words to her and they seemed to form in her head without much thought.

"_Aerem, ut suscitet mortuos et concidit claustra Lorem ipsum dolor momento chaos et quies. Ventus Magis Eurus Sint ut felis omnibus creaturis, magicas an non, aut non vivum. Imago animi et ingenii, nos vocare te. Magick augendam vim ventorum et prophetia id nunc ut mortuos nos coniungimur. Aerem dicimus hoc circulo_," Bella summoned.

There was a blast of wind that smelt of clove, myrrh, and lavender. The wind whipped Bella's hair round and it did the same to Tom's. She circled around the pentacle for a moment and then touched the yellow candle's wick. It burst into white and yellow flames.

Tom nodded once and moved on to the next one.

"Fire, awaken, and set the barrier of the dead alight so they may join us for a moment of chaos and tranquility. May the Flares of the Sun bring Magic to all creatures, magical or no, alive or not. Representation of energy and passion, we summon you. Heighten the power of healing and energy for this one moment as we join the dead to us. We call Fire to this circle."

Tom circled the pentacle and came back.

"_Ignem excitare, et ad aggerem ut mortuorum cadens Lorem ipsum dolor momento chaos et quies. Sint ut felis Solis Flares omnibus creaturis, magicas an non, aut non vivum. Imago impigrum et passione nobis voco te. Hoc modo sanitas et vis sublimiorem potestatem, ut mortuos nos coniungimur. Nominamus, hunc circulum ignis_," Bella said, her voice slightly deeper and hoarser than before.

There was the briefest moment of searing heat that strangely enough had the daunting and heavy smell of garlic. It disappeared as quickly as it came. Bella circled and touched the wick. It burst into a crimson flame. Tom nodded once and moved on to the next one.

"Earth, awaken, and rip apart the barrier of the dead so they may join us for a moment of chaos and tranquility. May the Deep Center of Gaia bring Magic to all creatures, magical or no, alive or not. Representation of strength and stability, we summon you. Heighten the power of rune work and binding magic for this one moment as we join the dead to us. We call Earth to this circle," Tom said in a clear voice. His voice echoed through the Chamber. Bella glanced at Largato. She was slumped. All creatures, Muggle or magical, creature or human, could feel the powerful magic amplified through Tom and Bella.

Bella could feel and almost hear something cracking. There were figures flickering in and out of being inside the circle. Bella could see some of them watching eagerly and hungrily. They wanted to escape for that one moment. Tom circled and ran his fingertips along Bella's satin cheek. She began to walk around slowly as she began the Latin translation.

"_Terra, excitare, ut et mortuorum eviscero extra claustra Lorem ipsum dolor momento chaos et quies. Utinam ut tellus a Magia Gaia omnibus creaturis, magicas an non, aut non vivum. Imago roboris firmitatem, nos vocare te. Rune sublimiorem potestatem ligandi et opere magica. Nominamus, hunc orbem terrarum_," Bella said, calling for Earth to join their circle. There was a rumbling underneath them and then the smell of fresh soil and ivy. The smell disappeared and Bella touched the wick. It lit and strangely enough, the fire was green and brown.

"Water, awaken, and crash into the barrier of the dead so they may join us for a moment of chaos and tranquility. May the Seven Seas of Poseidon bring Magic to all creatures, magical or no, alive or not. Representation of emotions and wisdom, we summon you. Heighten the power of divination and cleansing rituals for this one moment as we join the dead to us. We call Water to this circle," Tom commanded.

He circled and Bella looked at him. She looked around and she was shocked to see the magic becoming _tangible_. It was everywhere.

Radiating off of everything in waves of every color. She could feel her wand vibrating and she looked down at her hand. The magic was destroying the glamour over it. She looked as the Deathly Hallows scar burned brightly. Bella shook with the magic and pain. Tom touched his hand to her neck and nodded once at her. Bella swallowed and nodded.

"_Aqua suscitant et mortuorum ut fragosus in aggere Lorem ipsum dolor momento chaos et quies. May Septem Maria of Poseidon ut Magia omnibus creaturis, magicas an non, aut non vivum. Imago De affectibus ac sapientiae, nos vocare te. Ritus augendam vim divinationis hoc nunc, et emundans sicut mortuos nos coniungimur. Aqua dicimus hoc circulo,_" Bella said, stammering in the beginning for a moment. She gained more confidence as she went on and she put the pain aside and only kept her concentration on the magic.

Bella looked around and she could see the puddles of water from the Black Lake that had leaked in were now swirling unnaturally. They seemed to radiate the scent of ferns and gardenia. The spirals of water went as high as the ceiling, the water never ending, before falling to the ground with a loud splashing sound. Bella circled and touched the wick of the blue candle. The flames were blue and indigo. Bella looked at the last candle.

The circle on the outside of the pentagram was glowing brighter. The unicorn blood was shining so much that Bella had to blink a few times.

"Spirit, awaken, and destroy the barrier of the dead so they may join us for a moment of chaos and tranquility. May the endless bounds of Space and Time bring Magic to all creatures, magical or no, alive or not. Representation of space, connection, and balance to all four elements, joy, and union, we summon you. Heighten the power of Magic, Light, Dark, and Neutral for this one moment as the dead join us. We call Aether to this circle," Tom commanded.

Bella gasped as she felt Spirit enter her first. She couldn't move. She felt reassuring hands on her shoulder.

"Bella say the words…trust me. I won't let you lose yourself. I swear. I _promise _you. Trust me," he whispered in her ear. Bella nodded, stiffly and she walked around the circle as she said the words.

"_Spiritus suscitant, et perdam ex mortuis ut claustra Lorem ipsum dolor momento chaos et quies. Utinam dignissim Magia ut spatii et temporis modus omnibus creaturis, magicas an non, aut non vivum. Imago spatii, nexus et statera omnia quatuor elementa, gaudium et unionem nos vocare te. Magia augendam vim lux tenebris sicut mortuos Neutrali hoc modo suo nos. Nominamus, hunc circulum Aether_," Bella commanded with so much force that there was a burst of white flames before she could even touch the wick.

Suddenly, the flames were connected with an ethereal rope of light and magic. The rope of magic was golden. It wasn't the black of the Dark. It wasn't the white of the Light. It wasn't even the silver of the Neutral. It was pure and untainted magic.

The flare of magic expanded and suddenly, spirits were rushing from the gateway. They had brought the barrier into the physical world successfully.

The barrier of the dead was gone.

* * *

**Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**12:30 AM**

"This is crazy. It's just a silly old ritual. Nothing's going to happen," Melinda muttered to her friend. Chance gave her a look, telling her to shut up and just watch. Melinda shook her head.

"It's not going to work."

"You're a Muggleborn, Mel. You wouldn't get i—" Chance finally said.

"Watch carefully! It should happen any second!" commanded Jake McCarthy. The interns looked up at their mentor as he stood next to the dais. He opened his mouth to speak when there was the toiling sound of a bell. Everyone stopped as the veil fluttered and was pushed aside.

They stared at the woman standing on the dais. Her long fiery red hair contrasted with her emerald green eyes and she wasn't smiling. She looked around, her once creamy skin translucent. They all knew from the stories whom this woman was. She had been one of the most successful Unspeakables there ever was and she was a legend to many.

Lily Potter.

"Lily?" Jake whispered. Lily had been his mentor all those years ago and seeing her now was almost frightening. Lily looked at him sharply before her lips spread into a slight smile.

"Jake…this isn't exactly the place I wanted to exit at. I must go. The barrier will be reconstructed soon and I must visit the two that brought the gateway to the physical world," Lily said, softly. Jake blinked and stared at her in surprise.

"W-what do you mean? Brought it to the physical world?"

"A wizard and a witch. Quite possibly the two strongest magical people on the face of this planet. Lady Nikolai and Lord Voldemort," Lily said, her lips twisting into a slightly proud smile. Everyone looked at the dead woman, horrified.

"Voldemort?" Chance croaked out. Lily nodded with a smile.

"Yes…but do remember Nikolai. She will be a force to reckon with. I bid you all farewell. Merry meet," Lily greeted before she disappeared in a haze of magic. Everyone stared at where she had been and the archway glowed.

* * *

**Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**12:33 AM**

"Mama?"

Bella stared at the woman standing inside the pentacle. She was in the very middle and was smiling proudly at Bella. Tom looked surprised as well. He frowned as the woman smiled at him. She reached her hand out and it closed around Bella's wrist. Bella's eyes widened as the woman stepped from the pentacle and kissed Bella's forehead.

"Merry meet, Bella. My brave little girl. I am so proud of you. So very proud," Lily smiled. She hugged Bella tightly and Bella hugged her back though she was extremely confused. Tom frowned at the woman and Lily let go. She turned back to Tom and the dead woman kissed his cheek.

"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of her. Thank you so much," Lily whispered. Tom nodded, slowly, just as confused as Bella. Bella frowned and Lily took a step towards her and she placed her hand on her cheek.

"My little girl, do you understand what I told you two years ago? You must be strong. You must never give up. And when people make you cry and you are afraid of the Light that burns your eyes, you can always run to the safety of the shadows. And he will be there and hold you for you are his all. You are his everything. Do you understand?" Lily asked, calmly. Bella blinked and she nodded, slowly. She frowned as she analyzed the words.

_And when people make you cry and you are afraid of the Light that burns your eyes, you can always run to the safety of the __**shadows**__._

Bella looked at Tom and he seemed to understand the words as well. He looked very stoic at the moment. He looked away from mother and daughter and Bella swallowed and smiled.

"I…I do. I think. Tom…is probably something like my best friend. I suppose he is my best friend. I do understand," Bella said, softly. Tom looked at her, sharply. Bella offered him a slight smile. Lily frowned and she put a hand on her hip before shrugging.

"Close enough. You'll understand one day. He already does. My love, don't ever doubt yourself. And don't ever give up. Don't let Luna give up. Don't let Hermione give up. Don't let Blaise give up. Don't let Draco give up. Even when life seems bleak and you seem to have lost everything, don't _ever_ give up," Lily said. She grabbed Bella's chin and made the shorter woman look up at her. The redhead kissed Bella's forehead.

"All…all right, Mum," Bella whispered. Lily smiled.

"Close the circle, love. Construct the barrier," Lily commanded. Bella nodded and Lily stepped back inside the circle. Lily looked over at Tom. She beckoned him forward and he walked towards her, hesitantly. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"Let her do this, Tom. I trust her with you and only you. Take care of her. Save her from herself. Love her. Please…just love her," Lily said, almost begging. Tom looked at her with unfathomable eyes.

"I don't think I can. I don't know how," Tom said, flatly. Lily's lips curled into a sad smile.

"And I'm sorry for that. But…just…let her show you how. You don't have to automatically. But let her show you. _Please_," Lily said. Tom looked away and didn't answer. Lily's lips spread into a winning smile and she leaned back. Tom stepped back and the spirits began swirling back towards the gateway. They were spinning around Lily, making her hair fly up.

Bella circled around the pentacle once.

"Air, you have served us well. Thank you, Air. You may depart from this circle," Bella commanded. She bent and blew out the yellow candle. The wax melted immediately and became a puddle on the point of the pentagram. There was an answering blowing of the wind and it disappeared. Bella circled again.

"Fire, you have served us well. Thank you, Fire. You may depart from this circle," Bella continued. She blew out the red candle. The wax melted and became a puddle. An answering of searing heat. The element departed. The spirits were thinning. Lily stood there, looking up at the ceiling.

"Earth, you have served us well. Thank you, Fire. You may depart from this circle."

She blew out the blue candle. The wax melted and became a puddle. The water splashed, half-heartedly. The element departed. Tom watched the girl with fascination.

The way she moved was ethereal to him. It was like she was part of the magic. Or the magic was part of. The confidence she held herself with was intoxicating despite the fact that he knew that deep inside, she was nervous. She wasn't sure she could do it. And that only appealed to Tom more and more. Tom wanted her. He wanted her but he wouldn't…couldn't have her. It would ruin everything and he knew Lily wanted him to love her. Not want her. And he couldn't do that. He didn't think he could. And he wouldn't disrespect her wishes by taking Bella out of want and desire. Lily was important to the dead and he knew why.

Being a Horseman…had _everything_ to do with the mother. It had nothing to do with a Seer like some believed. It was the mother. The mother…

"Water, you have served us well. Thank you, Water. You may depart from this circle."

He watched her circle again and continue the ending of the ritual. Most of the spirits had departed along with their elements. Only Lily remained in the middle. She was frowning now. She had to go.

"Spirit…you have served us well. Thank you. Blessed be, Spirit. Merry meet, Spirit," Bella said, respectfully. Lily found her daughter's eyes and she couldn't help but smile. She was so strong. She was so much more than Lily had imagined that she would become. She was so much stronger. She was everything and more.

"Merry part," Lily joined with her daughter. Bella looked at her in surprise. Lily was fading now.

"And merry meet again," the two said with smiles on their faces. Lily spun and pinched the flames. The flame went out and the bright light that lit the unicorn blood began to dim slowly. Lily faded with it.

And then there was silence.

Bella smiled at Tom, tiredly.

"I did it."

"You did," Tom said, a hint of pride in his voice. Bella grinned at him and took a step towards him.

"I don't think less of you, you know."

And with that her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

* * *

**Jones Manor, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 31****st**** of October 1996**

**1:00 AM**

There was silence as they felt the gate close and barrier come back, twice as strong as it had been. Luna's eyes opened and she looked at the silent crowd. It had seemed a good idea…to be the priestess when the magic was running through her, giving her confidence but now…Luna faltered and Draco nodded towards her. She gained strength by his gaze and she swallowed the nervous lump in her throat.

"It is done. The barrier has been reconstructed. Blessed be," Luna proclaimed. Everyone cheered. Luna noticed that even Hermione cheered. But she supposed that because she was Lady War, she instinctually knew what was going on. She was sure that everyone in Hydra had realized _who_ had helped create the circle. Their tattoos would have flared.

"We now depart to our own homes after having honored our dead and allowed them free reign of our world for just a moment. Merry part," Luna said. Everyone murmured the same and Luna smiled, brightly. She raised her hands and cleared her throat.

"And merry meet again!"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**1:00 AM**

"It is done. The barrier has been reconstructed. Blessed be!"

Everyone ended their silence and cheered. Astoria looked around at the students and smiled. Those who understood and those who didn't cheered. Somewhere deep inside, they knew the significance of the event. Astoria definitely knew. Out of her entire family, she was the only religious one.

"We now depart to our beds after having honored our dead and allowed them free reign of our world for just a moment. Merry part," Astoria continued. Everyone shouted out the same and it was like a roar. Astoria couldn't help but grin at the response. She was honored to be a priestess of magic.

"And merry meet again!"

Astoria stepped down from the dais and everyone milled about, attempting to get back to their beds. Astoria made her way to her friends when she was grabbed around the wrist. The girl turned and looked at McGonagall. She looked up at the stern woman, defiantly.

"Miss Greengrass, what did you just do? Did you gather the students here?" demanded McGonagall. Astoria glared at the woman and McGonagall seemed taken aback for a moment.

"No, I didn't. Magic gathered its people here. It's Samhain, Professor. We're supposed to honor the dead. For centuries, Magic has chosen two to do the ritual of ripping apart and reconstruction the barrier of the dead. The two that Magic has chosen are powerful. You felt its call as well. You wouldn't have known if you hadn't," Astoria said, shortly. McGonagall opened her mouth to protest but Dumbledore settled his hand on her shoulder. McGonagall looked back at the headmaster.

"Minerva, she's correct in some aspects. Someone did call the students here. There was a ritual done. I can feel the power radiating from a place close to here though I'm not sure where exactly. However, by Magic, I'm not sure," Dumbledore said. Astoria glared at the man and she turned from him.

"I don't care what you say, sir. Magic called us here and we honored the dead like we're _supposed _to. And you may think otherwise but _I _know that it isn't a Dark ritual."

Astoria stormed away, leaving a dumbstruck Dumbledore. Only one thought ran through his mind.

_How_ had she known what he was thinking?

* * *

**St. Mungo's, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**1:00 AM**

"Merry meet."

Maya jolted awake and she looked at the woman standing next to Sirius' bed. She was a beautiful woman with bright green eyes and dark red hair. She looked quite a bit like Bella except taller and with auburn hair. Maya could identify her almost immediately.

"Lily Potter…m-merry meet," Maya said, stumbling over the words. She wasn't sure why she had said it but she'd read in a novel about witchcraft that that was what they said in greeting. She'd never heard an actual witch or wizard say that but she supposed that she should respond.

Lily offered an amused smile that quickly disappeared as she looked down at Sirius.

"Maya Granger, I'm sorry about what you're going through. I love Sirius like a brother. He'll be saved, I assure you. The price was clear. A life for a life is what the boy promised," Lily said, softly. She looked back up at Maya with a resigned smile. Maya was still struck by the fact that a dead woman was talking to her.

"Er…aren't you dead?" Maya blurted out. She slapped her hand over her mouth as Lily laughed.

"I suppose I am. But, I'm tethered to this world. And not only by my daughter," Lily said, softly. Maya was reminded, painfully, that Bella was not her daughter but Lily's daughter.

"Yes…I suppose she is your daughter," Maya muttered. Lily smiled.

"She's also yours. As I was saying, I'm tethered to this world. I was called by my daughter and one Tom Riddle. Magic deemed them as the two to do the Samhain Ritual tonight. They are two _very_ powerful people. Two powerful people that care for each other very much," Lily said. Maya found herself nodding in agreement. She looked down at Sirius' peaceful face and she brushed her hand down his face.

"I've noticed. Last I've heard is that she's mad at him," Maya said, softly. Lily sighed.

"She had good reason. You'll learn soon as well. You'll be just as angry. But, don't be surprised when Bella is fierce in defending him. She has found out all of his secrets. He has found out all of hers. They know each other as well as they know themselves. But, that's not why I came," Lily said, softly.

Maya frowned at her and Lily amended her words.

"I mean to say that I didn't only come for Bella and Tom. I came to speak with you, first and foremost. I just had to have words with them. I suppose you could say I chastised Bella in a way. I berated her while giving her advice. She is always so close to giving up. So I reminded her not to. But you, sister, need to hear something else," Lily said. Maya frowned at the title and she leaned up, intrigued with the woman. Lily touched Sirius' face and the man twitched. She jolted her fingers away from him like he was made of fire.

"What do I need to hear then?" Maya asked.

"I'm not only tethered to this world by Bella. I'm also tethered because of you. Not only you but because of Narcissa Malfoy and Francesca Zabini. You're daughter…is very important to the wizarding world. She's very powerful. Respected. The reason why…is because of _you_," Lily said. Maya gaped at her and swallowed hard. She shook her head, just to make sure that she wasn't going crazy because of all the time she spent in the hospital.

"Me? What do you mean? You're tethered to this world because me?" Maya asked, slowly. Lily reached her hand to Maya's but then she drew back and sighed, ruefully.

"Not only you. Also, Narcissa Malfoy and Francesca Zabini. Can you make the connection?" Lily asked. Maya frowned in deep thought and concentration before his eyes popped open. Lily was beginning to fade, slowly.

"Narcissa Malfoy is Draco's mother and Francesca Zabini is Blaise's mother. I'm Hermione's mother. You're Bella's mother. They're close and somehow that makes you tethered to this world," Maya concluded. Lily smiled.

"Close, sister. You must understand the bond. Understand the bond and you will understand everything. Being what they are…has to do with the mother. Remember that, sister. I must go now. Merry part," Lily said, looking around suddenly. Maya tried to make sense of the words and she cleared her throat as Lily began to fade away.

"Merry part, Lily," Maya added, quickly.

Lily waved and Maya smiled back at the woman, uncertainly. The two women spoke the words together, Lily's voice lingering in the living world.

"And merry meet again."

:::

**A/N: **Important chapter with very subtle information. I hope you can make what you will out of it. Anyway, school is starting up soon so I can only give you a chapter a week at the least. I'm sorry this took so long but it was really an important chapter. Astoria is an important character to. She'll come into play in the sequel more. She's religious as you can see. She looks to Magic like it is a deity. Someone asked me if Luna was religious because of the way she talked of Magic. A friend of mind actually. She isn't by the way. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the subtle Tom and Bella action. Lots of trust was created in this chapter. We'll see the aftermath later. Oh and I wonder what you think of my convoluted Voldemort. You didn't really see much of him at all. You saw Tom talking to his lieutenants.

In this chapter…you saw Voldemort and part of the results of him ripping apart his soul. See you next time.

_**Fun Fact # 6**__**: **_Originally, Inside My Mind would have ended here and then I'd start the sequel. Instead, it's going to end right after Bella's graduation and it's going to end with a cliffhanger.

Next Chapter: Aftermaths, Beat-Downs, Consequences, and Deadly


	74. Chapter LXVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **This chapter is different…Bella and Tom's relationship gets twisted and we enter angst and drama zone. They may be close but sometimes, the friendship line gets blurred. And since both characters are so passionate, they can't seem to tell the difference between love and hate (since their both so emotionally stunted anyway). So be prepared. Their relationship _is_ based on another from one of my favorite TV shows though.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**7:15 AM**

"Wake up, Anya."

Bella groaned and turned over, expecting to bury her face in a pillow. Well, what she buried her face in was a bit harder but just as comfortable. She clutched whatever it was she was hiding her face in.

"Anya, get off me. I have to shower and I have to teach. I understand that you're tired from the ritual but we have to pretend it didn't happen," a voice murmured in her ear. Bella's eyes shot open at the reminder of the ritual and the power that had run through her. She leaned up and realized that her face was only inches away from Tom's. He didn't look as tired as he had looked yesterday.

Remembering yesterday made Bella remember her irrational behavior. Her irrational jealousy and her stupid excuses. She couldn't even remember _why_ she hadn't wanted to do the rituals. They had felt so good…

"What time is it?" Bella grumbled as she pulled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked around and found that she was in a small bedroom that smelt of water and something rotting. Bella realized that they were still in the Chamber of Secrets. She looked at the fireplace and thanked the gods that she could get to the Gryffindor Common Room without walking through the halls.

"It's seven-fifteen. Gryffindors always wake up late. You have about fifteen minutes," Tom said, stiffly. Bella rolled her eyes and she leaned up and hugged him, tightly. He looked at her in surprise and she gave a tired smile.

"Tom…I don't think any less of you. I may not understand why you fear death so much and I may not approve of your decision to split your soul but I don't think less of you. You're still Tom. You're still my friend," Bella said, sternly. Tom's eyes softened and he gave a teasing smile. He slid off the bed and walked towards the fireplace, looking for Floo powder.

"I thought I was your _best_ friend," he smirked. Bella didn't flush like he expected her to. She only nodded and smiled.

"You are. My best friend, I mean. What I told my mother was true…speaking of my mother, she's always here in the real world. Not that I don't want her to be but she always seems to come back to tell me something or the other. Why do you think that is?" Bella said, standing from the bed. She crossed to the mirror and scowled at the tangles her hair was in. It seemed that her hair had decided for once and it wasn't the manageable decision.

She guessed she'd be going curly today.

"Being a Horseman has to do with the mother, Bella. She's tethered to this world by something. Ask Luna about it. She'll explain it more," Tom said. Bella frowned when Tom mentioned Luna. She looked at him, slowly before she cleared her throat.

"You…don't have a thing for Luna, do you?"

Tom looked at her, incredulously. Bella began to panic at the thought and her eyes widened in horror and anger.

"Because Luna's a half-breed and if you don't like Mudbloods, why would you like half-breeds? Not that there's anything wrong with half-breeds. I do want to be an attorney for creatures. But, there's also the fact that she is deeply in love with my brother and they're probably going to break a Natural Law because of how in love they are and I mean, she's younger than _me_. And she's blonde! You always said that you wouldn't ever date a blonde. And she's an Elf. It's not like she could take your isde in the w—" Bella babbled.

Tom slapped his hand over her mouth and she looked up at him wide-eyed. He burst into a fit of laughter and Bella looked up at him before her cheeks flushed. She looked away as she realized that he was laughing at her.

"Look, precious. Dating someone that young was a one-time thing and that was with you. And you're correct. I _don't_ date blondes. Never have and never will. I don't care if their smart. The color of their hair grates on my nerves. And isn't there a rule or something about girls not dating their friend's ex-boyfriends?" Tom asked. Bella smirked at him and nodded. Tom held out a chest of Floo powder for her. Bella frowned.

"Why didn't we just Floo down here in the first place?"

"You can only leave through the fireplace. Now, go before your fellow lions wake up," Tom commanded. Bella grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and she stepped into the fireplace. She wiggled her fingers at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Gryffindor Common Room!" she said as she dropped the Floo powder. The flames turned green and she was suddenly spinning. She was spat out into the common room and she staggered. Bella looked around and thanked the gods that no one was up yet. She ran up the stairs, staggering over her train.

Bella opened the door and stared. Everyone was sleeping still. Lavender wasn't there. Bella assumed that she had made her way downstairs already. Bella slipped towards her bed and fell into it. She curled up on her side and she looked down at the Horcrux around her neck.

"I'll take care of you. Always. I'll protect you with my life," Bella whispered against the cold metal. Suddenly someone was on her bed, jumping up and down. Bella sat up, quickly and blinked when she saw that Fay, Parvati, and Lalita were crowded around her bed. Hermione jumped on the bed one more time before falling onto her butt and looked at Bella.

"Where the hell were you?" Hermione demanded.

"Celebrating Samhain," Bella said, simply. Parvati's eyes widened, as she looked Bella over once more.

"You're wearing the same clothes that you wore yesterday. You didn't even stop by last night. That means you were out doing _something_. Last night, you followed that man out of the room. Who was he?" Parvati asked, curiously. Fay smirked and leaned forward, a Daphne-esque glint in her eyes.

"And are you still a virgin?" Fay asked. Bella flushed and Hermione gaped.

"YOU LOST YOUR VIRGINITY TO TOM?" she shouted. Bella choked over air and she tackled her sister. Fay, Parvati, and Lalita's jaws dropped and Lalita flushed as she ran her hand through her hair. She pushed her glasses up the slope of her nose.

"Wait…that was Professor Riddle?" Lalita asked. Bella nodded.

"Yes, I'm still a virgin. No, I didn't lose my virginity Tom and I'm not planning to. And yes, that was Professor Riddle. We were chosen by Magic to do the Samhain Ritual," Bella explained. The four girls fell silent and Parvati scratched her bare wrist. The ouroboros tattoo was black and crimson instead of just black.

"That's why it started to burn…that was powerful magic. Is that all that happened?" Parvati asked. Bella hummed.

"No. Tom and I…talked."

"About what?" Lalita asked, curiously. Bella sighed.

"I…can't tell you. I can't even tell my brothers and sister. We…what we talked about is intensely private and I'm surprised that he told me at all. But, I'll tell you this, Mione. I trust him more than I trust _anyone_," Bella said. Hermione looked at her in surprise and watched as the girl swept to the bathroom. Lalita cleared her throat as they heard water running.

"Um…something big went down last night," Lalita said. Fay gave her friend a dry look.

"You think?" Fay asked, sarcastically. Hermione gave Fay a hard look and she leaned back against Bella's bed. Fay looked chastised before Hermione even said anything.

"Sarcasm is tolerated. Rudeness is not. Remember that, Fay. And Lalita's right. Something happened but…I think it's best not pry," Hermione said, carefully.

She hoped that she would get Draco alone to warn him not to pry as well.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**8:15 AM**

"Where the hell were you?"

Bella raised an eyebrow and she crossed her arms. Draco glared at her and Luna sighed. She grabbed Draco's arm and tried to pull him away but Draco was quite a few inches taller than her. Hermione groaned. She'd been too late.

"Is that really any of your business?" Bella asked, coolly. She was glad that they hadn't made it to the Great Hall. Now only a few people passing would hear. She looked around and saw some people watching by the staircase. Daphne was walking up from the dungeon with her little sister and the two stopped.

"Uh, yeah, it is. You fucking disappeared with _him_, Bella. I was worried about you. I understand that you want to reform him and all that shit but that doesn't mean I trust him with you. After what happened in June," Draco snapped. Bella's eyes flashed and she remembered what Tom had told her last night. She glared at Draco but for another reason that what he was thinking.

"Well, _I_ trust him so why don't you butt out, Drake!"

"You? Trust him? Why the hell would you trust him?" Draco snarled. Bella glared at her older brother and she had to forcibly relax herself. She swallowed and leaned back with a determined glint in her eyes.

"It's none of your business. But, I trust him more than anyone in the world. I trust him with my life and there's nothing you can do about it. And for where I was, I was celebrating Samhain and I talked to my mother last night. Is that enough information for you?" Bella snarled. Draco glared right back at her.

"No. It isn't. Why would you go with him?" Draco demanded. Bella glared at him in anger and annoyance.

"I didn't go out of free will at first. Have you ever heard of a thrall? He had a thrall on his voice, Draco. But things changed. I won't hear anymore of it. So, can we just go to breakfast now?" Bella drawled. Luna's eyes widened as Draco pushed her away and stalked up to Bella. Bella looked up at him defiantly and she subtly brought back her wrist. Draco's hand rested on the hilt of his sai sword.

"We're not finished here. He's the reason why your godfather is in a _coma_. He's the reason that I'm…I'm…" Draco said, stammering the last words. Bella didn't even hear him. The reminder of her godfather in a coma made her snap. She snarled at her elder brother, unaware of his own inner turmoil.

"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT? I _know_. Every_ night_ I think about my comatose godfather and hope that they find something for him. It costs a lot of money, Draco! My mother is freaking out because of this and she can't even deal with the financial stuff because she's a Muggle! I'm trying to keep my godfather alive while I'm stuck in this damned school. I know what he did! AND I KNOW WHY HE DID IT! AND I. FORGIVE. HIM!" Bella screamed. She turned from the shell shocked Draco and ran towards the dungeons. She pushed past Astoria and Daphne. Draco looked to Luna and Luna sighed. She pulled Draco to the side and Draco looked after Bella. Luna grabbed his chin and made him look at her.

"Sometimes, Draco, if you understand the reasoning for doing something, you can forgive for anything. Even I, being a Seer, do not completely understand why Tom did the things he did. I do not pretend to understand him. I merely know him. Don't pretend to understand either, my dear," Luna said, softly. Draco stared at the entrance to the dungeons and watched as Bella was led back up the stairs with Tom's hand wrapped around her own. He let go of her hand when they stood next to the doors to the Great Hall. He murmured something to her and she nodded. She lifted her locket and pressed her lips to it and Tom rolled his eyes. Draco frowned.

"He's…clinging to her. As if he were a child. It's not…obvious but he is," Draco said, softly. Luna smiled as she observed the same thing. She turned back to Draco with serious eyes.

"That's true. They're dependant on each other. Don't take that away from her because you're angry with Tom Marvolo. He's her best friend. She's his best friend. Don't you want to spend the time it takes to fulfill your vow…seeing your siblings in a happy state?" Luna asked. Draco nodded and he looped his arm around Luna's waist. Luna looked at him in surprise.

"I do. But, I also want to be happy."

Luna looked away from him.

"Charlie is visiting this November. He misses you," Luna said, softly. Draco looked torn for a moment before a determined glint enter his eyes and he looked at her with love in his eyes.

"I love you," Draco said, sharply. Luna pulled away from Draco and she looked away.

"My mother was killed because she loved my father, a wizard."

Draco froze and he looked at Luna in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"That spell going wrong was no accident. She would have seen it…if it had been just an accident. She'd pleaded originally because they were going to kill my father. She was Seer and they had warned him plenty of times. My mother…begged them to punish her. And they did," Luna said, softly. She looked back at Draco and she kissed him on both cheeks.

"Draco…you know I love you. But, I'm not ready to die. After you…fulfill your vow, I have to stay. I have to make sure they're going to be okay. So…until we can somehow find a way to fix this…we can't. All right?" Luna said. Draco sighed, annoyed and he ran a hand through his hair, annoyed.

"It doesn't mean I don't love you less."

"It doesn't mean that you don't fancy Charlie any less," Luna countered. She pressed her lips against Draco's cheek before going after Bella to the door. Draco made his way after her when Daphne caught him by the wrist. Draco turned.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Daphne hissed. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"I've never seen her _that_ on edge. You've always known that Tom is a touchy subject for her. To call her out on it in public is not only bitchy but also rather humiliating. You just humiliated her in front of so many people. Are you out of your mind?" Daphne snarled. Draco gave the girl a frosty glare but she didn't back down. Draco's respect for the girl rose. She had balls to be able to keep looking at him like that when he was pinning with her a glare that would stop dementors in their tracks.

"Are you? Watch your tone," Draco said, coldly. He glanced at Astoria and she was giving him a hesitant look. She looked rather intrigued with the whole situation on a whole.

"You are not my master. Don't pretend you are," Daphne hissed, coldly.

"That may be but I have seniority over you."

"Barely. Draco, I am loyal to the cause. But, I'm also loyal to Bella. You may have seniority over me but you have to earn my loyalty. Learn the difference," Daphne spat. Draco's hand flew out and closed around Daphne's leather covered wrist. Daphne hissed in pain and she almost crumpled to the ground. Astoria caught her and looked up at Draco in shock. Draco let go and Daphne staggered before glaring up at Draco.

"You have no idea what I'm going through to ensure Bella's happiness. Forgive me if I don't trust the man who lied to us. You can pretend that you understand my motives but you don't. Watch yourself, Greengrass," Draco snarled. He stormed away from Daphne and Daphne glared after him. Draco walked up the stairs an entered the closest bathroom that no one ever entered.

Usually, he'd be embarrassed to be in a girl's lavatory but not at the moment. He gripped the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. He pressed his forehead to the cool glass but he only felt colder than he already was. He leaned back and looked at himself. He looked so sickly.

His hair fell lank now and there were dark circles under his eyes. They were so dark again his gray skin that they looked akin to bruises. His hair was no longer immaculate and even gel couldn't keep it slicked back. It's not like he had the patience anymore. He tried his best to keep his illness away from his siblings. He looked at his lips. They were blue.

And then he knew for certain his fate, without even consulting Luna.

He was going to die.

A life for a life was his vow.

And he would gladly give his life for his little sister's happiness just as he knew that she would do the same.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**8:10 PM**

"You have some ass kicking to do. You need a valid reason to do this. He's a pureblood. Don't forget it."

Bella looked up from her dinner as Tom breezed past. He hadn't even bent down to say it to her but she had heard him all the same. A brief smirk crossed his face and she returned it with a mischievous though slightly strained grin. She turned and watched as Ernie entered the room. She had made sure to avoid him all day. She looked around.

Most everyone was there.

Good.

She wanted an audience.

"Bella! I haven't seen you all day!" Ernie said with a grin. The boy wasn't ignorant to the envious looks he got as he kissed Bella's cheek. Bella's smile was forced but Ernie wasn't even paying attention. He was smirking at all the jealous boys around him. Bella cleared her throat.

"I know! I've missed you," Bella cooed. She glanced at her friends and siblings and they all made disgusted noises in the back of their throats. Bella winked at them, discreetly and they all stared at her in complete shock. Ernie was none the wiser.

"You're so lucky that you have Riddle as a DADA teacher. Snape is a monster," Ernie babbled. Bella raised a finger and Ernie stopped for a moment and looked at her in surprise. Bella sipped her butterbeer and she glared at Ernie.

"Tom…is not an easy teacher. He's probably the most vicious schoolteacher there has ever been. I've had appendages reattached before. Do _not_ talk to me about monstrous schoolteachers. You'll only put me in a mood," Bella said, warningly. She failed to mention that she was already pissed beyond belief. Ernie nodded and Bella watched as he subtly pulled out his wand and aimed it at Bella. He coughed, masking a spell and it hit Bella.

Bella could feel the compulsion magic working already but now that she knew, it was entirely too easy to get rid of. The magic was thrown off her in a second. She gave Ernie a glowing look to put him off her case.

"You know what would be really fun?" Bella asked, sweetly. Ernie looked down at her curiously. She had a wicked grin on her face. Ernie frowned as Bella cleared her throat and stood on her seat. Everyone looked at her.

"Ernie! We've been dating for a while now. I've dueled every single one of my boyfriends. If you can beat me, we can keep dating. If you can't…too bad. I invite everyone to join us on Saturday near the lake at noontime," Bella said, grinning. Ernie frowned in confusion and he shook his head. Perhaps this was just a quirk of Bella's that the attraction charm didn't work out of her. It wasn't a quirk that he really liked. She was always drawing so much damn attention to herself. She was too dramatic for him.

"Bella, what are you doing?" hissed Ernie. Bella's nasty grin didn't leave her face.

"Ernie Macmillan, I challenge to you to a formal duel," Bella said, stiffly.

Everyone froze and looked at her in surprise. Bella didn't duel students. She dueled Dark Lords, Dark Masters, and Dark schoolteachers. No one had actually ever _seen_ Bella duel but it was a sight to behold apparently. Bella knew that Daphne had got around to telling plenty of people about Bella's wordless duel with Lord Voldemort.

"Excuse me? Why? And on what grounds?" Ernie demanded. Bella tilted her head.

"You insulted the Dark House of Slytherin and Black last night and you know _exactly_ what you did. But don't worry, I'll let you have a second and it'll be refereed and all. And it's just in the name of all that is _fun_," Bella said, keeping her smile on. Ernie glared down at the table.

"What if I don't want to?" he demanded. Bella grinned.

"I'm afraid that you have to. It's a formal duel. Unless you wish to bring disgrace to your family…" Bella taunted, maliciously yet her tone was still sweet. Her friends and siblings exchanged equally cruel yet amused looks. They knew what she was doing though only Luna knew why.

Bella turned to Tom and tilted her head.

"My second?"

"It'd be my pleasure," Tom smirked. Ernie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Bella turned to her siblings. Her eyes fell on Blaise.

"Referee?"

"Of course. I'm the only level-headed person."

Draco and Hermione glared at the Italian and Blaise only smirked in response. Bella gave a flourishing bow and fell back into her seat. Everyone began whispering and Ernie grabbed Bella's wrist.

"What was that?" demanded Ernie. Bella smirked and leaned in, as if she were kissing his cheek. She put her lips to his ears so that only he could hear what she was saying.

"You're dead, Macmillan."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 1****st**** of November 1996**

**9:00 PM**

"What's _he_ doing here?" Draco challenged as Bella pulled Tom through the door to the Room of Requirement. Tom looked around, mildly impressed, before he fixed Draco with a bored look.

"I'm merely observing. And I'm her second. If his second just _happens_ to join the fight, unannounced, I'll have to fight with her," Tom said, flatly. Draco sneered at the man. Tom decided to ignore the boy's rude behavior and he reclined in a chair next to Luna. Luna grinned and she leaned over.

"Have you checked portrait recently?" Luna murmured. Tom sighed and looked at her.

"I haven't had the chance. I've been in my office for a grand total of six minutes today. Four of those minutes were used to calm Bella down after your boyfriend decided to have a grand showdown in the middle of the Entrance Hall," Tom said under his breath. Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he leaned back, his silver eyes glinting.

"What are you two whispering about?" Draco demanded. Blaise and Hermione exchanced looks. Luna's smile never left her face but Tom scowled at the boy.

"Your ability to piss off everyone that you see. Your irrational jealousy is almost as bad as your sister's," Tom said, coolly. He ducked as a book was chucked at his head. He smirked over at Bella and she was glaring at him with annoyance. He gave a shrug.

"Shut up, you. Um…everyone! I…I've been a bit of a coward over the last few months and I wanted to prove that I'm not. So, I want to…play something for all of you. Is that okay?" Bella asked. Blaise sat up and he raised an eyebrow. Hydra exchanged confused looks.

"A coward? What you did in June wasn't cowardly in the least," Anthony said, firmly. Bella's lips twisted into a smile.

"Thank you but…that wasn't what I was talking about. I…I was too self-absorbed and cowardly and angry to forgive certain people. And I was too cowardly to be myself. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm going to probably relapse too…but…just listen. Okay?" Bella asked. She held her hand out for Tom and he took it. Bella pulled out a small object from her pocket and placed it on the ground. She pointed her wand at it and she swallowed.

"_Engorgio_."

The grand piano grew in size along with the bench and everyone stared at Bella in surprise.

"I never took you for someone who would lie to me, Bella. You said you couldn't play an instrument," Daphne said, pointedly. Bella looked over her shoulder at the blonde girl and she smiled, sadly.

"I said I didn't play instruments. I never said that I couldn't. I associate…bad memories with the piano. But…I'm trying to get over that," Bella said, softly. She sat down at the piano and she pushed Tom to sit down as well. She looked behind her shoulder and saw Blaise's smile. She nodded.

Her fingers danced across the piano, creating a tune that had everyone freezing. She took a deep breath, her fingers never pausing. Her eyes were closed and she was playing just as wonderfully. Her fingers slammed down on the chords and she played, exceptionally. She swayed with the music she played. Her fingers danced from the highest key to the middle.

Daphne looked at Bella as she played with more passion than she had _ever_ played the violin with. She looked at the reactions of the other people in the room. Parvati and Padma looked enamored with the music. Hermione was smiling at Bella. Pride was the only thing Daphne felt that was coming from Blaise. Everyone was looking at Bella with shock and intrigue. Lalita and Linda were swaying to the music together. Michael had actually put down his book. Luna was mouthing words to the music and Daphne wondered what she was singing.

But, Draco's reaction caught her the most. Draco was watching, frozen but he wasn't watching Bella. He was watching Tom. Daphne's eyes widened when she saw Tom whispering the same words to Bella that Luna was mouthing. Bella's lips curled into a slight smile though Daphne saw a tear fall onto the keys.

Bella wiped away the drop of water without ever stopping. She glanced over at Tom, her best friend. He was giving her a small smile but a smile nonetheless. She was coming to the very end of the song.

"_So I lay my head back down_

_And I lift my hands and pray_

_To be only yours._

_I pray to be only yours._

_I pray to be only yours._

_I know now you're my only hope_," Luna sang, softly. Bella looked at her, sharply and Luna smiled and nodded to Bella. Bella turned back to the piano and finished the song, her fingers dancing across the ivory before she came to a stop. She took her fingers from the keys and turned back to her friends and siblings.

"That was beautiful," Fay breathed. Bella beamed.

"Thank you."

Bella slipped from the seat and grabbed Luna's hand and she pulled the girl towards the far corner of the room. Luna smiled at her and she kissed both of Bella's cheek. Bella smiled back at her.

"How did you know that that was what Tom was saying?" Bella demanded, quietly. Luna tilted her head.

"I know many things."

"Do you know _why_ he was saying it?"

"Bella, I only know things. I do not pretend to understand them. I can honestly say that I do not understand the dynamic of Tom and your relationship. Though, you may be friends…best friends, even, it will always be…different," Luna said, softly. Bella looked over at Tom. He was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. Bella looked back at Luna.

"I see."

"How do you feel about Tom?" Luna suddenly asked. Bella flushed and she crossed her arms, her eyes flashing annoyance.

"He's my friend. My best friend. I care for him."

"Did you love him?" Luna asked. Bella looked over at Tom before turning back to Luna with a sharp gaze.

"Did he love me?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 6****th**** of November 1996**

**11:55 PM**

Bella stood on the platform in nothing but her blood splattered boots, tight black slacks, her locket, and a black tank top. Tom stood next to her, looking absolutely delicious in her opinion. His white shirt was buttoned, mostly but his neck and part of his chest was exposed. Most of the girls had come just to stare and to cheer Bella on. The boys only wanted to see someone get their ass kicked.

It looked like most of the school was there, watching. Bella couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine. This was going to be fun. So much fun…

She looked over at Tom and tilted her head.

"Do you think he's going to show?" she asked, curiously.

"He has to. If he doesn't, he'd dishonor his family. He's a pureblood. He'd hate to do that," Tom explained. Bella nodded in understanding and sure enough, the crowd parted, excited.

Hermione had arrived. She jumped onto the platform with ease and she looked at them pointedly. Blaise jumped on right after with Luna. Draco was on the ground taking bets. Bella smiled. He would be a very wealthy man when this was all done with. Daphne and even _Neville_ were taking bets as well.

"I want a decent fight. None of your underhanded tactics. Both of you," Hermione said, giving Tom a pointed look. He pointed at himself, looking innocent. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Who me?" Tom asked, innocently. Blaise snickered.

"Yes you. And while we're at it, no Elder Wand. You haven't tamed it yet, Ana. Since you haven't tamed it, you can't use it. It'd be too dangerous to use on a mere student. Do you understand?" Blaise asked. Bella nodded in agreement and Tom scowled in annoyance. He had wanted Bella to use the Elder Wand. The death of Macmillan would have brightened his miserable day exponentially.

"Yes. I left it in my trunk under a couple wards. Hermione helped me ward it to. Speaking of wards…it'd be best if you warded the platform. We wouldn't want a couple of students getting hurt, would we?" Bella asked. Tom sighed and turned to Hermione. She nodded in agreement and they began walking around.

"_Protego Maxima_."

"_Protego Maxima_."

The bright silver lights came and spread around the platform like a big dome. Everyone watched in wonder as Tom began to twist his wand in an intricate detail and he began muttering in Latin and Greek. Bella watched in surprise. He stopped as he blasted a silver and gold stream of magic into the translucent dome.

"What was that?"

"He warded your magic in. Your magic is too unpredictable and powerful to be let loose in a duel. In the Department of Mysteries, you were so angry that your magic was only trying to do one thing. Kill Voldemort. That's not the case here. It will be let loose and Tom isn't allowed to enter the duel unless Ernie's second does. He won't be able to stop you or reign in your magic," Luna explained. Tom nodded and he bit his lip and grabbed Bella's locket. He pulled her forehead and turned it over. He pressed his bloody lips to the locket and the locket glowed. He murmured something to it and a loud hiss answered him.

"What was that?"

Bella turned to look at Ernie and a nervous Justin Finch-Fletchley. Bella looked at Tom. Tom frowned.

"Her magic…is too volatile. She might accidentally kill you. I had to do something about that. Unless you wish to be dead," Tom said, coldly. Ernie paled and he shook his head. Tom walked up to Justin and Justin flinched. Tom's lips curled into a malicious smile.

"You're dead," Tom said in a sing-song voice. He turned and bent down to whisper into Bella's ear.

"Destroy his pride. Humiliate him, Anya. You got that, precious?" Tom asked. Bella nodded once with a smirk on her face. Tom jumped off the platform and Justin slid down. Luna walked up to Bella and kissed her cheek.

"Good look, Nikolai," Luna said, softly. She jumped down. Blaise merely hugged his sister before walking down. Only Hermione, Ernie, and Bella remained on the platform. The crowd held their breath.

"You will stop when I declare the duel over or one of you yields. I want a clean fight. No underhanded tactics," Hermione said, sharply. She looked at Tom again and he looked at the sky, innocently. Ernie nodded and he looked at Bella. Hermione jumped off the platform and she shot sparks into the air from her wand.

"We bow," Bella said. Ernie and Bella bowed to each other and suddenly, Bella spun.

"_Diffindo_," she intoned. Ernie scrambled away so that the spell didn't hit him full on. Part of his cloak fell away and he stumbled. Bella circled him and she suddenly spun and kick him in the ass. He fell to the ground and stumbled back up. Bella swiftly delivered a punch in the nose. There was a sickening crack and Ernie groaned. He grabbed his bleeding nose and glared at her.

"What the hell, Bella? Why are you doing this?"

"You think you can get away with putting an attraction charm on me all the time?" Bella said, coldly. The crowd fell silent and everyone stared at the duo. Tom groaned and he pinched his nose.

"Keep your head. Imagine this is a training exercise," Tom snarled as he saw Bella enter tirade mode. She glared at him.

"_Il m'a utilisé! Il m'a utilisé parce que je suis un joli visage! Il ne m'aime pas. Il aime mon visage!_" Bella shrieked. Tom sighed. He knew she was angry if she was screaming in French. And she wasn't even screaming at Ernie. She was screaming at him.

"_Je comprends cela, mais vous avez besoin pour obtenir une prise de votre trempe, précieux_," Tom responded in kind. Bella's eyes took on a hard quality and she looked at Ernie with a cold glint in her eyes. Tom had never seen such a look in her eyes. It was like she was passing judgment. Hermione started forward but Tom held up a hand.

"Wait."

Hermione relented and Bella looked at Ernie.

"You're a fool. I'll kill you. _Sectumsem—_"

"_Stupefy!_"

Bella spun and dodged as Justin scrambled onto the platform. There was a loud thumping noise and Tom landed on the platform. Bella crouched in front of him, going by instinct. She looked up at him and he nodded once.

"_Reducto_."

Bella jumped as the platform exploded and Tom was in the air next to her. It reconstructed itself just as they landed. Bella held the stake in her hand and she looked back at him.

"Defend me."

"Go. Mr. Finch-Fletchley, I believe it's time we actually get some practice in. We've been studying the theory of dueling. I do hope that you've been paying attention," Tom smirked. Bella raced at Ernie and both Justin and Ernie were throwing hexes and jinxes at her. Bella stowed her wand up her sleeve to their surprise. Bella weaved in and out of the spells to everyone's amazement.

She jumped in the air and somersaulted over Justin who was defending Ernie _and_ throwing spells at Bella and Tom. Bella stood behind him and Justin spun around. Bella reached out for both Ernie and Justin's neck. She grabbed them and Tom threw a wandless _Incarcerous_ at Justin. Justin fell to the ground and Ernie looked at Bella, his eyes bugging out.

The shorter girl swept his legs from underneath and slammed him down on the ground without ever letting go of his neck. Ernie was quickly turning purple. Bella squeezed harder until she was sure that he was bruised. She let go of him and slammed her boot on his chest. He gagged when he saw the dried blood on her boots.

"Yes. My boots are bloody. That's the blood from the Death Eaters I've killed. Don't forget who I am. I'm probably the best duelist at this school. I could kill you if I wished. So, don't you _ever_ try that again. If you ever lift your wand to me or _any_ girl who doesn't naturally like you, I'll blast your tiny pea-sized brain and I'll make you a eunuch. Muggle-style. And don't you _ever_ forget it," Bella hissed to him. Ernie spat on her boot and Bella slammed her foot down once more. He wheezed and Hermione jumped onto the platform.

"Bella…"

"No. Yield!" Bella commanded. Ernie shook his head. Bella slammed her foot down again and she pulled off the glove covering her left hand. Ernie blanched at the scars on her hand. She raised it in the air and there was a roll of thunder despite the sunny day. Tom started forward and Bella hissed. Tom looked up and saw the barrier when it should have been translucent. The barrier had veins of gold and silver. It was cracking.

"What the hell?" Draco breathed. Tom looked at Bella as the wand formed in her left hand. He knew that wand. He had been on the receiving end of it. Tom darted forward, waving his wand. The wards fell quickly and Tom grabbed Bella by the middle and pulled her away from him as her lips began to form the words.

"Stop, Bella. Stop," Tom commanded. Bella's eyes were crazy. She shook her head and tried to lunge. Tom glanced at Hermione. Hermione looked shell-shocked.

"The…the winner is Bella," Hermione breathed. Tom nodded and pulled Bella through the parting crowd. He pulled her inside the castle despite the fact that she continued to struggle. He barely made it into the dungeons before she tried to hit him. She cuffed him and he let go of her. Bella tried to run out. Tom picked her up and flung her over his shoulder.

"**What the hell?**" Salazar asked as they arrived at the doorway. Bella screamed and Tom quickly silenced her. Tom shook his head.

"I believe she just had a breakdown. I just have to calm her down. **Open,**" Tom hissed. The portrait door flew open and Tom dropped her as they entered. He lifted the silencing charm and she began to scream incoherent things at him.

"I want to kill him! How dare he? How _dare_ he take advantage of me!" Bella screamed. They were standing in his hallway now. Tom stopped as he heard her words and he looked down at her. He knew now…why she was so angry about this specific occurrence.

"Take advantage of you. Like I did."

Bella growled at his words and she took off down the hallway and went through the first door she saw. She slammed it shut behind her. Tom groaned and crossed to the door to the loo. He knocked on it.

"Bella…come out."

"NO! It's not fair! Everybody I date fucking takes _advantage_ of me! I'm so stupid! Everyone I dated, I thought cared for me! I was wrong!" Bella shrieked. Tom groaned and he tried to open the door. It was locked shut. He aimed his wand at the door and there was a click of something unlocking. Tom opened the door and slid into the room.

Bella was standing near the mirror on the far side of the large marble and porcelain bathroom. Bella wasn't looking at him. She was looking in the mirror with anger on her face.

"Is my personality really that disgusting?" Bella whispered, hoarsely. Tom shook his head and walked up to her slowly. When she didn't move, he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist. Bella turned and she shoved at him.

"Get off of me!" she snarled. Tom glared at her.

"No…not until you calm down so we can talk," Tom snarled. Bella pushed at him again and he grabbed her by the forearms. Bella growled at him and tried to shove him. Tom held on fast. Bella kneed him and he fell to the ground, groaning. Bella tried to run from the room. Tom grabbed her ankle and Bella fell forward, hitting her back against the bathtub.

"Get off of me! I don't want to talk to you! I just want to brood in peace!" Bella snarled, struggling to crawl away. Tom pulled her by the ankle back to him and she turned onto her back, struggling to leave. Tom crawled over to her, his knees on either side of her. He forced her hands above her head and he glared down at her. Bella hissed up at him.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Bella snarled. Tom glared down at her.

"Not until you let me speak," Tom hissed, angrily. Bella attempted to lunge at him but he didn't let her move. He was using one hand support himself and the other to hold both of her arms over her head.

"Fine! Speak!" Bella spat.

Tom swallowed his pride and the unwillingness to speak about his emotions.

"Your personality is _not_ disgusting. What Macmillan did was…wrong and it hurt you. What _I _did…was wrong. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that no one wanted you…because…people do want you," Tom said, mulling over his words as he said them. Bella stopped struggling but the grief, disgust, and hatred didn't leave her eyes.

"Like who? Who, Tom?" Bella whispered, hoarsely. Tom looked away from her and decided to continue as if he hadn't heard Bella's question.

"You're…terrifying, Bella. And that's not bad. You're just a very strong woman and there's nothing wrong with that. Macmillan, is most likely, intimidated. No one would suspect a pretty woman to be so strong," Tom said, softly. Bella glared up at him, her expression changing.

"So, is that what you thought of me? Did you think that I'd be stupid? Did you know I'd be stupid enough to fall for that shit you fed me?" Bella spat. Tom groaned and he shook his head, slowly. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. Bella stared into his dark eyes with only anger and self-disgust.

"No…I was wrong. I didn't take advantage of you, I swear," Tom said, quietly. Bella snorted and she tried to get from underneath him again. Tom's grip on her wrists became harder. Bella knew she'd have bruises. She'd make sure _he_ had bruises as well.

"Yes you did! You used me and I don't even know why! Sirius was right! You used me and then threw me away after you were done! You didn't even like me!" Bella shouted. Tom glared at her in rage and anger. He was approaching his limit as well.

"I didn't use you! I cared about you, Bella! You threw _me_ away! You didn't even understand a thing. What purpose would it have served me to use you? To take advantage of you? And if I had wanted to take advantage of you then I would have. I would have violated you. I would've been able to, you know. But, I didn't! So, shut up and don't say another w—" Tom snarled.

He was cut off by Bella's lips. Bella leaned up and pulled her legs from in between Tom's. She slowly wrapped her legs around his waist as they kissed, rather chastely. Bella pulled away.

"Did you love me?" Bella whispered.

"No."

"Do you want me?" Bella asked. Tom's eyes glazed over in lust and he bent down though he never let go of Bella's wrists.

"Fuck yes," he growled.

Bella's lips latched onto his and he plunged his tongue into her mouth. He let go of her hands and he tangled that hand in her hair. Bella didn't even inspect the bruises on her hands. She quickly got to work with unbuttoning Tom's shirt. She forcibly flipped him so that he was on the ground. She straddled him and bent down, kissing his neck.

She bit down on his neck and he groaned. His fingers, expertly, moved her shirt up until her pale, flat stomach was exposed. He shuddered as he brushed his fingertips across her stomach. She pressed her lips against his again and it was relatively chaste until Tom's tongue made its way past her lips and into her mouth. She practically melted against him and he slowly sat up, his shirt sliding off and exposing the hard planes of his pale chest.

Everywhere he touched, he kissed, felt like fire. She felt like she was on fire when she was with him and distantly, she wondered what that meant. She didn't care. She just wanted…_needed_ him closer.

His arms wrapped around Bella's waist and he pulled her closer to him and she wrapped her legs around him. Bella's fingers threaded back in his wild hair and she tugged as Tom kissed her jaw. She moaned as he moved down to her neck and he bit down wildly. She hissed in pain and pleasure.

"Dammit…Tom…" she moaned in his ear. That only seemed to spur him on. He continued to place searing kisses down the side of her neck until he got to her collarbone. She hissed as he licked one clean line across her collarbone. She wasn't even aware that Tom was sliding her shirt off and that she was helping him. He pushed her down until he leaning over her. He kissed her almost reverently before he began to trail kisses down the middle of neck to her stomach. Bella shuddered and her fingers found the waistband of his jeans.

And suddenly, Tom pulled away from her and looked at her with lustful eyes. He leaned against the bathtub. She crawled over to him and kissed him, sharply. She froze when she realized he wasn't kissing her back. She growled and she ran her fingernails down his back. She was sure that she was drawing blood. She pushed her tongue past his lips and kissed him thoroughly. Tom groaned into her mouth but still didn't reciprocate the kiss. Bella moved down and kissed the hickeys she had left on his neck.

"Put your shirt back on," Tom whispered. He reached over and grabbed Bella's shirt and placed it in her hand. Bella's eyes widened and she suddenly looked very much like a child. That didn't help Tom at all.

He now felt extremely disgusted with himself.

"You don't…want me?" Bella whispered. Her expression was wounded and Tom pressed his hand to her cheek.

The girl was starving for attention.

Draco was being a prick. Her godfather was in a coma. Her mother-like figure was too heartsick to worry about her. Hermione's sanity was cracking everyday and Blaise was always trying to help her. Luna was too busy plotting. And no one else realized. She hid it so well.

"I do…but I made a promise to your mother," Tom said, hoarsely. He looked away as he remembered what Lily had asked of him. He wasn't sure when he had agreed to the arrangement but it had been almost week now and somehow, he'd decided that he'd attempt the task she had set before him.

"What kind of fucking promise did you make to Maya?" hissed Bella, angrily. Tom forced his eyes to stay on her face because she was still shirtless and his erection was bad enough.

"I never said I promised Ms. Granger anything. I promised your birth mother something and I won't disrespect the dead. I can't disrespect the dead and you know that," Tom said, giving her a pointed look. Bella's eyes widened and she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his chest.

"Why did you do that? Why doesn't anyone want me?" Bella whispered. Tom tilted her head up towards him. She looked up with dark eyes filled with pain.

"I want you. But I can't have you."

"I hate you," she hissed. Tom looked at her in surprise.

"I hate how you think you can be a noble Gryffindor all of a sudden. I hate you. You're a Slytherin. Act like it. I hate how you think you know what's best. I hate your alter-ego. I hate that you mutilated your soul and that you put your humanity at risk. I hate that you're afraid of death," Bella said, softly. Tom's eyes narrowed in annoyance. His eyes softened suddenly.

"I hate how you think you can be a Slytherin. I hate you. You're a Gryffindor. Act like it. I hate how you let your emotions and needs drive you instead of your head. I hate your alter-ego. I hate that you're overemotional. I hate that you use the _Kveykva_ all the time and that you put your health and mind at risk. I hate that you're afraid of me," Tom whispered. Bella shook, softly before her shudders got more violent. Tom grabbed his disposed shirt and put them on Bella's shoulders. Bella slid her arms into them and she held it closed.

"I'm not afraid of you. I hate everything about you," Bella whispered. Tom turned her around so that she wasn't facing him but she was still sitting on his lap. He bent down and pressed his lips to her ear.

"Liar."

"I hate you. I'm not afraid of you."

"I know you were scared on Samhain. The look in your eyes was quite clear, precious," Tom whispered. Bella shuddered again and she froze when Tom began running his fingers through her hair in a comforting motion. Bella curled up against him and her body racked with unspoken sobs.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I-I don't want to be scared but Tom…you mutilated your soul…I can't deal with that. It hurts me to see you in so much pain…" Bella whispered. Tom froze and he looked down at her with a strange looks in his eyes.

"I thought you hated me."

"Don't change the subject, Tom. We…we have to talk about this," Bella murmured. Tom continued to stroke her hair though a bit more harshly than before. Bella didn't complain at the treatment.

"We don't have to talk about much of anything. Can't we just sit here on the floor in my bathroom?" Tom asked, annoyed. Bella shook her head and she sighed.

"You're my friend, Tom. My best friend…" Bella whispered. Tom glared down at her.

"How am I your friend, Bella? What is a friend? Is what we did just now _friendly_?" demanded Tom, angrily. Bella paled and she looked away from him though she didn't make a move to get off his lap.

"A friend is…someone who desires the best for the person they care about. A friendship is based on mutual understanding and compassion. You can be yourself around me without fear of judgment. Tom…I don't approve of what you did but I wouldn't ever judge you."

"What if I don't want to be your friend?" he spat.

"Then I'd call you a liar."

"How so?"

"You've never had a friend before. You want one. I'll be your friend. I promise…I'll…I'll try not to be afraid of you and I'll try to be there for you and I'll…I won't be selfish anymore. I won't be selfish enough to do that to you ever again. It was wrong of me. You weren't taking advantage of me. I just took advantage of you and the kindness you showed me," Bella muttered under her breath. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"What kindness? I'm not kind."

"I beg to differ."

"And what do you mean _you_ took advantage of _me_? I'm sure that it's the other way around," Tom said, annoyed. Bella frowned up at him and then rested her head against his bare, hickey-covered shoulder.

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I did that because…I wanted…I don't know what I wanted. I just did and I shouldn't have. It wasn't fair to you and it wasn't fair to me. I'm sorry," Bella said, softly. Tom sighed and he ran his hand down his hair.

"I don't feel entirely comfortable with heart to heart."

Bella opened her mouth to say something but Tom shushed her.

"But…I understand why you did it. We don't have to talk about it. But, I do have a question. Why would you wish to be friends with me? Didn't you tell me that I was a monster and that I disgusted you?"

"Some of the things you do…does disgust me and is monstrous. Even if I'm Dark, that doesn't mean I want to go around killing innocent people though I may not be innocent anymore. But…there's more to it than that. There's always an ugly side to a person. You just have to to accept it and that's what I'm doing. I'm accepting you…for you. I'm afraid though. I'm afraid that one day, you'll snap. But, I'm going to try and help you. Because a wise girl once told me that…monsters need love too."

:::

**A/N: **Hello. I keep listening to emotional music and this kind of stuff comes out. The bathroom scene was based on the bathroom scene in the episode Seeing Red of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. I know some of you will think that Bella's overreacting but she's really not. Someone took advantage of her. She never seems to have any luck with the guys so it bothers her.

Next Chapter: Blaise's Birthday and Road Trips


	75. Chapter LXIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Someone finally said what I was looking for. Someone mentioned how the relationship between Bella and Tom resembled Spike and Buffy's from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. They are absolutely right. It slightly resembles it. Both relationships are exceedingly violent and just sad in general. Hopefully, I can give Bella and Tom a happy ending. But…even if they do get back together, and I don't know if they will, in all honesty, they won't be getting a happy ending any time soon.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXIX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 14****th**** of November 1996**

**8:20 AM**

"Happy birthday!"

Blaise smiled at his friends and siblings, softly. Hermione hugged him and he hugged her back, burying his face in her excessively curly hair. He smelled the woman's shampoo and perfume and it had a soothing effect instead of overwhelming like Lavender Brown's.

"Thanks," Blaise laughed, quietly. Hermione kissed him, chastely. They were private about their relationship. Hermione leaned in as she kissed his cheek and hugged him, tightly.

"I'll give you your gift later tonight," Hermione murmured. Though her tone didn't allude to anything but really a gift, Blaise knew his Hermione well enough and he knew exactly what this gift entailed. He wasn't opposed to the idea of it all, actually, and he truly welcomed it. He gave her a distinctly Slytherin smirk and Hermione smiled.

"Blaise, I love you so much. As a friend, a lover, and even stranger…as a brother. But, it's okay because it's you. Happy birthday,"

Hermione let go of him and Blaise looked at his blond brother.

"I've known you for a long time, Blaise. You're my best friend. And though you may not be in blood, you _are _my brother. Always," Draco said, quietly. Blaise smirked. He knew that Draco wasn't prone to have sudden bouts of public displays and announcements of affection. He was even less so now that he was sick.

Yes, Blaise had noticed. Draco looked tired all the time now. His skin was a sickly grey and his lips were blue, like those of a corpse. Draco coughed quite a lot though he never coughed blood. Draco had cut himself in Potions the other day and he hadn't bled for almost two minutes. Blaise constantly kept track of his brother and the symptoms but he couldn't come up with anything except for one hypothesis.

His was brother was dead.

And that was obviously not true since the man was currently breathing like his life depended on it. Draco wheezed and Luna rubbed his back. She looked grave and Blaise repressed his shudder. Luna did not look optimistic. She looked almost as tired as Draco and her pupils were wide. He was trying to See while listening and it was proving slightly difficult.

Bella stepped towards Blaise. Blaise looked down at the young woman and he could see it. She was so close. She was very nearly there. She was very nearly the woman that he had come to see as his sister. She just needed…one…more…_push_. He wondered if Luna would prophesy about that one more push.

"Blaise…you're my brother. Even though you don't acknowledge me as your sister anymore, I still see you as a brother. You're my guide. You're the wisest of the bunch, besides Luna. I'm happy to call you brother. I'm happy to call you family. I love you. Happy birthday," Bella said. Blaise smiled and grabbed her wrist. He blinked when he saw her wince in pain. She didn't pay any mind to it and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Bella pulled away from him. His family stepped away from him and gave Luna space.

Blaise looked down at Luna as she tilted her head. She touched his chest.

"Blaise Zabini, Lord of Plague, Sun God, Apollo. You are so intelligent. Your mind is brilliance. This is a strength and with this gift, I want you to understand. That is something I can rarely do. I can See. I _know_ but as Bella learned…I do not understand," Luna said, softly. Blaise glanced at Bella and followed Luna's faze. Luna was looking down at Bella's glove covered wrists. He did a double take when he realized that _both_ hands were gloved.

"It was an accident…" Bella whispered. Luna smiled, grimly.

"Accident can be defined in so many ways."

"It _was_."

"So you say…" Luna said as she handed Blaise a piece of parchment. Blaise faltered when he realized that this was the first time that Luna had ever delivered _him_ a prophecy. He didn't unfold the parchment and only listened to her.

"_Light of sun, Fire so bright_

_Only you possess the Sight_

_The Sight to open Lord Black's mind_

_And free him from this deathly bind_

_The Lord Black had two lovely daughters he_

_One to Light she be shunned_

_One to Light she be loved_

_She who went under_

_She who was torn asunder_

_She who claims Elder under rain and thunder_

_Cried and cried for the Veil to return the Black_

_And so the son of Death went to bring him back_

_A price is called for everything_

_Nothing in life is free so he must bring_

_The price of Lord Black's great life_

_What is this double-edged knife?_

_The price is clear_

_I say as Seer…_" Luna faltered. She gave a quiet sob and Draco's eyes hardened and everyone looked to Draco.

"Don't say it," Draco warned. Luna didn't look at Draco.

"_The price is clear_

_I say as Seer_

_The price is a life for a life_

_A price that he must pay alone with great strife_

_Save him, please, save him_

_Oh, prospects so Grim_

_Save him, please, save him_

_Prospects so dim_

_Blackest night comes so near_

_Go, Lord Plague, pick up your mighty spear_

_Your time is here, his time has past_

_So off you go and do ride fast_

_Don't turn back_

_You must save the Lord Black_

_Light of sun, Fire so bright_

_Only you possess the Sight_," Luna finished. Bella let out a choked sob and she almost fell to the ground. Anthony grabbed hold of her to keep her from falling. Hermione had silent tears. Blaise stared at Draco with wide eyes.

"Drake…Draco!" Bella said, choking on her cries. She stumbled towards her brother and pulled him into a tight hug. Draco returned it with full force and for the first time, Blaise truly saw the bond the two had. They were blood siblings. Draco buried his face in Bella's hair and he was shaking. Blaise looked around and saw that they were attracting attention. Hermione noticed as well.

"Go…we'll catch up," Luna said, softly to their friends. Daphne nodded and she ushered Neville and the others into the Great Hall. Hermione and Luna guided Draco and Bella up the stairs. They clung to each other, Bella's arms wrapped around Draco's middle and one of Draco's arms holding Bella close to him.

Blaise could understand that they wouldn't be letting go of each other any time soon. They walked up the stairs, people staring as they walked. Blaise and Hermione only had to glare at people to get them to look the other way. Blaise finally realized that Luna was leading them to the Room of Requirement.

They entered the room and saw that it looked slightly different. Hermione looked around and gaped when she realized that it looked like the office of a Muggle psychologist. Luna sat in the armchair and Draco and Bella collapsed on the cough. Bella shook with grief.

"Draco, why did you do that?" Bella sobbed into his chest. Draco swallowed the lump in his throat and he cried into Bella's hair. She clung to him and shook with anguish and sadness.

"I…I couldn't bare to see you…so sad…so heartbroken. When he went through that Veil…I knew…I knew that I could something for you. You did something for me. I was my father's little mini-me. You helped me become my own person. You beat that self-righteous shit out of me. I admit…I'm still self-centered but…I'm not how I could've been. So, I'm repaying you," Draco explained. Tears ran down Hermione's face and she shook her head. Blaise sat, motionless. His face didn't betray any emotions that he might have had.

"How long?" Blaise whispered.

"Perhaps June. It really does depend on his choices. He doesn't have long…" Luna whispered. Blaise looked away from her and looked down at his lap. Luna swallowed and turned to Bella.

"I'm sorry for not telling you," Luna apologized. Bella shook her head and she buried her face in her hands. She didn't make a sound any longer. Her shoulders shook with her grief but her sobs were no longer audible.

"Draco…" Bella murmured into her hands. She looked up with tired eyes at her brother cried into her shoulder. She slowly stroked his hair and she pulled him closer to her.

"Draco…Draco, my foolish brother," Blaise whispered, forlornly. Bella swallowed and she looked up at Luna. The younger blonde girl's lip was trembling and she crossed to Hermione and Blaise. She pulled them towards the couch and Luna sat next to Bella. Bella leaned her forward on Luna's shoulder. Hermione lay on the couch and she laid her head on Luna's other shoulder. Blaise wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and put his head in her lap.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't…I needed…I had to get him back for you…" Draco cried, softly. Luna made a gentle shushing noise and she gave a sad smile before she looked up to the ceiling. There was a settling feeling at magic rushed over them.

"_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little Horsemen_

_When you wake_

_You shall have four pretty little horses_

_Thestrals and Grays_

_Unicorns and Bays_

_All four pretty little horses_

_Way down yonder in a meadow_

_There's a poor little Angel_

_Bright wide eyes and fallen from the sky_

_Poor wee thing cried for her Serpent_

_Hush-a-bye don't you cry_

_Go to sleep my little Horsemen_

_When you wake_

_You shall have four pretty little horses_

_All the pretty little horses_," Luna sang, softly. Their eyes drooped as the Elven magic soothed them. Luna swallowed and she tilted her head. Her eyes closed in concentration as she tried to remember the words.

"_Niar-ei-shia pai byr tia_

_Kai sai maer tia jhori Cysaestael_

_Shael o shaji_

_O mar cali thys netya nica rocya_

_Saerar eil Kar_

_Ialolys eil Shar_

_Illi thys netya nica rocya_

_Shae pyrn olaes ail ei taedyrn_

_Saesi'm ei vys jhori Eilaer_

_Shol shodi aer eil thalael var si mia_

_Vys shi sol tor an caes Maesael_

_Niar-ei-shia pai byr tia_

_Kai sai maer tia jhori Cysaestael_

_Shael o shaji_

_O mar cali thys netya nica rocya_

_Illi Du Netya Nica Rocya_," Luna finished.

There was a rush of magic and all four Horsemen's ouroboros necklaces lit up. The light dimmed into nothingness and Luna absentmindedly ran her hand through Hermione curly hair. Luna could tell from their breathing that they were all asleep.

"You love him. You love all of them."

Luna looked up, slowly into the green eyes of Lily Potter. She was standing by the mantle and she ran her finger along it. Her finger didn't truly make contact with the stone but it did look like that.

"I do," Luna said, unperturbed by the appearance of the dead woman. Lily looked away from Luna's undisturbed grey eyes and she looked up at the ceiling. It seemed to morph into the night sky just by her emerald stare.

Luna wasn't disturbed in the least.

It wasn't the first time she spoke to Lily Potter.

"Then you know what you must do," Lily whispered.

"I wouldn't have had to if…if you had voted otherwise," Luna said, her voice not trembling though she faltered. Lily looked at Luna with narrowed eyes. She leaned against the desk.

"It wasn't I who proposed the price. He said anything. You must choose your words wisely when speaking to Death's Circle. And it was Cadmus who proposed the idea of a life for a life. _And thine eyes shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot_," Lily quoted. Luna gave a hard smile and she gave a little chuckle. The siblings did not stir. They were lost in the dream world that Luna's song had created for them.

"I do not believe in God, Lily. You know that. I believe in Magic. It does no good to quote the Bible to me. It was a unanimous vote, wasn't it? He had to lose his life…" Luna said, looking down sadly. She blinked at the sensation of the burning tears and she let them fall. She did not hide her tears and try to look strong. She was being strong by showing that she was human.

"You know that we could not decide unless it was unanimous. Cadmus and Antioch both decided immediately. They had to convince Ignotus. You know how he feels about such things. At least, you have Seen how he feels about such things. Ariana…Ariana she approved. Even…Merlin approved. But you know that's because he hates the Dark. He disagrees with everything they do. I didn't want to but I couldn't argue against them. You know this. But Morgan…Morgan fought for him to live. She sent me without telling the others. She sent me to tell you," Lily said, softly and in hushed tones.

The woman looked around as if she were waiting for someone to come interrupt her. Luna leaned forward.

"What did she send you to tell me?"

"He has to die…but…he doesn't have to _stay_ dead."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 14****th**** of November 1996**

**4:00 PM**

"What time is it?" yawned Blaise as he woke. He looked around and he saw Luna standing at the desk with gifts on the desk. He stood to examine the gifts and Hermione shifted in her sleep. Her shifting woke up Draco and Bella. Draco looked accusingly at Luna.

"You put us to sleep with that lullaby," the gray-faced boy accused. Luna gave the slightest of smiles and she nodded in agreement.

"I did. Look in the mirror. You all look so much better," Luna said, softly. Draco raised an eyebrow as a mirror appeared to where Luna had gestured. He walked over to the mirror and he stared in surprise. The circles beneath his eyes were gone though he still looked drawn and grey.

"Oh…okay. I do look better…not my usual I'm-too-sexy-for-you-to-even-look-at but more of an I'm-hot-and-you-know-it. Hmmm…I can deal," Draco said. Hermione snorted and Draco rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but Hermione shook her head.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to."

"No…I wasn't. Bella, are you all right?" Hermione asked. Bella had been walking around, tracing the mantle. She came to a certain point on the mantle and she shuddered before taking a deep sniff. She flicked her tongue, tasting the air around her and she glared at Luna.

"My mother was here."

It was simple statement. It was neither a question nor an accusation. Blaise looked at Luna in surprise from his small pile of gifts. Luna nodded once.

"She was."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Bella asked, curiously. Luna smiled.

"Oh…she didn't come to speak to you. She came to speak to me. About Draco," Luna explained.

"Oh…what about Draco?" Bella asked. Luna's smile slipped away and she turned to Draco and she tilted her head, slowly.

"She told me how Death's Circle came to the decision to take his life in exchange for Sirius'. And then she told me a message that is meant for me and me alone. Do not ask," Luna said, warningly. Bella nodded in agreement though Hermione leaned forward with curiosity on her face.

"Death's Circle? What's that?"

"Death's Council. There's supposed to be ten people of the Council. There are only 7. Cadmus Peverell. Antioch Peverell. Ignotus Peverell. Ariana Dumbledore. Merlin Ambrosius. Morgan le Fay. Lily Potter. The last three spots are being held for people when they die," explained Draco. Bella's lip quivered and her eyes widened in shock and horror.

"My mother…my mother sentenced you to death?"

"She was against it for a while but…it needed to be unanimous. Morgan le Fay held out the longest. It's fine…I have to just make…preparations for after my death. I have a few plans that can come to completion," Draco said, off-handedly. Hermione frowned in confusion and she leaned forward to ask a question before she shook her head and plastered a smile on her face.

"Come on. Lets focus on less depressing thoughts. Blaise, love, open your presents," Hermione commanded. Blaise nodded, frowning still. He opened the first gift and his frown broke into a smile.

From his siblings, he had received a box of psychology and mediwizardry books. He looked up at them.

"Is this hinting towards something?" he teased. Bella rolled her eyes.

"It's obvious that you want to be a Healer. You're seventeen now so you can apply to train with a Healer for the year after next. Daphne's asking to be Snape's apprentice the day she turns seventeen," Bella explained. Draco frowned.

"Isn't her birthday over Easter? The Greengrasses are very extravagant. I went to one of her parties when I was younger. They have a formal ball and then the next day, Daphne throws a fit about how she hated her birthday. Then, she gets to have another one. As far as I know, it has been that way for a while," Draco said. Bella laughed, loudly and she shook her head as Blaise went to the next box. He smiled at the gift that his little sister had made, a small box that held her magical signature.

"How old is little Gia?" Hermione asked, fondly. Blaise smiled, brightly.

"She is four years old and her English is impeccable. She continues to beg my _madre_ for a teacher to teach her Russian. _Madre_ doesn't like Russians…one of her husbands was Russian and he almost escaped her," Blaise explained. Hermione raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"You'll have to take me hunting one day."

"I'd be happy to let you accompany me. Gianna still loves going as much as ever. And this is from my _madre_," Blaise said, looking at the next gift. He opened it and his eyes widened in shock. His lips spread into a smile and he tilted his head.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"The family ring that declares me as Heir. And of course, a watch," Blaise said. Hermione frowned in confusion.

"A watch…it's what magical people get when the come of age. I didn't get one…mostly, because I'm not from a wizarding family," Hermione said, looking rather sad about that. Bella gasped in realization and she looked down ashamed. Hermione frowned at her.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Bella sighed.

"I'm…your mum doesn't have political or financial standing as a Muggle. Since Uncle Sirius is legally dead, your mum is my legal guardian. But, I'm legally Head of the Blacks right now. It was my duty to get you the watch and I didn't. I'm sorry," Bella apologized. Hermione's lips spread into a smile and she kissed Bella on the forehead. Bella looked up at her with wide eyes.

"It's fine, Bella."

"No. It's not. I'll have one made for you. You'll have it by Yule. I promise," Bella said, firmly. Hermione opened her mouth to protest but Blaise settled a hand on her shoulder. Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"Don't argue with her. It's wizarding tradition. By doing this, she's essentially making you a Black before your mother marries her godfather," Blaise explained. Hermione smiled, brightly before nodding. Blaise opened his next book and smiled when he saw it was the Zabini Grimoire.

"Thank you…and this is from you, Lu?" Blaise asked. Luna nodded. Blaise opened it and he looked at the ink portrait in surprise. It was of course Blaise. He could tell by the hazel eyes. Blaise frowned. His eyes weren't hazel anymore…they were distinctly golden.

"What…when was this?" Blaise asked, curiously. Luna smiled and pointed.

Blaise looked at the portrait and almost gasped.

Hermione was sitting on a Hospital Wing bed and Blaise was holding her as she shook, crying. He recognized the scene. It had been right after Bella, Draco, and Blaise had saved her from the clutches of the Death Eaters.

"Your most treasured memory. And now…I believe Bella has a gift for you," Luna said, smiling. Bella's lips curled into a hesitant and frightened smile.

"It's from both Daphne and I. Come outside," Bella said. Blaise nodded, frowning. Bella led the group outside of the room and into the Entrance Hall. Astoria and Daphne were just walking from the dungeons and they stopped. Daphne held a violin case.

"Now?" Daphne asked. Bella nodded.

Daphne grabbed Astoria's hand and pulled her soundlessly outside. They walked in silence until they got to their tree. Most of Hydra was already sitting there, having a picnic it seemed. Blaise's eyes widened when he saw a cake sitting there for him. Several people were hanging around the lake and Bella swallowed nervously. She turned to Blaise.

"Close your eyes," she breathed.

Blaise shut his eyes tight and all he could see was darkness. He shifted when he heard someone gasp and then the feel of magic rushed over him.

"Open your eyes," Bella commanded.

Blaise opened his eyes and he gasped. Bella was sitting at her grand piano with Daphne standing next to her, her violin out and ready. Daphne ran her bow over the strings, sending out a beautiful sound. Blaise looked around and saw some kids watching curiously.

"I don't want to be scared anymore," Bella whispered. She looked to Daphne, questioning if she was ready. Daphne gave one nod and she straightened, looking much more elegant than usual.

Bella played the keys softly, though the sound was quite clear. Her playing began to attract more people. It was only ten seconds in and the beauty of the sound had Blaise mesmerized. Deep inside, he recognized the classical tune though he didn't voice it. And then Daphne began to play with her as Bella's fingers danced across the keys. Both of their eyes were closed as they lost themselves to the music.

Daphne's fingers moved masterfully as she switched her fingers from string to string, intent on playing it correctly. Her fingers twitched every few seconds as though she had placed it on the wrong string. Blaise couldn't even tell. He wasn't concerned with them playing it right. It wasn't about that.

The passion with which they played was all could hear. Bella's fingers drifted until she played so soft that you could barely hear. She suddenly stopped as Daphne began to play a violin solo. Her bow moved just as she did. Neither girl stayed in one place. Blaise found it interesting that Daphne moved back and forth in the same way that Bella did when playing. She pulled the bow down and Bella joined in once more and she looked sharply to the side. She wasn't even looking at keys now.

She was staring across the grounds at the person standing next to a tree a little away. Blaise followed her gaze and saw that it was one Tom Riddle. The song sounded like it was coming to an end. And it did. Through the entire thing, Bella had not smiled once. There hadn't been any need. Bella had shown her emotions through the song.

There was utter silence.

The grounds burst into applause and Daphne grinned and bowed. Bella looked surprised because of the applause and she frowned. Daphne poked Bella in the ribs and Bella jumped.

"Don't make that face! We were good!" Daphne said. Bella shrugged and she watched as Daphne began to pack her violin. Blaise made his way forward to hug the girl but Bella held up her hand.

"Daphne's done…I'm not."

The girl turned back to the piano and she leaned forward before looking up.

"I…composed this song last summer…it's not…finished. There's a lot of it that needs to be…fixed. And I don't usually play my compositions for anyone. You, Blaise…and Mione…and…_you_, Draco. You inspired this composition. I only have two that I plan to show people. This one…is…one of them," Bella said. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

Her fingers danced across the keys. It wasn't sorrowful like the song that Bella loved yet hated to play. It wasn't Chopin. It didn't resemble anyone that Blaise had ever heard before. Bella played with love. There was a quiet passion now instead of the big and unnerving passion that Blaise saw from Bella sometimes.

Slowly, but surely, Bella's lips curled into a smile. Blaise felt his eyes stinging as he looked on at his little sister with pride in his eyes. Her smile grew into something bigger. She was grinning now with excitement and she no longer moved hesitantly. The melody was a lullaby. That was clear now. Her fingers flowed over the ivory, swiftly. The sound was unbearably sweet and Blaise couldn't help but feel honored that he had had helped inspire the song. It was so complex, so luxuriant yet at the same it was so simplistically beautiful.

Bella finished the song with a smile. The group didn't applaud again. They only stared. Christine Jackson watched in shock. She had had no idea that Bella was so musically inclined. She hadn't even known Bella could play the piano in the first place. One lone person gave a slow clap. Bella stood and turned to look at one Tom Riddle. He smirked at her.

"_Brava, brava, bravissima_," Riddle said, softly. Bella nodded once at him, her smile softening with affection. Christine's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Ana…that was beautiful. Ah, Ana…" Blaise said, smiling. Bella grinned.

"_**Anya**_."

Bella stiffened and she frowned, her eyes wide. She looked back at where Tom was but he had slipped into the shadows of the trees and disappeared. Blaise crossed to Bella and gave her a tight hug. She hugged him back and smiled, brightly. Blaise leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I'm so…_proud_ of you, Ana."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 20****th**** of November 1996**

**10:00 AM**

"Shake hands," Madame Hooch dictated.

Draco and Bella grabbed each other's hands in a bone crushing hold. Neither showed the pain that they were obviously in. They glared at each other, leaning in dangerously. They didn't looked at the excited crowd. The two didn't shake but they only held each other's hands, daring the other to yield.

"All right! All right…goodness…siblings are so competitive," Madame Hooch said, muttering the last part underneath her breath. Bella and Draco dropped hands at the same time. They both mounted their Firebolts before shooting up into the air. Draco was at steep incline but Bella shot straight up.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE!" Hooch shouted. Bella and Draco didn't pay attention to her. They circled each other in the air as Hooch blew the whistle and their teams mounted their brooms and followed. Bella glared at him.

"Lets get this show on the road, brother. I'm not going easy on you," Bella warned him. Draco smirked and shrugged though he looked exhausted.

"I didn't ask you to. I can still kick your ass," Draco smirked. Bella watched as Hooch threw up the balls. She saw the glint of the Snitch before it disappeared. Bella turned her broom and shot towards the Keeper hoops, watching.

"Oh, and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, it's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and—whoa!" Zacharias Smith, the commentator, shouted.

Bella had just swooped up, right in front of Urquhart. He veered to the left to avoid hitting Bella and he almost fell off. McLaggen glared at Bella as she smirked at Urquhart.

"I had that!" he shouted. Bella hissed at him and he veered back, pale. Bella raced off as she caught sight of gold.

She shot up and watched for half-an-hour. Her team worked incredibly well together. With half an hour of the game gone, Gryffindor were leading sixty points to zero, McLaggen having made some truly spectacular saves, some by the very tips of his gloves, and Gideon having scored four of Gryffindor's six goals.

Bella was surprised by how skilled Gideon truly was. Bella knew that Ginny had made the Ravenclaw team and she dreaded when she'd have to go against them. If Ginny was as good as Gideon…they'd have trouble for sure. Bella saw the glint of the Snitch at the same time Draco did.

The two siblings raced upwards when suddenly Draco made a little gasping noise that sounded a bit like his dementor rattle. Bella watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his broom fell from underneath him and he tumbled off of it. A scream came from Bella's lips and she swooped down. She couldn't hear anyone else's screams. She didn't see Hooch swooping up.

She only saw Luna's terrified grey eyes in her mind and her brother rushing towards the ground.

She was leaning forward as she dived, vertically. Her fingertips just brushed his uniform. She leaned up, balancing her knee on the broomstick and she grabbed Draco.

She pulled him onto her broom. She felt something tugging in her hair, tangled and she reached back and pulled out the Snitch. She stared in shock before going to land on the ground. She stumbled and she saw Luna running onto the pitch with Hermione and Blaise. Dumbledore was just after them with Snape and Tom. Luna landed next to him first.

"Draco! Draco…don't die! She said you weren't supposed to die yet! Draco! Wake up! It's not funny!" Luna pleaded, hysterically. Bella stared in horror though she didn't sob or gasp or anything. She only stared, terrified at her brother. Hermione gasped as she took in his image.

"Luna…Luna…_look_ at him."

Luna pulled back and a gasp left her lips.

The underside of his eyes was lined with black and blue and black veins extended from it, brushing his cheekbones. His skin was no longer grey but a snow white. His skin was paler than even Bella's and his lips were blue. Suddenly, Draco gasped and he sat up, shivering. He looked terrified.

"Lily…Lily…Lily…" Draco whispered. Snape paled and Luna looked at him.

"Draco?" the blonde girl asked.

"Lily…I…only you Luna. Only you…I damned myself. Lily…Lily told you. You know what to do, Luna. Lily…told you. Listen to Lily. Listen to her. Don't you dare think about the Law. Do you hear me?" Draco said, sounding very scared. Luna leaned back, looking at him in confusion. Draco shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"Draco…my duty…"

"_NO! DON'T SEND ME BACK! _Don't send me back…no…no, no. Listen to Lily. Promise me…promise me! _Please_…I don't want to die…I don't want to die. Don't send me back to Hell…Luna…Luna listen to Lily. You promise? You'll listen to my auntie Lily?" Draco whispered, sounding delirious. Luna shook her head.

"Draco, I _can't_. I _can't_. You said…you said you'd…I can't. I don't know how. I can't! It goes against my nature…the dead is your domain…I can't," Luna pleaded. Draco gave a rattling sound and he sat up. Dumbledore frowned in confusion.

"Mister Malfoy, what is going on?" Dumbledore asked. Draco didn't pay him any mind. He grabbed Luna by her shoulders and shook her.

"I don't have to stay dead, Luna. If you let me stay dead, I will bring Hell to Earth and I _will_ kill you. I will not stay dead," Draco hissed though he didn't sound like himself. Bella frowned and she reached out to him and touched his arm.

"Draco…don't say things like that. What's wrong?" Bella asked. Draco jerked away from her and he glared at Luna. A strange, hungry looked entered his eyes and he made a rattling sound. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers and he tried to pry her lips open though they stayed firmly shut. She pushed him down with all of her strength and he fell back. He sat up and grabbed the back of her head.

Luna looked at him, impassively. She knew this wasn't Draco. She touched his forehead with a patient look on her face.

"Begone."

There was a flash and Draco's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell back. The dark circles underneath his eyes did not disappear nor did the veins. Snape made a noise in the back of his throat.

"What was he talking about? What does he know of Lily Potter?" Snape asked, his tone quiet though loud enough to hear over their crazed din. Most of the teachers were trying to control the panicking students.

"Lily Potter…she does not stay dead. She is not a ghost but more. She is not alive but less. She awaits her precious ones," Luna said, cryptically. Snape grabbed the girl by her arm and shook her. There was a cat-like hiss and a snake-like hiss. Snape let go of the girl and settled for glaring.

"Stop with your useless cryptic answers. I have no patience," Snape snarled.

"She's not waiting for _you_, if that's what you wish to know. She wants nothing more than to leave her purgatory. She wishes to be with her family and her husband. She must wait for her precious ones so they may serve the required millennium," Luna said, scathingly. Tom looked at the girl with narrowed eyes.

"You speak of _them_."

It was not a question and Snape and Dumbledore looked at Tom in confusion. The siblings looked confused but were too concerned with their brother to really pay much attention.

"Of course. They serve their children's place in purgatory. Did you know your sister in purgatory, sir?" Luna said, softly. Snape frowned. Dumbledore paled.

"I had no sister," he said. Luna gave a grim smile.

"I spoke not of you."

Luna turned to look at Draco before she looked at Dumbledore with sad eyes.

"He won't awake until I wish of it. Perhaps, it'd be best to bring him to the Hospital Wing," Luna suggested. Snape sneered.

"Wake him up, Lovegood. That's not required."

"You know not what you speak of, Breaker of the Laws that bind us. Draco shall remain unconscious. For now. Tom Marvolo…I have something to say to you, sir," Luna said, quietly. Tom looked at her, sharply.

"What?"

"Your mind will shatter just as you are. I do not understand you."

"It is not your duty to understand. You are simply to know. You three, back away from him. Anya, cause a shadow please," Tom commanded. Everyone but Luna and Bella frowned at the instructions.

"Professors, please stand next to each other. Blaise stand next to the headmaster. Hermione stand next to Blaise," Bella instructed. Blaise did as he was told, confused. Tom leaned down and scooped up Draco, carefully, as if he were a volatile bomb. Tom slipped into Dumbledore's shadow before grabbing Bella around the waist and melting into the shadows. Snape's eyes widened.

"That technique is very Dark magic," Snape said. Luna tilted her head. She murmured to herself as she walked towards the Hospital Wing.

"Dark magic for a Dark creature. Pitiful creature of darkness…"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 21****st**** of November 1996**

**7:00 AM**

Albus frowned at the petite blonde in front of him. They were in Poppy's office without much of an audience and Luna Lovegood still hadn't told him what was wrong with his student. She was leaning in the fireplace, speaking urgently with someone. She pulled away suddenly and the fire turned a bright green as someone stepped through.

Albus restrained from groaning.

Narcissa Malfoy stood, looking as imposing as ever. And behind her was a dementor. Narcissa looked around, frantically, and she only nodded to Albus before she continued out of the office without so much as a word. Miss Lovegood leaned back into the fire to speak.

"Stay, Lucius…you are needed," Albus heard Miss Lovegood say. He didn't hear the response as Miss Lovegood pulled back and looked away from the bright fire. She looked distant suddenly. She snapped back and shook her head.

"Can you never get it right, Tom?" Miss Lovegood said, muttering under her breath. Albus made a mental note to figure out what she was talking about. He decided to attempt to find out.

"Miss Lovegood, is something wrong?" he asked. Miss Lovegood nodded.

"Everything is fine."

She pushed past him and she walked into the main Hospital Wing. Narcissa watched as she walked in, her eyes sparking dangerously. The small Elven girl looked slightly frightening for some strange reason. Luna touched her son's forehead and she whispered a few choice words in Elven. His eyes flickered open and they fell on Luna. Narcissa gave a slight smile at the love in his eyes.

And then she spotted the hunger.

"Draco, your mother is here. And so is…Augustus," Luna whispered. And suddenly Narcissa saw her son in the face and she gasped. The under of his eye was lined black and black and blue veins extended from under his eye and down his cheek. His eyes were silver, not the silvery blue they had been when he was a child.

However, her son was not looking at her. He was looking solely at Augustus. He rattled something to his familiar and his familiar nodded. Her son crawled towards Augustus with a hungry look on his face.

Narcissa looked at Tom Riddle and sneered. Tom Riddle smirked at her and turned to look at Snape. Narcissa sneered at Severus Snape. He was the traitor. The one who betrayed the Dark. Narcissa glanced at Bella Potter. She was holding her locket and edging away from the dementor with a protective look on her face. Narcissa looked away and watched as her son leaned up just as Augustus leaned down.

"So…_hungry_," Draco whispered.

Bella gasped as Draco slid down Augustus' hood. The dementor still had his eyes and he did not look as gruesome as the dementors of Azkaban though he was still frightening. Draco suddenly latched his lips to the dementor's mouth and he pried the creature's mouth open. Draco wrapped his arms around the dementor's skinny neck and he gripped Augustus to keep the dementor from moving away. His familiar did not move and he allowed his master to Kiss him.

Suddenly, Draco pulled away, gasping. His skin looked slightly healthier though the veins and black circles remained. It seemed that it was a permanent thing. Draco brought the familiar close to him and rattled something, softly. The dementor answered with a rattle and Draco turned away to look at Luna.

"Luna…I'm sorry…I'm sorry," Draco apologized. Luna frowned and turned to Narcissa. Narcissa enveloped Draco in a hug.

"Oh…my poor baby. What happened to you?" Narcissa fussed. Luna sighed.

"Your son…had an encounter with the dead," Luna said, not exactly lying but not telling the entire truth. Everyone was fine with that. They didn't want to see Narcissa's reaction to the fact that her only child was going to die.

"Get off me, Mum. I'm not a baby!" Draco said, indignantly. Narcissa smiled and pulled away, patting his head. Draco sneered before turning to Luna. His sneer softened.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I didn't mean it. I won't kill you."

"You should be sorry. And no you won't kill me. You'd just Kiss me. Why haven't you fed?"

"There's no one to feed on."

"Mister Malfoy, there's a forest of Dark creatures that you previously accessed," Dumbledore pointed out. Draco gave a bone-chilling smile and Narcissa couldn't help but shudder at the smile on her baby's face.

"Headmaster…I'm growing boy. I need human souls."

Dumbledore paled and he watched as Draco stood from his bed, the dementor following. Dumbledore took a step forward but the dementor swooped forward, looking extremely dangerous. Draco glanced at Bella as she took another step back from the dementor.

"Are you afraid?" Draco asked.

"Not of it. I'm afraid _for_ someone. Get it away from me," Bella said, harshly. Albus wondered why she was reacting so strongly. He looked to Tom but Tom seemed to be pulling Bella back away from it.

"Why? You _are_ afraid," Draco said, smirking.

"Get. It. Away. From. Me."

The words had not come from Bella but from Tom. Albus' eyes widened and he looked at the man. Tom's eyes widened and he grabbed Bella's hand, pulling her behind him.

"Are you afraid too, Tom?" Draco taunted. Tom hissed at the boy.

"Get. It. Away. From. Me. Or I _will_ kill it."

"Draco, do as he says," Luna whispered. Draco frowned in confusion and he watched as Augustus floated towards the pair, curiously. Bella grabbed the locket she got from Tom, protectively and she ran from the room, pulling Tom with her. Augustus looked disappointed for a moment.

"Augustus, it isn't your fault…Bella's frightened. Not of you but you might accidentally do something that you're not supposed to," Luna said, soothingly. The dementor tilted its head curiously and then turned to Draco. Draco rattled something to his familiar. Augustus nodded and then flew out the window.

"What did you just send it to do?" Snape questioned.

"I'm still hungry."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 21****st**** of November 1996**

**10:00 AM**

"Lady Malfoy, I'm glad we could have this chance to talk. What is it that you wished to speak about?" Albus asked, curiously. He watched as Narcissa took her seat, gracefully. Though she had a very prim attitude, it was clear that she was fiercely protective of her son and she'd do anything for him.

"Headmaster. Draco needs his familiar here."

Albus blanched.

"I'm sorry but I can't permit that."

"And why not?" Narcissa asked, coolly. Albus was surprised that she wasn't riled up. She had been very fussy over her son only minutes prior. She had almost force fed him food after he had Kissed his dementor twice, once again after his dementor returned. To Albus' surprise, Tom returned.

Bella did not.

He had asked Miss Lovegood the reason but she had been twice as cryptic as he usually was. He was okay with being cryptic himself but it was truly annoying when someone was being cryptic to him.

"It just would not be appropriate to have a dementor at a school full of innocent and young children," Albus explained, gently. He leaned back when he saw Narcissa's eyes flash dangerously. She crossed, her arms slowly.

"You'll have to reevaluate what is appropriate then. Miss Potter has a snake familiar named Sasha. She's a black adder and is venomous," Narcissa pointed out. Albus almost cursed aloud. The Malfoys were proving to be difficult. Just last year, they had got a black unicorn and thestral out of him. Now they wanted for Hogwarts to house a dementor.

"Yes but she speaks Parseltongue. She can easily control it," Albus said, almost triumphantly. Narcissa sent him a smug look.

"Draco can speak to Augustus. He needs the dementor to fetch him souls. You saw what happened to him when he did not. If I find him harmed in this school one more time, I'm afraid we'll have to involve my attorney. And that wouldn't be beneficial for you. Now would it?" Narcissa said, sweetly. Albus relaxed. He knew of the Malfoy attorneys. They were good but they wouldn't go against Albus Dumbledore.

"That won't be necessary. The Hector won't need to be contacted," Albus said, calmly. Narcissa gave a little laugh that was softer but sounded very much like Bellatrix Lestrange's laugh.

"I was not speaking of Mister Hugo. I was speaking of Madame Knox. The _Black_ family attorney," Narcissa said, softly. Albus froze.

_She_ wouldn't hesitate to cross Albus.

"That…that won't be necessary, I assure you."

"If you don't allow my son to have the proper health care it _will_ be necessary, I assure _you_," Narcissa said, almost snarling. Albus swallowed before nodding, very slowly. She leaned back in her chair.

"Yes, yes. Now, lets discuss housing of your son's familiar…"

"Very good. Now we're on the same page."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 15****th**** of December 1996**

**8:45 PM**

Tom watched her from the corner of his eye as she curled up in the corner of the Music classroom, writing on the staffs, quickly. She was sitting at the piano, her long hair curled into a knot. Tendrils of hair fell in her face and her fringe hung almost past her eyes. She blew it, annoyed before biting the end of her quill again.

She dipped the quill in ink before she scribbled something on the music paper. Tom almost sighed. She looked so very beautiful. And she was incredibly protective of his Horcrux. He knew he had made the right choice in trusting her with it.

"What are you doing?"

Bella jumped and looked at him with narrowed eyes. Her eyes grew wide when she realized it was him and she scrambled to close the folder that she had her music in. Tom looked at her curiously and he walked forward to take it. Bella glared at him.

"That's not yours. Go away."

"Let me see…I want to see what you're doing," Tom said, simply as he tried to take the folder from her. She shoved him away and glared at him before she picked up her inkbottle and quill. She tucked the quill behind her ear and she put the stopper the inkbottle.

"It's none of your business. Now, excuse me but I have to go finish my Potions homework," Bella said, stiffly. Tom gave her an innocent pout and she rolled her eyes as he grabbed her wrist.

"Friends don't keep secrets."

"Yes they do. Now get off of me. I have to finish my homework. I haven't gotten a detention all year yet and I've still got to figure out what do about Grindelwald's…Horcruxes," Bella said, whispering the last word. Tom looked up at her, sharply and his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I said I'd kill him and I meant it."

"I see…" Tom said, softly. He turned away from Bella and she looked at him in surprise. She wondered what was wrong with him. Perhaps he didn't want her to kill his mentor. Bella cared for Tom but she didn't care for Grindelwald. At all.

And then suddenly her folder was out of her hands and Tom was looking at it. Bella made a noise of outrage as he flipped through her varying compositions, looking rather curious. Bella snatched it from him and Tom shrugged. Apparently, he didn't notice how pissed Bella was by his invasion of privacy.

"I don't know why you tried to hide it. It isn't as if I can play the piano. I never really found it interesting," Tom said, off-handedly. Bella's eyes narrowed and she turned away from him, her face stony.

"Right," she said, stiffly.

"Are you mad that I took your folder?" Tom asked, curiously. He was almost like a little kid with his questioning. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

"No?"

"Wrong answer."

"If I say sorry, will you accept my apology?"

"No."

Tom frowned as she stormed out of the room.

He'd just have to do something to get her attention.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 18****th**** of December 1996**

**8:20 AM**

"Bella! Bella! Draco!"

The frantic shouting came from the Gryffindor table and Bella frowned when she saw Lalita shaking apiece of parchment at her. Linda was sitting next to her, her arm around her shoulders and Theodore looked a little worried as well. Bella grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him forward, ignoring the still uneasy sudents.

The first time they had seen him after the accident, several people had screamed at the new additions to his face. They had also screamed at the new permanent attachment called Augustus. It had taken Bella a long time to get comfortable around Augustus and when he was around, she always tucked her locket inside her shirt. Draco ran forward and sat across from Lalita.

"Lita, what's wrong?" Draco asked. Lalita didn't even seem to hear her new nickname. She continued shaking the letter. Bella couldn't read it as it was written in Hindi but it was obviously bad.

"My father…my father wrote me. He wants me to bring Theodore to him…to make sure he's a good choice. And he wants me to meet the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord…the Dark Lord is going to be there this Yule. He's trying to convince the Dark Lord to Mark me and he…he said _yes_," Lalita explained, frantically though her voice was low. Bella's eyes widened and she looked up with wide eyes at the Head Table. Tom was watching her with a sly smirk on his face.

"That son of a bitch…" Bella whispered. Lalita shook her head and she looked up at Tom. He offered her a cordial smile and Lalita looked away.

"I don't want…I can't…I want to be part of Hydra. I don't want to be a Death Eater," Lalita whispered, quietly. Bella glared and she sighed as Blaise and Hermione spoke quietly to each other.

"I don't know if I can do anything. I can talk to him but somehow I doubt that that wil make him change his mind," Bella said, apologetically.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" a voice asked. Everyone turned to look at Luna.

"What's obvious, Lu?" Draco asked. Luna sat next to him and she wrapped an arm around his waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled, brightly.

"We have to convince him not to. But not here…he's not the Dark Lord here. But we know when he'll be playing Dark Lord, yes?" Blaise said. Bella frowned in confusion and nodded, slowly. Her eyes widened before a slight smirk crossed her face as she realized what he was speaking of. She glanced at Lalita's stricken face.

"Road trip."

:::

**A/N: **Too much to handle in this chapter so no road trip. I won't be updating the road trip today because I'm going to the Harry Potter Exhibition in Manhattan. Sorry but there is _no_ way that I'm skipping that. I'm just so freaking excited. I just want to catch a glimpse of Death Eaters things, the Horcruxes, and perhaps Voldemort's wand if I'm lucky. As you can see, I'm absolutely in love with Voldemort. And even more so with Ralph Fiennes…

Anyway, if you think Tom is being childish, there is a reason. Luna said the reason. Read it again since she really only spoke to him once. Tom wasn't in this chapter much but he'll be in the next one.

Oh, yes there's a poll on my profile where you can vote for the title of Inside My Mind's sequel. Personally, I'm partial to the name: _Masquerade_. It depicts exactly what the sequel's going to be about and it's a song from _Phantom of the Opera_.

_**Fun Fact # 7**_: I drew a lot of inspiration from _Phantom of the Opera _and Evanescence music, as you can see. I also based Gideon Weasley on a character that _POTO _fans will know as The Fop or simply Raoul. A lot of the critical scenes I write to songs from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical or to my favorite Evanescence album, _Fallen_.

**_Fun Fact # 8_**: The songs in this chapter are as follows: Chopin Nocturne 20 in C-sharp Minor and then the next was River Flows In You by Yiruma.


	76. Chapter LXX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So…Bella is going to beat Tom down. She's upset. She's extremely upset at the moment. Draco is also having a breakdown. He tried to Kiss his 'girlfriend'. Hermione is…slowly but surely losing her mind. And she's not the only one. And Blaise is the only normal one.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXX**

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 21****st**** of December 1996**

**9:00 AM**

"My Lord, can we go now?"

"No, Rodolphus."

Voldemort glared at the whining man and looking at Bellatrix with a narrow-eyed stare. Bellatrix nodded before slapping Rodolphus upside the head. The man turned to whine at his wife, leaving Voldemort to ponder what would happen with Bella.

Pretty little Bella.

"Where is Lucius?" Voldemort asked, coldly. Rodolphus stopped before smirking.

"Doing his hair."

Voldemort almost snorted.

He _would_ be doing that.

"If he's not here in the next thirty seconds, we'll be leaving him. Bellatrix, are you ready?" Voldemort asked, carefully. Bellatrix turned away from Rodolphus before dropping into a low bow and Voldemort had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes at her utter devotion.

"Of course, my Lord. I readied myself the moment you requested my prescence at this meeting," Bellatrix breathed. Voldemort sighed and shook his head just as Lucius entered the room, not a hair out of place. He was holding a mirror up, brushing his hair back just to make sure that it was properly in place.

"More moving, less primping, Lucius. Where is your son?" Voldemort asked.

Lucius seemed surprised that he had a son for some extremely strange reason. He cleared his throat and pushed his mirror back into his robe pocket before straightening his cloak.

"I had assumed that he was staying at Hogwarts, once more."

"I see," Voldemort said. For some reason he didn't think that was true. Of course, he wasn't sure because he didn't busy himself worrying about where the students of Hogwarts were staying. He had a war to take care of.

"My Lord, can we go _now_?"

"_Yes_, Rodolphus," Voldemort sighed. He walked towards the oversized fireplace and picked up the Floo powder as he passed. He stepped inside the green fire and threw it down, his black robes billowing around him. He threw it down, whispering the words under his breath. He spun for what seemed like a very long time until he stepped out of another fireplace and into a well decorated home.

He saw the Indian Minister staring, wide-eyed at him. He was dressed in a suit and Voldemort gave him a distasteful look. The snake-like man took a step forward and the Indian Minister dropped into a bow.

"Minister Singh," Voldemort said, coolly just as Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Lucius came through the fireplace.

"Lord Voldemort. It is pleasure to have you in my home. I did not know you would be bringing any other guests besides Mister Malfoy," Minister Singh said. Voldemort gave him an appraising look though he didn't answer right away. This seemed to make Minister Singh slightly nervous. As he should be.

"This is Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. They will room together," Voldemort said, giving no room for argument. Minister Singh's eyes widened. So the two Lestranges' reputation had preceded them.

Excellent.

Voldemort knew that the Indian Minister was struggling not to show fear but that only made Voldemort happier. It was amusing to see them try so valiantly. They wanted to keep their fear hidden but it just wasn't possible. Oh, how utterly amusing it was.

"Yes. My daughter is in one of the sitting rooms, entertaining guests. She has just introduced me to her fiancé. Theodore Nott," Minister Singh explained. Voldemort gave him a cold look, hiding his surprise. He had not known that Theodore had proposed to Lalita. He hadn't even known that they had feelings for each other. Ah…wait…for purebloods…

Love was not required.

He had to remember that, constantly. He was around sentimental Bella too much. She was all about peace, love, and happiness. It left a bad taste in his mouth. Like the 70's. Oh how he _hated_ the 70's. Everyone had been about that damned flower power. Even some wizards had adopted the doctrine. He had had fun killing some flower power promoting Muggles.

"Is that so? His father is a follower," Voldemort said, softly.

"Ah…she assured me that her friends were quite Dark. She said that they all supported you to an extent. I only asked for her to stay out of the way until her Marking," Minister Singh said. The Indian Minister watched the Dark Lord. He was impassive and surprisingly not as hostile as he had imagined. The Dark Lord took a step forward and Minister Singh had to stop himself from taking a step back.

"No…I'd like to see them," Lord Voldemort said, softly. Minister Singh's eyes widened in involuntary horror. What would he do to them? They were only children and he hadn't signed up for this. He didn't want to be in alliance with someone who murdered children.

"I'm not sure if that—"

"Show me to them," Voldemort said more forcefully. Minister Singh nodded and he walked forward towards the sitting room. Voldemort followed him up the stairs with his eyes closed. He seemed to be focusing on something rather intently. Minister Singh's eyes widened when he saw the man's nonexistent lips curl into a cruel smile.

Voldemort led Minister Singh to the sitting room and he opened the door. Minister Singh watched as the teenagers fell silent. Voldemort seemed to be looking at the one girl that Minister Singh had not spoken to yet. Lalita had said that she would introduce them at dinner as it was still early and Minister Singh had said that he would be in a meeting all day.

The girl was quite beautiful with long ebony locks, vibrant green eyes, pale skin, and red lips. She was scowling rather heavily at the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord advanced upon her before pressing his fingertips to her face. She didn't move as she glared at him.

"How dare you?" she whispered, furiously.

Minister Singh's eyes widened in horror even more while Bellatrix Lestrange merely laughed. The woman danced towards the girl with bushy brunette hair. She sat down next to her and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. The brunette tried to shrug Bellatrix off but the crazy woman didn't budge. Rodolphus Lestrange walked to the blonde girl and pounded fists with her. Lucius walked towards his son, Draco and whispered softly to him.

"How dare I? How dare you interfere with this, Bella Potter?" Voldemort said, quietly. Minister Singh made a whimpering sound. He had invited _Bella Potter _into his house when the _Dark Lord_ was here. She was done for. She would die here and he was sure that people would know that she was here when she died.

"You did this to spite me! You're being childish," Bella Potter hissed, angrily. Bellatrix made a snarling sound but Bella Potter ignored her. Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he glared at Bella Potter.

"You will respect me, child."

"I'm not a child. You should know that I'm not," Bella Potter said, coolly. Voldemort looked back at Minister Singh and Minister Singh swallowed. He looked back at the Girl-Who-Lived before he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"We will speak in private or not at all," Voldemort said, coldly. Bella Potter glared at him.

"What if I don't want to talk to you? What if I just want her to stay unmarked? She's _mine_. I saw her first," Bella Potter snapped. Voldemort smirked as he pulled her from the room. Minister Singh frowned as he noticed that she wasn't exactly struggling.

"Now who's acting childish?"

The two disappeared from the room and Minister Singh stared after them in shock. None of Bella Potter's friends had made a move to save her. Minister Singh stormed up to his daughter in shock.

"You did not say Bella Potter would be here. Why would you bring her after I informed you that the Dark Lord would be here?" demanded Minister Singh. Lalita looked at her father, balefully and Minister Singh was surprised at the boldness her gaze held.

"She's the only one who could have stopped him from Marking me. He's Marking me because of her she said. Because she's ignoring him," Lalita said, coolly. Minister Singh frowned in confusion.

"Why would that matter?" he asked, excusing his daughter's boldness for now. He also ignored the fact that Lalita's English now held the slightest of a British accent, mixed with her normal Indian accent. It was actually a fetching pronunciation.

"She used to be his lover."

The one who had spoken was not his daughter but was the brunette under Bellatrix's arm. Minister Singh turned to the outspoken girl with a glare, ready to reprimand her. But Lalita shot him a pleading look.

"And you are?"

"Hermione Granger-Black, Bella's sister. As I was saying, she used to be his lover. She dumped him. He got upset. She got upset. They stopped being upset and then for some reason _she_ got upset again. Now, he's getting back at her," the brunette said, flatly. She shoved at Bellatrix again but the woman didn't let go of her yet. It seemed that she enjoyed annoying her. Minister Singh's eyes widened as he finally processed what she was saying.

"Lovers?"

"_Yes_, Father, lovers. They had been lovers since she was 14. It ended just a month before Bella's sixteenth birthday. And now…where _do_ they stand, Luna?" Lalita asked of the blonde girl. The blonde girl brushed back her hair and Minister Singh stared in shock at her pointed ears.

"The Dark Lord does not know nor do I. He knows what is to come as I've spoken to him. I do not understand him anymore. I don't believe I ever have," Luna said, almost sadly. Draco Malfoy leaned forward and brushed his lips against Luna's cheek.

"It is not your job to understand. Only to—"

"Know. He constantly tells me such things. He's a fool, that's what he is," Luna said, sharply. Bellatrix shot up and glared at the girl, opening her mouth to protest against her.

"My Lord is not a fool! He's the greatest and smartest and—"

"Bellatrix, darling, he doesn't want you," Rodolphus said, softly and teasingly. Bellatrix growled at him and turned away, looking extremely annoyed. Minister Singh was trying to assimilate to the dynamic of it all. None of this was making sense. It was all too chaotic and out of place in his world.

"Maybe it'd be best if you introduced them to me now. I thought we were just about to have a problem, Lalita," Minister Singh said, pointedly. He was shocked when Lalita gave him a stony look before turning to the redheaded girl with a voluptuous figure.

"This is my best friend, Linda Moon. She's a Slytherin and my partner-in-crime. That is Draco Malfoy, my mentor, a master with a scythe and sai and Bella's brother. That is Blaise Zabini, Bella's other brother and master Legilimens. That is Hermione Granger-Black, Bella's sister and swordswoman. Luna Lovegood, the Dark Seer. Draco had to bring his familiar. His familiar brings his unique food source. I hope that's okay," Lalita said. Minister Singh frowned, offended. He looked at Lucius who looked rather cold as he saw Minister Singh's offended expression.

"What is this unique food source that I cannot bring him? Is this an insult?"

"Unless you have spare souls, no. His dementor familiar will bring it to him," Lucius said, flatly. Minister Singh watched as Draco looked him full on and he gasped and _did_ take a step back. The boy's face was frightening.

"I'm sorry…souls? _Dementor _familiar?"

"I'd advise you just to go with it," said the boy sitting next to Lalita. Minister Singh frowned at him.

"And who is this?" Minister Singh asked. Lalita blinked.

"Oh…yes. This is Theodore Nott. My…fiancé," Lalita said, saying the words rather flatly. Theodore Nott was frowning at the door still. He seemed worried somewhat for the girl that had just departed with the Dark Lord.

"Your fiancé? How do you do, Theodore?" Minister Singh said, coolly. Theodore nodded once and he looked at the doorway with a frown.

"Fine. Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Minister Singh. Bella's upset…she's very upset. She's going to start throwing curses soon," Theodore said. Minister Singh frowned. Was the boy in love with the Dark Lord's lover? Or perhaps ex-lover as apparently they were not lovers any longer?

"I can feel it too. It burns," Linda said, annoyed.

"She's very upset. She'll convince him not to Mark me," Lalita smiled. Minister Singh frowned in confusion and he looked at his daughter with disappointment and shock.

"Why don't you want to be in the Dark Lord's service?" Bellatrix asked as if the thought had never occurred to her. Minister Singh watched as his daughter unlaced a leather cuff on her left wrist and it fell away. Minister Singh looked at the crimson ouroboros tattoo.

"Because I'm already in the service of Bella Potter."

* * *

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Monday the 21****st**** of December 1996**

**9:30 AM**

Amit Singh kissed the young maid one more time before sending her on her merry way. She had been a boring one. That was for sure. It was a hobby of Amit's to bed every maid in the compound. And when he was done with the ones in his apartment, he'd dismiss them and hire new ones. His father was quite unaware of his little hidden hobby and he would prefer if it would stay that way.

Amit was currently on his way to meet the Dark Lord Voldemort with his father. It was slightly unfair that Amit would not be Marked and his _adorable_ if dorky little sister was but he didn't dwell on it. Amit turned down the hallway when he heard the shouting.

"You can't Mark her!"

"And why ever not?"

"You know why! You're such an asshole! You're being childish."

Amit frowned in confusion and curiosity and he crept forward. He peeked into the room where the shouts were coming from. He almost gasped. A young woman about Lalita's age was leaning against a wall. She was absolutely gorgeous and Amit's fantasies raged, as he looked her over. She was wearing tight trousers tucked into black boots with red splatters of an unidentified substance. She wore a man's button down shirt. Her long black hair fell around her like a dark halo.

A tall man with burning crimson eyes and waxy skin was standing over her in black robes. Amit cringed in fear. It was clear who this man was. His father had told him about the fearsome red eyes.

"I'm being childish? You're shouting insults at me? You're also being foolish. You forget who I am," the Dark Lord said, coldly. The young woman turned away from him, looking to the side. The Dark Lord's spider hand settled on her neck and he brushed her hair to the side. Amit frowned when the young woman didn't move.

"And you forget who I am," she said, softly.

"We'll speak about this later," the Dark Lord said. The young woman looked at him, sharply.

"Later? Why not now? We're not finished," the young woman hissed. The Dark Lord cast a glance Amit and Amit froze.

"We have an eavesdropper."

The young woman looked at Amit with cold green eyes and she tilted her head. She nodded once before pushing of the wall and into the Dark Lord. Her hand settled on his waist and he made no move to remove her hand. She glared at him one more time before pushing past Amit.

"You are the Dark Lord," Amit said. A slight smirk crossed the Dark Lord's for a mere second but it had been there.

"Evidently. Come along," the Dark Lord instructed. Amit followed in a daze. He could still see the young woman leading them to a sitting room that Amit knew that his sister had reserved for her little friends. Amit entered the room after the Dark Lord and he took in the company.

His father

His sister was sitting with a voluptuous and milky-skinned redhead and on the other side of her was a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves.

Sitting across from them were the oddest quarter that Amit had ever seen. The blond young man's face had a haunting handsomeness. It was actually slightly disturbing. The blonde girl had pointed ears and Amit knew almost immediately that she was an _Yōginī_. The brunette girl with bushy, curly hair had dark rims of black around her eyes. Amit could indentify the black as kohl. She had a tattoo going down her arm and a scar extending from shoulder to shoulder. A boy with golden eyes and tan skin was tracing circles on the brunette's cheek.

Three people in black stood against the wall. One was obviously the father of the blond boy. The next was a woman with overly curly black hair and heavy lidded eyes. She didn't look entirely sane. The last man with dark brown hair was whispering at a mile a minute.

"Did you and your lover solve the problem, Lord Voldemort?" Minister Singh asked. Amit blanched at the title and the green-eyed girl suddenly looked very stiff. The Dark Lord's crimson eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Ex-lover," they said in unison. The green-eyed woman gave the Dark Lord a look of utter distaste.

"And there wasn't much love in the relationship in the first place. He's rather incapable of showing any affection at all. He's all vindictive, resentful, and surprise, surprise, _childish_," the young woman said, bitterly. Amit's eyes widened fearfully at the Dark Lord's reaction. The fearsome man's wand slipped into his hand but the woman did not react.

"We'll speak about this later. Stop your juvenile insults and name-calling. Your voice is beginning to grate on my ears," the Dark Lord said, frigidly. The woman glared at his back when he turned and she stuck her tongue out at his back. Amit's lips twitched and he saw the brown-haired man in black near the wall, laughing softly.

"Rodolphus…"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Stop your laughing and shut up. Bella, keep your tongue in your mouth. I thought we discussed _that_ matter long ago."

"And we see now why _that_ didn't work out," the curly-haired brunette muttered under her breath, smirking. The Dark Lord glared at her in annoyance.

"Hermione, hold your tongue. I taught you but I did not teach you everything. Be silent," the Dark Lord commanded, coldly. _Hermione_ exchanged look with the golden-eyed boy while Bella only sneered.

"So?" Lalita asked, standing. The young woman cast the Dark Lord a glare.

"He's being…difficult."

"I am not being anything of the sort," the Dark Lord said, coolly.

"I'm still to be Marked?" Lalita asked, almost crest-fallen. Amit wondered what was so wrong about being Marked. Then suddenly he looked his sister over again and he stared in shock.

She was rather pretty. She wasn't wearing her glasses and her hair was wavy. She wasn't wearing Indian garb like she usually wore when in New Delhi but that was fine and all.

"Yes. I don't understand why you're so opposed to the idea, Lalita," the Dark Lord said, softly. Lalita glared down at the ground since she didn't have the balls to glare at the Dark Lord.

"Perhaps it's because she's already Marked, Voldemort," the blonde girl said. Amit's eyes widened at the casual way she spoke to Voldemort but no one but Amit's father and Amit started at that.

"Yes, she's _mine_. I got her _first_," Bella smirked, triumphantly.

"Did you really come all the way to India just to brag?" the Dark Lord asked. The blonde girl laughed.

"No. She doesn't feel safe around Augustus without there," the blonde girl said, softly. The Dark Lord looked sharply at Bella while Bella looked the other way. The blonde boy who was becoming familiar to Amit frowned.

"What is it about my familiar that frightens you?" he asked.

"Draco…it's not your familiar. It's not Augustus. It's what he does…you don't frighten me because you're intelligent and you wouldn't attack…me unless you were hungry. And even then, you tried to Kiss Luna first. But, Augustus does not think like that. He only does your bidding. Though he knows what souls are off-limits, he still makes me…antsy," Bella explained. Draco frowned at the explanation and looked to the blonde girl.

"Luna?" Draco asked, curiously. She looked like she wanted to say something. She was still looking at the Dark Lord with a confused frown.

"You are like a puzzle, Voldemort. The pieces are missing…scattered. I do not understand you," Luna stated. Bella sighed shaking her head as if she had heard it several times. The young woman kneeled in front of Luna and she glared at the blonde Elf.

"It's not your _job_, Luna. Stop it. He understands. I understand. That's the end of it."

"I did not speak of his abomination, Nikolai. I spoke of other things…perhaps his—" Luna said. She leaned forward and whispered in Bella's ear. The girl froze and cast the Dark Lord a look.

"Are you certain?" Bella murmured.

"I Saw Bella. I have words of prophecy for you. And for you alone," Luna said, quietly. Hermione leaned forward in curiosity and she tilted her head in confusion. Luna leaned back and cast Voldemort a look that Amit couldn't decipher.

"Where do we go from here?" the redhead voiced from next to Lalita. Luna looked far away for a moment before a daunting and wide smile was on her face. It was far too wide and her teeth were far too pointy for her smile to be considered innocent.

"Wily child…" she said, under her breath before she looked at Lalita.

"I believe I could go for a nice spot of tea."

* * *

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Wednesday the 23****rd**** of December 1996**

**10:45 PM**

"What do _you_ want?" Bella asked, softly. Tom closed the door behind him, knowing the emphasis on the word 'you'. She wanted to know what he was doing there in the guise he was currently in. He didn't answer right away. He merely looked at her and he couldn't help the slight smile that worked across his face.

Bella had assimilated into Indian customs rather quickly. She wasn't so much as interested in the history like Blaise and Hermione but more in the culture. Even Draco could only find it so interesting. He had taken to speaking in hushed tones with his father and off-limits girlfriend but one thing or another. But Bella was so interested and captivated by the art and music. She had even taken to wearing traditional Indian garb, something that Lalita had quickly started to do after she had gotten home.

Linda could only bother to wear it sometimes as she claimed that her collection of designer clothes was too much to waste. Theodore had agreed that he would never be caught in a dress though Draco hadn't failed to remind him that he wore robes, which looked very much like a dress.

The girl looked for a lack of a better word and at the current time, imagination, breathtaking. Tom scowled, unconsciously, at the sappiness of his own thoughts. He looked her over once more, his hungry gaze softening ever so slightly.

She was donned in a _churidhar kurta_. The _chruidhar_ was tightly fitting trousers that were longer than her actually leg so they bunched together at her ankles. The cuff was rimmed with dark green and gold, Slytherin and Gryffindor colors. The _kurta_ part of the ensemble was unfortunately, a curve-hugging tunic. The top part was black and after her…bust…a ribbon of gold. Extending down to her knees was a dark green that were just a shade darker than her eyes. She stood or rather sat at the moment at three inches higher because of some very tasteful gold heels.

Tom cursed the day that Lily Potter had made him promise to love this girl.

She was so disgustingly infuriating with her pretty _face_ and her tempting _body_ and her skillful _tongue_…oh damn!

What was here for again?

"Ah…I'm considering revealing this form to the Minister. He seems much too…skittish to enter into an alliance with at the moment. I hope to remedy that but not by too much. I do still wish for him to fear me, as he should. I'm only ever so lenient with you and by extension your friends," Tom said, softly. Bella stiffened as he put his hands on her shoulders. She slammed the folder shut before turning to look at him. Tom leaned back and went to sit on her rather large bed.

She had a nice room and he knew it wasn't far from Lalita's room at all. Hermione's room was just across the hall but Blaise and Draco had had to sleep in the son's part of the compound with Theodore. The two overprotective brothers had not been happy about that until Hermione had reminded them that it was rude to ignore another country's customs.

"I think you're just tired of being ugly all the time. You are incredibly vain. Now, why are you here?" Bella asked, softly. This was an entirely different question and Tom wondered why Bella was suddenly so…different. She was so…stiff around him unless she was arguing with him.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked, curiously.

"It's rude to answer a question with another question. You should know that, Tom," Bella whispered. She looked down at her lap and she pressed her palms down into her legs as if she were trying to distract herself from his prescence.

"Then, I'm here to see you. Now, what's wrong?" Tom asked, sternly. Bella looked up at him with flashing green eyes.

"Did you love me?"

Tom frowned at the familiar question

"I told you before…no. I didn't."

"Lie to me?"

Tom froze at the request and his eyes widened in shock and confusion. Bella stood and walked up to him. She sat down on his lap and swung herself around until her legs was on either side of him and she was facing him.

"I beg your pardon?" Tom said, softly. Her head dropped on his shoulder and she clung to his shirt like a child. Tom frowned at her.

"Lie to me…please. Tell me you at least cared about me," she whispered.

"Bella, I _did_ care."

"Please…keep lying to me," Bella pleaded, her voice small. Tom's eyes widened and he looked down at her in shock and confusion and just…what was she going on about?

"Bella. I'm not lying," Tom said, softly. Bella shook.

"Yes. You are. I can't believe I deluded myself into thinking that you actually cared. I don't understand…why me? Why did you choose me? Why did you break _me_?" she whispered. Tom pulled her back and saw that she wasn't crying. She just looked so dead inside. She had been doing a remarkable job of hiding it and it seemed that she had been thinking about this for a while.

"You were already broken," Tom said, softly. He knew that wasn't true. He knew that was a lie. But, he couldn't even tell the truth to himself. He couldn't even think of the fact that it _was_ he that had broken her. Bella shook her head.

"Blaise…Blaise doesn't say it but he acknowledges me as his sister more and more everyday. He told me almost a year ago now that I wasn't his sister. He said his Bella was loving but broken. A broken doll. A fallen Angel. She was kind but strong and compassionate but she didn't take shit from anyone. But that's not true…I take all this shit from _you_," Bella whispered. She pushed herself off of him and she crawled past him on the bed. Tom turned to look at her with wide eyes and a frown.

"And all I want to do is…hate, hate, hate, _hate_ you. But, I can't. And I should! But I can't and I try and try and _try_. But I can't! Because I…I l-lo…" Bella stammered. Tom's eyes went wide and he leaned back. He wouldn't…couldn't let her say it. He moved towards her and grabbed her hand and gave her a cold look. He might kill her if she did.

"You dare?"

"I dare what?" Bella whispered.

"You dare tell me you love me? You screamed you want me to die. You _tried_ to kill me. And you…you know I'd never hurt you in that way. I would never scream in your face that I wanted you to die," Tom said, coldly. Bella looked at him in shock before she looked down, ashamed. Her face was pale. There was absolutely no color and she looked mortified.

Tom's face softened.

"So run from me and senselessly hate me, if it feels good. And when you want me back, I'll hear your screams," Tom promised. Bella gave a chilly smile and she pushed her long bangs from her eyes. It was pinned to the side to keep it out of her eyes now.

"You lied to me. But I'm older now…I don't believe you'll come back. You won't come back. You're not a man of patience," Bella said, softly.

"You'd be surprised by how much patience I have. Especially concerning you."

"Luna says your mind is shattering. Is that true?" Bella asked, her voice just as soft though her tone was sharper. Tom looked at her with narrowed eyes and he glanced at the door. It was warded but not as much as Tom usually warded a place. He had added extensive wards to his bedroom since he didn't trust the students not to just barge into rooms.

His wand fell into his hand and he waved it, manipulating the mediocre wards on the door into something so much stronger. The lock on the door clicked and magic sustained the lock, keeping the room inaccessible at the moment.

"I wouldn't know. I believe my mind is fine," Tom finally said. Bella looked away from him.

"I…I'm not sure what to believe. I'm not sure what to think anymore."

Tom looked at her, sharply, his eyes searching for her reasoning. She wasn't looking at him so he couldn't tell what she was thinking and he was desperately curious as to what was going through her head.

"What do you mean you don't know what to think or believe?"

"Everything is so twisted. I don't know what you _want_ from me. I don't know what everyone expects from me. I'm sixteen! I should be having fun and going to parties and getting _drunk_. I'm worrying about a _war_ instead. I'm wondering if my godfather will ever wake up from his coma. I'm worried that everything is going to spin out of control and I'll have to make choices that I don't want to and I—" Bella said, quietly. Tom pointed his wand at her and waved it. Bella's eyes widened as he cast the came spell on himself. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bed.

"Come on," Tom said, softly. Bella frowned in confusion but followed him as he waved his yew wand, bringing down the wards he had only just put up. He pulled her from the room and down the winding hallways until they came to a nondescript door. He entered and Bella looked in surprise. It was a sitting room of sorts.

"These are my rooms," Tom explained. Bella nodded and she sat down on the sofa as he went towards the bookcase that she was sure held a lot of his books. He pulled down a small red leather book. On the cover it said _'Book of Verses_'. He flipped to a page as he sat down next to her and grabbed her wrists.

He slid the bracelets off her wrists and pointed at the words inscribed inside the band.

"Bella…those words mean something. To me and to you," Tom said, softly.

"Do they?" Bella asked, faintly.

"_Out of the night that covers me, _

_Black as the pit from pole to pole, _

_I thank whatever gods may be _

_For my unconquerable soul_," Tom said, his voice soft. Bella frowned in confusion as to what he was doing. He was reading something. Bella leaned back and observed him, carefully. She looked at the man she loved with a strange expression.

"_In the fell clutch of circumstance _

_I have not winced nor cried aloud._

_Under the bludgeonings of chance _

_My head is bloody, but unbowed_," Tom continued. Bella's eyes spark and she felt a growing awareness. She tilted her head.

"_Beyond this place of wrath and tears _

_Looms but the Horror of the shade, _

_And yet the menace of the years _

_Finds and shall find me unafraid._

_It matters not how strait the gate,_

_How charged with punishments the scroll,_" Tom continued. Bella's eyes narrowed as the words seemed to come to her before Tom even spoke them.

"_I am the master of my fate: _

_I am the captain of my soul,_" Bella finished with Tom. He looked up at her and nodded once. He grabbed her hand and looked at her in the eye.

"Don't think about anything else. Don't think about what if. Think about what now. You are the master of your fate and you are the captain of your soul. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. My mutilated soul."

"Tom…do you love me?" Bella whispered. Tom froze at the question and he turned to glare at her when he stopped and his face slid into an unfathomable expression.

"I don't know."

* * *

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Thursday the 24****th**** of December 1996**

**9:00 AM**

"My Lord, I don't understand why this is necessary. Must your bodyguard and your…Miss Potter be here?" Amit asked, confused. The Dark Lord raised a hairless eyebrow and glanced at Bella. She was looking rather cold and expressionless for a change.

"Miss Potter is to be here because she's my witness and I'm not only proposing an alliance with you but possibly with her as well," the Dark Lord said. Amit frowned in confusion. Why would the Dark Lord want an alliance with a sixteen-year-old? What kind of power could s he hold?

"I see…why exactly is that?" Minister Singh asked, curiously. Bella sneered.

"That's not any of your business. Just know that I'm of higher rank than you and that's end of it," Bella said, flatly. She cast the Dark Lord a confused look but she said nothing else. Amit looked at the girl hungrily. He couldn't wait to just bed her. She didn't have high standards it seemed.

The Dark Lord may be powerful but he wasn't…good looking.

"Now, the terms are quite simple. I do not ask much of you. You'll only be needed when called upon. A minimum of twenty wizards should be under my direct command at my beck and call," the Dark Lord said, coolly. He pushed the contract towards Minister Singh. Minister Singh nodded before he frowned.

"And what about politics? I do hope this isn't only a war for fighting," Minister Singh said, pointedly. Lucius glared at the man. Did he really think of them as that barbaric?

Minister Singh was surprised when the Dark Lord offered a twisted smile.

"That's not really much of your concern. I need your forces for just that. Force. Though, I appreciate the fact that you're concerned, this is more of a political war more than anything. We're pushing forward ideas that have been long gone unconsidered. People would refer to me as a tyrant. I prefer the term radical," the Dark Lord said, softly. Minister Singh nodded and he quickly skimmed the document. He signed it, quickly before pushing it towards Amit. Amit signed, binding his name as a witness to the entire exchange. Amit pushed the contract towards Bella and he watched in confusion as she pulled off the glove on her left hand.

Amit stared in shock at the scars covering her hand, back and front. She picked up the quill though she looked unaccustomed to using that hand. She signed quickly and messily and her signature glowed. It seemed that she had put magic into her signature which was strange. Amit wondered the reason for it though he didn't voice it. The Dark Lord took it and Amit leaned over to see his real name. Minister Singh pushed his son back with a warning glance.

The Dark Lord wrote a name longer than Voldemort, he was sure but he couldn't quite see what it was. The contract rolled itself into a scroll.

"Good…very good. Ah, yes. We were beginning to speak of politics. My alliance with Miss Potter would start out as purely political. Despite her age, she knows much of politics and she holds quite a bit of power. She is currently Head of the Black family as her godfather is legally dead at the moment. She's also to be Head of the Potter family when she reaches the age of majority," the Dark Lord said. Amit opened his mouth to ask something when the Dark Lord raised his wand. Amit reared back in fright and shock. He hadn't even said anything rude yet!

"There's also Lucius who is Head of the Malfoy family. And then, there is me," the Dark Lord continued. He raised his wand and began undoing something. Amit stared in shock as his ugly persona melted away into one of a _very_ handsome twenty-year-old. His eyes were now a frightening mix of crimson and charcoal and he had a _nose_ now that was perfectly straight and aristocratic.

He had long wavy black hair that fell to her shoulders and Amit could now see that Bella did in fact have _extremely _high standards. She had not been in it for only the power, Amit could see now. The Dark Lord could be attractive when he wished it. Amit looked at his father and he frowned when he saw his father's pale face.

"Y-you're…Tom Riddle. The Heir of Slytherin," Minister Singh stammered. The Dark Lord gave a slight smirk and he looked from the corner of his eye to Bella. Bella was smirking now.

"Surprise, surprise," she said, amusedly.

"And that's incorrect…Lord Slytherin really, if you want to be technical about it," the Dark Lord said. Amit looked at him with real fear now. The Dark Lord was in Hogwarts. Right underneath Albus Dumbledore's nose. And he had been there for more than almost two decades now though he didn't look it at all.

"You're…you're so _young_," Minister Singh blurted out. Bella actually snorted now and the Dark Lord gave her a glare.

"I said nothing," Bella pointed out.

"You were going to. Trust me, Minister. I'm much older than you," the Dark Lord continued. Minister Singh swallowed and he looked at Bella. Bella shrugged and leaned forward.

"I knew who he was, Minister. Your daughter is well aware to. And now, we move onto why _I_ agreed on coming here. I was not aware of there being a proposed alliance and the Dark Lord and I will discuss that in private. He has asked for twenty wizards and/or witches. He never explicitly stated that your daughter had to be one of them. She has come to me to convince him not to Mark her. I just wish to know where you stand on the subject," Bella said, formally. She was extremely serious now. Amit had observed her for the past few days and he knew she could be quite playful when she wanted to be.

"I'm not opposed to the idea. It would be a good thing for me. I would like someone that I trust completely to have in the Dark Lord's ranks," Minister Singh said, calmly. Bella tilted her head and nodded.

"I understand that. However, Lalita disagrees. I understand that in your culture, the head of family makes the decisions. However, Lalita is already in my service. I've Marked her myself and she already has a partner. I'm sure you're confused by the way we operate so I will explain it to you though I can't give you much information. We're a private sector," Bella explained. Minister Singh nodded and waved his hand for her to continue. Amit saw the Dark Lord look at Bella, curiously.

"We work in pairs. The person who most compliments our personality and skills usually accompanies us on various things. For example, I have an up and coming Potions Mistress in my ranks who works with our Herbologist. I'm sure you can understand that. He harvests while she creates. Lalita works with Linda. Lalita is a Gryffindor. Brave, courageous, and she can think quickly on her feet. However, she is also an analyst. Linda is cunning and ambitious. She's incredibly sneaky. They compliment each other and they're decent fighters," Bella explained. Amit frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean by 'decent'? My sister couldn't hurt a fly," Amit said, flatly. Bella flashed a smile before she leaned back in her seat.

"You'd be surprised. She helped flood the Great Hall so I could break into the Department of Mysteries. She's incredibly skilled with knuckle-dusters. She fractured my cheekbone before," Bella said with a slight smile. Amit's mouth fell open and he looked at Bella. Bella looked towards the Dark Lord.

"She uses gauntlets in the DADA class. She's also rather acrobatic. I believe that if you went to look for her now in your training rooms, you'd see her. If you wish, we could take a look," the Dark Lord said. Minister Singh nodded, soundlessly. Bella smirked. He still looked in shock. Lucius tilted his head.

"My Lord, will you and…_Bella_ duel?"

"Perhaps."

"What do you mean perhaps? I haven't dueled for two weeks," Bella pleaded. The Dark Lord offered only a smirk and Minister Singh led the group through the compound, through the courtyards and maze of buildings, and to the training rooms.

The training room was like a gymnasium. There was a combat training maze, vaults, uneven bars, balance beams, pommel horses, still rings, vault, parallel bars, trampolines, and handsprings. The walls weren't lined with weapons and it seemed that there was a shooting range for spells, which Bella gathered inspiration from. She could see Hermione training with Theodore and Blaise was teaching Linda Occlumency, just in case she ever got caught in one of her missions.

Luna was sitting to the side, reading a book. She waved at Bella and Bella waved back. Her eyes fell on the Dark Lord and she smirked.

Minister Singh peeked inside and gaped

Lalita was on a dueling platform, doing a handstand while actually supporting herself on her knuckles. Draco Malfoy was standing right next to her, barking commands. Lalita jumped from her handstand, swinging her leg at Draco. Draco caught her leg and she fell down, painfully. She didn't let out a single sound.

"Lalita! Up!" he barked. Lalita's eyes narrowed and she swept the young man's legs from underneath him. He fell though he caught himself on his hands and righted himself. He gave her a slight smile before offering his hand. Lalita pushed it away and stood up.

"I'm not taking your hand," Lalita said, stiffly. Draco nodded.

"Why?"

"You would have cut off my fingers…again. Why do you do that again?" Lalita asked. Draco tilted his head.

"It's how the Dark Lord taught us. Come at me," Draco dictated. Lalita nodded and Amit almost gasped when he realized that she was wearing brass knuckles. She swung forward and Draco was suddenly moving. It was a deadly dance and suddenly Lalita swung her fist forward. Draco caught it without even flinching. His eyes fell on the wand between his eyes.

"And then?" Draco asked.

"I kill you," Lalita said, emotionlessly. Draco nodded once and he glanced at the doorway. His smirk grew when he saw whom it was.

"With what?" Draco dictated. Lalita tilted her head.

"It depends. What method should I use? There's several spells."

"Most efficient?"

"I could blow off your head with a Reductor Curse. Or I could use a Cutting Curse. I can't use the Killing Curse yet," Lalita said almost conversationally. Draco tilted his head and he smiled.

"I've never tried. Come. Let's go to the shooting range. We'll learn together. Hey Bella, want to demonstrate?" Draco called. Lalita spun around and she waved at her family. They stared at her in shock with a mix of horror. Bella's eyes lit up.

"Hell yeah!" she crowed before running inside, jumping onto the dueling platform. She then stopped and tilted her head.

"But…Tom and I want to duel," she said, softly. Draco and Lalita grinned.

"Go ahead. I know the theory. It's just Avada Kedavra," Draco said, off-handedly. Lalita tilted her head and nodded. She and Draco jumped off the dueling platform and Lalita turned to him.

"Well, not really. You have to feel intense emotion for that to happen, right? I mean it's really rare for someone to be able to cast it the first time. Bella did because she was angry and I'm sure it'll be easier for you to do since you're the son of Death. I've never done an illegal curse before," Lalita said. Draco said something that Bella couldn't hear. Bella turned back to Tom and she kicked of her heels. She was in a _salwar kurta _that day. Her olive green pants billowed over her bare feet and the maroon silk _kurta_ was rather airy. Her wands and wand holsters were Disillusioned. Tom shrugged off his robes, revealing jeans and a white shirt.

"You knew we were going to duel," Bella accused. Tom shrugged.

"I had a thought. It has been a while since I dueled you. We're out of the country. Illegal curses are fine, then," Tom said, calmly. He pulled out his yew wand and his Acromantula web wand and pointed them at Bella. Bella pulled out her holly wand and the Elder Wand.

"Two wands?" Amit asked Lucius. Lucius was stared at Bella's wand with curiosity on his face.

"I understand him but why her?" Minister Singh asked. Lucius tilted his head.

"I'm not sure…"

And suddenly they fell into a low bow, Bella's long hair touching the ground. Suddenly she flipped her hair back and she was throwing curses at Tom with a passion and rage and anger that Lucius had never seen. Sometimes she didn't even have to say the words. Lucius had seen his Lord fight in battle before. He had had the pleasure of witnessing a duel between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. His Lord had broken Dumbledore's nose with a well-aimed fist. But this wasn't controlled and the physicality of the duel was certainly not one-sided.

Bella aimed brutal kicks and punches and Lucius knew that if it had been anyone else besides his Lord, they would have bruised easily. Bella already had a bruise developing on her arm from where his Lord had punched her. He was lazily flicking spells at her though he had to focus quite a bit on the physical aspects of the duel. Bella preferred the non-magical way it seemed. Lucius knew that she had no qualms about using spells however.

He remembered the Department of Mysteries. The duel between the two had not been anything like what was happening now. That had been ruthless and brutal with a fierce one-sided want to kill. They were simply playing now.

"_Star light_

_Star bright_

_Entwining souls in the night_."

Amit, Minister Singh, and Lucius looked sharply at the blonde girl. She was looking over her book at the duel and she had a crooked smile on her face. Lucius suddenly realized that he was watching a Seer prophesize.

"Nikolai!"

Bella spun suddenly and she looked at Luna in confusion while she dodged spells shot at her back. She fell to the ground to avoid an _Incendio_. She jumped back up.

"What is it, Lu? I'm a little…_busy_," Bella said, as she grabbed a fist that the Dark Lord had thrown at her.

"I have words for you," Luna said, softly. Bella eyes widened.

"Now?"

"Now."

Bella opened her mouth to respond when a foot connected with her back and she fell off the dueling platform. She jumped up and glared at Tom who was smirking down at her, victoriously.

"I won. You suck."

"Fuck off. Come on, Luna," Bella said, annoyed. She shoved her wand back into the Disillusioned wand holsters. Luna stood up and Lucius tilted his head. The girl was wearing her own rendition of Indian clothing. She had added a high collar and bell sleeves, the traditional Elven clothing. Lucius wondered if the girl was sixteen yet. That was typically when Elves were presented to the Council.

Luna grabbed Bella's hand and led her outside of the building. Bella followed her and frowned when Luna brought her off the main path and to a small little garden near Lalita's room. Luna sat down on the stone bench first and gestured for Bella to sit next to her.

"What is it Luna?" Bella asked, curiously. Luna only gave her a slight smile. She looked down at her lap.

"You're attracted to Gideon. You think he's cute, correct?" Luna asked. Bella flushed and she looked away from the blonde girl. She swallowed and tapped a rhythm that was familiar to Luna, but only through visions, onto her lap.

"Yes but I love…I love _him_," Bella whispered. Luna looked up sharply and a brilliant smile crossed her face. She nodded, giving Bella a proud look.

"And what did _he_ say?"

"He didn't let me say it. He didn't want to hear it after I wanted him to die and I screamed at him. But he doesn't love me. And I'm okay with that. He doesn't have to love me back. I don't care," Bella said, though she knew she was lying to herself. To her surprise, Luna continued to smile as if Bella hadn't said that Tom didn't love her. Luna's smile then slipped away and she stared at her lap.

"I suppose that's what my prophecy is about:

_Star light_

_Star bright_

_Entwining souls under the night_

_Shattered and broken his mind may be_

_The Angel must love and see_

_Red headed with a Light heart_

_The one whom was found by the Mistress of the Claimer's Art_

_She be drawn to this force of Light_

_But she must not let the Dark Creature escape her Sight_

_For if he does and she doesn't find_

_The Dark Creature shall lose his mind_

_And there she will proclaim_

_That he is to blame_

_The tears of love she cried for him will fade_

_And turn to dark tears…of hate_," Luna said, softly. She rocked to her own imaginary rhythm and Bella's mouth fell open. She swallowed and looked at Luna with soulful eyes.

"So it's true. His mind…why?"

"His soul is not whole. His heart is shattered. The only thing left is his mind…heal him, Bella. Love him even if he will not love you back. Do you promise me this?" Luna asked. Bella gave a slight smirk.

"I promise. I don't think I can _not_ love him."

Luna gave her a curious look.

"Why _do_ you love him?" she asked.

"Don't you know?"

"This is not about knowing. It's about understanding. Humor me."

"I don't know, then. He's rude, childish, resentful, jealous, hypocritical, a murderer, a liar, and a cheat. But, I understand him for who he is and he understand _me_ for who I am. It's as simple as that."

"That does not sound simple to me," Luna pointed out with a slight smile twisting at her face.

"Says the girl who is an Elf and in a sort of romantic relationship with the Son of Death who is also a wizard, thus breaking the Natural Law."

"Point."

* * *

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Friday the 25****th**** of December 1996**

**1:00 PM**

"Good afternoon. Happy Yule," Bella smirked. She was sitting in one of the many kitchens in compound. She sat at the bar with a cup of black coffee in hand. Next to her sat another cup. Tom picked it up and began to drink, sitting across from her. She was dressed once more in a _salwar kurta _of black and gold though Tom knew she would change as they were having a _party_.

Which meant Tom was stuck being ugly again.

Well, that sucked.

"What time is it?" Tom grumbled. Bella laughed, quietly.

"It's one in the afternoon. I let you sleep instead of going to wake you up and bother you. I spent hours last night finishing your present. I hope you're happy with it," Bella said, sounding serious now. Tom looked at her curiously and she only gave a slight smile. Tom nodded and tilted his head, picking up the coffee.

"Can you give it to me in my room? I'm going to mourn the fact that I have to be ugly tonight," Tom sighed. Bella snickered and she shook her head. She patted his shoulder, friendly.

"I would empathize but I don't know what it means to be ugly."

"Yeah. Right. You don't look so hot right now, so stuff it. Someone needs a haircut," Tom mocked. Bella punched him in his shoulder and she picked up her coffee as he did the same. She turned to him and held her up hand.

"I'll meet you in your room. I have to pick up something," Bella said. Tom shrugged and continued to sip his coffee. He found that he was quite hungry and he walked towards the fridge and began searching through it for anything edible. He moved towards the cupboards.

"Yes, yes. Be quick or I'm going back to sleep," he said, pulling his guilty pleasure out of the cupboard. Bella smirked at the box of donuts and he sneered at her. The young woman skipped out of the room and Tom absent-mindedly wondered how she could skip when she was wearing three-inch heels. He wondered how tall she was no without the heels. She looked around five six and half now.

He walked towards his room and slid off the robe, exposing his drawstring pants and he kicked off his shoes. He was in his freaking room. He wasn't going to sit here all stiff when he was about to go back to sleep after Bella finished her gift giving. Tom pulled the wrapped present down from the bookcase and he tossed it onto the coffee table just as Bella came running back in with that folder of hers. She didn't even bother to close the door and Tom was too lazy to get up at the moment.

The girl pushed side the coffee table without looking at the present and she make a big open space. She placed something down and pointed her holly wand at it. It grew in size and Tom raised an eyebrow at the piano. Ah, so she was going to play something. She put the folder down and smiled at him. She opened her mouth, probably a heartfelt monologue like she gave her siblings.

"Give me my gift."

"Not what I was expecting. It's on the table."

Bella ripped open the present and she gaped before her lips curled into a grin. She tackled Tom and gave him a flying glomp. Tom stared at her in horror and he looked to the door. If anyone saw him, it'd ruin his reputation…

"Off. Off!"

Bella slid off with a smirk and she hugged the first edition copy of _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_. She placed it as if it were made of glass back on the table and she flashed Tom a grin before she settled at the piano, a slight frown on her face.

"I started this last summer when I…"

"Hated."

"Yes, when I hated you. I finished it last night after I realized that I…"

" 'Loved' me."

"There's no need for the air quotes. Don't mock my feelings," Bella said, half-jokingly. Tom gestured for her to continue and she nodded before she turned back to the piano.

"Do continue."

"I was getting to that. It fits your personality. It's not a simplistic lullaby like what I wrote for my siblings. It's different…like it," Bella said, pointedly. Tom smirked and leaned back in his chair. Bella turned in the seat and she looked down at they keys, solemnly.

Her fingers danced across the keys softly. They danced in the higher part of the piano and the sound was almost inaudible. It was almost like a song for fairy dance circle. It was sweet and soft and for clear reason, Tom did not understand how the soft melody related to him at all.

Bella's fingers suddenly began dancing across the keys towards the other end of the piano as the tone changed and the sound was beautiful. It almost sounded chaotic yet it was so put together. Her fingers seemed to be telling a sad story and Tom almost didn't notice Amit and Minister Singh standing in the doorway staring at her in shock. They glanced at Tom and flushed when they realized that it was the Dark Lord but Tom did nothing to cover himself up.

Tom frowned as he felt the memories of his childhood coming back to him. The piano created the dark feel of his damned childhood and a thrice-damned orphanage. Tom glanced at the doorway and saw that Lalita, Linda, and Theodore were standing with Amit and Minister Singh, watching as Bella played her heart and soul into the song.

The music softened and she played the high parts again though the tone was more intense than it had been only a minute before. The music seemed to be dwindling away and Tom frowned. It had been a short song but he had thought it would be longer with how long Bella had been working on it. Suddenly, she slammed her left hand down on a chord and her right finger twisted down the keys and she slammed her left hand on the chords. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted as if she were gone from the world.

Hermione and Blaise had showed up and were watching with soft smiles on their faces though Tom noticed that Hermione's eyes looked a little wilder than they had just a few months earlier.

Draco and Luna came and Luna watched with prideful eyes and she nodded, once at Tom.

This process went on and on until she slammed on the chords and suddenly her fingers was playing a deep and dark story of strife and evil and corruption. Tom's eyes narrowed as he thought of what she had thought of to create such a song. Her fingers moved faster than he'd ever seen them move. It was like she was playing with more than two hands. Her right finger danced, adding a lighter tone to the dark music.

Bella was swaying with the music. The music suddenly cut off abruptly and Bella played softly and mournfully. She mouthed something that was quite easy for Tom to read.

"The first," she mouthed. She bowed her head over the keys and it seemed to come to an end. Amit raised his hands to applaud but Tom held up his hand just as Bella stopped. The music returned and it was dark once more and soft. Bella added the light tone to it and Tom could see that it was not about the Dark and Light.

The recurring theme. Tom could tell that even Bella did not know what she was conveying in her music. But Tom did and it was something that he did not want to think about though he could not deny the beauty of the song.

Bella's music came to a slow and it was that mournful tune once more and Bella caressed the keys as the song really did come to an end. Tom sensed the song coming to that inevitable end. Bella's finger did not slam on the finishing key but only pressed, softly. She looked up at Tom and he tilted his head.

"**That was absolutely…beautiful. Thank you, Anya,**" Tom said, softly. Bella's eyes lit up and she smiled. She looked behind her at the partially shocked crowd and she offered them a smile and a nod. She picked up her folder and her new prized book before wandering out of the room, humming the piece to herself. Luna grabbed Bella's wrist and the black-haired young woman looked at the blonde with curiosity on her face.

"You're there, Nikolai. One more step and you're there."

:::

**A/N: **The party is not necessary to talk about. This is basically all that needed to be done. A lot of you will be pissed because Tom said that he doesn't know if he loves Bella but that will be resolved…eventually. Eventually, he'll know if he loves her or if he doesn't. The link to the song Bella played is on my profile and is right next to the words Tom's Theme. It's a beautiful piece and I love it very much. I hope you think it fits Tom too.

By the way, Masquerade is in the lead for sequel title. Continue voting, my loyal readers.

Next Chapter: Returns and Research


	77. Chapter LXXI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Bella finally admits that she's in love. But, she's not the type of person to wait around forever. And she certainly doesn't need a man to define her so that's not how this is going to go down. Her entire life is not going to stop because _apparently_ her 'ex'-lover doesn't exactly love her back though it's clear that he held affections for her.

Now that that has been settled, this where the Phantom of the Opera stuff really wormed its way in. As you know, this is based on my favorite book (besides Harry Potter) and favorite musical _and_ favorite movie. I mean look at it. Creeper dude from less ideal circumstances finds a pretty girl and teaches her. They did the whole Lair scene and we're going to turn the unmasking into something different and twist it into something totally different because it amuses me to see my characters all depressed. In this universe, I am God. I am Magic.

It also amuses me to see how many genres make up this story (i.e. Humor, romance, angst, hurt/comfort, spiritual, and all that rot). It was only supposed to be a lot of romance and drama. It was never this complex before. It was supposed to be a forbidden romance between the Dark Lord and the Girl-Who-Lived, teacher and student. Now it's a slightly one-sided forbidden but not forbidden romance between two inherently Dark people, one indecisive and one too stupid to make a decision about who he loves or who he _doesn't_ love.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXI**

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Saturday the 4****th**** of January 1997**

**9:00 PM**

"Father, I'm sure!"

Minister Singh gave his daughter another knowing look but Lalita only gave him back a stubborn look. He shook his head, slowly. She had been in England too long. She was more stubborn and outspoken than ever. He couldn't say that he didn't like this new Lalita though. The diamond ring she had gotten from her fiancé glinted on the chain around her neck. Minister Singh didn't exactly approve as they hadn't even done the Engagement Ceremony but Lalita had promised that they would have a traditional Hindu wedding.

"Are you absolutely certain that you wish to attend Hogwarts next year as well? You know we finish school after six years," pointed out Minister Singh. Lalita groaned and surprisingly she looked to the human-faced Dark Lord. He had been reading a book earlier though he now reading eyeglasses perched on his aristocratic nose. This only furthered Minister Singh's irrational fear of the man. He seemed too…human thus equally dangerous and deceptive.

"She stays for a year."

Well, there. That settled it.

"Thank you, Professor!" Lalita professed before turning to a bored Theodore. He was reading a book on Hindu weddings when he suddenly blanched. Lalita frowned at her fiancé and Minister Singh wondered how their relationship was. They were close but they didn't seem in love.

"I'm not _consummating_ our wedding on a bed filled with flowers."

Minister Singh flushed while the Dark Lord snorted. Lalita bit her lip to keep from laughing and she turned to Bella Potter who was sitting on the couch next to the Dark Lord, her legs thrown over his lap.

"That's actually quite amusing. I'll be telling Daphne that one. She'll be making lewd jokes in class for weeks. And you're the last one to be using the word 'consummating'. You're not a—" Bella started. Theodore glared at her.

"Whatever Daphne told you is a lie. I am a virgin and I would by no means have _sex_ with my childhood companion, who also happens to be my best friend," Theodore said, rather convincingly. Bella snorted and she smirked at him.

"I was going to say, you're not a little kid or an old man. Just use the word sex. And I know you're lying, Theodore. No one is around Daphne and stays a virgin," Bella smirked. Theodore glared at her. Minister Singh almost choked on his own saliva. He looked to his daughter who was now silently laughing.

"I beg to differ. Prude."

Minister Singh looked to the Dark Lord and flushed at the turn that the conversation had taken. Were all English people this brazen? Or perhaps his people were just so private with these matters.

"Fuck you."

"Your time has passed. I may look to Bellatrix now," the Dark Lord said, lazily. Now Minister Singh paled. Bellatrix Lestrange was…one crazy lady. Minister Singh looked to Bella and saw how pale and how cold her eyes were. Her fist flew forward, into the side of the Dark Lord's head and he jolted in his seat, his eyeglasses sliding down the slope of his nose.

"You're an asshole."

She stood and threw the door open, her blood-splattered heels clicking on the marble floor. Minister Singh looked down at the floor and saw hairline cracks where the heel of her shoes had slammed down. She was down the hall in a breeze, her long loose untamable hair swinging behind her.

"You're not making this easy on you, Tom Marvolo. You're only angering her even more," a voice said.

Minister Singh watched as the Elven Seer, Luna danced into the room and sat down, primly next to the Dark Lord. He sneered at her and flicked her in the ear but she made no move to annoy him back.

"I don't approve of her…_feelings_ towards me. I'm only making that clear."

Luna gave a sly smile and she leaned back. She turned to the Minister, Theodore, and Lalita.

"Could you perhaps give the Dark Lord and I some privacy? We have unfinished Seer business to attend to and I'm sure he won't like you privy to such confidential information," Luna said, sweetly. Minister Singh opened his mouth to protest. He understood that she was a Seer but she was fifteen and wasn't even realized as the Seer yet. She was also quite frightening when her eyes went wide and almost completely black. Minister Singh nodded and ushered the two teenagers out of the study, closing the door behind him.

The wards immediately set into place. Luna turned to Tom who was still reading his book rather calmly. Luna smacked it out of his hand and it fell onto his lap. He glared at her in annoyance.

"You'll lose your mind with guilt. With need. With passion. With obsession. And you'll lose her and your mind. You'll be your own downfall," Luna said, conversationally as if she were only speaking of the weather and how warm it was in India. Tom rolled his eyes to look at her.

"You know, your cryptic words are grating on my nerves."

"I'm not _trying_ to be cryptic. I'm only speaking the truth. You'll only succeed in making her hate you if you continue to be calloused."

Tom looked at her Luna with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe that's what I want. I don't want…_that_ to control or manipulate my actions. You saw that she's becoming aware of the…soul bond. You can't tell me that you didn't notice. I don't encourage it because I don't wish for my life to be dictated by something out of my control," Tom said, coolly. Luna rolled her eyes and she threw her hands up in frustration. Tom raised an eyebrow at her display.

"You're just as stubborn as Bella! First, you need to tell her about the soul bond because you're inconveniencing me. Do you know how hard it is to keep certain things out of conversations? Second, you're not discouraging her. You're making her hate you," Luna said, annoyed.

"Well, then the way _I'm_ handling this is a good way."

"No! It's not! You can love someone and hate someone at the same time. And you're not making good on the alliance front. Get. It. Together," Luna said, coldly. Tom tilted his head, looking at her with an unfathomable look on his face.

"I've never seen you be so cold. It's not a good look on you."

"You've never seen me angry either. But, you're bringing me to that point. I'm close to tearing my hair out. Draco's dying. You're losing your mind. Bella's going to end up hating you. Blaise is up to his ears in research and don't even _get_ me started on _Hermione_. You're losing your mind. I think she's already lost it. Her medications hardly work anymore and it's like she has a multiple personality disorder! And with her already tarnished mental health, I wouldn't be surprised if Mórrígan manifested itself that way!" Luna groaned. Tom froze and gave Luna an incredulous look and he tilted his head.

"I was aware that Draco was sick. It's quite obvious. I thought it was just the fact that he hadn't consumed enough souls and that permanently damaged him. I did _not_ know that he was _dying_. THE HORSEMEN AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE! What the _hell_ did he _do_?" Tom snarled. He stood up and began to pace massaging his temples. Luna glared down at the floor.

"He entered the Veil and pulled Sirius Black back over the bridge. But he had to trade something for Sirius Black. He traded his life like the little noble bastard he is. Did he not think about how that would affect _me_? And then Lily Potter comes and tells me that Morgan le Fay says that he has to die but doesn't have to _stay_ dead. She's expecting me to perform Necromancy. I love Draco. I do but Necromancy is high up on my list, right under mutilating one's soul," Luna sighed, annoyed. Tom stopped in his pacing and he gave her a flat look. She offered a sly smile and he sneered at her.

"I thought we were ranting together. This is not a time to be analyzing _my_ so-called mistakes. What do you mean Morgan le Fay?"

"You know why they're Horsemen. It's the mother. One of the criteria for your child to be a crazy Horseman: loving your child unconditionally. Despite Blaise's mother's lax parenting skills, she loves her son very, very much. Another: once your child becomes a Horseman, you pay for birthing an abomination like that. A millennium as part of Death's Circle, basically those that pass judgment. It's essentially Purgatory and she hates it there," Luna sighed. She looked towards the door and then turned back to Tom with the stern look on her face once more.

"What? Do you want me to _apologize_?"

"That would be nice."

"Fine. I'll go. But only for the sake of the alliance."

"Okay. Right. Just don't say something…stupid."

"Something stupid? Nothing I say is stupid," Tom smirked. Luna rolled her eyes.

"You'd be surprised," she muttered under her breath. Tom looked up at her sharply.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just don't be a jackass."

* * *

**Singh Compound, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Asia**

**Saturday the 4****th**** of January 1997**

**9:35 PM**

"AND STAY OUT, YOU VAIN FUCK!"

Tom was kicked, ceremoniously, and quite literally, out of the room and he fell on his ass. He glared as the door slammed shut behind him and there was the click of a lock.

"You were a jackass."

Luna stood next to him, leaning against the wall. Tom growled at her in rage and slumped against the door.

"I don't know what I _said_ wrong. It's like she's a hormonal pregnant…we didn't get drink and do anything, did we?" Tom asked, sounding horrified. Luna's lips curled into a half-smile. She crossed her arms and tilted her head towards him.

"No. Why would you automatically assume that it's you that got her pregnant?"

"Like she'd let _Macmillan_ touch her. Even under an attraction charm, she wouldn't go that far unless she had ulterior motives. Like killing him while having sex like Daphne was planning to do until Bella set her straight. But, _really_, what did I say?" Tom groaned. Luna smirked.

"You don't look like a self-respecting Dark Lord, right now."

"Well I'm _not_ a self-respecting Dark Lord right now, am I? I just got kicked out of the bedroom of a sixteen-year-old. A sixteen-year-old that attempted to rape me last year," Tom bemoaned, dramatically. Luna rolled her eyes.

"That's a blow to the ego, isn't it, my narcissistic man?"

"I'm _not_ narcissistic. I have a healthy level of self-esteem."

"Right. What exactly did you say to her? Did you apologize?" Luna asked, curiously. Tom tilted his head in confusion as if he didn't know the meaning of the word.

"I merely said that I liked her hair curly and long. She yelled that her hair wasn't curly and then she accused me of trying to turn her into Bellatrix. I told her that was impossible because she's not as tall as Bellatrix. She then started to rant about how I liked Bellatrix because she was tall and that I didn't love her because she's rather short. I told her that she wasn't short. I told her that she was—" Tom explained. Luna groaned, interrupting him.

"You _didn't_."

"What? I merely told her that she was fun-sized."

"You _did_. Oh Merlin, you're absolutely impossible."

"Funny. That's what she said. Then she chucked a lamp at me. It almost hit me. I back-tracked, telling her that I was only joking. She then pointed out that I never joked and that I was a sick fuck for 'using' her as she so put it. She said that I only used her for sexual favors because she's short and everyone likes the cute little fun-sized bitch that'll hand sex out like it's candy. She's really not that short. She's around 168 centimeters," Tom added. Luna decided not to tease him about the fact that he knew exactly how tall Bella was and she waved him on to continue. Tom nodded and sighed.

"Then she said that she was ugly, burst into irrational tears, and that she knew why I didn't want her. She claimed it was because she didn't look like Bellatrix. I said that she was prettier than Trixie to get her to stop crying. She then accused me of being Bellatrix's fuck buddy because I called her Trixie. I explained to her that it was a nickname that Rodolphus had assigned to her and that it had just stuck. She then demanded if I was having a _threesome_ with them. I protested loudly and said that Rodolphus was annoying. She growled at me and threw a dictionary at me when I said nothing against Bellatrix. I then had to sit her down and tell her that I find her absolutely gorgeous though I think she needs a haircut. That set her off _again and_ then she kicked me out."

Luna stared at him before she burst into a fit of laughter. Tom looked at her, incredulously and he shook his head, completely confused at Luna's laughter. Her pupils were big so that meant she was seeing something but he had the feeling that she was laughing at him.

"It wasn't really your fault. But…she's having her time of the month."

"Yes, well, _Hermione_ and _Bellatrix _don't act like that! They're just a little more psychotic than usual! I can' deal with that. They're psychotic most of the _anyway_. They don't go around screaming and crying and carrying on over the smallest of things. I thought she was about to have a mental breakdown!" Tom said, defensively. Luna smirked.

"Neither of them have PMDD."

"I'm sorry but _what_? I don't make it my business of knowing about menstrual cycles."

"It's a severe form of PMS. It stands for premenstrual dysphoric disorder."

"_What?_ She's going to be a bitch every month then?"

"Pretty much."

"Fuck my life," Tom groaned into his hands as he stood. Luna gave him an angelic smile and shrugged.

"I'm going to see if I can repair the damage. Why don't you go bemoan your troubles to Lucius? He'll sympathize with you. He can't stand Bella sometimes either," Luna suggested with an indulgent and patronizing smile. Tom gave her a sneer and he stood before storming down the hallway. Luna knocking softly on the doorway, confident that Bella had not heard the conversation.

"IF IT'S YOU TOM, YOU CAN GO FUCK THAT DOG YOU CALL BELLTRIX! FUCKING BITCH!"

"It's me. Luna."

"Oh…COME IN."

The door clicked, unlocking and Luna entered to find Bella sprawled across her large bed and reading the book Tom had given her for Yule once again. Apparently, Tom had put charms on it to make it indestructible and it was even resistant to fire. Bella would be able to read it over and over again without ever reading it again. Bella scowled as she thought about Tom and picked up a lock of her hair. She sneered at her and sighed.

"You want to talk about it?" Luna asked. Bella looked at her.

"No. I know you were out there talking to Tom. I couldn't hear you but I could feel his magic. And I could feel yours. Your magic always comforts me. It makes me content. Sort of like how I feel when my mother visits," Bella said, offering Luna a slight smile. Luna gave a bright smile and she sat down on Bella's bed. Bella slammed her book shut and she tossed it onto her night table. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't want to be defined by the fact that I love Tom. I don't want Tom to like everything about me. I want him to hate me as much as I hate him. I want him to love me as much as I love him. Does that make sense?" Bella asked. Luna smiled and nodded and she pulled Bella to sit up. She kneeled in back of Bella and she pulled the girl's long bangs in front of her face. She had been keeping them to the side due to the fact that they now fell to her chin.

"It does. I heard you didn't take kindly to him liking your hair. He called it curly and you compared it to Bellatrix's hair, right?"

"Yeah."

"Lets try something different then."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 6****th**** of January 1997**

**8:10 AM**

"So…did you ask her out yet?"

Gideon Weasley looked up from his pancakes and flushed, embarrassedly. Michael Brown and Christine Jackson stared at their friend with equally annoyed expressions on their faces. They had stayed at the Burrow that Christmas and they had discussed Gideon's cowardice over the subject of one Bella Potter.

"She's…intimidating. Did you not see how she had to be carried away from killing Ernie Macmillan? One false step and I could have my head on a pike," Gideon explained. Christine made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat.

"_Eww_. Disgusting. I'm try-ing to eat here."

"Sorry but it's true. I mean…wow."

The two fifth years turned to see what he was talking about and they stared dumbstruck at one Bella Anastasia Potter. Her hair fell right past her shoulders and it was neither curly nor wavy. It fell straight with the slightest wave. She had done away with her fringe. The fringe was parted and pinned behind her ear, the rest of her hair falling gracefully over it. She did not wear the clunky boots she had worn since the beginning of her schooling at Hogwarts nor did she wear tight, leather trousers.

She wore high-waisted trousers, the white shirt tucked into it and her tie falling just over the waistband of her trousers. She wore a black blazer instead of her robes, still giving her that originality but everything was different including the fact that she was wearing black heels to make her taller. Gideon tore his gaze from Bella and looked towards Riddle.

He was sitting, motionless, his eyes narrowed in either scrutiny or rage. His fingers squeezed around his crystal goblet and it shattered in his hand. Professor Sprout jumped though she was seats down and Gideon tilted his head.

Definitely rage.

Riddle stood from the table and walked slowly towards Bella who had arrived with Luna, Malfoy, Hermione, Lalita, Nott, and Zabini. Greengrass was rushing over to greet Bella and Bella smiled at her. Gideon expected Riddle to say something to Bella but he breezed past her, giving her a mocking smile before grabbing Luna by the wrist and dragging her right back out of the room. Bella turned to say something and Gideon could just catch it over the whispers of gossip.

"Luna…what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"None of your business, pod person," Riddle said, nastily. Bella seemed to know what he meant because then she looked very indignant and hostile. She glared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You _heard_ me, Body Snatcher. Come on, Blondie. We have something to discuss," Riddle said, pulling Luna away. Luna laughed as she was pulled down the hallway to be lectured, apparently. Bella glared after Riddle but she took on a smile once again and she looked to Malfoy. Gideon shivered when he saw the boy's face. He had almost forgotten the haunting and terrifying black circles and black blue veins he sported now. Gideon had heard rumors that the boy had a dementor in the castle because, apparently, it took care of him since he was ill.

Gideon had to admit that the boy _did_ look ill. He didn't look as sickly as he had at the very beginning of the year and he wasn't as grey. He was paper white however. Bella was pale but she had a slight creamy skin tone. Malfoy was the color of paper and it only made him more frightening.

"I think he's angry with you, Princess," Malfoy said. Bella didn't smirk or sneer or any of the sort. She offered a slight smile and sighed. She looked forlorn for a moment before her eyes hardened.

"I know. I'm in too good of a mood to care," Bella said, smiling. She sat down at her usual spot at the Gryffindor table, just a couple feet down from Gideon. Her group of intimidating friends sat around her. Gideon knew she always sat with people in the extensive DADA class. Christine had told Gideon that she had heard Riddle say to a teacher that they were the most talented class that he had ever taught and they were positively deadly.

Gideon didn't put it pass Riddle to raise his own little army of assassins.

But that didn't fit with Bella, he knew. She was an independent person and she didn't take it too well when her authority was challenged. She didn't respect supposed authority figures and she was rather open about breaking various laws. Gideon wasn't stupid. He knew that she had killed before. There had been a number of dead Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries and there had been a few dead Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup. She also didn't hide it. It was one of the many things that Gideon respected her for. She didn't hide.

"Don't just stare at her like an idiot. Go ask her to Hogsmeade," hissed a voice. Gideon jumped and he looked at his smiling sister. Ginny sat down next to him and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They looked very similar and it was obvious that they were twins though their hair texture was infinitely different. Gideon's hair was curly and Ginny's straight.

"I can't. She looks even prettier than before. It's intimidating."

"Are you a Gryffindor or not?" Ginny asked, outraged. Gideon stammered.

"Gryffindor," he mumbled under his breath. Ginny's lips broke into a wide smile and she nodded.

"Of course. So, go do your thing, lion. The worst thing that could happen would be rejecting you and you can bounce back from that," Ginny said, assuredly. Michael decided to add his two cents just after his girlfriend had spoken to her brother.

"Actually, the worst thing she can do is crush you into a million pieces like she did with Macmillan."

"Michael!" Christine snapped, smacking him in the arm, as Gideon steadily turned greener. Ginny gave her a boyfriend a withering look before she offered Christine a grateful look.

"Thanks, Christine. You're lucky she did it first or I would've punched you harder."

"You sound too much like Bella," Michael said, blandly. Ginny flushed and she crossed her arms, defensively.

"It's a little hard not to when she taught me for a couple months. Every time I said something stupid I got a punch in the arm. It really did hurt quite a lot," Ginny said, wincing as she remembered the increasingly painful lessons. She decided that that had all been worth it. She was in Professor Riddle's extensive class and she learned from him well enough. And he was absolutely gorgeous, as a bonus.

"We're getting off topic here. Gideon. _Go_. There are a bunch of other guys that are about to go ask her. Get to her first," Christine commanded. Her tone left no argument. Gideon swallowed, nervously and he nodded. The boy stood and Christine gave him an encouraging smile.

He moved towards Bella, slowly and she seemed to sense him. She didn't move though she stiffened and her eyes darted in his direction. A slight smirk curled her lips and she tilted her head towards him.

"Hello, Gideon," Bella said, softly though she still didn't turn towards him. Gideon swallowed.

"Hi, Bella. WillyougotoHogsmeadewithme?" stammered Gideon. Bella froze at the question and her lips spread into a smile.

Her friends and siblings gave Gideon withering looks, as if he weren't good enough for their leader. For their princess. Because that was how they treated Bella. Gideon could see that. They'd kill to protect her and Gideon wondered what she had done to garner such loyalty. It was also clear that Bella returned that loyalty. She'd kill for them as well.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" she asked, her smile still small but there.

"Will. You. Go. To. Hogsmeade. With. Me?" he asked, over-enunciating the question. The room was silent and Gideon glanced at the doorway. Riddle was standing there with Luna. Luna was grinning while Riddle looked like he wanted to kill something. Namely, him.

Gideon waited for her to give her answer. She was tapping her chin with a perfectly manicured finger. Well…not _perfectly _manicured. It looked like she had dried blood under her fingernails but she wouldn't be Bella if she didn't.

"Ana, you're really considering this?" Malfoy asked, softly. Gideon assumed that he didn't think that he could hear him. Bella shot him a sharp look.

"And if I am?" she asked. Malfoy shook his head and turned away, looking at Luna. Luna gave a slight smile and nodded. Malfoy sighed and leaned away. Bella turned to look at Riddle and she shot him the same condescending, mocking smile that she had given him before she looked to Gideon.

"Yeah. I'll go to Hogsmeade with you."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 6****th**** of January 1997**

**9:40 AM**

Gideon exited his Charms class that he had with the Hufflepuffs, early and he smiled when Colin Creevy slipped up to him. Colin was a nice kid though he had an obsessive crush on Bella. They were both, surprisingly, in Riddle's extensive DADA class and that was where they were heading currently. Michael wasn't part of the class but Christine was. She walked, smiling at Colin sweetly. Gideon knew she fancied the boy but he'd never out her to him.

"Hi Colin," Christine said, shyly.

"Hi, Colin," Gideon said, kindly. Colin grinned.

"Hi Christine! Hey Gideon! I can't believe you got a date with _the_ Bella Potter. Did you see how she looked today? She looked so pretty today. I like her hair a lot. What do you think she did with it?" asked Colin, a mile a minute. Christine tapped her chin.

"I suppose she used Sleakezy's Hair Potion. She'll have to use it every morning and since her was very straight, I would think that she used a lot of it. At least a quarter of a cauldron," Christine said. Colin's mouth fell open in surprise and he nodded in agreement just as they came up to the DADA classroom.

"How could she afford all that?" Colin asked, stupidly. They opened the door and stopped in surprise. They observed the sixth year class in motion though they said nothing.

Gideon watched as Malfoy swung his sai swords, violently at Fay, Lalita, and Linda. He was winning. The Patils, Michael Corner, and that Goldstein bloke sat in the corner reading books. Zabini was passing Hermione a bottle of pills from her bag. They were both meditating though Hermione still looked on edge. She popped three pills in her mouth before looking relatively calm. Nott and Greengrass were sparring while Neville practiced movements with a pair of knives.

Bella stood on the dueling platform in the middle of the room and she was frozen. Her eyes were half closed and she looked almost high. Gideon shuddered as the Dark magic radiated in the room though it seemed that no spells were being cast. Riddle was standing behind her and he was hissing her in her ear. She jerked and the Dark magic suddenly raged for a moment. It seemed that the entire class looked up and watched. Even Hermione who had looked a little tetchy before was calm and silent.

"**Feel it. Want it. Become one with it. With the Magic. With me.**"

The hisses echoed through the silent room. It echoed off the walls and suddenly Riddle's hands were inches over her hands and he raised it, like one might raised the hand of a puppet by its strings. She moved with him. He raised his other hands against over her bowed head and it rose, jolting.

"**Move with me. Mirror my movements.**"

Bella spun to face him and she leaned back. He took a step back and she took a step forward. He spun and she spun. He then darted forward and she met him half way. He spun her around and he leaned down, pressing his lips to her ear.

"**I'd like to try something**."

"What?" Bella whispered, hoarsely. She seemed to have forgotten that she was angry with Riddle and Gideon imagined that they had probably spoke about whatever problem they had had.

"**Be my puppet. Trust me.**"

"Always," Bella said, just as hoarsely. Riddle's lips curled into a smirk and he turned to Greengrass and Nott. His eyes darted towards Lalita next.

"Miss Greengrass, Mister Nott, and Miss Singh, join me up here."

Gideon was surprised to see that they didn't question him. They seemed excited yet wary. Greengrass ran up, swinging a katana as she went. Lalita had gauntlets on and her eyes shined brightly. Gideon watched as the ring she on a necklace around her neck glinted. He wondered, briefly, what it was for. Nott walked, slowly though he looked more wary than the girls.

Bella's head fell to the side and lolled against her shoulder though her eyes were open. Riddle's lips curled into a smile and he moved his hands down, Bella bowed to them and Lalita took a step back as it dawned on her what was happening. Nott shook his head and raised his hands in surrender.

"No surrendering. We're trying something," Riddle said, coolly. Greengrass swept into a low bow and Lalita and Nott, hesitantly, followed her example. Riddle nodded once and he moved his hand over Bella's head, making her look up. It was as if she were just a giant puppet. Bella took a step forward just as Riddle did.

"What are they doing?" Colin whispered. Christine shook her head and she watched as Riddle brought his hand up like a puppet master and began moving his hands like a crazy person. Bella walked forward, jerkily. She gradually got more and more fluid.

Suddenly, she jumped through the air, spinning through the air before landing in a crouch in front of Riddle. Riddle leaned down and hissed something at her. She stood up straighter and took a step forward.

Riddle's hand flew out, her fist flying as well. It caught Nott in the jaw and he staggered back, surprised by what had just happened. Greengrass ran forward, slashing down her sword. Bella avoided being slashed like a snake. Riddle suddenly back flipped several times in a row, Bella mirroring his actions. It was like a dance and Gideon was in complete awe.

Bella seemed to be getting more awareness as she worked in tandem with Riddle. Suddenly, Neville threw a knife towards Greengrass and Greengrass caught it. She took aim and threw it with al her might at Riddle. Suddenly, Bella's eyes flashed and she flipped through the air, catching the knife between two fingers. She landed next to Riddle and she nodded once at him.

"Ready?" she asked. He smirked at her and the duo stood back to back and watched as the other students in the room watched with vicious smiles. The Patil sisters had their eyes wide with amusement. Hermione was crouching, ready to lunge at any moment. Malfoy was watching, bloodlust in his eyes. And suddenly, Hermione gave a guttural shouts and she flung herself onto the dueling platform, her sword appearing in hand as she rolled. Riddle held his hand out and a plain sword flew from the side of the room that Bella was facing. Riddle flung his hands out and Bella was lax again though her eyes were very alert.

She caught the sword as Riddle's hands closed over something that wasn't there. Hermione watched in surprise and everyone froze to watch. Bella looked at the sword in her hands in confusion. Riddle slashed his hands down and Bella did the same like a puppet. It clanged against Hermione's sword and Hermione only frowned in confusion. Bella grinned and she dropped the sword before swiftly delivering a punch in the face to Hermione. Hermione stumbled backwards and she growled.

"Come at me," Bella rasped. Hermione gave a guttural scream and she dropped her sword before swinging a kick at Bella's head. Bella grabbed her sister's ankle in midair and they seemed in a deadlock. Riddle slipped forward, preparing to bring the girl down. There was a thump as someone else landed on the dueling platform. Gideon watched as Zabini tapped the inside of Bella's elbow just as Riddle lunged for the boy. Bella's hand fell away useless and she gasped. Hermione attempted to punch her but Bella blocked her with one hand.

"Should we stop them? It's time to get to class," Greengrass said, softly. As if that flipped a switch, Hermione stopped and Zabini tapped Bella's arm again. She flexed the arm that had fallen to her side and she started to sway. Her body was lax again and everyone looked to Riddle. He was moving from side to side as well.

"Tom Marvolo…she's going to lose her mind. Free her."

Gideon spun around and saw Luna standing there with a stern expression on her face. Riddle tilted his head and Bella followed. He glared at her before turning a bloodthirsty glare on Gideon. Gideon took a step back.

"I don't think so, Blondie. You turned her into a pod person."

"She's not a pod person. You're the one who said her hair was curly. She was very irrational, I know but you started it and I ended it. Please do not argue and free her mind," Luna said as if she were speaking to a child. Riddle sneered and he snapped his fingers. Bella stumbled and she took a deep breath to center herself and she turned to face Riddle.

"We can't do that all the time. It's too...addictive. The magic, itself. It's very nearly Black," Bella said, softly. Riddle sighed and shook his head.

"You're not fun."

"I'm still pissed as you because of what you said. This was a training exercise, nothing more and nothing else. If anyone else knew how to do the puppetry then I would've done it with them," Bella said, coolly. Riddle sneered at her and glared right back at her. He turned to Luna and she smirked.

"You drove her to this. You try to encourage things beyond her control," Luna said. Bella glared, flushing and Gideon wondered that was about. She jumped off the platform and she bent down to pick up her shoes.

"Lets not talk about me as if I weren't here. I'm off to Potions," Bella said, coolly. She picked up her bag and she had her shoes hooked around one hand. She turned back to level a frosty stare at Riddle.

"Any thought on what we spoke about over Yule."

"No. I'm trying not to think about it. You have no right."

"You act like it's a freaking choice. Narrow-minded bastard," Bella sniffed before she gave Gideon a warm smile. He flushed under her gaze and she only gave a small laugh.

"You're adorable, I swear. See you later, Gideon," she said before placing a kiss to his cheek. His entire face burned and she touched Luna's shoulder. Luna turned towards her and she smiled.

"He doesn't think you're a pod person."

"I could care less what _he_ thinks," Bella sniffed. Luna snickered. Hermione watched in curiosity and she hooked arms with Bella while Daphne hooked arms on the other side. Daphne was bouncy as she was going to Potions.

"What's his issue? He's like, bi-polar. This morning he was calling you a pod person then he was offering to show you a new spell, which turned out to be a puppetry spell," Daphne said. Bella flushed and she looked down, shaking her head.

"He knows I have…well, I sort of admitted that I have a bit of a crush on him still," Bella said, understating several things. For example, her feelings for one Tom Marvolo Riddle. Of course, Hermione and Daphne did not know that. They squealed and several traveling students looked over at them. Bella smiled at the two and shook her head.

At least she could count on _them _showing their feelings.

"And what did he say?" Daphne asked. Bella's smile slid off and she scowled.

"He…well, I…lets just say we're both emotionally stunted and leave it at that."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 6****th**** of January 1997**

**5:00 PM**

APPARITION LESSONS

_If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate._

_Cost: 12 Galleons._

"Apparition…we'll be doing that, right?" Hermione asked. They were sitting in the common room for a change as Bella had said that they were being too isolate and that it would attract people's attention if they withdrew from their houses completely. Parvati was with her sister in Ravenclaw Tower despite that. Fay and Lalita sat with Lavender and were having, surprisingly, an intelligent conversation with the girl.

Apparently, she was dating one Cormac McLaggen, as she had snogged him at the last Quidditch match party. Bella had not attended, due to her brother's nearly fatal fall. The two sisters sat on the floor, near the fire, Gideon, Ginny, Christine, and Michael Brown sitting near them.

"Yeah. It sounds fun," Bella said, distractedly. She was staring in the fire and Hermione could make an educated guess as to whom she was thinking about. Hermione was not stupid and that had been clear fact since the two girls had met. The brunette could tell that Bella's feelings for the man was not merely a crush or a passing fancy.

She loved him.

And he didn't love her.

Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry that Bella's life was so much more complicated yet simple compared to her own. She didn't have to deal with multiple mental disorders and diseases but she had many demons of her own that she had to face everyday and it was increasingly sad to see her little sister like that.

"Hey, Gideon," Bella said, suddenly. Hermione glanced at the redhead boy and he swallowed, nervously. Hermione's lips curled into a half-smile and she tilted her head towards the boy.

"Y-yes, Bella?" he stammered. Bella smiled, good-naturedly.

"What do you want to do in Hogsmeade?" she asked, softly. Gideon shrugged and he crossed his arms.

"We'll go anywhere you want to go. I don't mind though I do want to stop at Zonko's if you don't mind. What was that thing you and Riddle were doing in DADA this morning?" asked Gideon, curiously. Ginny, Christine, and Michael looked up from their homework, looking very curious as well. Bella swallowed and she looked to her DADA book and scribbled down notes.

He was making them write notes so obviously they were going to be lectured the next day.

"It was a puppetry spell," Bella said, hesitantly. Ginny gasped and Gideon, Christine, and Michael looked at her in confusion.

"That's really Dark magic. Almost Black magic. It's also illegal to perform on a person," Ginny pointed out. Bella glared, defensively and she crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Only if used without consent. I gave consent and he performed the spell on me. He was controlling me like a puppet. The most he can do is two at a time he said. It taught us to fight better together. It was like our will was one. He's my sparring partner because I tend to use less than legal means to win. And he can cut off body parts if he duels me so that's just how it is," Bella said, calmly.

Christine swallowed and she watched as Bella suddenly looked back to the fire. She looked extremely distracted and Christine wondered what was wrong.

"Um…Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Bella said, softly. She shook her head and sighed to herself before closing her book and grinning. Hermione looked at her, curiously.

"Tom gave me _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra _for Yule. It's a first edition and it can be ripped, torn, or destroyed. I've read it several times in the past few days," Bella explained. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she looked at Bella with a strange look before even thought to open the book.

"Your music was beautiful."

Bella froze and she relaxed and the fifth years looked at the sisters, curiously.

"Thank you. I spent a long time writing it. It's probably my biggest accomplishment. In all honesty, I missed my music. Writing that composition…it felt normal to me. Easy," Bella said, softly with a smile on her face. Christine's eyes narrowed in observation. Something about Bella was familiar. It was as if she were forgetting something.

Something about a Phantom.

"You do play beautifully. Have you ever thought of doing is professionally? Who taught you? Do you have a teacher?" Christine said, firing off questions. She had to get to the bottom of everything and she wanted to know _now_.

"I don't think I could do it professionally. It's just a hobby. I want to be an attorney. A woman and her…s-son taught me. And I don't have an Angel of Music if that's what you're asking. Perhaps, an Angel of Magic but no Angel of Music."

A switch went off in Christine's head and she stared at Bella in shock. Bella frowned in confusion and she tilted her head.

"You're…you were that girl at Halloween! You were Christine Daae! I…_we_ saw you being dragged down the corridor that Halloween night! The Phantom was speaking to you in French and you kept telling him you didn't want to go but you did. He called you _l'amour_ and you said he _kidnapped _you!" Christine said. Gideon and Ginny exchanged looks, remembering that night. Michael's eyes were wide in shock as the memories rushed back to him and Bella paled. Hermione paled as well.

"He _kidnapped_ you?" she hissed through her teeth. Bella closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't…I want…yes, that was me. Yes, he brought me back to Hogwarts to do a ritual," Bella whispered. Ginny's eyes widened and she leaned forward to speak in hushed tones with the older girl.

"What happened? Tell us, please. We swear we won't tell anyone. Where did you go?" Ginny asked. Bella's eyes narrowed and she sighed.

"I remember there was fog. Swirling fog and grime and slime. There were torches all around. And in the place there was a bridge. And on the bride there was a man," Bella breathed, her voice drifting off as she thought about it. Ginny wondered briefly if she was enamored with this particular man. So she decided to ask, for her brother's sake.

"Who was the face in the mask? Who was that man?" Ginny asked. She watched as Bella sighed and shook her head. Her hair glinted in the fire and Ginny made out faint dark red strands of hair. They were so dark that Ginny could barely tell the difference.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since that night," Bella said, truthfully. She sighed and began to read _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_. Ginny didn't push the subject since it was obvious that Bella was telling the truth.

Everyone missed the skeptical gaze that Christine was giving Bella.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 11****th**** of January 1997**

**12:00 PM**

"Where do you want to go now?" Bella asked, happily. She smiled at the redhead standing next to her and he shrugged before pointing at Honeydukes. Surprisingly, they hadn't been in there yet. Gideon blinked when he saw the candy before he reached into his pocket and passed Bella what he had planned to give her at the start of the date.

"Oh! Red Vines! Thank you, Gideon!" Bella said, excitedly. She ripped open the package and she ate the red vines, greedily. They walked into Honeydukes, both buying obscene amounts of candy. Bella was only happy to have found a kindred spirit that enjoyed sugar and candy as much as she did.

They exited with chocolate in hand and bags of other candies and treats. Bella tilted her head.

"Would you like to go to the Gryffindor Common Room or somewhere to eat these?" Bella asked, curiously. Gideon grinned and nodded. The two walked amiably as they walked towards the castle together. Bella froze as they walked onto the second floor. She looked down the hallway and she saw them standing in the shadows.

Her silvery grey eyes glinted and his black and crimson eyes bored into her. They whispering to each other and the castle was deathly silent. Gideon didn't seem to see them. He continued talking, not noticing that Bella had fallen silent.

"Bella? Bella? Is something wrong?" Gideon finally asked. Bella shook her head and she stared into the shadows. _He_ melted into the shadows but Luna remained watching with a slight smile on her faced. Bella shook her head and turned back to Gideon. Bella stiffened when she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise as if someone was just in back of her. She felt a hand ghost over the back of her neck and touch her bag but she flinched away from it. The feeling disappeared.

"Nothing's wrong. Come on," Bella urged, pulling Gideon along. They entered the deserted Gryffindor Common Room before settling on the floor. The fire was going, which was good. It was extremely cold outside.

Bella began to eat the candy before Gideon could ask if something was wrong once again. Because she got the distinct feeling that Luna and Tom were plotting and when Luna plotted, usually it had to do with her love life. She knew that the girl didn't care for Gideon in particular but she didn't try to discourage her like a few of her friends.

"I get the feeling that your brothers don't like me very much," Gideon finally said. Bella snorted and she shook her head before kissing his cheek. He flushed and Bella snorted again.

"My brothers didn't like any of my boyfriends."

"I'm your boyfriend?" Gideon squeaked. Bella laughed and she nodded.

"If you want to be."

"I do."

"Then you're my boyfriend. They didn't like any of my boyfriends or dates. They didn't like Cedric. They didn't like Macmillan. They don't like you. And they…" Bella said, trailing off. Gideon looked at her curiously and he leaned forward in confusion.

"And what?" asked Gideon.

"They liked only one of my boyfriends. I did have one before Macmillan. He turned out to be the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. But, lets not talk about him. Lets talk about something else. How're your classes?" Bella asked, curiously. Gideon groaned and Bella laughed, quietly once again. He was so utterly amusing sometimes. Bella scowled inwardly. She was thinking of him like he was a pet of hers. Not a boyfriend.

"It's OWL year so there's so much homework, I can barely keep up. Especially in DADA class. I swear that Professor Riddle gives us extra homework because of me. Why does hate me so much?" Gideon groaned. Bella could list several reasons but some of them weren't entirely appropriate to list to Gideon aloud. He wasn't supposed to know of their previous relationship.

"I'm not sure. He just really, _really _dislikes you."

"Understatement of the year. He tried to kill me on Monday. Sent me flying into the wall because I dropped inkwell on the floor," Gideon said. Bella raised an eyebrow at that. That sounded like Tom. That sounded like an increasingly _jealous _Tom.

Interesting.

"Go on. What else did he do?" Bella asked, curiously. Gideon sighed and he ran a hand through his curly hair. He swallowed.

"He just makes comments like how I'm not good enough for something or that I look like my head is on fire or that it's unfortunate that I have freckles and stuff. He does it to everyone so it's not a big deal—"

"It is. I lied. I know why he's doing that and it's not right. I'll get him to stop," Bella promised. Gideon shook his head and smiled.

"It's fine. It's not a big deal. It's not worth it. A row with Riddle."

Bella leveled him with a daunting glare. He flinched and her eyes softened before hardening once again. She swore to herself that the reason she was going to say this wasn't because she was angry with Tom for rejecting her.

"Yeah it is."

:::

**A/N: **I hate this chapter. I hate this arc. I want it to end and I'm pissed. I didn't get what I needed to be done, done in this chapter. The last part of the chapter is utter shit and that probably because of Gideon Weasley. Well I don't care. I don't know how to develop him as a character without making him overly annoying. He's supposed to be a bit like Raoul but Raoul's annoying so I don't know what to do…oh well.

Next Chapter: Solutions, Awakenings, Jealousy, and (Misguided but well-intended) Wooing


	78. Chapter LXXII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Luna will be plotting in this chapter and I have lost a bit of my muse. Writing had gotten like a bit of a chore for me but I promise I'll finish this chapter. It'll be a while before I can really get back in the mood for writing. Anyway, Tom's actions are ghastly at best. But, that's okay. He thinks he's doing it right but he is in fact, not at all. Let him think that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of February 1997**

**10:00 PM**

"Play my song for me again. Please," Tom added after Bella's eyebrow raised at his first demand. Bella nodded and she began to play with a slight smile on her face. She looked up at the sheet music as her fingers danced across the ivory keys with precision.

Tom stopped grading the papers and he just watched her play on the old piano that Hogwarts housed. Tom wondered why she didn't take the music classes that many of the Hufflepuffs were fond of. Perhaps because she was too busy already with her _boyfriend_ and her friends and Draco's coming death and Black's coming awakening.

Bella's fingers slammed down on the chords and Tom's lips parted when he saw that she was crying and suddenly her finger slipped and landed on the wrong key. She stopped abruptly and stared down at the keys. She stood and slipped her folder into her bag in one swift movement before moving mechanically towards the door. Tom grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit in his lap. She clung to him, crying.

"Anya, please don't cry," he said, softly. Bella shook her head and she just clung to him like a child would. He rocked her, slowly. Bella didn't make any noises as she cried but she carefully wiped her eyes and sat up to look at him.

"I'm sorry…I just…well…it's still hard for me to make mistakes. I still hear his voice telling me that I'm not good enough and I know I should've gotten over it by now but it's just hard. I'm sorry," Bella apologized again. Tom's eyes hardened and he sneered down at the floor. Bella looked up at him in surprise.

"What was his name, Anya?" Tom asked, softly. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Why? I don't want you doing anything that could compromise your position in the war," Bella said, carefully. Tom gave her a wicked smile and she relaxed at the sight of the rare smile instead of smirk on his face.

"Just out of curiosity's sake."

"His name was Seth. Seth Jones."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of February 1997**

**8:20 PM**

"Hello, love."

Gideon swooped down a kissed Bella on the cheek, swiftly. Bella's lips curled into a slight smile and she stared up at Gideon with a smile. His friends looked rather nervous about where to sit. Bella looked at her friends and they all looked rather neutral. They had warmed up to Gideon, quickly. Even Hermione liked him a bit. He was gentle but fiercely protective of Bella.

"Hello, Gideon," Bella said, softly. She moved over and Gideon sat down. She tucked her crimson cloak around her tighter. Her friends, surprisingly move down to accommodate his friends. Daphne gave them Michael Brown a predatory look but Ginny glared at her, clutching her boyfriend to her. Daphne snickered.

"I'm only joking, Weasley # 2. I have a man. My awesome Herbologist," Daphne smirked, kissing Neville's cheek. His cheeks turned pink, right on time but at least he didn't turn as red as a tomato anymore. Daphne seemed to notice that and she sighed, dramatically.

"You blush as badly anymore…we'll have to fix that," Daphne smirked, laughing. Bella rolled her eyes and she leaned her head on Gideon's shoulder. He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her and give her a quick squeeze but he didn't hang onto her, possessively. Draco looked at him, approvingly and he went back to eating. He was rather pale and Gideon leaned forward, concerned.

"Are you okay, Malfoy?" Gideon asked, curiously. As if clockwork, everyone turned their sharp gazes onto the blond boy. He raised an eyebrow before nodding, slowly.

"I'm ill. But otherwise, I'm quite fine. Thank you for your concern," Draco said, his voice portraying his surprise at Gideon's concern. Gideon nodded and he turned back to a beaming Bella Potter.

"How was your Apparition lesson?" Gideon asked. Bella scowled and she glanced over at the smug looking Hermione Granger.

"Hermione did it. I fell over. Twice. Too much destination, detonation, deliveration and all that rot," Bella snickered. Hermione gave her a severe look and she crossed her arms.

"This is not a joke, Nikki. It's destination, determination, deliberation. Deliveration is not a word and you'd do well not to butcher the English language," Hermione said, severely. Bella's mouth fell open and she gave a surprised look and she shook her head in disbelief.

"Did you just call me _Nikki_?" Bella asked. Gideon frowned.

"Where did that nickname come from?" Christine asked. Anthony was quick to answer. He had been discussing spell ideas with Michael previously through cryptography. They were getting much better.

"It's a silly name that Luna gave me. I named my unicorn Nikita. Sometimes Luna calls me Nikita too. It's just a strange thing she does," Bella said, lying swiftly. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"You can't _own_ a unicorn," she said, stubbornly. Bella gave her a gentle smile.

"When you bond with them they treat you as a partner. I do not own him. He owns me. I miss him. I just saw him yesterday but I still miss him," Bella sighed. Ginny's eyes brightened and she leaned forward.

"Can I come down with you to see him?"

"I'm sorry but…it's something that Draco and I do together. Sometimes Luna tags along but only if she has to talk to us about something. You understand, yes?" Bella asked. Ginny sighed and nodded. She did indeed understand that it was just something that brother and sister did as a bonding activity. She ate her steak easily when suddenly there was a caw.

The room fell silent as it flew towards Bella. She frowned as it dropped a package in front of her. A letter was strapped to the package. The crow flew again and then flew out again. Bella stared, frowning. Everyone was watching, curiously. Bella unwrapped the package and opened the letter.

Blood red spidery handwriting was on the parchment.

_The loveliest Miss Potter,_

_Accept my gift to you._

_The Dark Lord_

_Post Script: I do wonder how you would feel if your boyfriend had the same __**accident**__._

Bella's lip trembled and she passed the letter to Hermione. Hermione read it over and she raised an eyebrow. She didn't betray Tom by looking at him. She passed it to Blaise and Draco and they read it quickly before handing it back to Bella. Bella slowly unwrapped the parchment and she gasped.

It was an antique mirror and the back was iron formed into a pair of angel wings with a snake wrapped around them. Bella swallowed and she raised it up to look into it. Suddenly, the mirror ripple and it did not reflect back Bella. It reflected something else.

It was someone's flat. It wasn't Tom's flat. She knew that for sure. It didn't look nearly as expensive though it looked very comfortable. Bella frowned as it panned the room. Suddenly someone's scream erupted through the mirror and she almost dropped. It sounded pain filled and everyone was silent as the screams echoed through the room. She finally saw who was screaming.

It was one Seth Jones. He was curled up, screaming and twitching and Bella cringed by just look. She knew what a _Crucio_ felt and looked like. That was it. Blood covered his face, streaming down from his head and Bella knew that his skull was probably fractured. She knew what that felt like as well.

"Don't lie to me, Seth Jones. Tell the Dark Lord what you've done," a sibilant voice hissed. Bella paled even more so and everyone stared at the mirror in her hand. Bella shook her head.

"No…no…no," she moaned, quietly. The screams started again and the man twitched again. A Cutting Curse was thrown and a larger scream erupted. Bella couldn't move. He had just cut off the man's hand. He was dismembering him. He was torturing him and Bella knew that she was Dark. She knew that she should like it but she didn't. She hated it. She hated herself for feeling relief that he was taking care of that sick man. She couldn't watch this yet…she couldn't put it down.

"Can you not speak?" the hissing voice taunted. Bella felt the tears falling from her eyes. She watched as the Dark Lord tossed the man's hand up and down as if it were a ball that he was simply playing with. He got bored with it and he continued to cut off parts of the man's body until all of his limbs were stumps. The Dark Lord was entertaining himself by making the arms, legs, feet, and hands dance around the man, morbidly. The man had already pissed on himself. Bella could almost smell it.

"One more part…one more," the Dark Lord said. He seemed to have taken mercy and he pointed the wand at the man.

"_Avada Kedavra_."

The man's screaming was cut off and there was silence. Bella dropped the mirror from her shaking hands and she backed away as the surface of the mirror swirled once more and something appeared on top of it. Bella stared at the dark brown hair and open vacant grey eyes. His beard was covered in blood and his mouth was open in a silent scream. Bella's lips opened and she let out a scream that was echoed by everyone that could see the decapitated head of Seth Jones.

The room erupted into panic and Bella let out a scream. She looked up at the Head Table and she screamed when she saw Tom sitting there with a blank expression on his face. Bella stumbled away and Gideon caught her. Everyone began to try to run from the room as Dumbledore attempted to calm everyone down. The Gryffindors ran and Bella ran towards the door, not looking back.

"Are you all right?" Gideon asked as he ran with her. Bella shook her head.

"Gideon, we're not safe here. Come! Come!" Bella said, panicking. Gideon stared at her in shock as she pulled him up the stairs. They were running farther and farther from the seats.

"Where are you bringing me? Where are we going? Why don't we go back?" Gideon asked. Bella tucked a curly lock behind her ear and she shook her head. She hadn't worn the potion that day because she hadn't felt like doing it this morning. She had felt off all day and now she knew why.

"We can't go back there. He'll do something," Bella said, vaguely. She ran up the stairs, not caring or noticing where she was leading them. Gideon shook his head, not understanding.

"We have to go back," Gideon said. Bella shook her head, frantically.

"He'll kill you. Those eyes will find us. Those hellfire eyes…" Bella explained, vaguely. Gideon looked at her in confusion and he shook his head, pulling on her hand to get him to return to the panicking students.

"Bella, don't say that," Gideon warned. Bella didn't even seem to be listening to him and she started walking, quicker. She looked behind her shoulder and relaxed visibily when she saw no one was there.

"He'll kill and kill again," Bella said as if she had finally realized something. Gideon looked at her in surprise.

"Who? Who will do something?" Gideon asked, quickly. Bella shook her head as they began the spiral ascension up the tower. Gideon grabbed her hand and she pulled him up, faster.

"The Dark Lord…the Dark Lord did that," Bella whispered. Gideon frowned in confusion.

"The Dark Lord? There is no Dark Lord. The Dark Master maybe but…"

"Voldemort! Voldemort did this and he said…he said you…you're next. I can't. Gideon please…" Bella said, softly. She shook her head and she ran up the stairs, Gideon chasing after her.

"My God…who is he? Who is this man? What is he doing?" Gideon asked, quietly as he realized how shaken Bella was. Bella shook her head and she grabbed at her hair.

"She said he was losing his mind but…_that_. Oh gods. What has he done? I can't escape from him…I never will," Bella murmured under her breath. She burst through the door of the Astronomy Tower and she walked towards the middle. Gideon shook his head.

Gideon began to pace and he slammed the door closed and Bella jumped, looking up at him. He shook his head and he wrapped her in a hug. She hugged him, tightly. He was the only stable thing with her.

"There is no Dark Lord. I promise," Gideon said though he knew that was a lie. Bella shook her head and she pulled away from him before she walked towards the windows on all sides of the room. It was almost like a gazebo on top of a tower. She sat down on the snow-dusted floor and she shook her head.

"Gideon…I've been there. The cemetery…the darkness was palpable. Gideon, I've seen him. So have _you_. I won't ever forget his face. So distorted, so deformed, it was hardly a face…" Bella said, softly. She looked down at her hands as she remembered the things Tom had told her. She liked the world that he had painted. She had a place in that world.

"But his voice told such dark promises. Dark words that made my soul want them. I wanted them and I hate myself for being happy about this. Gideon…I _wanted_ that man to die. He…he did terrible things to me. But I still want the things he promised me…Gideon what you saw in the Ministry wasn't the end. That was only the start. It's like he can get in my head. I think about him all the time and the things he promised and I want it so bad. All I dream about is the dark world he painted," Bella said, softly. That was not a lie. She dreamed the past dreams.

The couple dancing in the snow to silent music. The battles, the bloodshed, the distant future. She wanted it.

"Don't worry. Our world won't be like that. That world is just a dream and nothing more," Gideon reassured her. Bella shook her head and she

"Yet…in the Dark Lord's eyes, I could see sadness. All the sadness in the world. He had eyes that both threatened and…I don't know," Bella whispered. Even after what she had seen, she couldn't stop loving that man. She couldn't and she didn't know why. And though she loved him, she hated him all the more. Gideon's eyes widened and he suddenly realized what was going on.

That man…that twisted, filthy 'Dark Lord' of sorts had an obsession with Bella and she was scared out of her wits. Gideon wondered why she seemed so worried about the sadness he felt. The tenderness in her voice spoke for itself but Gideon ignored it as best as he could. Meaning not at all. Bella cared for him in some way. He interested her. He had gotten her to sympathize for him somehow. Bella was almost leaning out of the window now, the snowflake like little diamonds in her dark hair.

"Bella." Bella didn't seem to have heard him.

"Bella," Gideon said more clearly. She looked over her shoulder at him and she tilted her head.

"_Anya_."

The whisper made both of them freeze and Bella shuddered before shaking her head. It had only been a faint whisper. He couldn't have been here. The door was closed and she would have heard it open even if it only made the faintest noise. She was too tense not to notice everything. Or so she thought.

Gideon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were tired and she looked like she wanted to do anything or be anywhere else at the moment.

"No more talking about the Dark. Forget everything just for a moment. Forget your fears. I'm here and nothing will hurt you," Gideon said, reassuringly. A slight smile crossed Bella's face and she sighed. A part of her berated herself for feeling these warm feelings for Gideon of all people but she couldn't care. She just wanted to be loved and if love didn't come from _Him_, she'd take anything. Gideon made her relatively happy and though she may not love _him_, she loved being happy.

It wasn't her fault that she got the two confused.

"Talk to me about anything besides…_that_. What I saw…just care for me. Please…promise me that all you say is true. That's all I'll ask of you," Bella said, softly. Neither teenager knew of the other person witnessing them. They did not know that the Dark Lord watched them with burning rage. Gideon gave her an assuring smile.

"Let me show you the Light. You don't have to stay in the dark anymore. You're safe now. No one will find us…you. Your fears are behind you," Gideon promised. Bella's lips curled into a smile and she hugged him tightly. He stroked her hair and she sighed.

"I don't want to do this anymore. All I want is freedom. To do what I want with my life. And perhaps…you, beside me. Our relationship is a hell of a lot healthier than my previous ones," Bella said, her joke falling flat because of her shaking voice. Gideon looked at her in surprise and his lips turned into a small grin.

"Then say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too. Bella, that's all I ask of _you_," Gideon said, sweetly. Bella nodded and she hugged him to her, tightly. This was so much easier. So much more natural than what she felt with Tom. She pulled away and looked him in the eye.

"Say you love me," Bella whispered. Gideon looked down at her in surprise. He placed his hand on her neck, brushing back her hair.

"I do. You know I do," Gideon said, softly.

Bella's lips curled into a smile and he kissed her thoroughly. She had avoided kissing him fully before but now she couldn't stop. He picked her up and spun her in a circle and she laughed into his mouth. He laughed as well, pulling back but Bella only clung to him.

The kiss was so different than the ones she shared with Tom though it still burned her like his did. They weren't searing or hot or anything of the sort. They weren't full of passion. It was sweet and warm and though Bella knew that she would never, _ever_ love Gideon like she loved Tom, she'd come pretty damn close. She knew she didn't love Gideon now but she could. She'd try. Anything to dull the pain she felt at his obvious rejection and crazy unknown attempts to protect her or avenge her or whatever.

"Stay with me," Bella said, softly. Gideon nodded once and he hugged her.

"I promise."

They shared one sweet kiss before pulling apart. Bella blinked when she realized that Dumbledore and the other teachers were properly wondering where she was. And she was sure that Hermione and the others were probably frantically looking as well. She could imagine Hermione and Blaise and Draco freaking out and she didn't want to subject them to that.

"I…I mean, _we_ should go. They'll be wondering where I am," Bella said. Gideon smiled and nodded.

"Bella, I love you."

Bella smiled but she didn't say anything back. Gideon guided her towards the door and they walked away, closing the door behind them. Tom came from the shadows scowling at the ground.

"How dare she? I gave her magic. I gave her the Dark magic she craved. And she goes to _that_. Why _that_?" Tom sneered. It was clear that he wasn't talking to himself.

"I asked of you one thing. Attempt to love her."

He looked at his redheaded companion and sneered at her and turned away. He didn't know what the hell love was. How was he supposed to attempt when he didn't even know what it was?

If it was that whole performance that the two had just put on, he didn't think he _wanted_ to be in love because that had been the _sappiest_ thing he'd ever seen. Tom didn't think he could endure an encore because it was just so damn nauseatingly corny. The Anya Tom knew would _never_ act like that.

"Yes, well. Did you see that? That was love? I don't think I can stomach a repeat performance with _me_ in the lead role. That was sickening," Tom said, angrily. Lily gave a little laugh and she shook her head. She sighed and placed her hand on Tom's shoulder.

"That was a little…that's not what love is. There's no straight definition. And Bella loves you. She really does love you. But, she can love two people at the same time and that's what your stunt did. She's going to fall in love with him if you can't get yourself together. So, suck it up and get to wooing," Lily said. Tom stared at her in shock and he cleared his voice.

"Woo?"

"Yes, woo. She probably hates you at the moment so you'll be attempting to woo her," Lily said, matter-of-factly. Tom snorted and shook his head, annoyed with himself.

"I refuse to do that whole ask of you shit. I taught her magic. What magic really was. And she repays me by betraying him with that little redheaded shit. No offense. Your hair is all right. It's different from his," Tom said, adding the last part. Lily laughed, quietly but she looked solemn again. She nodded in agreement.

"He was bound to love her from the moment he saw her. Remember Luna's prophecy:

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had one lovely daughter he._

_Half to darkness, she be drawn._

_Half to light, she be shown._

_Dual sides, it is foreseen_

_Light meets Dark in the stillness between._

_But only one and one alone_

_Shall hold Victory and take her as his own_," Lily recited. Tom raised an eyebrow as it finally occurred to him what crazy Luna Lovegood had been going on about all those years ago. Bella had been a third year when that had happened. Now she was an incredibly beautiful young woman. Tom felt old.

That only lasted for two seconds.

"So, I'm led to believe that I'm the darkness. She's drawn because of our souls. That Weasley boy is the light. She was shown…by me. Because I'm supposedly a moron," Tom said, flatly. Lily smirked.

"You said it. Not me."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 9****th**** of February 1997**

**10:00 AM**

Daphne walked with Bella around the lake. It was unusual for them to be the only ones out but with what had happened yesterday, it was inevitable. Bella sighed. She was tired. So very tired. The questioning had been long and Bella had not looked Tom in the face while he stood to the side, observing the interrogation. Dumbledore had decided that they now needed Aurors to protect Miss Potter because she had an obsessed Dark Lord after her. She was also not allowed to go _anywhere_ without someone else.

He had tried to assign Aurors to her person but Bella preferred her own individual bodyguards that she called Hydra. She of course did not tell him that and she said that her friends were enough. So, that was how she found herself outside in the cold with Daphne.

"Oh, Bella…I'm worried about you. Why would he do that?" Daphne said, softly. _His_ name went unspoken but it was clear whom Daphne was talking about. Bella shook her head and she sighed.

"I don't know. I told him…I told him I didn't want him to do anything. I expected him to do something but…not that. I didn't expect for him to give me the man's head," Bella said, softly. Daphne frowned and touched the girl's shoulder. Bella turned to look at her with sad yet excited eyes.

"Who was he? The man?"

"He was my piano teacher. He was…hard on me. Worse than hard. His mother had just died. She was my first piano teacher. He was very angry and he was in his twenties. He hit me if I got a note wrong. Screamed at me that I wasn't good enough. I told Tom and he…got revenge," Bella said, glossing over details. Daphne looked at her in surprise and she sighed, knowing why Tom had done that. She couldn't say that she would have done anything different.

"You wanted him to kill him. So why are you so upset?" Daphne asked.

"I can sense him, you know. He's here. Tom. He's out here somewhere. I feel his magic and it's intoxicating. So very Dark. Nearly Black. I know why it's nearly Black but I won't tell. I promised I would tell," Bella said, avoiding the question completely. She didn't want to think about it. Perhaps the reason she was upset was because she was so disturbed by what she had witnessed. Perhaps it was another reason entirely. Daphne frowned.

"Bella, you're talking in riddles. That's not like you. Are you all right?" Daphne asked. Bella shook her head though not at the question.

"I love him. I love him so much."

Daphne stopped walking and Bella took a few more steps before she realized that Daphne was not following her anymore. Daphne was staring at her like she'd never seen her before.

"Who? Gideon?" Daphne whispered, almost hopefully. Bella laughed, humorlessly.

"No. Tom. And I always feel him when he's around. He's with me, even now," Bella said, softly. Daphne grabbed her best friend's hand and she flinched in surprise though she didn't drop her hand.

"Your hands are cold," Daphne whispered.

"All around me…" Bella continued, as if in a haze. Daphne bit her lip.

"Your face is white, Bella…"

"It frightens me. Being in love with him. With a monster," Bella said, quietly. Daphne sighed and she hugged her friend. Bella hugged her back, gratefully.

"Don't be frightened."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 10****th**** of February 1997**

**4:00 PM**

"Miss Potter, please stay for a moment. I believe there is a conversation to be had."

The entire room fell silent and Bella looked at Tom Riddle under heavy eyelashes. Severus Snape observed quietly. He didn't have a class at this time and this was normally not the time for the student's class. They had had to rearrange as Riddle hadn't been available and he refused to let Severus teach the students.

Severus watched as Daphne darted forward and grabbed Potter's hand and she shook her head at Riddle. Daphne looked frightened for a moment before she swallowed and put on a determined look. She shook her head more firmly this time.

"No…Bella's not staying anywhere. Come on, Bella. Gideon's waiting for you," Daphne whispered, quietly. Potter nodded and she turned towards the door. Riddle sneered at Daphne's back.

"Miss Potter. Stop."

Potter didn't turn around and Severus watched as Riddle waved his wand sharply. Potter suddenly looked lax and her entire body stopped moving. Riddle tucked his wand up his sleeve and brandished his hands like a puppet master. Severus watched in shock as he pulled Potter back. She flew back, her feet dragging. Granger gave that vile cat-like hiss but Riddle didn't pay attention to her.

The entire class was on edge as if they hadn't wanted to be near Riddle at all. Riddle grabbed Potter's bag, opened it and pulled out that horrid hand mirror that had delivered the severed head to her. Severus had inspected it for a curse but it had none surprisingly. Or perhaps not surprisingly. Severus had not yet been summoned by his master, which he was surprised about. It was also quite upsetting. The Order would lose if he couldn't get back into his Lord's good graces.

"She carries it around?" Draco breathed. Blaise stared at it and he held his hand out for it. Riddle looked at him in surprise before passing it to him. Blaise pulled out his wand and put his wand to it, whispering a few choice words.

"There's a memory in the mirror. It's a bit like a Pensieve. I believe that the memory is what made Bella scream last night. That doesn't matter. She doesn't want to be here. Let her go," Blaise said, carefully. Riddle sighed.

"I don't disrespect the dead. Lily Potter requested that I have a conversation with her. Let me do so. You know that I can't disrespect the dead," Riddle said, carefully. Severus looked at him in shock before his shock turned in jealousy, frustration, and anger. How could Lily show herself to _him_ but not her best friend? It wasn't fair!

The students frowned and the majority of them looked to Daphne for an answer. Daphne looked surprised for a moment.

"Yes, go," she finally said. Longbottom looked reluctant to leave but Granger only needed to look at him for him to clear out with the rest. Granger darted forward and she grabbed Daphne by the shoulder, so hard that Severus knew the blonde girl was going to bruise.

"Keep her safe. Do. You. Understand. Me?" Granger hissed. Daphne nodded once.

"Understood."

"Good. Blaise and I have research to do. Draco's going to find Luna and she's going to go with him so he can go feed. Find them or find us in the library afterwards. Do you understand?" Granger asked, more relaxed. Daphne nodded once again.

"Understood."

"Good," Granger said, softly. Daphne gave her a two-fingered salute almost mockingly but her eyes were very serious. Granger's lips spread into a malicious smile before she swept from the room. She stopped in the doorway and gave Severus a cold look before sneering.

"A traitor of the dark," she hissed to herself before she disappeared from the room. Severus stared after her in surprise and Blaise whipped out pages of information from his bag that he began to read as he walked out of the room. Draco leveled a look at Riddle.

"You are back in the good books."

"May I ask why?" Riddle said, almost surprised. Draco smirked.

"No."

He disappeared from the room and the only ones that remained were Daphne, Riddle, Potter, and Severus. Riddle turned to look at Severus and Severus sneered at the man.

"Snape. Disappear."

"Miss Potter seems uncomfortable with you and you have her under a puppetry spell. I will not leave."

"I'm not under a puppetry spell."

Severus almost jumped. She had been standing so unnaturally that he had assumed that she was under a puppetry spell. Her head was lolling to the side yet her eyes were intense. She was unnaturally still and it was almost frightening. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

"It's called a Summoning spell. You may leave. I'm absolutely uncomfortable with him but this conversation doesn't concern you. Daphne, wait outside," Potter said, quietly. Daphne gaped at her and she shook her head, firmly. She was not having it.

"No. I refuse to leave you. I refuse to disobey Hermione."

"Miss Greengrass, what does it matter if you disobey Granger?" Severus asked, curiously. Daphne sighed.

"Hermione's my sensei. And she's terrifying. And she's certifiably insane. I don't wish to anger a psychotic. Would you?" Daphne countered. Severus didn't answer but his answer was clear. Riddle cleared his throat and Severus glared. He stood and departed from the room. Daphne followed and sighed.

The door flew closed and locked. Tom began constructing wards while Bella stood in the middle of the room with a frown on her face. Tom turned to face her and Bella took a step away from him, not looking him in the eye. She swallowed and sighed.

"Why am I here?" Bella asked, softly. Tom looked her in the eye.

"To listen."

"Why should I listen to you? What was going through your head when you did…_that_? That was despicable and inhumane and just _cruel_. I expected you to kill him though I said not to. I wanted you to kill him. But not that way. So why should I listen to you?" Bella challenged, angrily. Tom glared right back at her and he felt a flash of jealousy and pettiness. He sneered at her.

"Just listen to me. That's all I ask of you."

Bella fell silent and she stared at him as if she'd never seen him before. She opened her mouth but her voice failed to emerge. She swallowed and tried again.

"You heard."

"Yes, I did. I think I threw up a bit in my mouth. She's disgustingly sweet," he said, sneering at her. Bella sighed and she only stared at him with a disgusted look on her face.

"You're bitter. And jealous. You don't want me but I'm not allowed to be happy. I'm not allowed to be with someone else?" Bella asked. Tom glared at her.

"No."

"Gods, I hate you. I thought I knew you. I didn't so I got to know you again. I still don't know all of you. You're petty and selfish. I don't even recognize you, Tom," Bella spat, angrily. Tom stared at her in shock before he held up the mirror and pointed to her. Bella looked at him in confusion and he glared.

"Look in the mirror. I don't recognize _you_. What the hell did you do to yourself?" Tom asked. Bella rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms.

"I look like a girl. I don't like a street person now. I controlled my hair, wear contacts, and wear heels instead of blood-splattered boots. Why is that such a problem for you?" Bella demanded. Tom groaned and he put the mirror down and cleared his throat.

"I could've sent you a vial with the memory and the head. I sent you the mirror for a reason. Look at yourself in the mirror. That's not Anya. That's some frou-frou girl that has sickening love scenes with a Cabbage Patch Kid," Tom said, coldly. Bella grabbed the mirror and looked at herself in the mirror. Unconsciously, she moved to brush a piece of hair out of her face when Tom grabbed her wrist and glared at her. Bella lowered her hand.

"Gideon's not a Cabbage Path Kid."

"Is that all you can say? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. Fuck off, Tom Riddle," Bella said, coldly. Tom looked relieved for a moment. He sighed and shook his head.

"I was really starting to think you were a Body Snatcher. I don't even know you anymore. Your hair is always in place and you're never covered in blood. You carry your bag like you're a princess and it's absolutely ridiculous," Tom said, angrily. Bella looked at him in surprise and she bit her lip as she realized that he was partially correct.

"I didn't want to be what you thought was attractive. You want my body but you don't want _me_. I don't want that," Bella said, frigidly. Tom raised an eyebrow and he crossed his arms, slightly surprised by her answer.

"What if I told you that I wanted _you_?"

"I'd call you a liar. You've made it perfectly clear what you want. Tom, I can't do this anymore. Don't you realize how unhealthy this is? All I feel with you pain and rage and I can't deal with that. I shouldn't _have_ to deal with that. Tom, I'm _sixteen _and I've felt more pain than any sixteen year old is supposed to," Bella said, softly. Tom's eyes narrowed not in anger or annoyance but in a contemplating way.

"You want easy," he said, softly. Bella looked away from him and she walked up to him and placed her hand on his cheek. He looked down at her and she leaned up and kissed him, softly. She pulled away with a sad look.

"I love you but…let me go."

"No."

Bella gave him a sad expression before pressing her lips to his one more time before she pulled away from him completely and walked out of the room. She blinked when she saw Gideon and Daphne. Daphne looked instantly relieved while Gideon looked confused. Snape looked annoyed and slightly curious.

"Are you okay? Any broken bones? Any bleeding?" Daphne asked, looking over frantically. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing's wrong."

Daphne gave her a knowing look but nodded. The three began walking down the hallway, away from Snape who was still watching, curiously. Daphne suddenly turned, going downstairs to the Slytherin Common Room. Gideon and Bella went upstairs.

"What was that about?" Gideon asked. Bella sighed, shaking her head.

"Nothing…I'm thinking about visiting my parents' grave this weekend. I'll be asking the Headmaster. Will you come with me?" Bella asked. Gideon tilted his head and nodded.

Neither noticed the large snake slithering at their feet.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**11:00 AM**

"I don't understand why this is necessary," Bella said, softly. Luna stood from lacing the silver Victorian-style boots that she had shoved on Bella's feet. Luna looked up at her with a smile and she tilted her head.

"This is how I dress when I visit my mother's grave. And if you've forgotten, Nikolai, you have a certain way you must uphold yourself as a Horseman and attorney. Your mother will appreciate the sentiment," Luna said, severely. Bella sighed and nodded. The full black skirt of the velvet dress covered the boots as Luna smoothed it down. Bella only felt like a life-sized doll in the clothes but they were nice enough.

She wondered why she needed to show cleavage when she was going to the cemetery but she wasn't in the mood to argue. She hadn't been to her parents' graves since that night in 1994. Almost three years and she hadn't been there on good terms. She had been forced there and she wanted to put the traumatizing events to rest. She would tell her parents what she promised herself.

Luna handed her the bouquet of roses and lilies and Bella took it gratefully. Luna always thought of everything. Hermione gave her a sad look and kissed her cheeks.

"Tell Gideon I'll meet him at the cemetery as soon as he's ready," Bella rasped. The two young women nodded. Bella tightened her cloak around her and she walked to the Headmaster's office. Bella knew that she was getting strange looks but she didn't care. She only secured her scarf around her more safely. She'd pull it over her hair later. She hated wet hair and she knew that it was snowing outside.

"Sugar Quills," Bella intoned. The gargoyle jumped to the side and Bella entered Dumbledore's office. He offered her a somber look. She nodded at him and she walked towards the fireplace.

"Bella, Floo to the Dumbledore House. The fireplace should still be connected," Dumbledore said, softly. Bella nodded, sighing and she picked up a pinch of Floo powder. She stepped into the fireplace and looked at Dumbledore.

"Gideon will be coming as well. Gideon Weasley. Is that all right?" Bella asked. Dumbledore nodded. Bella took a pinch of Floo powder and dropped it into the fireplace. The fire turned bright green.

"The Dumbledore House, Godric's Hollow," Bella dictated, just in case there was another Dumbledore House. Bella whirled around in circles until she stumbled out of the fireplace somewhere else. She almost fell on her face. She grabbed onto the to the mantle and she sighed.

No one to catch her when she fell out of the Floo.

She looked around the dusty room. Everything had a thick layer of dust and grime. Bella rightfully assumed that Albus Dumbledore hadn't been here in a very long time. She walked through the drawing room and into the foyer. The door was right there, as well as stairs leading to an upstairs. Bella walked through the outdated house and out the door. The ground was covered in snow but Bella easily recognized the place.

Godric's Hollow.

She walked down the deserted street, her cloak and dress dragging on the snowy ground but Luna's water repellent spell was working incredibly well. Bella knew that the girl's dream was to create and Bella remembered all of her dreams. The clothing she had worn held a distinct Elven feel and even more, a distinct Luna feel. Everything she created for Bella held a Victorian feel to it.

Bella closed her eyes and the dreams came back to her again. Ever since the barrier had come down, the magic brewing in the prophetic dreams were ten times stronger. That world seemed so real. So tempting.

Bella stopped at the black gates to the cemetery and she felt the memories coming back to her at full force. She wanted nothing but to turn back. But, she knew she couldn't. She wouldn't be able to put this at rest. She wouldn't be able to put this unhealthy…_thing_ she had with Tom to rest unless she confronted this. This was the turning point of her life, when she started falling in love with Tom. She hadn't known it was him but she had been drawn to Voldemort.

She pushed the gates open and took a deep breath and began forward.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**11:30 AM**

"Gideon…"

Gideon stopped buttoning his white shirt and he looked up. The rest of the boys in the dorm stopped. They all slept late on Saturdays unless it was a Hogsmeade weekend. They all stared at the girl in the doorway. Her dirty blond hair was pulled back into a low knot, secured by several pins that looked like it belonged in dresses.

"Luna?" Gideon asked, confused. Then he flushed as his pants weren't really on and only his shirttails cover his boxers. Luna didn't seem perturbed by that. She had a weird expression on her face and Gideon could barely see the grays of her eyes.

"She left. She's at the cemetery already," Luna said, softly. Gideon frowned.

"You had to come to tell me that?" he asked, curiously. Luna tilted her head and began to sway before she gasped and the pupils of her eyes went very small. She looked as pale as Malfoy for a moment before she gained some color.

"In sleep he spoke to her…in dreams he came…that voice which calls to her…and speaks her name. And does she dream again…she will inevitably find…that he is there…inside her mind. The Dark Lord will find her there at the cemetery," Luna whispered. Gideon paled and looked at her in shock. The other boys stopped and Colin frowned. He yanked his pants up and walked towards her and grabbed her shoulder, lightly. Luna swayed again.

"The Dark Lord?" Colin asked. Luna nodded and Gideon grimaced as he buttoned his trousers and pulled on his trousers. He didn't even finish buttoning his shirt and he grabbed his wand from the bed.

"Voldemort," Gideon said, harshly. Luna grabbed his hand and she pulled him down the stairs. She looked up to the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, Lily. But, he has things to do first," Luna apologized. Gideon look at her sharply and they ran through the Common Room, surprising everyone. Fay stood but they bypassed her completely. Luna ran down the stairs and Draco caught her. She stopped and he looked at her in surprise. Hermione, Blaise, Neville, and Daphne stood with him. Blaise had an excited look on his face but it faded at Gideon and Luna's expressions.

"Where's Bella?" Draco asked, softly. He knew Gideon was supposed to be with her. Why wasn't he? Hermione's eyes widened.

"She's at the cemetery alone," Hermione whispered. Luna nodded.

"And _he's_ with her," Luna said, quietly. Blaise froze and Daphne grabbed Luna's shoulder and shook her. Luna froze and shook her head, softly.

"Why? You knew! Why'd you let her go?" Daphne snarled, angrily. Neville put a calming hand on her shoulder though he looked slightly angry and worried as well. Luna shook her head as everyone but Draco looked at her in disbelief.

"She had to. Lily…Lily Potter wanted it. I can't go against her. You know that. She asked me to do this. They have to talk. She needs to settle this," Luna said. Daphne growled at her and stormed down the stairs towards the Headmaster's office. Draco grabbed her hand and she stopped short. Draco was looking, contemplative before he looked at Gideon.

"We cannot disrespect the dead. You told Gideon before us. Why?" Draco asked, softly. Luna sighed.

"He must go and he alone."

* * *

**Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**11:15 AM**

"Tell me, Bella. How did your Uncle Sirius treat you?"

Bella recognized her mother's voice immediately and she didn't look up from the snow and start. She sighed and shook her head. She thought back to her times with her godfather, reminiscing.

"He was once my one companion. He was all that mattered. He was once my only friend and my father. And then I went to Hogwarts. Everything changed. I didn't spend as much time with him. And then when I did, I caused him grief. I dated a man who couldn't even figure his own feelings out. Someone that he disapproved of. He knew that he was no good but I didn't listen. All I want is to hear his voice," Bella said, softly. She felt the hand brush her hair back and she smiled, softly though her eyes watered.

"Just talk to me, little one," Lily continued. The redhead looked at her daughter as Bella struggled for words. Lily knew she was the only one who could listen without bias.

"And now…with Tom. With us, there's been too many years fighting off tears. Why can't the past just die! I'm just so tired of this. I don't even know why I'm so upset and afraid. What happened...what he did went against morals I didn't even know I had. Why am I so afraid?" cried out Bella. She was happy that no one was alive and that the fog was so thick. They would have realized that Lily was no all there. She sighed and shook her head.

"Help me, Mum. Teach me to live. Give me the strength to try. I'm just tired of everything. Why can't anything be easy?" Bella demanded. Lily gave a sad smile as Bella finally came to her grave. The white marble gleamed despite the fact that it was surrounded by snow. Bella slid down to sit in front of the marble markers.

"Life isn't easy, Bella. Only you can teach yourself to live. Only you can have the strength to try. I can't give or teach anything to you anymore. I wish I could but it was never meant to be. You're afraid to love a man that killed for you. It's time, Bella," Lily said, softly. Bella looked up sharply and she pushed the scarf she was wearing on top of her head down so that it hung from her neck. She looked at her mother in surprise.

Lily kneeled next to her daughter and kissed her forehead.

"No more bad memories. No more silent tears. No more thinking about the wasted years. Start anew. Say goodbye to the old you. That's what's wrong, Bella. Gideon was good for the old you. The undecided you. That's not you anymore. This is the time. You have to say goodbye to the old you. That means saying goodbye to someone like Gideon," Lily explained, smiling. Bella's eyes widened as she found the answer that had been nagging at her for so long now. Her lips spread into a half smile and she nodded.

"Help me say goodbye? Help me say goodbye to the old me?" Bella asked. Lily stood, suddenly and Bella blinked in surprise.

The redheaded woman brushed back Bella's hair and Bella was struck suddenly by how much she looked like her and how much she didn't. The redheaded woman was bright. She had a healthy flush despite being something reminiscent to a ghost whereas her own daughter was as pale as the snow surrounding them. Lily's lips were healthy pink and Bella's a dark champagne. Lily was even dressed in white and blue robes. Bella was in her dark velvet dress. They were day and night. Yet they had the same body shape though Lily was clearly taller and they both had wide hips, thin waists, and small busts. Their cheekbones were the same and of course their _Avada_ _Kedavra_ eyes.

However, Bella's eyes were filled with pain and anger and sadness. Lily's were filled with loneliness.

"I can't help you, Bella. That's not my job. That job belongs to someone else," Lily said, softly. She faded from sight and Bella looked around in confusion and disbelief. Lily had left her here. And then the ghostly whisper came.

"Wandering child…so lost…so helpless. Lily has said that you need my guidance."

Bella looked up and she paled when she saw it was Tom. He sat there atop the grave, his leg crossed. Except it wasn't Tom. His face didn't belong to Tom but his voice did, indeed.

His face was the face of Voldemort.

It flickered and suddenly she saw his real face. She stared at him in surprise and frowned in confusion.

"What?" she said, softly. He gave a slight smile.

"You see my face for what it is. Everyone else sees differently. They will see Voldemort," Tom explained. Bella nodded and she swallowed before sighing and she pulled a lock of her hair from in front of her face. Tom grabbed her chin and brought it up until she was standing. He was at face level with her now as he was sitting on top of the graves.

Neither saw Gideon arrive and stare in shock. He darted behind a statue and stared at Bella and Voldemort in confusion. She was doing nothing but staring at him in confusion and shock.

"_Ange ou du Diable? Es-tu mon ami ou ennemi?_" Bella whispered, softly. Tom gave a wider smile and Bella was struck by the fact that he was smiling. She stared at him in shock, almost hypnotized.

"Angel? Aren't you called the Angel?" asked Tom. Bella tilted her head and she touched his cheek, almost hypnotized. Her eyes were distant, slightly.

"I want what you whispered about. The dark world you want. I want it," Bella said, softly. Voldemort's lips curled into a wicked grin as his eyes found Gideon's and he tilted his head, his eyes swirling crimson. Gideon took a step back and shook his head. Bella didn't seem to notice that Tom had looked away from her.

Her eyebrows dipped into a slight frown. For some reason, Tom's eyes looked…crazed…they were swirling crimson and black now. They reminded her of that night.

Samhain Night.

"Too long you've wandered, not knowing…" Tom whispered.

Voldemort smirked at Gideon and Gideon shook his head.

"She's tempted by him again," he murmured to himself. Voldemort looked away from Bella and he wrapped an arm around her waist and he slid off the grave. Bella paled and she tilted her head as he pulled her flush against him.

"Why do you resist? You resist but your soul wants this…wants _me_. Why do you tell me to let go? You don't want to but what makes you say it?" asked Voldemort, curiously. Gideon wondered when he had spoken to her. He wondered when she had told him to let her go.

"You denied me. You denied what you wanted. Do not shun me. Do not shun the Dark," Voldemort said, softly. He let go of her and walked behind the grave, backwards, towards the small tomb behind them. The shadow was right there.

"Come to me, little Ana. Come with me, Angel," Voldemort said, the magic seeping into his voice and creating a thrall. Bella was ready for it and she brushed the magic aside. She gave him a strange look and Bella took a step forward. Gideon ran forward, knowing she would go with him.

"Stop! Leave her alone!" Gideon shouted. Voldemort cast him a look but said nothing. Bella tilted her and she didn't turn back. She knew Gideon would assume it was a thrall because of the magic but it'd best if he didn't know that she was ignoring the thrall.

"Com to me, beautiful Nikolai," he whispered, softly.

"BELLA! Let her go! Let her go! Bella!" Gideon shouted. Bella jolted and she spun, glaring at Gideon. Voldemort reached out and grabbed her around the waist and pulling her flush against him. Bella gasped as she watched who was running in.

The Order.

Gideon had warned the Order.

McGonagall, Dumbledore, Shacklebolt, and Moody stared in shock as Bella watched, wide-eyed in the arms of one Lord Voldemort. His arms wrapped around her tighter and he leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear. She swallowed, hard.

"I don't only want your body. I want you. I want Nikolai."

"Let her go, Voldemort," Moody growled. Bella's eyes stung for a moment and she swallowed.

"I can't do that to him. Give me time," she said, softly. Voldemort's eyes hardened and he pushed Bella from him, his eyes displaying his rage and anger.

"So be it. Now, let it be war upon you both," Voldemort whispered, harshly. Bella stumbled and she shook her head in horror.

"No, Voldemort. _Don't_…"

She darted for him but he Apparated just as Gideon grabbed her around the waist, pulling back. Bella pulled away from him and she stared at him in rage and anger. Gideon looked at her in surprise.

"DAMN YOU! Curse you all! Damn you all! Hell upon all of your heads! Damn you, Gideon Weasley!" she shouted in rage before she dropped the bouquet of lilies and roses and ran from the cemetery past the Order who looked after her in confusion. Bella pulled her wand as the magic from the frustration and anger built in her and she began spinning the wand like a baton. She shot a bolt of lightning into the sky before letting out a scream of rage that would echo through the five witnesses' ears forever.

:::

**A/N: **Lots of stuff going on. Bella's there. Like legitimately there. She's responsible enough now. She's exactly who she is supposed to be now. You'll see more of what she's supposed to be but she's not going to get together with Tom yet. But she will. I swear on my life that she will. Awakenings wasn't meant to be taken literally. It was more of Bella's awakening as a person. She now knows what she wants and it isn't Gideon. He's just confused now. You'll see what this all means next chapter.

Next Chapter: Comas and Illnesses (with a healthy dose of dragons)


	79. Chapter LXXIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **More crap happening. It doesn't feel like a chore anymore. Well, here's the big chapter. The war officially starts in this chapter and I finally write an official battle. Thank God. Tom's declaration of war didn't mean only romantically. He's really upset at the moment. Yes, not exactly angry but just really upset. Right, so someone asked about Dumbledore's motives.

He's not really evil. He's just very driven in his actions and he'll do anything for the Greater Good. He's not really Bella's enemy either. He's doing what he thinks is good for her. He's only her enemy by default. He's not on her side so, once more, he's enemy by default and default alone. In the sequel, he _will_ become her enemy because of something he does but I won't tell you about that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXIII**

**Cemetery, Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**12:00 PM**

"Where is she? Where did she go?" Minerva asked, worriedly. Albus frowned, shaking his head. Alastor was growling, scanning the area with his blue eye. His eye narrowed on someone and everyone turned to look at him just as he found something. Albus sighed.

Bella Potter was becoming too much of a problem. She was supposedly the prophecy child and there really wasn't anyone else that fit the bill. It was clear that she had a violent mentality and that something was truly wrong with her mind. She was a psychopath though it wasn't as pronounced as it was with Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger had to take medicine everyday.

"I see her. She's—" Alastor started.

"_ARRRRRRRRGH!_"

The guttural scream of rage was followed by a bolt of white and black lightning being shot into the sky. The immediate area was lit in a ghostly light before it dimmed and disappeared. Albus paled just as Minerva, Alastor, and Mister Weasley did. Kingsley stared with a grim expression. He turned to Albus.

"That was the Cursed Lightning of the Elves. That was Black Magic and if she can do it without shouting the words, she must be very adept at using it," Kingsley said, almost accusatorily. Albus frowned at him and Kingsley looked away under the knowing blue gaze.

"She uses it responsibly and you know why using it illegal. It's dangerous to user. She knows how to wield it," Albus said. Kingsley nodded, accepting the response easily. Gideon Weasley frowned but Albus wasn't worried about him. He was Light and he was easy to manipulate.

In truth, Albus just didn't want Bella gone from under his thumb. He let her have her way because he knew she had the power and means to slip to the Dark side. He couldn't let them win. As long as he had the Horsemen under his control, there was no possible way that the Dark would win. Despite not having much information, he was still forming plans. He just had to wait for the Dark to strike. They had been strangely quiet and that didn't conform with Gellert at all.

But wait, Gellert wasn't in control. Albus could see from Gellert's actions in the Ministry of Magic that the man believed he was holding the reins but that was not truth in the least. He wondered if Gellert was still attempting to control the Deathly Hallows. He doubted it as Bella already had two of them. Albus knew he hadn't had a meeting with Bella in a long time and he needed to tell her about the Horcruxes. But, it was difficult to witness those memories from long ago without feeling the sickening, plunging feeling of Gellert leaving him to pursue such dark things.

"Should we go after her?" Minerva asked. Albus shook his head. Gideon looked at him in shock and he shook his head, wanting to say something.

"Accompany Mister Weasley back to Hogwarts. She is angry with Mister Weasley and she may lose her temper. You are most equipped to protect him. You are also a woman. Perhaps you can calm her down," Albus said. Minerva frowned at the last part in annoyance but nodded. She grabbed Gideon by the shoulder and steered him away. Alastor scanned the cemetery one more time.

"What was Voldemort doing here anyway?" Alastor asked. Albus frowned and cleared his throat. He remembered the conversation he had had with Bella just a week ago…

_Albus watched as the prefects escorted the students to their specific dormitories. He scanned the groups of students but could not find one Bella Potter anywhere. Luna Lovegood was whispering to Draco Malfoy. He looked panicked and Albus assumed that it was about the whereabouts of Bella Potter. Albus had sent Tom to look for his missing student. Hermione Granger had to be pulled away from the table by Blaise Zabini. She looked far too interested in the bloody head._

"_Albus, have you seen her yet?" asked Minerva, worriedly. Albus shook his head and he sighed. Severus was standing, looking rather annoyed. All of the other Head of Houses had gone off with their Houses, to calm them._

"_No. I sent Tom to look for her. He should find her soon," Albus said. Severus sneered and he crossed his arms in annoyance._

"_She's being dramatic as always."_

"_Severus! Someone just delivered a __**head**__ to her and a mirror depicting the events leading up to the decapitation of the head," Minerva said, harshly. Severus opened his mouth to say something when he gestured towards the stairs. Albus blinked when he saw who it was. Ginny Weasley rushed to hug her previously missing brother. He hugged her back, tightly and Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and Blaise Zabini hugged their own sister. She hugged them, lightly and her expression was grim._

"_Bella, I believe we should talk in my office," Albus said. Bella nodded once and she walked back into the Great Hall. The head was covered in a sheet now and Bella grabbed the head through the sheet. She picked up the mirror and tucked the head under her arm. She walked towards his office, not saying a word. Gideon followed her, obediently and her siblings tried to follow._

"_Stop."_

_The three stopped at Bella's unemotional words. They looked at her in surprise and she shook her head at them._

"_What?" Hermione asked._

"_Don't come with me. Do not approach him. Do not say __**anything**__," Bella said, softly. Hermione Granger nodded and she looked at her brother worriedly. Albus wondered who this 'him' was but he couldn't dwell on that at the moment. Bella walked past them and walked straight to his office. Albus murmured the password and the gargoyle jumped aside and their little rag-tag group walked in._

_Bella sat down almost immediately and Gideon sat down in the seat next to her. Severus sneered at the boy in suspicion._

"_What are you doing here, boy?" Severus snapped. Gideon glared right back at him, surprisingly._

"_Moral support," Gideon stated, coldly. Bella looked down at the blood stained sheet that covered the head that had apparently been gifted to her. Albus turned away from the sickening sight and sat behind his desk. He cleared his throat and Minerva, Severus, and Gideon turned to look at him. Bella was now looking into the small hand mirror that the head had emerged from._

"_Let's start from the beginning, Bella," Albus finally said. There was silence for a moment before Bella finally decided to speak._

"_A package came to me. With a letter. The letter was from the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort," Bella clarified. Severus looked at her in disbelief and groaned. She shot him a sharp gaze but said nothing, surprisingly._

"_If it was from the Dark Lord, __**why **__would you open it, you daft girl? It could have been cursed!" Severus shouted. Bella gave a twisted smile and she gave a cold, high laugh that sent shivers down Albus' spine._

"_I didn't know you cared. And anyway, the Dark Lord would never hurt me," Bella said, softly. The way she said it made Albus stop for a moment. He thought back to the Department of Mysteries. The shrapnel flying from the exploding gold statue had not even gone near Bella when it should have pierced through her. And Voldemort had pushed her down to avoid it…_

"_What do you mean, Miss Potter?" Minerva asked before Severus could say something rude again. Bella sighed._

"_He would never __**ever**__ hurt me. 'The loveliest Miss Potter'," Bella said, softly. Severus snorted._

"_Yes, we know you like to admire yourself. Just as arrogant as your father," Severus said, harshly. Bella's eyes flashed._

"_Arrogance of my father, I may have but I have my mother's face don't I? Professor, fuck off. 'The loveliest Miss Potter' was how he started the note he sent with the mirror. He also sent a threat against my boyfriend. He wondered what would happen if he had the same accident as Seth Jones," Bella said, quietly. Albus looked at her in surprise. He vaguely recognized the name. The boy had been a Ravenclaw if Albus remembered correctly though his mind had been anywhere but his studies. His sole focus was on his music and his music alone._

_Music._

_Bella played the piano._

"_What was the connection between you and Seth Jones?" Albus asked, turning the conversation abruptly. Bella flinched and sighed, quietly._

"_He…he was the son of my music teacher. She died when I was nine, I think. Then…Seth began to teach me. He was angry. A very angry person. He demanded perfection and when I didn't give perfection, I was punished. Beaten," Bella said, further elaborating what 'punished' meant. Minerva's eyes widened and Severus' expression changed, ever so slightly. Albus' eyes lost their twinkle quickly._

"_Oh…" Minerva said, softly. Bella's eyes flashed._

"_I don't need your pity. The Dark Lord found out and punished that man. I'm glad he's dead. I'm not…I'm not glad how he did it," Bella said, softly. Albus frowned and leaned forward. He could think about her mentality later. He had to get to the root of the problem, immediately. He couldn't let her psyche be at further risk when she was already so…distorted._

"_How did he kill Mister Jones?" asked Albus. Bella swallowed and she placed the mirror down onto the desk. Severus swooped in immediately, waving his wand over it, checking for various curses or hexes._

"_He tortured him. Dismembered him. He kept him alive for the dismemberment. He finally took pity and used the Killing Curse. Then, I suppose he cut off his head. I didn't see that part. It wasn't included in the scene. It was horrifying. There was so much blood…"_

_Albus offered her a sad look but made sure not to pity her. She'd resent him if he pitied her and that was the last thing she or he needed. Bella wasn't even looking at him. She lifted the head and placed it on the desk next to her mirror. Severus looked almost disappointed that it wasn't cursed. She snatched the hand mirror back and pulled off the sheet. The tortured expression was still in place and Minerva reared back. Gideon whimpered._

"_That's…horrible. But, why did he kill him? Do you have any idea?" Albus asked, curiously. Bella's lips curled into a slight, horrible smile._

"_I know why he killed him. He avenged me. The Dark Lord has an obsession with me it seems."_

Severus had not believed her but Albus could see that that might be true now. He had attempted to lure her towards his side with a thrall. A powerful thrall that Albus could feel from even the gates of the cemetery. He looked to Kingsley and Alastor and cleared his throat.

"Call a meeting for the Order, immediately. Ask Ms. Granger if we could use Grimmauld Place. It's closer than Riddle Manor," Albus ordered, not answering Alastor's question. Kingsley and Alastor Disapparated immediately and Albus walked forward towards the graves of Lily and James Potter.

His expression softened and saddened. And then he thought of Lily's cruel shouts at the Triwizard Tournament and he wondered what he had done to invoke such anger from the normally gentle and kind woman.

"She wants him."

Albus stopped and looked at the woman sitting atop the marble grave. She was looking up at the sky and the snow passed through her slowly. Albus wondered how that was when she was sitting atop a grave. But, magic knew no bounds so he did not question it. He simply wondered.

"Lily. I do not understand," Albus said, softly. The redhead looked at him with bright but expressionless green eyes. They were so much like Bella's though her eyes were…lonely. Bella's was full of emotion. It was so easy to read her. She was like an open book.

Despite her power, she was very much a child in a woman's body at times.

"They are two very powerful people. She sympathizes with him. They know each other as well as they know themselves. She wants him. Bella wants him so much. Bella wants Voldemort. She wants the Dark. She's attracted to it. It's in her nature. But, I suppose that's my fault. It's always the mother. It had to do with the mother," Lily said, softly. Albus looked at her in surprise and he frowned in confusion. What did she mean by that?

"What has to do with the mother?"

Lily's eyes widened and her lips curled in a smile of glee. Malicious, he did not know but mischievous, most definitely.

"You mean _you_ don't know? Ha! The great Albus Dumbledore doesn't know what I'm talking about," Lily chortled. She shook her head, her fiery mane moving with her. She gave a great sigh of laughter before leaning back though not falling from her perch.

"I don't understand, Lily," he repeated. Lily sighed.

"Of course you don't. You were always so stuck in the Light's way. As a Muggleborn, I can't say that I agreed with the Dark. They wanted to exterminate me and my kind. But that doesn't mean I limited the types of magic I knew. And you should know of all people that Magic doesn't discriminate. Whether it be human, creature, or otherwise. Muggle or wizard. Pureblood, half-blood, or Mudblood. Magic doesn't discriminate. It doesn't put _types_ on magic. You shouldn't either," Lily said, knowingly. Albus blinked in confusion and Lily shook her head, smiling sadly.

"I looked up to you. But, you're so stuck in your ways. Your Light ways. You can't even see what's in front of you. You're so blind. My daughter is there. She's finally there. She's who she's supposed to be. I wonder what you'll find now that she's truly a woman. She is no longer a child. Despite her birthday being a few months away, today she became a woman," Lily said, softly. She stood up from her perch and walked slowly towards the statue of herself, her husband, and her little baby that had now supposedly become a woman. Albus said nothing as he stared at the ghostly woman in confusion.

What was she talking about?

He had not known Lily to speak in riddles. She was a bit like Miss Granger in that. Textbooks only. Fact after fact. Despite Miss Granger's impulsive tendencies, her actions were not based on emotions like most would believe. She would driven by her mental impulses. She was testing her limits, physically and mentally. It was very interesting to watch. He turned his thoughts back to Lily as she began to drift away. She was beginning to fade very quickly.

"My daughter finally knows…"

"Bella knows what, Lily?" Albus asked, becoming tired of her riddles. But he would play patient. He needed this information. Lily faded completely but her prescence lingered for a moment.

"She finally knows what it truly means to be human."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**1:05 PM**

"What is this all about?" Maya demanded, annoyed. The Order of the Phoenix was clustered around _her_ dining room table and it was just annoying her. She had been planning to have Penelope and Helen over in just a few hours and then she would have went to visit Sirius. But now she was stuck in the middle of an Order meeting.

It seemed that everyone else wanted the answer to that same question as well. Kingsley, Moody, and Dumbledore all exchanged hesitant looks. Dumbledore's sharp, twinkling blue eyes found Maya's and he answered, slowly as if wary of her reaction.

"Miss Potter has gone missing."

Maya's entire world stopped and her face drained of all previous color that it might have previously held. A lump formed in her throat and she began wringing her hands, nervously. She shook her head, her wild curly hair shaking with her.

"I-I'm sorry…what? B-Bella's missing?" Maya asked with a stammer.

No, it couldn't be…her daughter, one of her last links to Sirius as well, _couldn't _be…be…_missing_!

"I'm afraid so. I had the entire castle searched. Her siblings and friends have not seen her since this morning. We searched Godric's Hollow as well. She's not there," McGonagall said, regretfully. Maya looked down at her lap, unable to say anything. The tears stung her eyes but she refused to cry in front of these people. She wasn't going to mourn a daughter who wasn't dead yet.

Yet.

Suddenly, two words stuck out to her and she looked up, sharply. Her eyes pierced through McGonagall's though the woman looked unperturbed. In truth, McGonagall thought that in that one moment, her eyes resembled Dumbledore's to an extent. The fierce determination. And suddenly, McGonagall didn't think she was worthless at all. She was frightened…

"Godric's Hollow?" Maya asked, softly. Dumbledore nodded and he looked around at the table before continuing on. Maya wondered what he was continuously looking for. There was an empty seat on his left was empty. Maya wondered when Professor Riddle was.

"She wanted to visit her parents' graves. With her boyfriend."

Maya blanched and wondered how he knew.

"Boyfriend?" she asked.

"Gideon Weasley."

Maya paled even more and she stood, abruptly. The Order looked at her and Mrs. Weasley looked at her with an expression that was fluctuating quickly between being upset and worried. Maya shook her head.

"Oh no, no, no."

"What? Is my son not good enough?" Molly snarled, sounding upset now. Maya blinked in surprise.

"No. That's not it. It's…oh no…it's something else," Maya said, softly. She sat down, blushing when she found that everyone's eyes were on her. Everyone looked quite confused and they seemed to be scanning her. Looking for an answer on her face. She refused to look anyone in the eye.

"Then what happened?" asked Maya. Dumbledore shook his head.

"I believe it's best to start at the beginning of this. It was only a week ago and during dinnertime that Miss Potter received a letter and a package from a crow. She opened it. I watched her reactions. She was surprisingly calm. She opened the package and it seemed that she had received a beautiful hand mirror. She said that there was a memory inside. I did not see. I could only hear the screams of torture coming from inside the mirror. There was a cold high voice as well. She dropped it not long after it fell silent and a head emerged. The head of Seth Jones," Dumbledore said, softly. There were varying reactions. Mrs. Weasley turned slightly green. Maya paled more, if that was even possible. She was now white as a sheet.

"What? Who sent that to her?" Maya demanded.

"The Dark Lord, she calls him. He also seems to call himself that. I am speaking of Voldemort," Dumbledore continued. Most people gasped and stared at him, intently as if he were making of a fairytale of sorts. Maya looked at those people in disgust and shook her head.

This was her daughter's _life_.

"Miss Potter ran off almost immediately after seeing the head and she fled with Mister Gideon Weasley chasing after her. It seemed that he did a good job with calming her down because she returned. We spoke with her and it seems that Mister Seth Jones knew her. He taught her music. He demanded perfection of her. If she couldn't give perfection there were consequences. That is all I will say on the matter," Dumbledore said, warningly when Arabella Figg opened her mouth to say or rather _ask_ for more information.

"I'll question her later about it then. Do continue," Maya said, sharply. Dumbledore nodded, complying with her command. It _was_ her house at the moment.

"She spoke of how he addressed the letter to the loveliest Miss Potter. He threatened her boyfriend with the same fate. That is a warning sign immediately. Mister Weasley did not do anything to hurt her. It was jealousy that led him to make such a threat. She said the Dark Lord would never hurt her," Dumbledore continued. There was a snort from down the table and everyone turned to look at the young woman. She was sitting next to Remus who looked rather contemplative.

"That's daft! Why would the Dark Lord never hurt her? What has she done for him?" Tonks asked. Maya looked up, her eyes widening in realization but she said nothing. She let Dumbledore continue.

"Severus said about the same thing, Nymphadora. She stood by her statement. She continued to say that he would never hurt her. I'm led to agree with her. In the Ministry of Magic, a spell that Miss Potter used made the Fountain of Magical Brethren explode. Voldemort pushed her to the ground and use a shield to shield them _both_ from the shrapnel. I digress. Miss Potter requested to go to her parents' grave and I consented. It looked like she needed it. I believed everything to be well until Mister Weasley said to be at the cemetery in a few minutes with three others from the Order. He sounded frantic so I consented. Minerva, Kingsley, Alastor, and I arrived at the gates of the cemetery. There was a powerful thrall being used when we arrived. We moved quickly and found Lord Voldemort beckoning Miss Potter forward," Dumbledore continued, dramatically.

Most gasped again though Maya didn't react much. She frowned in concentration, attempting to figure it out. She was confused…

"Gideon shouted at her and she spun around looking almost angry though most definitely upset. Voldemort grabbed her and he whispered something to her. She said something back though I couldn't quite hear. He whispered something else that I _could _hear. He said 'So be it. Let it be war upon you both'. She attempted to plead with him as he backed away from her. She lunged for him as he Apparated but Gideon grabbed her. Miss Potter screamed at him. She damned him. She damned _us_. She cursed us. She said let Hell be upon our heads. She ran then, shot a bolt of lightening into the sky and let out the most guttural shout of rage before she disappeared. Presumably, she used the Floo but anything is possible where Miss Potter is concerned," Dumbledore said, almost sounding amused. Maya looked at him and her eyes widened.

"And the rest of the story?"

"I'm sorry. What do you mean, Ms. Granger?"

"There's another part. Someone else was there. I can see it in your eyes. Tell us. How do you expect us to help you…to trust you if you don't trust us?" Maya asked. Dumbledore paled and looked very old for a moment before he cleared his throat and nodded.

"The specter of Lily Potter appeared. She said…some things. She spoke of how Miss Potter…wanted Voldemort. She sympathizes with him. She said 'They know each other as well as they know themselves'."

Maya froze as she remembered Samhain night. Those words…they couldn't be…_he_ couldn't be…

"What…what does Voldemort look like?" Maya asked, softly.

"He looks a bit like a snake with slitted red eyes. They're like blood. It's so freaky!" Tonks said, snickering a bit. Maya brushed her hair back as everyone looked at her. She had figured it out. She knew now why Bella had been angry.

A snake. Red eyes. She'd seen red eyes on another person before. They had looked like blood then too and she wondered how none of the other wizards had figured it out. She almost laughed when she remembered that Hermione had said that most wizards didn't have any type of common sense or logic.

Tom Riddle was Lord Voldemort.

And Bella had yet to tell so Maya wouldn't either.

But one thing she was sure of. She looked up at the table. They had been looking at her as well. She sighed.

"The Dark Lord wouldn't hurt her. _Ever_."

Everyone looked at Maya in surprise and Dumbledore frowned. Snape sneered at her and she gave him a cold look.

"And how would you know this? I've had experience with the Dark Lord. He's ruthless and cruel," Snape said, as if he knew everything. Maya fixed him with a stare that he ignored and though she was intimidated by all the magical people, she would be strong against them.

For Bella, she wouldn't divulge any information that wasn't necessary.

"Not with her. Never with her. He cares about her. A lot. Dumbledore, you're not the only one in touch with Lily Potter."

Dumbledore blinked and nodded before he turned to the Order on a whole.

"Here is your task. Look for Miss Potter and secure her safety. I believe that the Dark Lord's proclamation of war against her has put her in danger despite what she may believe. Secure her safety and transport her back here before the Dark Lord finds her. Go."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**1:20 PM**

"Lucius!"

Lucius jumped as his name was shouted out of nowhere. He looked up from his book and saw his Lord standing in front of him, in the shadow of one of the many bookcases. Bellatrix stood and curtseyed immediately to him. Rodolphus dipped into an elaborate bow. Lucius jumped up and inclined his head. The Dark Lord seemed to accept that though he looked not angry but…upset.

"Yes, my Lord?" Lucius asked, softly.

"We're going on a raid. Ready a team of the best grunt Death Eaters. Bellatrix cover my left side. Rodolphus cover my right side. Lucius, lead the Death Eaters. We're to attack Liverpool. We strike at sunset," Voldemort said, coldly. Lucius nodded and he waved his wand, summoning the maps to him. It landed on the table in front of him and he rolled it out. Bellatrix leapt towards it and leaned over it as Lucius left.

Bellatrix watched from the corner of her eye as her Lord looked into the fire. He only did this when he was upset. She could tell from the moment that he had walked in that he was upset. She cleared her throat and her Lord looked at her with deep crimson eyes.

"My Lord…has something upset you?" Bellatrix asked, tentatively. She waited for an answer and minutes passed. She soon didn't expect one so she turned back to analyzing the map with Rodolphus.

"If we Apparate in the commercial district, in front of Town Hall, we can cause the most havoc. Most of the prominent monuments are there. At the top of Castle Street is the Town Hall. I'd like to set that aflame, if I may, my Lord," Rodolphus said. The Dark Lord looked up with hollow eyes and nodded. Rodolphus looked at him in surprise. His Lord had not even given it a second thought.

"You may do as you please, Rodolphus. I give you free reign during this particular raid. Burn the Muggle-infested city to the ground," Voldemort said, coldly. He stood suddenly and turned from Rodolphus before quickly exiting the room. Voldemort ignored the murmured 'my Lord's and the low bows. He didn't want to think about it. He just had this irresistible urge to kill.

He wanted to destroy.

He wanted to annihilate.

He wanted to show Anya what a monster _really_ was.

She thought she knew. Voldemort scoffed at that. She was Lady Victory and he acknowledged this. However, she was still a child. She was a child in a woman's body and he was almost disgusted with himself for being attracted to that. Yet, there was that spark of potential that just drew him to her, like a moth to a light. That spark had grown considerably and now and again, it'd come through.

And that was what he was so attracted to. When that glimmer came out and she acted like an adult, he couldn't help but care for her. Then, that light had come out in the graveyard when she tried to speak to him as an equal. Despite her innately Dark nature, she was still good. Not Light but good.

She had done wicked things in her short lifetime but overall, she was still a good person. She was too good to leave everything behind her and go with him. Her will had overcome his and she had told him she couldn't hurt that Weasley boy. She had been more of an adult than him. Voldemort knew he had been selfish in wanting her when she 'loved' him. Voldemort knew that but he wasn't good. He was too wicked to care.

He remembered what Anya had said in the Astronomy Tower.

So distorted. So deformed.

He wondered if she'd only been speaking of the face he wore as Voldemort or the fact that he wore a mask at all. If it were the second, he'd call her a hypocrite. For he knew and _she_ knew, deep inside, that Bella Potter was nothing but a mask for Nikolai or as he liked to call her, Anya.

For some reason she preferred to be called 'Ana' or 'Anya'. He could tell in the way she responded. He disliked his name as well. He disliked all three of his names though he had come to accept them.

Riddle, a name for a filthy Muggle.

Marvolo, a name for a filthy tramp.

And Tom, a given name that only meant 'coward' to him.

He wasn't sure that Voldemort was much better either. Tom and Voldemort meant the same to him.

Coward.

Frightened.

Terrified.

Afraid.

Tom despised it. He despised being afraid of something that some people even embraced and welcomed. He had once believed it to be a weakness, death. If things had been different, Tom knew now that he would be one of the few that embraced death. He was hesitant at best now.

Tom slipped into his room and locked the door. As the lock clicked into place, he stripped off his soaked robes and let them drop to the floor. He walked, naked to the bathroom as he tossed his wand onto the counter. He shut the wooden door and stepped into the large shower and turned on the showerhead. Almost immediately, scalding hot water washed over him, plaster his hair to his head.

He stood there in the water for a few moment as his pale skin slowly turned red from the heat of the water.

His thoughts floated back to the graveyard when the little Weasley bastard had been shouting for Anya. She had gone with him. Him. Tom could give her everything. Anything. He could lay the world at her feet and she just had to be a good person.

Why couldn't she just be selfish?

Tom slammed his fist into the wall and he heard rather than felt the crack that his hand made. He blew it off and sighed.

She could be so selfish sometimes. She had been when she had refused to hear what Tom had to say. She had been when she had disregarded her siblings' feelings about him and such.

And then she had her selfless moments. Like when she had gone down to save the Weasley twins at the expense of her life. She had been free of the riddles and she could have gone on with her life. But, she had gone down to face the last riddle when she could've turned back. She had faced Grindelwald for them. In her third year, she had faced three convicts to save her tortured sister. In her fifth year, she had gone to the Department of Mysteries, knowing that Grindelwald, Death Eaters, and even the Dark Lord was there. And just to say her godfather. And then she had gone to save the Philosopher's Stone in her first year. As a little eleven-year-old, she had looked Death in the face and spat on it.

For that, he both envied her and admired her.

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**6:00 PM**

Penelope watched as her friend paced back and forth in front of he roaring fireplace, looking incredibly worried. She had heard the story of Bella's disappearance and her encounter with an obsessed Dark Lord. According to Maya, there was more to it but she couldn't tell them because it wasn't her secret to tell. She had assured them that it was obvious but wizards just couldn't see it because they didn't have a lick of common sense.

Penelope watched as the fire suddenly turned a roaring green and a young woman stumbled from the fire. Her pale skin was flushed from the cold and her damp curly hair was pulled back from her face. She wore a black velvet dress and silver pointed Victorian-style boots. A dark veil hung from her neck though it looked like it had been on her hair previously. She looked at Maya who was staring at her in shock. Suddenly, Maya's blue eyes flashed and Helen and Penelope exchanged looks.

They both knew what that meant.

"And _where_. Have. You. Been?" Maya snarled, angrily.

Penelope suddenly looked at the woman closer and she almost gasped. The woman's lips were a familiar red though they were a bit darker than the last time Penelope had seen her. Her untamable hair had finally picked a side and was now more curly than wavy and she was a bit taller but it was still Bella Potter.

A Bella Potter who had flashing eyes and a sad scowl.

"Out," Bella said, flatly.

"Why aren't you in school?" Maya demanded. Bella scoffed.

"None of your business."

"You _will_ tell me where you've been this instant or I will ground you for _life_!" Maya hissed, annoyed. Bella's scowl twisted even more and she glared, drawing herself to her full height. Penelope stared in shock. She looked like an adult more than ever.

"You are not my mother and I'd appreciate if you'd learn that," Bella said, coldly. She didn't scream or shout but the command was there. Maya drew herself to her full height as well and she gave Bella a fiery glare.

"I _am_ your mother whether you like it or not and you _will_ show me some respect. I don't care if you're almost of age. You _will_ tell me where you were and why you ran off like that," Maya snarled. Bella scoffed again and she crossed her arms, defiantly.

"Some mother you are. You're never there anymore. You don't know what's going on in my life. I understand that Uncle Sirius is in a coma but we're trying to help him and all you're doing is moping," Bella hissed. Maya's eyes widened and she stepped back as if she had just been slapped.

"What do you know? You're a little girl. You don't know anything. My fiancé is in a coma. Your boyfriend was threatened but nothing has happened to him. He's safe," Maya said, coldly. Bella stepped up to Maya with narrowed eyes and Maya was surprised that she hadn't drawn her wand yet.

"And the man I love is a monster."

Maya's angry glare slipped away and she stared at Bella in shock. Penelope and Helen exchanged worried looks and looked back at Bella. She didn't seem finished at all.

"The man I love killed a man for me! The man I love had a hand in putting my godfather in a coma! The man I love threatened my boyfriend! The man I love declared war upon me! Be happy that Uncle Sirius loves you just as much as you love him. Because Tom will _never_ love me back," Bella said, softly. She turned from her mother and crossed to the fire just as it turned green again. She backed away as a man emerged from the fire and she stared at Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"We could find Miss Potter but—"

He finally saw Bella standing in front of him with narrowed eyes. Kingsley cleared his throat and casted a questioning look at Maya. Maya was staring in shock still at Bella. She blinked a few times.

"Bella…Bella came here. I don't know where she's been and she won't tell me," Maya said, softly. Bella sniffed.

"Even if you knew where I was, you wouldn't be able to get there. Kingsley, what's happening?" Bella asked. Kingsley shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Nothing you should be concerned about. Just go back to Hogwarts and everything will be fine," Kingsley said, too slow for that to be a true answer. Bella cleared her throat and she crossed her arms.

"I'm part of the Order too. I should know what's going on. So, I ask again, what's going on?"

"Voldemort and a team of Death Eaters are attacking Liverpool as we speak," Kingsley finally said. Bella's eyes widened and her eyes narrowed again. She sighed and turned to Kingsley.

"Apparate with me to Liverpool," she commanded. Kingsley shook his head.

"You just go back to Hogwarts. We'll take care of it. I hear that your friends and sister are worried sick," Kingsley said. Bella nodded and tilted her head.

"What about my brothers?"

"Right…I believe they're worried too. They weren't told you were missing but that you were on a mission for the Order. Hermione was upset about the fact that you didn't go on the mission with her. The Seer…Luna, is trying to calm them. I think she knows where you were," Kingsley said. Bella allowed a smile and she nodded.

"She would. Kingsley, _please_. If Grindelwald shows up, Dumbledore won't be able to duel with both of them. I can duel the Dark Lord. I've done it before," Bella said, softly. Kingsley looked at her, reluctantly. He was an Auror and he could see the advantages of having Bella in the battle. But there was also the fact that she was only sixteen.

"Bella…"

"_Please_, Kingsley. I'll change into something more comfortable and go. _Please_," she pleaded again. Kingsley nodded once and Bella rushed out of the room and up the stairs, frantically reaching towards her back for the buttons holding the dress together. As she stepped into her room, her dress slipped off and she yanked on a pair of jeans. She reached into her closet and pulled out a familiar black button down shirt. She buttoned the shirt, quickly and she reached under her bed for an extra pair of boots. They weren't bloodstained like the beloved pair under her bed in Gryffindor Tower but they would do.

She shoved them on, not bothering to lace them and she cursed when she realized that the Elder Wand was in her trunk back at Hogwarts. She concentrated on summoning it for a moment when she heard thunder roll and she opened her eyes to see it floating in front of her. The palm of her left hand burned and she grabbed it from the air. She reached into her drawer and pulled on a glove to keep the magic from interacting.

Bella rushed from the room, running down the stairs and almost tripping on her face. Kingsley stood at the open door on the top step. Bella grabbed his arm and he prepared to Apparate when someone grabbed her hand. Kingsley stopped and Bella looked at her mother. Her eyes hardened instantly.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry that I yelled. I shouldn't have. I'm not your mother and you're right," Maya said, softly. Bella's eyes softened.

"It's okay."

"Be safe, Bella. Don't get hurt and don't be reckless. I don't want what happened to Sirius to happen to you," Maya continued. Bella's eyes softened anymore and she hugged Maya, tightly. Maya hugged her back and just held her for a minute.

"I'll be fine. I'll be just fine. You wait and see. Bye, Mum," Bella reassured her. Maya's eyes brightened and she smiled.

"Go, Bella."

Bella grabbed onto Kingsley's arm and she felt the sensation of Apparition. She finally could breathe and she looked around in horror.

The city was burning.

* * *

**Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**6:20 PM**

"_INCENDIO!_"

Rodolphus cackled as the ash colored snow fell around him, coating the ground in black. The Muggles were screaming and running, bumping into each other, shoving each other away. They were only trying to save themselves. It made Rodolphus disgusted. He pointed his wand at another building and shot the fire spell at it again. It erupted into flames and Rodolphus gave another humor-filled laugh.

His Lord was standing on the steps of Town Hall, dueling Dumbledore. It was almost amusing. Rodolphus wondered briefly what his alibi would be for not participating in the battle. Rodolphus didn't worry of course, as his Lord was skilled in lying among other things. But he claimed that he didn't lie. He simply manipulated the truth.

"Rodolphus!"

The voice didn't come from his Lord but Bellatrix. Bellatrix was dueling McGonagall and Moody. Rodolphus snarled and knew that Bellatrix almost didn't stand a chance. She was powerful but Moody was absolutely insane. He'd need her help. He ran to her and joined the fray easily.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Rodolphus snarled, instantly. Moody nimbly dodged the Killing Curse and it struck a burning building. The building crumbled, instantly from the force of the spell and Rodolphus looked around, almost pouting.

"You've ruined my fun! I do hope you know that. I was hoping to burn the rest of the buildings too," Rodolphus snapped, annoyed. McGonagall gave him a disgusted look and she shot a spell at him that was to transform him into an animal of some sort. He could tell. He'd been skilled at Transfiguration. Rodolphus nimbly dodged and it struck a Muggle instead. The young woman transformed into a dog. McGonagall looked stricken and Bellatrix only laughed.

"You who preached not to harm Muggles and look what you've done! You've probably traumatized the _bitch _forever," Bellatrix cackled. Rodolphus rolled his eyes and cast her a look.

"Bad pun. Work on those jokes, Trixie," Rodolphus said, jokingly as he threw up a Shield Charm to counter Moody's flames. They rebounded and hit the crumbled building. Rodolphus snickered.

The Order was causing more issues for them. Rodolphus looked back and saw the grunt Death Eaters heading their way. Rodolphus smirked and backed away just as three other Death Eaters joined the fray. They were skilled though not on his level. Rabastan had once been on his level but…he thought he was a toddler at the moment.

Bellatrix shot a _Crucio_ at McGonagall and McGonagall dodged by a hair. She backed away as McGonagall was distracted and they heard the sound of crying. The pair looked at the sobbing little girl, standing in the mix of ash and snow. They started forward and Bellatrix cackled.

"_Avada Ked_—"

"_Reducto!_"

Bellatrix dodged the Reductor Curse and stared up from the ground at the sender of the curse. She stared at the young woman crouched in front of the young girl. She had a strange looking wand in her hand and she wore simple black clothing. Her hair and eyes were wild but there was a dangerous more refined edge to her.

Bella Potter.

"What are you doing here?" snarled Bellatrix. The girl was Dark and both of them knew it.

So _why_ was she protecting a little _Muggle_?

"I may be Dark but I will _not _allow you to harm an innocent child," Bella Potter said, coldly. She scooped up the child into her arms and dodged the curses Bellatrix threw at her. The girl had stopped crying as Bella ran into an alley to take cover. Bellatrix didn't follow her and continued to throw curses.

"Stay here. If the man starts a fire, run as fast as you can. Do you understand me?" Bella asked. The little girl looked at her with wide eyes and nodded, slowly.

"Are you…are you a princess knight?"

The question made Bella blink and she shook her head and allowed a grim smile.

"Unfortunately not, pretty girl. I'm just someone trying to save the day. Stay safe," Bella commanded again. She took off, leaving the little girl there. Bella dodged between curses and flying spells and she saw McGonagall dueling a blond that looked suspiciously like Lucius.

"Bella!" McGonagall shouted a warning. Bella didn't pay her any mind and she charged for Voldemort and Dumbledore.

"_Astrapi!_"

The black lightening bolt shot forward, intercepting Dumbledore's hex and Voldemort's jinx. They turned and watched as Bella stood. Voldemort had to admit she was a sight. Ash colored snow blew around her and she looked so beautiful when she wore her hair as it naturally was. She wasn't conforming now and she wasn't trying too hard to be dangerous.

She was just Ana.

That light that he was attracted was amplified by a thousand times and now and she looked strong. Her eyes were wide and bright and she looked at Voldemort, determinedly.

"You will cease this nonsense, Voldemort."

"And why should I? I do not answer to you," Voldemort said, coldly. Bella shook her head. Her determined eyes turned into something more pleading and softer though the edge was not gone.

"Voldemort, stop. Please."

"A plea will not help the disgusting Muggles, Bella Potter."

Bella shook her head and she planted her feet apart, slipping into a dueling position. Voldemort looked surprised for a moment.

"I respect you, Voldemort. You know I feel. We spoke about this. But, I will not allow you to destroy a city because you're angry with me," Bella said, softly. Voldemort glared at her before his face slid into an emotionless snake-like mask. Bella wondered why she couldn't see his true face.

"I am not angry. I am upset. There is a difference, Bella Potter."

"That makes it all the worse. You taught me many things. I don't want to fight you. Some of the things you wish to do…aren't so bad. You're just going about it the wrong way," Bella pleaded. Dumbledore was looking at her in surprise. Voldemort said nothing and he lifted his wand.

"And you made the wrong choice in the cemetery."

Suddenly, a purple curse flew towards Bella and Bella threw up a shield as she recognized the spell. It was the Mutilating Curse. She turned to Dumbledore and she pointed towards the burning city.

"Professor! Call the Aurors! Stop the city from burning! Go! I can do handle him!" Bella called out. Dumbledore nodded and hurried down the steps of Town Hall and Bella held up the _Protego_ against the slaughter of Mutilating Curses and Cutting Curses.

"What are you doing? Stop!" Bella called. Voldemort fixed her with a hollow stare.

"I will tell you what I'm _going_ to do…" he said, softly. He walked up to her, slowly and Bella let her guard fall as she looked up at him. He leaned down to look her in the eye.

"I will make you ugly too."

Bella took in a breath sharply. Bella looked at him, horrified but not because she was afraid of being ugly.

"You're not ugly, Tom."

Voldemort blinked in surprise. He had never been referred to as 'Tom' when he was in his Voldemort guise and he blinked away the insanity that had temporarily clouded his mind.

"What? Anya?" he whispered, almost unaware of what had been happening.

"Tom…you're not ugly. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. You have scars but you're so beautiful…inside and out," Bella said, softly. Voldemort turned away from her for a moment and she swallowed, nervously. Voldemort watched as she refused to meet his eyes.

"Stranger than you dreamt it. Can you even dare to look or bear to think of me: this loathsome monster who burns in hell? Disguised as an angel but truly a demon," Voldemort said, quietly. He reached a spider-like hand forward and he touched her face. Neither noticed the werewolf and Metamorphagus watching in growing horror as they put out the fire.

"Fear can turn to love…you'll learn to see to find the man behind the monster. This repulsive carcass, that seems a beast but while in this state yearns for beauty. I supposed I _am_ vain. A narcissist, the Muggles would call me," Voldemort said, softly. He let out a cruel, high laugh. Bella leaned forward, sadly. His hand slid across her cheek. Her eyes closed, slowly and she leaned her head into his hand.

"Tom, I love you…you just don't love me back," she said, quietly. Voldemort frowned at her and opened his mouth to speak.

"Bella! He's doing something to you! Don't let him trick you!"

Bella spun to look at her Tonks. Voldemort looked at her with a beseeching glance. He held out his hand and Bella looked from Tonks and Remus to the man she loved. She was looking at what was good and what was selfish.

"Tom…_please_ don't make me choose now," she said, tears falling onto the ash snow. Voldemort withdrew his hand slowly and he gave her one more look before turning on his heel.

Tonks watched in shock as Bella let the man walk away from her. In the Department of Mysteries she had seemed so angry with Voldemort. But now she seemed to be more than comfortable. Perhaps, she was right when she had said that he would never hurt her. Voldemort shot the Dark Mark into the sky and Bella turned away, her eyes closed. The Death Eaters seemed to accept that and they quickly Disapparated. Tonks watched as Bellatrix went towards an alley instead.

"BELLATRIX!"

Tonks jumped at Voldemort's roar. Bellatrix jumped as well and she quickly Disapparated. Voldemort gave Bella one last look that Bella returned and he nodded once at her. She mouthed something at him and Tonks looked at Remus. Remus was too busy putting out a fire to pay attention.

Voldemort backed away and with the faintest crack, disappeared. Bella turned away from the spot, her eyes hollow and almost dead. She walked slowly down from the Town Hall and she pointed her wand at the nearest burning building.

"_Aguamenti_."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 15****th**** of February 1997**

**8:30 PM**

"Why didn't you fight him?"

"Why did he attack Liverpool anyway?"

"What should we do next, Albus?"

"Are we supposed to just wait for the next attack?"

"We're losing! We have to find a plan!"

"Use Bella!"

The table fell silent at the shout and everyone looked at Tonks and then to Bella. Bella continued looking down at her table. Her hands were pressed against the table and Maya sat next to her, looking very worried. She wondered what had happened at Liverpool to make Bella so quiet.

"What?" Hestia Jones asked in confusion. Tonks crossed her arms and looked at Bella with a confused expression on her face.

"At Liverpool, she sort of, stopped fighting him and he stopped fighting her. They were…talking. And he touched her cheek and he sort of tricked her, I guess. I don't know what he was saying but Bella started crying and he looked a little sorry. He really _is_ obsessed with her. He won't hurt her. I saw it. You were wrong, Snape. His one weakness is Bella," Tonks explained. Snape looked at her in shock and then looked at Bella with a disconcerting expression. He sat up straighter.

"Where's Riddle?" he asked, suddenly.

"Gringotts. His vaults. And you speak of the Dark Lord as if he's invincible. He's just a man. A powerful but a man. Mortal."

The answer came instantly. Everyone looked back to Bella. She still hadn't looked up and she hadn't tensed at all. The lie had come quite easily and Snape frowned at the sound of her voice. It wasn't the snarling hiss she had used for almost seven years now. It was softer and more mature and he was surprised that she hadn't spoken at all. She _always_ had something to say.

"I see. That might be a good idea—" Dumbledore started. This started another eruption around the table.

"I agree!"

"I don't!"

"She's only a kid!"

"She's sixteen, Tonks!"

"It's a terrible idea!"

"It's the only idea we have!"

"IF YOU DON'T STOP, I'LL GO MAD!"

Everyone looked at Bella. She was standing, her eyes wide and she looked at Dumbledore with pleading eyes.

"Headmaster, I'm frightened. Don't make me do this. Headmaster…please…it scares me. Don't put me through this ordeal. He'll take me…he offered me his hand and I didn't take it. He'll take me, I know. He won't let me go. I admit, I once used to dream of the Dark world he spoke to me about in the Ministry of Magic. But now…what I once dreamed, I now dread. If he finds me, it won't ever end. And he'll always be there…whispering about the Dark in my head," Bella said. Half of the things she was saying was bullshit.

But a part of it was true. She _was_ frightened. She didn't know what she'd do if they found out about Tom. She knew Tom _wasn't_ mortal in the least. He was immortal and she clutched at her locket, tighter.

"She's mad," Hestia Jones whispered to Diggles. Dumbledore fixed Bella with a regretful stare.

"You said yourself he was nothing but a man. Yet while he lives, he will haunt you until you're dead," Dumbledore pointed us. Bella gave a loud, drawn sigh that sounded as old as time. Her eyes looked tired as she tried to figure out what to do. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she blinked and looked up.

The dark-eyed man stood behind her and squeezed her shoulder. Everyone else looked surprised to see him there. He nodded once and Bella relaxed, slowly.

"What answer can ever give? Am I supposed to risk my life to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man who inspires me? Do I have a choice? He kills with little thought to reach his goals. I know I can't refuse…but I wish I could…" Bella whispered. Everyone looked at her in shock. She swallowed and looked at Tom again and he sighed.

"**Continue. Agree with him. Agree to fight me.**"

"**I don't…I can't…not against you.**"

"Continue," Tom said, harshly. Bella sighed and looked down at the table.

"Oh gods…if I agree, I can just imagine the horrors I'll have to face."

Dumbledore looked her in the eye and Bella swallowed, nervously.

"Bella…Bella don't think that I don't care. But every hope and every hope rests on you now."

:::

**A/N: **I don't really have much to say. This was a necessary chapter that I didn't think was necessary until I started writing it. I figured that since I hadn't had an attack in a while, I needed some. They'll become more and more frequent. Bella won't participate in a battle on the Dark side until the sequel however. She'll be fighting on the Light side despite the fact that she is in fact. That's because as you just read, Tom told her to agree to fight Voldemort.

As you can see, Bella's a bit less immature than usual. I think she handled it well. She's more mature now and she has grown up in a very short time. She hasn't cursed this entire chapter, which is a bit of an immature way to handle things truly. I'm ashamed to admit that I do that.

Next Chapter: Letters and St. Mungo's


	80. Chapter LXXIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So there aren't many chapters left in this year and there aren't a lot of chapters left in general. I'm expecting ten chapters for seventh year and no more. For this year, there will probably be about five more. Maybe less. This chapter is important because it takes place at St. Mungo's. You all know what that means. The next chapter will be difficult for me to write but, oh well.

Umm…I should put a warning but I don't really care to ruin the story. Read on unless you're really sensitive.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXIV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 17****th**** of February 1997**

**8:20 AM**

"Did you see the Daily Prophet?"

Christine Jackson looked away from the pale and worried forms of Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. The others sitting with them looked worried but not quite as much as them. Luna was the only relaxed one of the group. Daphne Greengrass was reading the Daily Prophet aloud to them and they were all listening intently. Christine glanced, worriedly at Gideon one more time before she took the Daily Prophet from Michael Brown.

"No. What'd it say?" Ginny asked.

"There was a Death Eater attack in Liverpool yesterday. Voldemort was there, burning down the whole town. And Bella was there too. She dueled with him and then stopped. She talked to him about something and then he just walked away and disappeared," Michael summarized. Gideon looked up sharply and his eyes widened.

"She talked to Voldemort again?"

"Again?" Ginny asked, surprised. Christine was just as surprised. Gideon nodded.

"He was there at the cemetery earlier yesterday. He had her under a thrall and he was trying to kidnap her. I broke the thrall by calling her name and then he left. She started screaming at me. She cursed me and damned me. She was angry for some reas—"

He cut off as the young woman he had been talking about came through the door. Her curly hair fell around her and Christine frowned. She was dressed differently than how she had been before. She wasn't dressed in tight leather pants or blood stained boots. She wore form fitting trousers, tucked into dark _normal_ boots and a button down white shirt. She wore her robe and tie and she looked rather morose. She walked, slowly and Gideon reached for her as she passed.

"Bella—"

"Gideon we need to talk."

Her voice was monotone and Gideon flinched at the words. Christine winced. She knew what those words meant. Everyone knew what those words meant. Gideon nodded, slowly and he stood. Her siblings reached out to her and she gave Hermione a tight hug. She gave Malfoy and Zabini equally tight hugs and she allowed a small smile. She waved at her friends before turning back to Gideon.

She walked with him out of the room and just down the hall and into a deserted corridor. She looked at him and Gideon flinched at the intense stare. She gave a rueful smile and she crossed her arms.

"I think we should take a break."

Gideon looked at her in complete shock and he winced again. He ran a hand through his thick curly hair and he looked at her as if he'd never seen her before. She was looking away from him.

"You mean…you want…to break up?" Gideon asked, slowly. Bella blinked at him and she sighed.

"No…just…take a break. I have a lot to do. I promised the Order that…that _I'd_ kill or at least help kill Voldemort. But, I don't want to and I don't think I _can_. I'm sorry but you're a distraction…" Bella said, softly. She didn't sound sorry at all. To Gideon, she only sounded incredibly tired. She sounded like she didn't want to be there. He looked at her sadly and she looked away. She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"Bella, I love you. I'll—"

"Stop saying that! You don't _love_ me. You think you do. You fancy me. You don't love me," Bella said, sharply. Gideon looked at her in surprise and he pressed his lips against hers. She didn't respond back and he looked at her, crestfallen.

"I _do _love you. I really d—"

"You don't. And I'm sorry but I don't love _you_. And I'm falling apart here because you…you supposedly love me and I'm under so much pressure and I…I don't love you. I'm sorry," Bella said, sincerely. Gideon looked calculating for a minute before he looked her in the eye.

"You aren't in love with me. Personally. You love someone else."

Bella paled and she swallowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Who?"

Bella turned to walk away and he grabbed her wrist. She turned back at him, surprised that she hadn't automatically gone for her knife. He was looking at her with serious eyes.

"Gideon…"

"I deserve to know why you're breaking up with me. I deserve to know why you led me on," Gideon said, coldly. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"Gideon…_please_. He'll never even love me back anyway! It doesn't matter. I didn't lead you on. I liked you. I genuinely liked you. I still like you. But as a friend, I think. I'll always care for you. Please, Gideon," Bella begged. Gideon's eyes widened and he nodded, slowly. Bella turned, walking quickly. She made her way back into the Great Hall. She ignored the stares and whispers.

"Good job, Bella!"

"Kick their butts, Bella!"

Bella blinked at the shouts and she allowed a slight smile if a little rueful. She sat down next to Hermione and Hermione wrapped her arms around her. She stroked her hair as Bella rested her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"Angel…Angel, what happened?" Hermione asked, softly. Bella didn't give the nickname a second thought.

"I'm so tired. I'm just so tired. Tom…Tom made me promise to fight for the Light."

Bella's friends and siblings froze and looked at her in shock. Bella allowed a slight smile and she gave a dry laugh. She shook her head and looked around for food. Draco weakly pushed a bowl of porridge at her. Bella took it gratefully.

"What about us?" Lalita asked, quietly. Bella hesitated before answering. She didn't want to do this. She wanted to do anything _but_ this. This just seemed so wrong to her and she was hurting inside.

"You…you'll fight with the Dark. Hydra and Blaise and Draco. You'll fight against me."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 31****st**** of March 1997**

**6:00 PM**

"We'll call this Order meeting to order."

Bella reclined against her chair next to Maya and Tom. It was Easter Holiday and they were busy making plans for a battle that they wished to take place in an open field by the end of the year. With Tom here, Bella knew that he would definitely attack the most vulnerable point in the wizarding world. She only wondered where that place would be. He refused to tell her.

Hermione was over at Malfoy Manor with Blaise, Luna, and Draco. Apparently, the answer to Sirius' coma was close and they were working 24/7 despite Maya's warning the day before to be home by ten. Hermione hadn't come home last night and Bella had stopped by earlier in the day to help with the research. Hermione had not gone to bed. Blaise had not either. Draco had fallen asleep after having a few souls from Augustus. Luna had fallen asleep shortly after.

"Why are we even holding a meeting? We just make sure Bella distracts the poor bastard and bam, we swoop in for the kill," Tonks said, bored. Remus sighed at the slight immaturity of the woman whom he was pursuing. Bella had to resist the urge to smile.

It was questionable on who was pursuing whom in the relationship.

"It's not quite that easy, Nymphadora. That puts Bella in considerably danger and we should not underestimate Voldemort," Dumbledore said. Bella nodded and sighed.

"The Headmaster is right. The Dark Lord is not to be underestimated. His thrall is strong and he's a superb duelist who isn't afraid to get physical when magic fails him. Remember, he backhanded me and my face bruised from that. I even fell to the ground. He has physical and magical strength. Strength I can barely match myself. He goes easy on me. I have a long way to go," Bella said. She jumped when she felt Tom's arm slip around her waist and he gave her hip a slightly reassuring squeeze. She only smiled slightly.

"She'll need to distract him more than talking. She'll have to duel him. Three of our own will be under Disillusionment Charms. They will shoot the Killing Curse at him and—"

"The Killing Curse?" Bella hissed, her voice showing that her patience had worn thin. Dumbledore looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, Bella. We're in desperate times. We, unfortunately, will have to rely on our enemies' ways for this one victory," Dumbledore said. Bella leaned back and she turned her head towards Tom. Her forehead fell on his arm and his arm slid up around her shoulders. Their chairs were so close that Bella was practically sitting on his chair with him.

Hestia Jones and Tonks watched, jealously as they seemed to have a mere conversation with their eyes. Tonks suspected something wasn't entirely right with the duo's relationship but she had only spoken to Remus about it. He seemed to agree with her. Tonks sighed as she watched as Tom Riddle inclined his head and Bella shook her head. She gave him a hard stare before she turned to Dumbledore.

"Find another way. I'll defend him myself if you shoot a single Killing Curse at him."

Moody glared at her.

"So, it's okay when you do it then, girly? We saw you in the Department of Mysteries? I fancy that's the first time you used the Killing Curse. You got it on the first try. Time to make sacrifices," Moody said. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"That was a mistake. I was…angry…" Bella said, softly. She trailed off and her eyes darted to the green flames in the fireplace. Everyone turned and Bella stood with Maya. A bushy haired woman and a man with golden eyes stumbled into the room. Everyone stared as Hermione Granger ran at Maya and gave her a tackle hug. Blaise rushed over to Bella and pulled her into a hug.

He picked her up and spun her in a circle. She stared at him in shock as he gave a whoop which most very much unlike him. He walked over to Maya and grinned.

"I've done it…I can…I can wake him up."

Maya paled and her eyes widened before a brilliant smile broke across her face. She threw her arms around Blaise and he looked surprised that she was hugging him. Happy tears fells form her eyes onto his shirt.

"Thank you so much!"

Hermione and Blaise turned to the shell shocked Bella Potter. Everyone was staring at her. She hadn't moved since she had heard those words. She was standing unmoving and Tom stood and brushed her hair back from her face. She blinked several times.

"You…you can…you can wake up my daddy?" Bella asked, her voice resembling the voice of a child. Blaise nodded. Bella's lips curled into a smile and then broke into a grin. Her grin took everyone's breath away. It was the first real smile they had seen from her in a long time and it wasn't tainted by the smallest hint of a smirk. It was really a smile.

"Now? Can we go now?" she asked, almost breathlessly. Blaise nodded again. Bella started forward before she spun around, looking at Tom. He was watching her, expressionlessly.

"I'm telling him. I'm telling him everything."

Tom paused and he blinked.

"Everything?"

Bella nodded before faltering.

"Some of your secrets will stay my secrets but…I'm not going to lie to him."

Tom took a deep breath and he nodded once though some people looked confused. Dumbledore looked rather confused though not as confused as he would have. Bella threw her arms around Blaise's neck again, giving him a tight hug before she walked towards the fire, taking the Floo powder from the box on the mantle.

"St. Mungo's."

**St. Mungo's Hospital, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 31****st**** of March 1997**

**6:20 PM**

Bella stood in the nearly empty entrance hall. She quickly walked towards the desk as Maya, Blaise, Hermione and Hermione filed out after her. She was surprised that Dumbledore hadn't come but she realized that he probably wanted her to spend some family time with him.

"I'm looking for Sirius Black," Bella said to the older blonde woman behind the desk. She blinked in surprise. She had been spacing out previously. Her eyes focused on Bella's and she looked at her forehead, realizing who this young woman was.

"Popular man he is today. Two blondes just came by, saying they knew his goddaughter. Ah, hello Maya," the blonde woman said. Maya grinned and waved. The blonde woman looked surprised at the happiness on Maya's face.

"Hello, Stacey. I'll just lead them to him. He still has his private room, right?" Maya asked. Stacey nodded and Maya led the way through a set of double doors and along the narrow corridor. The corridor walls were lined with portraits of famous Healers and Blaise couldn't take the time to look.

He had to be perfectly calm to do the procedure and he had to be centered. Hermione would be there to keep him calm and would take over in case he accidentally got too excited. He knew she wouldn't last long with controlling her emotions but she would do well. Draco or Luna would have been a better choice but Draco was too ill and Luna's Elven magic would have interfered with the wizard magic.

The passed through another double doors when suddenly Maya opened a door. Bella saw her uncle and rushed to his side. She had only seen him once since he was in his coma. It was too painful to watch. Draco and Luna were sitting against the wall, waiting and they stood as they saw Bella The healer stood in his room now. He looked at her in surprise and Maya smiled.

"Hello, Healer Davidson," Maya greeted. Healer Davidson and extended his hand. Maya shook it gratefully and she gestured to Blaise.

"Hello, Maya. Who is this young man?" asked Healer Davidson in surprise. Blaise smiled and cleared his throat.

"I'm Blaise Zabini. You diagnosed me with the plague."

Healer Davidson looked at him in surprise and a smile spread across his face and he extended his hand to shake Blaise's hand. Blaise shook it and he crossed to Sirius' bed.

"I'm healed by the way. My…girlfriend and…_her_ sister Healed me. Or more that I rely on the plague to live. Bella, I'm going to need you to stand near the wall so I can get to work. Hermione, meditate. Control your emotions just in case," Blaise said, his voice taking on a business like tone. Healer Davidson looked at the teenagers in surprise and he frowned in confusion. The young woman that looked a lot like Maya sat next to the gray-colored blond boy and the younger blonde woman. Bella Potter backed away towards the blond boy and he hugged her.

Healer Davidson thought he looked a bit like a Malfoy though he looked less healthy than most Malfoys.

"What exactly are you doing?" Healer Davidson asked, patiently.

"I'm going to bring him out of his coma. I'm a Natural Legilimens so I've been researching for _months_ on how to bring him out of the coma. I've even taught my girlfriend some limited Legilimency just so she can take over for me in case I get too tired or mess up. It's a complicated spell and I'm going to be intimately in his mind and magical core. If I even mix the slightest emotion with the spell and himself, I could put him into a coma forever or perhaps even kill him," Blaise explained.

Healer Davidson frowned. The man was a Natural Legilimens and he looked of age. He also seemed to know quite a bit about Healing magic and he was willing to let him try on his patient seeing as he was legally dead and Blaise Zabini was so confident. Maya _had_ told him that someone was researching about it. But…

"But looking into someone's magical core without express permission is illegal," Davidson pointed out. Maya bit her lip and looked down at her lap. Bella Potter jumped up and she walked forward, briskly and her hand extended. But not towards Davidson. Davidson looked at her with expressed surprise.

"The current Lady Black at your service. With him being legally dead and with myself being his heir, I am Lady Black. I give express permission to one Blaise Zabini to use any Healing magic he sees fit on one Sirius Black. So mote it be, I do agree," Bella Potter said, clearly. Blaise grasped her hand and shook it once. There was a sharp golden glow and Blaise backed away. And pulled out his wand. He walked towards Sirius slowly and leaned over the man and pointed his wand at his forehead.

"_Legilimens_."

_Blaise dived into the man's head and he was in an infinite world of white. It didn't begin and it didn't end. Blaise looked down and he felt as if he was standing on something but he couldn't find wherever he was. His face was a blank mask, his emotions in check. He felt nothing._

"_Mens Sana."_

_The spell that Blaise had essentially created with help from Anthony and Michael made the tip of his wand glow a white brighter than the infinite world of whie that he was standing in. He repeated the spell again and it glowed even brighter._

"_Mens Sana. Mens Sana. Mens Sana. Mens Sana."_

_The spell was repeated over and over again and with the bright light came a world of color. The white ground underneath his feet turned into grass and further off, a lake grew as Blaise pushed more and more power into his spell. Farther off the Whopping Willow grew into the space and Blaise looked around as he created a world for Sirius to return to._

_It was the Hogwarts Grounds. One of the places that Sirius loved most. His most treasured memories took place here and Blaise could see why. At Hogwarts, you could almost forget that the war was happening. There had been a war when Sirius was younger too and he could see how that would affect him._

_Blaise took a deep breath before pointing his wand at the created sky._

"_Legilimens."_

_Blaise was pulled deeper into Sirius' being and he blinked when he found that he was floating outside of a mass ball with the black strings of death wrapped around it as if it were a ball of yarn. Blaise floated towards the mass ball of magic and he could make out the gray glow of his magic. Sirius was a Neutral wizard. It seemed that practicing Light magic could only do so much for a Black. Black's were born with Dark magic._

_Blaise grabbed a string of death and he found that he could easily pull it off. There were perks with being half dead. He was sure that Draco would have done this much more efficiently as a Necromancer. But Blaise didn't know how to deal with death. He could prevent it but that was the extent of his knowledge. He pointed his wand at the exposed part of the core, hoping to all the gods in the world that his plan would work._

"_Mens sana ad. Anima sana. Curate IPSUM!" Blaise shouted, his voice as monotone as he could possible keep it. His own magic slipped through the black tendrils of Death, burning it away and generating more light from the magical core._

_The tendrils completely evaporated into black smoke and revealed the pulsing grey core. Blaise stared in wonder at the silhouette of the man inside of the core. He seemed to be just floating here, lost._

"_Lord Black…Black! Lord Bl…Sirius. Bella needs you. Come on, Sirius," Blaise urged. The silhouette of the man pushed through from the core and finally a long haired man dressed in leather emerged. He looked around in confusion and he looked at Blaise with slight recognition._

"_Who are you? Where am I? Who…who am __**I**__?" Sirius finally asked. Blaise fought against his surprise. The man didn't quite remember who he was and that would have to be fixed quickly. For some reason the man couldn't fight against the coma because he wasn't sure about himself._

"_I'm Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger's boyfriend. You're in your magical core. You're Sirius Black," Blaise answered, truthfully. Sirius frowned and he scratched his head with the same confusion on his face._

"_But…what's my purpose? Do I have one? Who am I to you? Who __**am **__I?"_

"_You're Sirius Black, wizard and Unspeakable from what I know. Your fiancée is Maya Granger who is a Muggle. You strayed from the power of your blood and the Dark because you disagreed with your family. You have a new family waiting for you. You were friends…friends with James Potter and Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. You hate Tom Riddle because he was dating your daughter and you called Draco Malfoy a little snot because he's too stuck up and you love Maya Granger and her daughter Hermione Granger," Blaise explained. Sirius stopped and he frowned though not in confusion. He looked as if he were concentrating very hard on something._

"_My daughter?"_

"_Well, your goddaughter but you adopted her when she was a baby. A wizard named Grindelwald killed Lily and James Potter. You love her so much. Her name's Bella Potter. Bella Anastasia Potter."_

_Sirius' eyes widened in recognition._

"_Bella…"_

_Blaise nodded, quickly. He struggled to hide his excitement and he quickly contained all emotion. He was finally getting somewhere._

"_Yes, Bella. She's sweet sometimes but battle-hardened. She's older now. It's been a few months. She has a hero complex you know. She came to save you from Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. Then you went through the Veil. She started to scream and cry. Sirius, she needs you. Remember who you are. You have a purpose. Bella needs you now. She's so torn up. You have to see for yourself. Her eyes…she looks haunted. She has seen too much. She has hurt too much. She has lived too much. She's only sixteen but her eyes…wake up and see her," Blaise said. Sirius nodded slowly and he grabbed Blaise's outstretched arms. Blaise squeezed his eyes shut and pulled himself towards Sirius' mindscape. Sirius stood in the middle of it, near the lake. His eyes were glazed over as the memories rushed back to him._

_Blaise watched as the man's eyes cleared and he looked at him in shock._

"_Thank you…" Sirius whispered._

_Blaise nodded as he pulled himself from Sirius' mind._

Bella watched in shock as Sirius' eyelids fluttered. She leaned forward and Maya and Hermione watched from slightly farther away. Sirius' eyes slowly opened as Blaise's eyes came into focus. Sirius' eyes darted around panicked for a moment until they fell back onto Bella's face.

Sirius looked at her in surprise. Her eyes sparkled with tears and she wasn't trying to hide. He looked her over in surprise once again. She looked different and he remembered Blaise's words. He looked her in the eye and saw the slightly haunted look she held though her face was stronger and more defined. She had lost all the baby fat she had previously retained. Her hair was now tamer and was curlier than ever. She looked just as pale as ever and the silver locket he had given her glinted over the golden locket.

"Bella…" he rasped. He winced at the sharp pain he felt in his throat. He gave her a weak grin, expecting her to grin back.

He was not prepared for when she gave a weak sob and threw her arms around him. He looked at her bewildered and he slowly wrapped his arms around her to hug his daughter back. He looked over her shoulder at Hermione and Maya and they were crying too. Bella pulled away, wiping her eyes, embarrassedly and she looked away.

"Maya," Sirius whispered. Maya pulled away from her daughter and she leaned over, stroking his face. Sirius frowned at the cold metal her felt on her finger and she pulled her hand away and brandished the hand in his face. His eyes widened on the ring that he remembered buying her.

"I said yes."

Hermione sobbed again and she threw herself at Sirius' side.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that I couldn't defend myself. It was all my fault!" Hermione professed. Blaise wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her back soothingly. Healer Davidson watched in shock and he left the room to give them privacy. None of the other occupants paid any mind to the two blonds putting of privacy spells.

"It's not your fault…but where am I? How am I still alive?" Sirius asked despite the sharp pain in his throat.

"That would be."

Sirius turned slowly to look at the blond speaker. Sirius was surprised at how unhealthy Draco looked. He was gray and his lips were blue. He was turning paler and paler as the seconds went by and he was walking, shakily. He settled himself in a chair and he took a deep breath.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I went into the Veil after you. I made a bargain with Death's council and brought you back. At the cost of my life," Draco said. He was blunt and his tone, matter-of-fact. But that didn't stop Sirius from reacting. He tried to sit up but he only got a head rush. Bella helped him sit up and Sirius stared in horror as Luna looked down at her lap, guiltily.

"What? You're going to die? Why would you do that…for me?" Sirius asked. Draco gave him a sharp look.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Bella. She has enough shit going for her as it is. And I don't have to stay dead," Draco said, the last sentence under his breath. Sirius frowned in confusion and looked at Bella. Bella wasn't crying anymore. She looked tired.

"What does he mean, Bella?" Sirius whispered. Bella held out her hand.

"Swear on your life and magic that you won't breathe a word of anything I tell you right now to any that isn't in this room. _Especially_, Dumbledore," Bella commanded. Sirius frowned in confusion but he didn't argue. Bella looked incredibly serious. She wasn't kidding this time.

"I swear on my life and magic that I won't speak a word," he said, grasping her hand. There was a faint glow and Bella sighed.

"It started December 26th of 1994. I believe that was the day it all started. Or perhaps it started September 19, 1979. I don't know and it doesn't matter. Because December 26th is the day that I told my siblings about Morgan le Fay and a little Elven girl named Anarya," Bella started. Sirius looked at her in surprise. He seemed surprised that she was starting that far back. That was a while back. About two years. Or maybe more. He wasn't sure what day it was.

"And that was the day I learned of a song. A song that couldn't be sung. A song of the Apocalypse delivered by Four beings. One of War. One of Plague. One of Death. And one…one called the Angel."

Sirius' eyes widened in shock and Maya frowned in confusion. What was Bella talking about? Luna seemed to notice Maya's confusion.

"_Two Coming, Two Passing_

_Four Horsemen Far Surpassing_

_One deceitful of the Dark_

_May fall by the War Sword_

_Plague starts, Plague rides_

_As his brother, Death, arrives_

_Lightening strikes_

_As the Angel falls, into the arms of Serpents_

_Against the Light's calls_

_Ride fast, ride fierce, ride bold_

_Power strong and uncontrolled_

_Followers of Light_

_Fall down in fear_

_Lips are sealed_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_Apocalypse comes, Apocalypse sees_

_The Dark ruling for eternity_

_Eternity_," Luna sang, voluntarily. Maya was struck by the beauty and the power of her song and she shivered at what that all meant. She frowned at Bella and opened her mouth to ask but Bella only held up her hand.

"Let us start with the War Sword. The War Sword…is the ancient symbol of war. Of course. In 1993, Hermione Granger fought against the Creature of Ravenclaw. The Creature of Ravenclaw was…_is_ a sphinx. Hermione Granger fought this creature with a sword. A sword presented to her by magic and inked into her skin. A sword that she was born to wield. So it has been. So will it be. Hermione Granger was also born with a great skill in Blood Magic. For this magic, she exchanged part of her sanity. She was born with ASPD. However, in exchange for her mastery in the illegal Black Art, she paid with her psyche. She was awarded for her dabble in the Blackest Arts. She was awarded psychosis. Her mistakes and transgressions against something so sacred has been her greatest strength. So it has been. So it will be," Bella said, harshly.

Sirius gaped and Maya's mouth fell open and she stared at her daughter as if she had never seen her before. Hermione looked away, unashamed of what she had done when she was only 14 and a third year.

"She is Hermione Granger, Lady of War, Phantom Queen, and Mórrígan," Luna said, softly. Bella nodded and she looked at Blaise. He nodded at her.

"Let us move on to Plague. In 1994, Blaise Zabini succumbed to the lethal power of the bubonic plague. It went into his bloodstream and it was steadily getting worse. He was born with the ability to access anyone's mind despite his or her Occlumency shields. For this gift he paid with his health. There is a Black Art called _Venenum Animi_. It is translated to 'Poison of Mind'. Only exceptional Legilimens can use this Black Art. Unwittingly in his third year, he used this against Tom Riddle. For this skill, he paid with his life. His blood is tainted with plague. He is not dead nor is he alive. He simply is. His blood is lethal and his knowledge of the human mind and body is just as. So it has been. So it will be," Bella continued as if she were only telling a story. Luna tilted her head as Sirius and Maya attempted to process everything that had happened. Everything that they had been severely unaware of.

"He is Blaise Zabini, Lord of Plague, Sun God, and Apollo," Luna almost whispered. Bella nodded in agreement and then she looked towards Draco. She seemed to be saving her story until last. Her siblings allowed it. Her story was probably the saddest.

"Plague's brother, Death arrives. In 1996, June 21st, Draco Malfoy crossed the Bridge to save the life of Sirius Black. For years, he had been studying Necromancy. He was a natural at it. He spoke to the dementors, those that were more dead than alive. Draco was different from other Necromancers, however. Instead of a blackened soul, he only had half of a soul. This was unnatural for no one can live without an entire soul. And to compensate, he consumed the souls of other living things. When he emerged from the Bridge with the body of Sirius Black, he had given up his life for his little sister, Ana or as some called her, Bella. Or perhaps another name given to her by the Dark Seer. But only one name matter to her…but that's another story. Draco Malfoy was dying and he still is. Perhaps there is a way to save him. Only one perhaps knows. So it has been. So it will be."

"He is Draco Malfoy, Son of the Claimer, Death's Personification, and Thanatos."

Bella paused and she looked at her godfather. He opened his mouth to speak and closed it. He looked away, frowning in confusion. Maya seemed to understand what he wanted to say.

"What about…what about you?" Maya whispered. Bella's face turned into a grimace and she looked at her back.

"Ah…and then there was the Angel. The Angel can't recall when she was first called this name. But, it was a long time ago. A very long time ago. On 1981, Samhain night, Bella Potter, the Angel, became the master of a wand. A powerful wand. The Elder Wand. In 1991, on July 31st, her birthday, she met a man. A man that was both beautiful and intelligent. At first, she didn't like him very much. In the coming years, she came to appreciate him and eventually, she fancied him. He was a mysterious and despite the fact that she knew nothing about him, she cared about him. On Yule Night, 1994, he kissed her. She was confused. She didn't know why but she was confused. She didn't understand her own feelings, so she ignored them. And thus began, a 'relationship'. It was unhealthy and twisted because this man was hiding something," Bella said, softly. Her voice broke at the end and Sirius watched in shock as she grabbed the arms of her chair and shook with suppressed sobs. She gulped down air and cleared her throat.

"In June 1994, Bella Potter went through the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. It was a maze. She reached the middle and was transported to a-a…cemetery. The same cemetery that her parents were buried in. That night she met Lord Voldemort. His face was on of a monster. Snake-like and she feared his face. But his dark red eyes were…in his eyes, all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes…" Bella said, her voice becoming gentle. Sirius looked at her in surprise as she looked sad about a man like _Voldemort_. She shook her head.

"Voldemort…Voldemort was different. He wasn't what Bella expected. This confused her. She didn't dwell on it just then. She had to escape. And she did. No one believed her when she said that Grindelwald had returned. She gave an interview and she was asked about Voldemort. That question revealed the obsession that she had developed with the Dark Lord. Now the man that she cared for understood her fears and pain and he told her that it was okay to be uncertain. It was okay not to make a choice about who she wanted to be. It was okay to be scared because that made her human. But, Bella Potter also had dreams. Dreams of a dark future that she never understood. The dreams scared her.

"She wanted a choice in her future and so she asked her friend Luna to seal away the dreams of the woman asking for her help. A woman that looked just like her. The barrier held…until June 21st, 1996. That night, it shattered and Luna and Blaise Zabini had to clean the shards. They opened two doors in her mindscape, allowing Bella Potter to emerge and a woman that looked just like her. That woman's name was Nikolai. Nikolai _was_ Bella Potter in a future that Bella didn't truly want. Nikolai offered her hand and asked for help once more. And just as Bella was about to give in, she had a vision. A vision of her dear Uncle Sirius being tortured. She ran to the Department of Mysteries with her brothers, sister, and friends. Grindelwald was present though she did not duel him directly.

"That night, Bella fought Lord Voldemort instead. Bella had met him before. But, not in a graveyard. Bella thought there was something strange about Voldemort. He held his wand, lazily. And then he spoke words that Bella had heard before. _I do not lie. I may manipulate and twist the truth until it's almost unrecognizable but I do not lie_, he said. Bella had heard those words before."

Bella said this unemotionally. Sirius frowned at her in confusion. Bella smiled and turned to Luna who was holding a bag. Luna pulled out a sheet of paper, an inkwell, and a quill. Bella took it gratefully and she leaned the parchment on her lap as she dipped the quill into the ink. She carefully wrote Riddle's name. Sirius watched as she began to rearrange the letters.

_Tom Marvolo Riddle._

_I_

_Am._

_Lord._

_Voldemort._

Sirius stared in horror and Bella gave a sad smile.

"W-what? He's…Voldemort? But…he's part of the Order," Sirius whispered in horror. Bella looked away from him.

"Bella was betrayed by what she had finally figured out that night. She made her choice then and escaped into her mind. She grabbed Nikolai's hand and became one with her. And because of this, she gained the Elder Wand. She was seemingly worthy of its power. Bella dueled him with power and determination and Voldemort countered, accordingly though never fighting to kill. Bella used a horrible spell that night. The Killing Curse. She threw the Killing Curse at him and killed a man. This did not faze her.

"Perhaps it would have if she were Light. She wasn't. She had been innately Dark. Her nature was Dark and would forever be. Bella had killed a man in her fourth year. A Death Eater and she would never be regretful. She was tainted. But, I digress. Bella's story is only halfway finished. The Order had arrived and Dumbledore was dueling Grindelwald. Bella was in the middle of dueling when Bellatrix Lestrange shot Sirius Black through the Veil. Bella Potter was too upset, too frantic to realize that Voldemort was angry. He was angry with Bellatrix for harming Bella's guardian and to an extent, Bella. He chased Bellatrix from the room, Grindelwald and the Death Eaters that hadn't been killed following after them."

"Why was he angry? He's evil," Sirius pointed out. Maya hushed him, anxious to hear the rest.

"Draco Malfoy went through the Veil as you know to fetch Sirius. As soon as Bella realized that they were both safe, she ran after Voldemort. Dumbledore assumed that they had left but Bella knew that Voldemort wouldn't leave things unsaid. That wasn't his way. And so Bella went after him to the Atrium. Alone. Bella was angry with Bellatrix and so when she saw the woman, she used the Cruciatus. It worked. She demanded to talk to Voldemort. Before they could begin, Gideon Weasley came to check on Bella.

"Bella was in the middle of her confrontation with Voldemort and so she begged for the man to leave Gideon alone. Gideon returned to tell Maya Granger that Bella was okay but Sirius Black was not. Bella turned to Voldemort and screamed and screamed and screamed. She screamed that she hated him. And in that one moment she did. She doesn't now. Bella was so angry that she used the ultimate Black Art. The _Kveykva_. _Kveykva_ is a lightning spell that utilizes the electric charge of the caster's nervous system. It was first created by an Elf. That is why it is also called the Cursed Lightening of the Elves. But, once more, I digress. Voldemort used his own lightening spell but Voldemort's was powerful. Bella didn't feel enough anger and hatred towards him to truly use it. And so he jerked back his wand, breaking the spells. Bella couldn't control the spell.

Bella sighed and shook her head as she recounted the tale that was making Sirius get angrier and angrier. Maya was becoming more and more confused.

"It shot towards the golden fountain, making it explode. Voldemort pushed her to the ground and shielded her from the shrapnel. Then, the Atrium was flooded with people and Voldemort grabbed her, pointing his wand to her head. He was attempting to escape. And he did. And oh Bella was angry. Bella hated him. She truly did. That night, it was revealed that there had been _another_ prophecy hidden from her and about her that seemed to go against everything that the first one said. She was destined to destroy the Dark wizard, Grindelwald. Bella was angry and sad and mad all at the same time. So, she screamed at Albus Dumbledore, the wizard who had hidden the other prophecy from her. She screamed that she didn't want to be human. It was too hard. It hurt too much. She was used to ignoring her feelings but now…" Bella said, softly. She brushed a curly lock back and she sighed. She tapped the parchment on her lap and her fingers brushed across Tom's name and then his alter-ego's name, tenderly. Sirius noticed and he frowned.

"The next day, in front of all of the Great Hall and teachers, she walked up to the man she had cared for. She told him…she told him that she despised him. She told him that she hated him with her body, mind, and soul. Bella told him that she hated him more than she hated life itself. He didn't looked as if he cared. Bella knows now that he did. She knows now that he was hurt. Unbelievably so. He was hurting just as much as Bella was hurting. But, he acted as if he didn't care and so Bella didn't know at the time. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. She had been petty and immature though still very hurt angry. And she said that it was part of being human. Hating him reminded her t hat she was human. She said that if there was anything that she learned from him that she valued most, it was the lesson of being human even when he…he…he was less than," Bella moaned in self-loathing. Sirius looked at her in confusion and tears fell form her eyes and she shook her head. She leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"The last day of term, Bella had a conversation with Luna. It was short. But, Luna had said the words that would make Bella feel the way she does today. Bella apologized for many things that day. For being too much of a coward that Luna had to cry for her. She was too ashamed and too proud to cry for herself. She was sorry for being a fool and for putting too much trust into one person. Instead of accepting Bella's apology or turning it away, Luna looked proud. So very proud. And she said that Bella was wise beyond her years though Bella felt less than. She told Bella that she was nearly there. She said that Bella was loved. So loved. And she told Bella not to think that she wasn't good enough because of what had happened. She said that she _was_ good enough. She said that sometimes Bella needed to be reminded of that because until then, Bella had hated herself. That's a part of the story that I'll share with you. But, later. I digress _again_. She then said that you needed to be reminded of the people that love you. And then she said the most profound thing that will always stay in my heart because it is truth and I believe in it so much."

"What? What did Luna say?" Sirius asked, curiously. Luna was smiling, proudly again and Bella's lips curled into a smile though she was still silently crying.

"Sometimes, monsters need love too. Bella didn't understand then. She didn't want to either. So, Bella ignored that. She stayed angry with Tom Marvolo Riddle for a long time. She believed that he didn't understand when eh understood better than anyone. Tom Riddle was an orphan. An orphan who experienced pain and rage just as much as she had. And then Bella felt tired. She was tired of being angry at him. It was too much work. She realized that she had been a fool once again. What was Tom Riddle's side of the story? Why was he the way he was? Who was he, anyway? Had she ever known him? So, she made it her duty _to_ know him. She made it her duty to be his friend. That night, Bella asked him a question. 'Did you love me?' she asked. And he told her no. She wasn't hurt that night. She didn't care.

"Life continued and Bella became closer with Tom. He spoke of his childhood and they went to London to speak about it without prying eyes. That's not my story to share and I never intend to share it. And then came Samhain Night. Professor Slughorn was the Potions professor now and Snape was the Assistant DADA teacher. Bella was invited to a party hosted by Gwenog Jones with her siblings and friends. She went dressed like Christine Daae from Phantom of the Opera. She was dating a Hufflepuff named Ernie Macmillan. That night, the Phantom came for her. A man dressed like the Phantom. He was familiar and Bella instantly recognized him. It was Tom Riddle. She followed him and he revealed that Macmillan was using an attraction charm to make her like him. This angered her and she attempted to go after him. He stopped her and put her under a thrall. 'Come to me, little Anya. Come with me, little Anya.' The words were powerful and she followed him slowly. 'Come to me, beautiful Nikolai.' She followed him to Hogwarts and he took her to a secret place.

"There he told her. He shared every secret that he had. Bella know knew who he was in whole and she realized that Tom Riddle trusted her with these dangerous secrets. And so Bella trusted him back. Bella trusted him with her entire being and together, they did the Samhain Ritual. They were close than ever after this. Friendship mixed with lust and Bella was again confused. What was she to do now? And so one day she had another conversation with Luna. Luna asked her how she felt about Tom Riddle. Bella said that he was her best friend. Luna asked 'Did you love him?' Bella could only think to respond with 'Did he love me?' And one day, the lust transformed into need and Bella begged for him. She didn't want to feel the pain and the hurt anymore and she manipulated him. She asked again 'Did you love me?' He answered once again with a no. And this hurt Bella more. And the Blaise Zabini's birthday came and she discovered her brother's coming death. That day, she put aside her fears and played the piano once more. Instead of feeling hard pressed to play right, she prayed freely. It was her outlet, the piano. She no longer felt Seth Jones' prescence at her back. In that one moment, she didn't hear Seth screaming for perfection. She didn't imagine being struck when she _couldn't_ give perfection. She just was."

Sirius stared at her in horror and her siblings' expressions were rather similar. They all looked at her in shock and Blaise stared in disbelief. Bella sighed and looked out the window once more. She tapped her fingers on her knee as if she were thinking deeply about something.

"He hit you? He used to hit you?" Sirius demanded. Bella nodded once.

"If you played a few notes wrong?" Maya hissed in rage. She knew that he was dead but that didn't stop the fact that she was angry. So very angry and if Voldemort had given her the chance to help with his death, she would have gladly accompanied him and would have taken part in the torture.

"Not a few notes. _A_ note. That is why I strive for perfection in everything. But, when I can't _be_ perfection, I hate it. I hate myself. Now, one day, Bella was writing her music. Yes, she wrote music and there was a particular song that she had been working diligently on for months. This particular song was special to her and she would play it for Tom Riddle. She had written it for him. She had written many songs for many different people. A lullaby for her siblings. A jaunty tune for her Uncle Sirius. A ballad for her Aunt Maya. An aria for her Luna. And individual songs for each sibling. But, this particular song did not only have a connection to Tom Riddle. It _was_ Tom Riddle in musical form. In her mind, it was a theme song. Tom Riddle was a curious man who was not used to being denied. Especially by Bella Potter. He took her music and looked at it. This angered her but what angered her more was what she was feeling besides that anger. And so she ignored him, hoping to take away that feeling.

"Tom Riddle did not take well to this idea and to get me attention, he asked the Indian Minister if he could give the Dark Mark to Lalita Singh. Lalita Singh was one of Bella's friends and this angered her. Lalita did not want to be a Death Eater and so Luna, Draco, Blaise, Hermione, Lalita, Lalita's fiancé, Theodore Nott, Linda Moon, Lalita's best friend, and Bella Potter went to India. And they had words. There was anger and on December 23rd, 1996, Bella asked, tiredly 'Did you love me?' Tom Riddle was confused by the question that had been asked many times over and he answered with a no. Bella then asked 'Lie to me?' She found that she desperately wanted to hear the words come from him. She asked him to at least tell her that he cared. He told her that he did and that it wasn't a lie."

Bella's siblings frowned at the direction the story was going. Bella had never told them. She had kept this part of the story intensely private. They hadn't even known that Bella had confronted Tom about that.

"Bella wanted to know why. Why her? Why did he choose her? Why did he break _her_? Tom Riddle pointed out that she was already broken. Blaise Zabini had once told her Bella wasn't his sister. He said his Bella was loving but broken. A broken doll. A fallen Angel. She was kind but strong and compassionate but she didn't take shit from anyone. But she said that wasn't true. She took shit from Tom and at first she didn't know why. And then she did. And all she wants do is hate, hate, hate, _hate_ him but she can't. She tries and tries and tries but she can't. And that was because…because she loved Tom Riddle. She loved him. She _loves_ him with everything that she is and she can't stop," Bella said.

Hermione moaned and Bella made a sound in anguish. Sirius sat up though it hurt and Bella made another moan. She shook her head as her shoulders shook. Sirius couldn't even say anything. He was too struck by the pain that Bella was in.

"And he asked 'you dare?' Bella didn't understand. He told her that she had no right to say the she loved him. He told her that she didn't have the right because she screamed that she wanted him to die. And he said that Bella knew that he'd never hurt her that way. And then he said 'So run from me and senselessly hate me, if it feels good. And when you want me back, I'll hear your screams'. And then Bella knew. He wouldn't…_couldn't_ love her back like she loved him and she told him that he wouldn't come back because that's not who he is. She drew her attention away from the conversation and hid her love. Bella played Tom Riddle's theme for him on Yule night and she was happy for a short moment. Bella returned to Hogwarts and began to date Gideon Weasley. And she was happy again. As happy as she could be in that hell. Yes…Hogwarts was hell for her. And then one night, she…I…

Bella was now speaking in first person rather than third person. She couldn't fully detach herself from the story anymore and she was shaking. She stood up, the quill and parchment falling to the floor and she walked towards the window. She knew it wasn't a real window but it served as a distraction.

"I played Tom's song and I…I messed up. The need for perfection was…_is_ rooted deep in me.I began to cry. The voices were in my head. Telling me that I'm not…wasn't good enough. Tom took offense though I was dating Gideon. And so one night, during dinner, I got a package. It had come from the Dark Lord and inside was a hand mirror. A beautiful thing that looked a bit like the mirror I had gotten from her Uncle Sirius and Aunt Maya. However, the mirror held a horrific memory. The memory of Seth Jones being…tortured and murdered. I was horrified. Despite being Dark the scene went against morals I wasn't aware that I held. The mirror delivered the head of Seth Jones to me and I was disgusted. I ran with Gideon and I attempted to escape the world. To escape the love I still felt for this monstrous man.

"I continued on with Gideon. I didn't love him and I still don't but I cared for him despite the fact that he supposedly loved me. I know this was selfish of me. Unfair of me but all I wanted was to be loved. To be loved by the person who knows me better than I know myself. To compensate, I stayed with the boy who loved Bella Potter. Not Nikolai. Not Anya. Not Anastasia. But Bella Potter. I decided to visit my parents' grave. I had memories to put to rest beside them and it had been a long time since I had visited the place on my own terms. I invited Gideon to accompany me but I left without him. I left early and when I entered the cemetery, I felt _her_ prescence by her side. The prescence of my late mother. It wasn't the first or second or even third time that I had spoken to my mum. But, we walked together, speaking of how much I regret the disconnection that had formed between you and I. I was tired. I was tired of everything being so hard. I wanted to know why it wasn't easy. Mum told me that life wasn't easy. She knew why I was there even though I hadn't quite figured it out myself," Bella continued, sighing. She ran a hand through her thick dark hair and she crossed back to her seat before sitting down.

Sirius was struck silent by the entire sad tale that he had been part of but had no idea that it was going on. He felt like had failed her again, letting her go through this all on her own. Sirius looked to Maya and she looked exactly as he felt. It was disconcerting to feel this way and know that what he was feeling was correct on all accounts.

He had failed as a parent.

"Gideon is good for the old me. The immature, caught between little girl. That's not me anymore. I've made my choice. I hadn't then but I have now. I acknowledge that I was immature and selfish but I couldn't be that anymore. It wasn't only hurting me but it was hurting the people around me. I had been clinging to something that I wasn't anymore and that wasn't working. And so I asked Mum to help me put it to rest. She said that she couldn't but someone else could. I believe now that Tom conspired with my mother. He had promised her something and I still don't know what. He spoke to me and in the middle, Gideon came to my 'rescue'. Tom looked like Voldemort to everyone but me. He attempted to use the thrall on me but I threw it off. Gideon called to me but I wanted to go to Voldemort. And then, the Order came. I was angry. Then, Tom grabbed me. He told me that he wants me for me but that's not the same as love is it. I knew that. So I told him I couldn't do that to Gideon. I asked for time. And then he said 'So be it. Now, let it be war upon you both.'

"I damned the Order. I cursed them. I damned Gideon. I was angry. I had chosen to be unselfish and now, I had dragged him farther into madness. I could see into his eyes. Everything I did and tried to do was wrong. I was always wrong. And so, I escaped. I took off to the secret place where and Tom and I had been on Samhain night. I returned to Grimmauld Place and Kingsley met me there. Apparently, Voldemort was attacking Liverpool. I begged to come and he allowed me. In Liverpool, I fought Tom…no, Voldemort. Voldemort is….something else. His sanity is questionable. That was obvious when he began to try to mutilate me. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he was trying to make me ugly too. I told him that he wasn't ugly. Stranger than you dreamt it, he said."

Bella stood up, her eyes looking at the ceiling. She shook her head, holding the locket in her hands. She was holding it so tight that Sirius was surprised that she hadn't yet drawn blood.

"It was and I cried because of the cruel way he saw himself. It wasn't right…something was wrong. He was breaking. His mind was shattering just as Luna had once prophesied to me. I wiped my tears, tired of crying and sat at the Order meeting. Tonks proposed that I distract Voldemort so that they could kill him. There were shouts and scream and I shouted back, silencing everyone. I told Dumbledore that I was scared. Frightened. I asked them not to put me through it. I made up bullshit of course to hide my true reasons but then I spoke of the dark world that Tom had told me about. The world that I lusted for. Hestia Jones said I was mad. I knew I couldn't refuse but I wanted to. And then Tom came. And he told me not to refuse. He told me to fight him. I said I couldn't…not against him. But, he forced me to continue. And then Dumbledore said 'Bella…Bella don't think that I don't care. But every hope and every hope rests on you now.' Those words haunt me even a month after. And here I am on March 31st, 1997, in love with the Dark Lord and a Horseman of the Apocalypse. I've done terrible things and I'm proud of them. I'm proud of who I am and I'm sorry but I'm as Dark as can be. So it has been. So it will be. For eternity," Bella concluded. She looked away from Sirius as he stared at her in disbelief. Even her siblings had slight looks of shock. She had purposely hidden many things from them. Things that actually weren't entirely all of their business.

"She is Bella Potter, Lady of Victory and Conquest, Nike, the Angel, and Nikolai," Luna said, decidedly. Bella nodded, solemnly and looked at her parents.

"Bella…oh, Bella, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you in the past few months. I'm sorry that I was so preoccupied with being here when I couldn't even do anything for Sirius. I'm sorry that I let you go through this on your own. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Bella," Maya apologized, crying softly. Sirius sat with a frown on his face and he didn't automatically apologize. He was concentrating on something.

"You're…Dark. Innately Dark. You've killed without mercy. You've used the Black Arts, knowingly and welcomingly. You've lied to me and others over and over again. You side with the Dark Lord in a duel. You've been selfish and you've hurt people," Sirius said, matter-of-factly. His tone was not judging but only stating fact. Bella looked down and nodded, slowly. She winced as she waited for the raging and temper tantrum to start.

"I…I've never been more proud of you than I am in this moment."

Everyone, including a weak Draco, looked at Sirius in shock. Sirius was looking up at Bella, unsmiling though his eyes shined with pride.

"W-what?" Bella stammered, confusedly. Sirius leaned back in his bed.

"You…you have gone through so much. You have fought for the right to live and you stand by your beliefs even when you know I hate the Dark and everything they stand for. I'm…proud of you because you have admitted your wrongdoings. I'm proud of you. So very proud. I don't approve of anything you've done but I'm proud that you've admitted them to even if you don't think what you've done is wrong," Sirius explained. He sighed and shook his head, looking angrier with himself than anything.

"I suppose it's my fault that you're like this. I mean I—"

"It's not your fault," a soft voice said. Everyone looked to Maya and her eyes were wide. She looked at Luna and Luna nodded, smiling.

"They…meaning Hermione, Blaise, Draco, and Bella are who they are because of me. Not because of you. Hermione is the way she is because of me. Blaise is the way he is because of Francesca. Draco is the way he is because of Narcissa. Bella is the way she is because of Lily. Being what they are has nothing to do with them. It's the mothers. It's _my _fault and…it's _not_ a fault. It's who they are and I still love Hermione despite me knowing that she's the bloodthirsty Lady of War or whatever," Maya said, firmly. Hermione's eyes lit up and she flung her arms around her mother. Maya held her tight and there was suddenly a very wet cough that sounded painful and heartbreaking.

Everyone turned to look at Draco. He was looking at his hand in disgust. A globule of blood sat in his hand and Draco weakly stood and he looked at Luna. The young woman looked horrified and she shook her head. Draco gave a slight smile and he walked ever so slowly towards Luna. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Sirius noticed that this was out of character for a Malfoy. Draco pressed a sharp kiss to Luna's lips before he pulled away and hugged Bella, tightly. He then clapped Blaise on the back and he pressed a kiss to Hermione's forehead.

"What's…what's wrong? What's going on?" Sirius asked, softly. Draco gave a slight smile.

"You're awake."

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked. Draco sighed.

"They finished their half of the agreement. It's my turn now. Princess, I love you. Blaise, I love you. Mudblood, I love you. Luna, I'm _in_ love with you. Hermione…do me a favor," Draco rasped. Hermione stared in horror and she nodded, signifying that she'd do anything.

"Anything, Drake."

"Get…get my parents. Tell them that it's urgent. And tell them to bring Augustus. Blaise…Blaise, could you…could you get a Healer in here?" Draco rasped. His knees buckled and Bella darted forward, holding his long body up. Bella looked in horror and she muttered under her breath.

"No, no, no, no…Draco, please don't do this to me," she whispered. Draco smiled.

"Don't be such a bitch. This isn't all about you. I'm the one dying, missy," Draco said as Hermione and Blaise darted out of the room to fulfill their orders. Maya helped Sirius out of the bed and into a chair. Bella quickly took off Draco's shirt and he fell face forward onto the bed.

The door was thrown open and Hermione stood in the doorway with Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. Augustus was floating behind them. He swooped in over the head of Blaise and Healer Davidson who had just arrived as well. Lucius stared.

This was Lovegood's portrait. The portrait of his son. He could see the intricate black tattoo on his back.

"You bastard," Bella whispered, angrily. Draco looked up, confused. She was glaring down at him in pain. He smiled up at her and he coughed again. His skin was quickly turning gray and his lips were completely blue.

"What?" Draco rasped, painfully. Bella glared at him.

"I didn't get to play the song I composed for you."

"Play it for me…once. Do you have your piano?" Draco asked. Bella nodded, slowly. She always kept it with her. That, _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_ and her folder. They were her prized possessions besides her charm bracelets and the gifts from Tom.

"Play it now?" Bella asked. Draco nodded once. He looked to his parents as Bella got set up with her piano and music. Narcissa rushed to his side and pushed him onto his back just after she got a good look at his tattoo.

"What possessed you to get a tattoo? And an earring. My poor baby…we'll talk about this after you get better," Narcissa said. Draco gave a weak smile and he looked to his father. His father looked frozen but his eyes spoke for themselves. He was terrified of what was happening to his son.

"I'm…I'm not going to get better, Mother."

Narcissa froze and she looked around for confirmation. Healer Davidson was waving his wand over him, checking his vitals. Blaise was flipping through a book, looking for an answer to the problem. Sirius was too weak and tired to even move and Maya was struck into silence at seeing her 'sister'. Luna was sitting in the corner and Hermione was throwing out suggestions to Blaise that the golden-eyes man kept vetoing.

"What?" Narcissa rasped.

"I-I…I traded my life…f-for Sirius'."

"WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

The roar came from Lucius. Everyone jumped and Bella looked at Lucius in shock. His face was flushed and his eyes wild. He glared, accusingly at Sirius but Sirius could barely do anything.

"Shh. F-Father…it…it wasn't his fault. I…I did it for Nikolai. F-for Bella's happiness. I-I d-don't regret it…"

Narcissa shook her head, denying everything that her son said to be true and she looked to the Healer.

"He's mistaken…it's not true, right? He's not dying, correct? My son…my baby is _not_ dying, is he?" Narcissa asked, hysterically. Healer Davidson looked grim and he looked down at Draco's pale face and he sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

Narcissa made a hiccupping sound and she didn't wail. She looked as if she was using all of her Black training to hold back her tears. She shook her head and Maya stood and let the woman sit in her seat. Lucius stood by his son's bed and pushed his hair back.

"Why? Why didn't you tell us?" Lucius demanded. Draco sighed.

"I-it w-wo-wouldn't have made a difference. It…it doesn't m-m-matter now," Draco rasped. He turned to look at Luna, slowly and she walked towards his side before sitting down on the bed.

"I…I can't See you. You're really going to die," Luna said, her voice dreamy but different from before. It was as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing and saying. It was as if this was a nightmare that would just stop as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Y-you already knew…that. L-Luna, I love you. T-tell…Charlie that i-it w-wo-would n-never h-have w-wo-worked out between us. Do that for me, love. T-tell t-that ba-bastard t-to treat my sister right or I'll come back t-to ha-haunt him. You got me?" Draco whispered. Luna nodded, slowly and she turned to Bella as Bella sat at the piano she had enlarged in the room. Healer Davidson swallowed.

"I'll…I'll allow you your goodbyes."

He left the room, slowly and he closed the door on the makeshift family. Draco looked at Bella and nodded and at her.

"You…you play."

Bella nodded before leaning over the piano and pressing on the keys, delicately. She played quietly and with a silent plea that was echoed by everyone in the room. Narcissa watched as the young woman played the piano with a skill and prowess that she had never quite seen before. Narcissa looked to Draco and he was staring at Bella was a smile on his face. Luna held his hand tightly and she looked at him with a grieving expression. Bella's eyes were closed as her fingers danced gracefully across the keys.

Narcissa felt the tears slip down her porcelain cheek as she watched her son smile, weakly. He sat up, slowly and he slipped every few seconds. Luna looked at him in surprise and Draco wrapped his arms around her, pull her close to him, lightly.

"I love you," Draco whispered. Luna shook though she didn't cry.

"I love you too."

Draco smiled weakly and he kissed her forehead. Luna pulled away and she sighed.

"_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_," Luna sang, softly. Narcissa watched as Bella's head shot up and she looked over her shoulder at Luna without stopping the music. Narcissa knew that the girl had written the song and Narcissa supposed that those were the lyrics.

Bella slammed her fingers down, powerfully and Narcissa see the salty tears falling onto the keys. She finished, softly and she stood, abruptly. The beautiful song was truly a song for Draco and Narcissa wondered if the girl would play the song at…at…the…fu-funer…funeral. Bella walked almost zombie-like towards Draco and Luna stood, backing away. Hermione sat down on Draco's bed and grabbed one of his hands. He squeezed, weakly. Bella only stared down at him with unfathomable eyes. He weakly raised a hand to her and she grabbed his hand. Blaise took Bella and Hermione's hands.

"You…y-you three…do w-what L-Luna t-te-tells you…ugh," Draco whispered. He coughed again and blood slipped from the corner of his mouth. Draco looked into Hermione's dark eyes. There was something in them that was different. As she watched him die, something inside her was breaking. It was different from Bella's broken state. Bella's eyes had lost the childish gleam and bright smile. Hermione's eyes had an unnatural gleam to them.

"Of course. We promise we'll listen to her," Blaise whispered. Draco nodded and coughed.

"And r-remember…m-mo-mourning period is a-a-a y-year. So u-unless I m-m-mi-miraculously come back alive y-y-you are t-to m-mourn. N-no e-exceptions. L-l-look after A-Augustus and H-Hades. B-Blaise, d-d-despite your l-lethal b-bl-blood, you're s-smart enough to be a H-Healer. Be that Healer. H-Hermione g-gi-give them hell o-o-on the b-battle f-field. Be whatever you want to be. W-whether t-that's Headmistress of H-Hogwarts or otherwise. D-destroy y-your enemies, my Mudblood sister. A-and B-Bella…be who y-you a-are n-n-_n_ot w-who y-you're expected to be," Draco commanded. Bella nodded, tears falling from her eyes and she looked down at her lap before a weak hand wiped the tears from her cheeks. She looked at Draco in surprise.

"Don't cry over me. I…I did this for you. N-now do something for me."

"Anything," Bella said, solemnly.

Draco took one more shuddering breath and his eyes slowly closed as he struggled to say the word.

"Live," he breathed.

Then he was still.

The world grew cold.

:::

**A/N: **So, Draco died. I'm actually really upset by this but it had to be done to further the story. The next chapter will be pretty difficult for me to write but I could really care less at this point. Sixth year is quickly coming to a close and I should be finished with this story by 95 chapters, possibility. I'm really sad. Ah…we'll see the reactions of everyone else next chapter.

Next Chapter: Announcements, the Bridge, Charlie, Despair, Elven, and Funerals


	81. Chapter LXXV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So, this chapter is the funeral chapter with a little surprise at the end. The next chapter is the battle. I'm _really, really, __**really**_ excited for that. Then, after an aftermath chapter and an important interlude that won't feature Bella but _will_ feature one of the Horsemen, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Amelia Bones. Yeah, try to make something out of that.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 6****th**** of April 1997**

**8:00 PM**

"Oh God…"

Christine Jackson looked up, abruptly at where Ginny was staring. Ginny was so pale that her freckles stood out against her skin and the room fell silent as everyone stared at the doorway. They were staring at the three young women and one young man standing in the doorway. Christine frowned.

Luna…Luna's hair was pulled into a tight bun, not a wavy hair out of place. A black ribbon was around her neck, tied intricately with a white rose next to a black rose. A black feather was in her hair and that's where Gideon's eyes were trained. She wore a high collar black dress that swept her feet and the dress had long bell sleeves. She walked with her eyes to the ground and people murmured around her as she walked with Bella.

Bella also wore a black ribbon around her neck and a dark crimson rose tied to her neck along with the golden locket she had had for as long as Christine could remember. She wore the same black velvet dress that Christine had glimpsed her in only a few weeks back. Her own hair was pulled back with a veil over it. Hermione had the same choker and she wore a black dress with larger and longer bell sleeves than Luna. Her dress dragged and was accented by gold and a crimson sash around her waist. Her bushy hair was pulled back into a tame and simple plait. Zabini's arm was around her shoulders and he wore a black collared shirt and slacks himself.

"What…what's wrong?" Christine whispered. Ginny swallowed.

"They're…they're _mourning_. Someone died."

Christine's eyes widened and she scanned the room. Bella's friends looked at her in shock and Daphne Greengrass looked panicked next to Neville. She seemed to be scanning the room for someone but couldn't find them.

"Where's Malfoy?" Michael Brown suddenly murmured. Gideon gasped and looked at the foursome as they settled down, separated from their friends. Bella's head was bowed and her arm was around Luna's shoulders. Luna leaned on Bella, not saying a word.

"Luna's wearing a black feather. We all knew she liked Malfoy…" Gideon whispered. Christine frowned. As a Muggleborn, she had no idea whatsoever on what was going on or why they were dressed like they were attending a funeral other than the possibility that Malfoy was dead.

Christine opened her mouth to ask when the murmurs and rumors ceased. Dumbledore had stood and everyone looked at him for confirmation.

"There is much I'd like to say to you tonight but first I must acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting there," Dumbledore said, gesturing towards the Gryffindor table. Everyone frowned, automatically assuming the person who had died was a Gryffindor.

"Draco Malfoy was a talented young—"

"Shut up, you old fool."

Everyone stopped and Christine looked up in surprise. Bella was staring at Professor Riddle in shock. His expression was bleak and he seemed upset as well. He was dressed in black but he was _always_ dressed in black anyway. Dumbledore looked at him with slight annoyance and a lot of surprise.

"Tom?" Dumbledore asked. Riddle stood.

"You didn't know him and don't pretend you did. You found him a pain in the arse and I don't believe you're fit to say _anything_ about one of _my_ prodigies. Thus, I'll speak for him. You may sit down," Riddle said, dismissively. There was a steel edge to his voice that made Christine pray that Dumbledore sit down for his own safety. Riddle wasn't to be trifled at that point. Dumbledore sat, promptly and Riddle looked out to the students as a whole.

"Last week on March 31st, Draco Malfoy died from a terminal illness."

He stopped there and let the information soak in. Christine only stared in shock. She had seen that he was sick, as it was quite obvious that he was ill, but she had no idea that he would _die_. She looked to his siblings and perhaps girlfriend. They seemed to have known from their expressions. Luna stared down at the empty crystal goblet in front of her.

"Draco Malfoy was sixteen years old. He was self-centered, pretentious, and a right pain in the arse. But, he also was very protective of his friends and siblings, cunning, and intelligent. At sixteen years old, he went into the Department of Mysteries and participated in a battle that more than half of you would have run from. He traded his life for the life of another. Draco traded his life for the life of someone his little sister loved so that _she_ could be happy. Draco was a powerful young wizard who had more potential than all the seventh years combined," Riddle said, sharply.

No one took offense at his words. Riddle took a deep breath and looked at Bella with unfathomable eyes.

"Draco will be remembered not as a 'slimy' Slytherin by those too prejudiced to see him for him but as a courageous young man who loved his sister more than himself," Riddle concluded. He tapped his goblet with his wand and Christine looked to her goblet to find that there was some kind of red liquid inside that slightly resembled blood. Riddle lifted his goblet.

"Let us all raise our goblets to remember the man named Draco Malfoy."

Christine was moved by the abridged story and she could see that many people were too. Draco had never been explicitly mean to people besides Gryffindors and even the 'thick-headed' Gryffindors saw how hurt Bella, Luna, and Hermione were. Zabini looked like he was emotionless but Christine could see that he was grieving just by the way he moved.

"Draco Malfoy," the room rumbled.

Luna's soprano voice rang among them, higher and sadder than most. Bella's alto-ish voice mixed completely, as if they were harmonizing. Hermione only rasped the name and she shuddered before she reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a potion bottle.

Christine leaned over as she sat near to them.

"My condolences."

They looked up and Bella gave a weak smile. She looked like she was the only capable of doing so in the group. Christine had never seen Luna more grim-faced than in that one moment.

"Thank you, Christine. Hermione…why are you taking that one? That…that one's for your psychosis," Bella reminded her, softly. Hermione nodded. Her eyes were trained on the empty spot next to Luna, intently and a sad and slightly deranged smile was on her face.

"Draco's…Draco's sitting there. Next to Luna. But…but he's dead…" Hermione whispered, softly. Blaise's eyes widened, infinitesimally. Hermione frowned in confusion and she looked at her potions bottle.

"Take it, love. He's not here," Blaise said, softly. Hermione shook her head and she pointed to the empty spot next to Luna. Christine looked and there was nothing there. Hermione seemed fascinated with the spot.

"Drake's right there. He's not dead. He's _right there_."

Christine watched as Zabini pulled the potions bottle from Hermione's hand and let her stay distracted by the hallucination. He poured the potion into her goblet and he brushed his fingertips across her face.

"Drink some of the wine," Zabini whispered. Christine's eyes widened when she realized that she had just had her first sip of wine. Christine watched intently as Hermione drank more than half of it. She suddenly frowned.

"He's gone…"

"Yes, I know, love."

"Did you just attend the funeral? Is that why you're in black?" Christine asked. Bella looked up and she shook her head.

"Funerals are usually two weeks after the person has died. They use that time to prepare to bury them. Because Draco and Luna…loved each other, Luna's blessing his body herself instead of an official from the Malfoy family. And I…I being his blood sister, closer than actual blood relatives, have to help. We've been wearing black since the day after he died. There's a mourning period of a year for his siblings and father, a mourning period of five years for his mother, and a mourning period of a decade for his beloved. That would be Luna," Bella explained. Christine nodded in understanding and she glanced back. Riddle was standing once again and Dumbledore was in the middle of standing. The old man settled back into his seat.

"What is he doing? Silly man…" Bella said, softly and her voice brimming with affection. Christine frowned but didn't question her. They weren't close and it really wasn't any of Christine's business.

"I request that you do not pester those in mourning for answers and that all males stay a respected distance from Miss Lovegood. As you most of you know the reason, I shall not delve into it. Now, let us begin the feast," Riddle said, calmly. Christine blinked when food appeared in front of her and she watched carefully as Bella, Hermione, and Zabini began to eat. Luna seemed to take a moment and she looked like she was praying for a moment. She was murmuring words that Christine knew not to be English. She leaned over and into Gideon.

"Why do the guys have to stay away from Luna?" Christine asked.

"She's mourning for a decade. The feather in her hair is the sign for that. She'll have to dress something like that for a decade. It's an old wizarding tradition. Very old and we've followed it for a very long time. Doubt it's every gonna change," Gideon explained as he scooped mounds and mounds of mashed potatoes onto his plate. Christine nodded in understanding and she went back to her plate.

"So, are you getting back together with Bella anytime soon?" Michael asked, softly. Gideon stiffened and he looked down at his food before moving it around, nervously, with his fork.

"Erm…she's…iluvwsumne else," Gideon mumbled. Part of his sentence was indecipherable so Christine only had a vague idea of what he said. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"She's…she's in love with someone else. She loves a man who apparently won't ever love her back. She doesn't want to lead me on or something. She says that I don't love her and rot. I don't get it! I mean, I love her. She could _learn_ to love me," Gideon grumbled. Christine gave a sad smile.

"Sweetheart, you can't make someone love you. And don't you pester her about it either. Her brother just died and she doesn't need you on top of everything else," Christine reminded him. Gideon nodded, half-heartedly. He ate, slowly and Christine frowned as she thought about what Gideon said.

A man that wouldn't ever love her back.

Christine looked at Bella, discreetly. It seemed that she had heard Gideon and she looked mortified and stricken at having her moment of weakness revealed to others. She looked over at Gideon.

"Gideon…I'd appreciate if you didn't tell people things that I told you in confidence," Bella said, sharply. Gideon looked at her in surprise before he glared at her in annoyance.

"It's just my friends. They won't be telling people things. Why do you have to hide everything from people anyway? Like the fact that you blatantly loved someone else when I told you I loved you?" Gideon shot back. Bella paled and Zabini and Hermione looked away. Christine found it strange that neither was defending Bella. Hermione looked a little out of it from the potion so perhaps it wasn't that strange. But…Zabini had never defended Bella and got in the middle of her problems. Draco had always had sharp-tongued barbs ready to be used on her behalf.

"I didn't make myself love him, Gideon. I don't _want_ to love him. It's not a conscious decision. I hate him as much as I love him. So, don't you dare try to chastise me. I don't want to love a person that's as twisted as him," Bella said, shrilly. Some of the Gryffindors looked over at her but quickly diverted their eyes. Christine only stared in confusion as Gideon's eyes widened and he paled immediately.

"Voldemort…you love _that_? That _thing_? That _monster_? He…it's…that's _disgusting_. He's ugly!" Gideon whispered, harshly. Bella's face flushed and she stood up, slamming her hand on the table in a rage.

"HE'S NOT UGLY! He's the most beautiful man I've ever met, inside and out, and I'll kill you if you ever say that to my face again! You selfish bastard! Don't talk about him like you know him! _I_ know him! _You_ don't! He's not a thing! He's not a monster! He's not a 'that' and he's _not_ disgusting! Leave him alone!" Bella shrieked, angrily. She paled when she realized what she had shouted to the room and she looked at Gideon's pale face. Bella walked swiftly from the room, her veil falling from the top of her head and hanging to the ground.

Bella grabbed it in her hand before throwing the doors open and disappearing. Christine looked at the teachers. Snape looked confused and Dumbledore looked almost sick and slightly confused. All of the other teachers looked rather confused as well. Only Riddle was smiling, slightly though his brow was furrowed. Christine wondered…

"Continue with dinner as if Miss Potter's outburst never happened. Do not gossip or I shall have your heads. Carry on," Tom commanded as he stood from his seat. He leaned over to speak with Dumbledore, quietly.

"I'll handle Miss Melodrama. I have no idea what she's carrying on about but I believe it has something to do with whatever Mr. Weasley said to her. I'll bring her back," Tom said. Dumbledore nodded once. They weren't to let Miss Potter out of their sight for long. She was considered a flight risk with how 'enamored' she was with Voldemort. Dumbledore was slightly suspicious. It was quite possible that Voldemort had given her a love potion and she had been speaking of him.

"Tom, have you and Miss Potter…consummated your relationship?" Dumbledore asked, suddenly and quietly. None of the other teachers could quite hear what they were speaking about. Tom paled and he stood up straight, his expression severe.

"Though that's a deeply personal question and truly none of your business, no. We're not in a relationship at this point and we haven't been for quite a while. Almost a year," Tom said, coolly. Dumbledore almost colored. He nodded, benignly.

"I'm sorry. I was only curious. As you and she share a…bond, I was simply wondering. As you know, all love potions and charms of that nature have no effect after that has happened. It's possible that she was speaking of Voldemort. He might have slipped her a potion or possibly charmed her in the moments they were alone at the cemetery," Dumbledore explained. Tom nodded once.

"That's a strong possibility," he said, monotone, "I'll fetch her."

Dumbledore nodded and Tom billowed past him. Snape scowled at him for taking his walk and Tom could only smirk. The man was so immature. Suddenly a small, fragile hand grabbed Tom's wrist. Tom froze and looked at Luna. She looked him in the eye and he could see how tired she was. Just by her eyes, it was obvious to see that she was grieving.

"Careful with your words, Tom Marvolo. A prophecy I gave over Yule still stands. She will lose sight of you, Dark Creature," Luna said, solemnly. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Nice to know."

"Do not take my words lightly, Creature!" Luna hissed, angrily. Tom looked at her in surprise and she pulled her hand away from his wrist.

"I'm sorry. But 'Creature'? It's a little offensive, don't you think?"

"What you did to yourself is offensive. The disgusting power rolls off you in waves. Your soul cries out to her and essentially me. It hurts to hear. The frequency is high and no human being has a soul like that. You are 'Creature' for now. You are not whole, Dark One," Luna whispered, softly. Tom shrugged and turned away from her. Luna glared at his back and she watched as he walked away.

He would see.

Just as she did.

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 12****th**** of April 1997**

**10:00 AM**

Christine watched as Charlie Weasley sauntered over to the small group. He was quite attractive though Christine knew he was gay. Gideon and Ginny hugged their brother, softly. They had sent him a letter, asking him to come to Hogsmeade. They knew he wasn't aware of Malfoy's death and so they wanted to tell him in person.

"Hello, my lovely little siblings. And how are you today on this fine day? And where is my delectable little blond?" Charlie asked, grinning. His grin slipped when he saw Gideon and Ginny weren't smiling. Ginny was attempting but Gideon was only staring past Charlie at the small group draped in black once more.

"About that…" Ginny started. Charlie's eyes were on Gideon and he turned to look at the group that his little brother was staring at. Charlie paled immediately and the whirled back around.

"What happened?" Charlie asked, softly. Neither Gideon or Ginny could answer. Charlie's hand shot out and he shook Ginny, sharply. Ginny continued to look at the ground.

"What. Happened?" Charlie hissed.

"Why don't you just ask us to our faces?"

Charlie looked up and let go of Ginny quickly. He looked at Lovegood. A feather was in her bun and a black rose and a white rose were both tied to her neck by a black ribbon. She wore a beautiful black dress and her eyes were grieving. He looked over at the siblings and they were all dressed, relatively the same.

"What happened, then?" Charlie asked, attempting to sound calm.

"Draco…Draco died on the 31st of last month. He was ill…deathly ill. His organs were shutting down and he was dying rather painfully. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you straight away. I've been corresponding with Narcissa…Lady Malfoy, in preparation for the funeral. You'll be invited, of course," Lovegood said, formally. Charlie looked at her in shock and his eyes stung, viciously though he refused to cry. Though honestly, he didn't feel as bad as he knew he should.

"Did…did he say anything about me…before he…you know…died?" Charlie whispered. Lovegood tilted her head.

"He did. But, it's too cruel to repeat what he said."

"No. Tell me."

Lovegood sighed and looked up at him sad eyes.

"Are you quite sure, Weasley?" Lovegood asked. Charlie nodded once and he looked over at Bella and Hermione. Hermione was staring with a blank stare as if something had just greatly surprised her. She leaned over to whisper something to Blaise and she pointed. Blaise quickly pulled a potions battle from her purse and handed it to her. She frowned but downed the potion anyway.

"Lu…Bella, I believe that Hermione needs to…lie down. She saw Draco again," Blaise whispered, softly. Bella nodded and sighed.

"We'll speak to Aunt Narcissa and Lucius alone. Go, Hermione. You're…you're too sick at the moment," Bella said, nervously. She glanced at Lovegood. Hermione frowned in confusion and she tilted her head.

"I don't feel sick, Angel. I just saw Draco. He was waving and he stuck his tongue out at me. He doesn't do that, does he?" Hermione giggled. Charlie frowned in confusion. Hermione wasn't acting like herself. There was a strange and truly frightening gleam in her eyes. Bella's eyes hardened.

"Hermione, he's not there and stop calling me that nickname. Go to the castle. Now," Bella commanded. Hermione pouted and she shook her head before childishly stomping her foot.

"No! I'm not sick and I want to see Draco!"

"FOR GODS' SAKES! GO TO THE CASTLE, HERMIONE!" Bella roared. The other occupants glanced over at her before they walked just a little quicker. Christine, Michael Brown, Gideon, and Ginny had jumped. That Neville kid and his blonde girlfriend glanced at their friends before sighing and moving onward. They knew they didn't need anymore pressure at the moment.

"Fine!" Hermione shrieked back. She grabbed Blaise's hand and pulled him back to the castle whispering something. She suddenly burst into a fit of cackles.

"No, Hermione…Hermione don't do this to me," Bella murmured.

"What's wrong with her?" Gideon asked. Bella glared at him and Lovegood looked away.

"Don't say anything to me, Gideon. I fear that you'll say something else about the man I respect."

Charlie frowned in confusion. Wasn't Gideon dating Bella?

"He's a monster, Bella! God…he's _Dark_."

"So am I!"

"He's the Dark Lord! He's evil and you're under a spell or whatever…or a thrall, that's it! You can't possibly be in love with _Voldemort_," hissed Gideon, angrily. Bella scoffed and crossed her arms as Charlie's eyes became the size of saucers. Gideon frowned in confusion.

"I never said I loved him. I do love a man but I never said I loved him. Truly, Gideon, you're a moron. I respect Voldemort. I…suppose I _care_ for him in a strange way. He's a beautiful man, truly. Inside and out despite what you say. I dislike that you called him evil and ugly because he's not. He's…misunderstood. But the man I love…the man behind the mask. _That_ is who I love. Not Voldemort," Bella said, coldly though her voice softening as she spoke of 'the man behind the mask'. Gideon flushed, sheepishly.

"Oh…"

Now, Charlie thought that his brother was foolish. He wasn't sure but perhaps Bella wasn't telling all of the truth. It sounded as if she at least cared for Voldemort. Why, he'd never truly know but he paid no mind to it. He turned back to Lovegood.

"Tell me what Draco said," Charlie commanded. Luna nodded and her eyes went wide and pupils grew larger. She gasped suddenly and her eyes rolled back into her head though she didn't pass out.

"_L__-Luna, I love you. T-tell…Charlie that i-it w-wo-would n-never h-have w-wo-worked out between us. Do that for me, love._"

The words came from Luna but the voice was not hers. It was Draco's and Charlie watched Bella stiffen. Her eyes displayed her grief to the world for the briefest of seconds but it rocked Charlie to the core. She was not only sad about this. It looked like the entire world had decided to dump its sorrow all over her and she had to live with it despite everything. It was depressing to say the least.

"He really said that?" Charlie whispered as her eyes rolled back into place. Lovegood nodded once and she crossed her arms and a slight smile crossed her face. She gave a dark laugh.

"That was a lie, Charlie Weasley. I've Seen the future…_your _once possible future. He could…would have loved you. You would have adopted a child together. He would have been redheaded. But you wouldn't have wanted that future," Lovegood said, softly. Charlie glared at her in annoyance and he crossed his arms.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because…because you would have always been second best. Second to the Elven Seer that he could never have. I have _never_ told him that I loved him too until the moment before his death. Because of my duty. And now I don't have to condemn him because he's already dead. In a way, his idiotic self-sacrificing nobility saved him. Because there are worse things than simply death," Lovegood said, softly. Charlie's eyes narrowed and he glared at Luna, bitterly.

"What? What's worse than death?" Charlie countered. Lovegood laughed, softly.

"What's worse than death? Purgatory."

Charlie frowned in confusion and Lovegood turned to Bella and touched the girl's arm. Bella ran a hand through her hair and her eyes seemed to be searching for someone.

"Relax, Bella," Lovegood said, quietly. Bella blinked.

"He's…he's…I'm sorry. I need to stop thinking about him. Just…I…he could show up at any time and it's _my_ job to distract him until they can kill him. They still haven't figured out a way to meet my demands," Bella said, softly. Gideon's eyes widened and he looked at Bella in shock.

"_You're_ supposed to kill Voldemort?"

"_No_. Just…just have a hand in his death. I don't want to but I have to. Lu, I brought the painting you gave me. Uncle Sirius is supposed to meet us after the meeting with Aunt Narcissa. Should I show it to him in a private room?" Bella asked as they began to walk away. Lovegood gave a smile that was sad and she sighed and nodded.

Charlie couldn't help but feel that his sorrow was inadequate compared to her grief.

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 12****th**** of April 1997**

**1:00 PM**

"Hi, Aunt Maya. Hey, Uncle Sirius," Bella greeted as they walked into the room. Sirius had apparently though about renting a room before hand. The two adults looked at Bella and Luna in surprise and then relaxed, smiling.

"Hello, love. Where's Hermione?" Maya asked, kissing her daughter on the forehead before giving Luna a warm hug. Luna returned it slowly and Luna sat at least six feet away from Sirius. She nodded, cordially to him and Sirius nodded back. He hugged Bella tightly and sat down on the bed next to Maya.

"Hello, Bella. How are you doing?" Sirius asked, softly. Bella sighed.

"All right, I suppose. I'm tired of the 'sorry for your loss'es and the 'my condolences'. And then I grew angry with Gideon because of…things he said. It doesn't matter. I just wanted to show you something, is all," Bella said, smiling now. The smile didn't reach her eyes and she pulled away from him. She reached into her black bag and pulled out the small portrait. She tapped it lightly and the portrait grew in size until it was huge, even taller than Bella.

Sirius stared at the monstrous portrait and he was struck by how beautiful it was. It looked so lifelike and he felt a pang in his heart when he saw how small Bella was. And then he felt fury flash through him when he saw who was on the other side of the mirror.

"What's this?" Sirius asked, curiously and his voice tight. Bella sighed.

"A portrait of my fondest memory. I was a first year. I had just come across the Mirror of Erised and…this is what I saw. I think there was more…two redheads but not anymore. I don't want them anymore. It's supposed to show what you want more than anything in the world. At first, I saw my mother and father but then…then it changed. That was…that was a long time ago. But, that's not why you're here is it?" Bella asked. Sirius shook his head, slowly and he looked at Maya. He began waving his wand, shakily. He still wasn't fully recovered. He seemed to be constructing privacy wards that were strong for a sick man. Finally, he dropped his hand weakly and shuddered before sighing.

"What is it?" Bella asked, softly.

"Riddle."

Bella tensed and Sirius watched his goddaughter carefully. Her body language changed, abruptly. Her eyes filled with that undeniable love that he had seen Lily and James share but ten times stronger. And then, right under that love was a hurt and pain and maybe even a little rage. Her body tensed up and she sat, rigidly as if she were trying to stay in place.

"What about…Tom?" Bella asked, softly.

"Not only Riddle. Voldemort too," Maya added, softly. Bella's body language changed again and frankly, Sirius was a little disturbed.

Her eyes widened, infinitesimally and she leaned back as if cowering away from something. Her eyes softened though there was a hint of fear in them. She sighed, sadly as if she were mourning not only Draco but Voldemort as well. She rubbed her arms like she was cold and she cleared her throat.

"What…what about Tom and Voldemort?" asked Bella. Sirius frowned.

"Why do you refer to them as two separate people?" Sirius asked. Bella cleared her throat.

"I…I don't know. I love Tom…I don't think I love Voldemort."

Sirius looked at her in surprise and he frowned in confusion. He then thought over what she had just said. And he suddenly remembered what eh wanted to talk to her about.

"I don't think you really love Tom. You probably just fancy him."

Sirius said this, convincingly and Maya shot him a look. They had almost fought over this at Grimmauld Place. She actually thought that Bella loved _the_ Dark Lord. Maya actually though that Bella loved that stupid creep that had had a hand in putting him in a coma and hurting his…no, _their_ daughter. If he didn't respect Maya so much, he would have called her dense.

He looked at Luna and she was sitting, unmoving though she was frowning now. Bella was looking at Sirius in surprise until her eyes frosted her and her hands clenched into fists.

"I'm sorry. What?" she asked, her tone steely with anger. Sirius merely blinked before continuing as he tried to convince her and more importantly, himself that she didn't love Voldemort or…Tom Riddle or whoever he was.

"Bella, you know nothing about him. You don't know his past or what he's done. Nobody does for that matter. He's a manipulative bastard and if I hadn't sworn on my magic not to tell anyone, I would have gone straight to Dumbledore right away, honestly. He would've went down. Hard."

"I would've went down with him," Bella said, softly. Sirius blinked in surprise and Bella's lips curled into a soft smile.

"He offered his hand twice to me. Both in the same day. Once in the cemetery and once in Liverpool. I wanted to take his hand Uncle Sirius. But, I didn't want to force the choice and I didn't want to make the wrong one. Don't get me wrong. I support Tom and the Dark. I really do but…there's a time and place for things and that wasn't the time for me to suddenly switch sides. I haven't even finished school for that matter. But, after…after times goes by I'm going to fight for the Dark—" Bella continued. Sirius' eyes flashed.

"And Grindelwald? You would have dishonored your parents' memory?" Sirius challenged. Bella gave a rusty laugh and Sirius was surprised by the sound of it. It made him wince.

"No. Grindelwald…I was and am Grindelwald's executioner. He may forget that when I begin to work with the Dark but in the end, he'll _know_ why he must go. He's holding Voldemort and the Death Eaters back anyway. He's never around. At least, that's what Rodolphus says—"

"Rodolphus? Rodolphus _Lestrange_? Husband to _Bellatrix_ Lestrange?" Sirius asked, his temper rising. Bella nodded once.

"I wanted to kill her you know. I went to…the Death Eaters' Headquarters when I was still mad at Tom. I said that I'd only accept his apology if I could kill her. He wouldn't let me kill her but she apologized. She didn't apologize right for almost killing you. He tortured her. Apparently, Tom had a list. A list of people that the Death Eaters weren't allowed to harm. You, Maya, Mione, and me were on it," Bella said, softly. Sirius' temper did not cool under the reassuring words and he almost stood. Maya pushed him back down, firmly though she didn't say a word.

"When did you talk to the Lestranges again?" Sirius asked, stiffly.

"Yule. I went to India to stop Tom from Marking Lalita. Remember?" Bella asked, softly. Sirius nodded, slowly.

"I don't see why you like the Dark so much. The Light…the Light's _good_," Sirius insisted. Bella sighed.

"I don't think we're ever going to see eye to eye on this. There is no good and evil. There is just power and those too weak to seek it. I'm not one of the weak ones, Uncle Sirus. Please understand this. I can't…I can't live without him. I love him…quite a bit actually. If you knew…if you knew what he did to himself…what he's _doing_ to himself, you wouldn't think it'd be possible to love a person like that. But I do," Bella said, softly. Sirius frowned in annoyance.

"Then, why _do_ you love him? What did he _do_ to make you love _him_? He's old and Dark!" Sirius shouted. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"He…trusts me. He trusted me with his most prized possession. He's just like me. He's an orphan like me. He suffered through pain and hurt like me. But…while I had _you_, he didn't have anyone. Everyone hated him because he was the freak. Tom was the freak who didn't have anyone friends because he was so _different_. He told me _everything_ about him," Bella said. Sirius scoffed and he crossed his arms.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"What's his favorite color?" Sirius said, smirking. Bella blinked and she hissed under her breath as she fiddled with her locket. There was another hiss that Sirius assumed that Bella had made in frustration. She looked up and sighed.

"Green. And surprisingly enough, crimson," Bella said, smiling softly. Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"Favorite food?"

"Chicken stir-fry," Bella said, conversationally. Sirius raised an eyebrow before he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Favorite birthday?"

"He doesn't have one…he's…well…don't tell him I said this but…I don't think he's ever had a birthday party. He doesn't tell people his birthday because he hates it," Bella said, sadly. Sirius looked at her in surprise and he sighed as she smiled at the thought of the man that she loved.

"Does he love you back?"

Then, the dynamic of the room changed. Sirius couldn't quite remember if Bella had answered this question a few weeks back and it had been a long time. He had just woken up and he had gradually grown coherent. His mind had retained the gist of the information but for the life of him, he couldn't remember the answer to this question.

Luna rubbed the temples of her head. Maya looked away and leaned away from Bella. Bella's eyes grew dimmer and more far away and the smile on her face seemed to become plastic. There was a strained look to her smile and she gave a loud sigh that sounded happy but there was an air of depression right underneath the first emotion.

"That…I…no, not really. He doesn't love me at all…he didn't even want to hear the fact that I _did_ love him, actually. We…we don't talk about it," Bella said, her voice straining to stay pleasant. Sirius growled.

"Why doesn't he love you? He already had sex with you."

Bella paled.

"Er…no. I'm a…I'm a virgin. He…refused…to have sex with me, actually."

This surprised Sirius and his cheeks heated up at his assumption. He finally realized what it had sounded like and he was ashamed to think it. He had assumed that Bella was having sex with him like a whore despite the fact that apparently they had broken up.

"The Dark Lord is currently unclear with his feelings," Luna finally said. Sirius shot her a look.

"What?" Bella whispered, hoarsely.

"The Dark…Creature is unclear with his feelings. He is conflicted by his promise to Lily and his own misgivings and confusion on what love actually is. He does feel great…affection for you. He also hates you," Luna said, adding the last part flatly. Sirius looked at her in surprise.

"He _hates_ her? How does he hold affection for her but hate her?" Maya demanded, her voice festering with anger. Bella laughed, softly and Maya and Sirius looked at her in surprise.

"Don't worry. I despise him too. I hate him as much as I love him. I hate his pessimistic look on life. I love that there a moments where he genuinely loves life. I hate his smirk. I love his smile. I hate his temper. I love when he's calm. I hate his Dark way of thinking. I love his intelligence. I love his heart. His mind. And…and his soul," Bella said. Sirius frowned when he saw Bella leveling a sharp look at Luna. Luna sniffed, annoyed.

"It's unnatural."

"It's not your business, Luna," Bella said, softly. Luna glared at her and Bella was taken aback at the ferocity of her gaze.

"It _is_. His soul…it's unnatural! I don't understand! Why would he do something like that? It's disgusting and goes against every bone in my body to—"

"IT'S NOT YOUR JOB TO UNDERSTAND!"

Luna fell silent and she looked at Bella as if she'd never seen her before. Bella's gaze softened but it was no less stubborn.

"It's your job to know. You…you don't understand him like I do. You don't understand his pain. The pain of being an orphan. I have to see my dead mother, Luna. I know you might think that's a great thing but it just…it just reminds me that she's not here with me. Or even with my father. She's trapped in purgatory because of me. For _me_."

Bella said, this firmly and she sighed and looked away from Luna. Luna stood suddenly and Bella looked at her in surprise. Luna swallowed hard and she crossed her arms.

"I…I understand that. I won't ever be able to understand him though. But…but, I still love Tom," Luna started. Sirius was shocked. Luna loved Tom _too_? But what about Draco? She was wearing the feather and all. He was even more surprised when Bella didn't even look remotely jealous.

"He's…don't tell him I've ever said this but he's a strange cross of a brother and a father. But more of a brother. A much older and decidedly terrifying brother. But, I won't ever understand his choices," Luna said, softly. Bella smiled.

"He cares about you too you know. He thinks of you as a little sister almost though he'd _never_ _ever_ admit it."

"I know."

* * *

**Malfoy Manor Grounds, Unplottable Location, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of March 1997**

**10:00 AM**

There was a large crowd there for the funeral. Bella doubted that half of them had known Draco as well as she had. Bella stood next to Luna, her face impassive as she looked at the group of people. Quite a few of them were Death Eaters that had claimed to be Imperiused. Rodolphus and Bellatrix stood near Narcissa and Lucius though they were both glamoured. Bellatrix's hair was blond and hung straight and she looked much younger. Her eyes were the same mischievous black though. Rodolphus' hair was the same color though his eyes were a bright blue and his face didn't look nearly as thin.

They stood on either side of Tom, flanking him. They were like his bodyguards of sorts and Bella knew that Lucius would be with them if it weren't for the sobbing wife that he needed to support. Bella stood next to the body wrapped in the black silk. There was a piano on the platform and she swallowed as she looked at it. She didn't know what had possessed her to agree to this but perhaps it had been the crushed expression on Narcissa's face. Or maybe she wanted to play _My Immortal_ one more time before she permanently put it to rest. She wouldn't play it again after this. Tom had mimicked immortality. In Bella's eyes, Draco was the only true immortal. Her immortal brother who would probably live in hell forever for her sake.

The tears stung her eyes and she swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. She looked at Luna again. The young woman's hair was up in a bun and she was wearing traditional Elven clothes instead of a mix between Elven and wizarding clothing. Her dressed flowed around her like a black sea and the collar was high, touching her chin. The sleeves flowed right past her hands. They weren't visible. There was an unearthly look on her face and she looked like the Goddess of the Night, Nyx.

Bella looked around again and saw the Minister speaking with Lucius and Narcissa. Scrimgeour looked a bit like a lion and he kept casting her looks. Bella looked away and she looked down at Draco's body. She touched his cheek and she knew people were watching.

"My brother…my poor brother. I thank the gods that you were in my life," Bella said, softly though clearly. The others quieted and it seemed that Bella had inadvertently started the ceremony. Hermione and Blaise stood right next to the dais that Draco rested on.

They were in the Malfoy cemetery and he was to buried in a small marble tomb that Bella and Luna would construct. Not in the ground. That was beneath Draco and he would have hated it. There was a stasis charm on the body so that he would never decay and that was how Bella liked it though she wouldn't visit often. She didn't think she could handle that.

Bella looked up and she sighed.

"My brother. Draco Malfoy. He loved me and I loved him. He put me first and that is why I live and why he is dead. He put my happiness before his own. He put my pain before his own. He put my heart, my mind, and my soul before his own heart, mind, and soul," Bella said, quietly. She looked up at the assembled gathering. She could see Draco's paternal grandmother. She seemed like a frigid bitch in Bella's opinion and Bella hadn't even spoken to her yet.

"Draco…Draco tried to protect me from a world that I had already known the worst of. Even when I wanted to die…even when I wanted to _die_, he was still there. Despite being the Girl-Who-Lived, he yelled at me and shouted at me for being stupid. He always saw me for me and that was one of the reasons I went on. Don't let the fact that I'm the Girl-Who-Lived fool you. I'm a person as well. And I wasn't always happy with my life. Right now…I'm still not happy. But, I know it's going to get better because of my big brother. A man that put his family before himself and _no one_ can ever take his memory from me. Not even Death," Bella said, softly. She backed away and let Luna walked forward. She glanced at Daphne and Neville and the others. Lalita's face was buried in Theodore's neck and he held her tightly as she sobbed quietly. Daphne and Neville tried to keep strong but they looked on the verge of breaking down. All of Hydra looked worn and tired.

Bella cursed herself. She hadn't thought about Hydra all month. She realized that they must have been hurting too. They had needed her and all she had done was mourn quietly. She hadn't helped them. She looked to Hermione and the desolation crashed through her again.

Hermione was not all there in the head.

She'd been relatively sane before but now…now…it was _dangerous_ for her to be around people. She had to be drugged constantly and they were hard pressed to keep how hidden she was gone from the people around them. It was killing Bella and she couldn't even help her.

"And now, Miss Potter will play a composition that she composed for her brother."

Bella blinked when she heard Luna's words. Luna nodded at her, her eyes dry. Luna had cried all of her tears.

Bella walked slowly and she ignored the slightly disbelieving and surprised looks. Even Scrimgeour looked surprised. Bella swallowed as she sat at her piano. She crossed her arms and looked at the piano as if it were a complicated math algorithm. She pulled her arms apart before she cracked her knuckles and then began to play confidently and beautifully.

Her fingers pressed down, beautifully. She was swaying as she played the intro to the song. Her eyes were closed and she tilted her head back as she sighed. She didn't even notice when someone stood behind her, reading the unnecessary sheet music.

"_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_," Luna sang, her voice resonating out beautifully. Bella barely heard. She could only hear the angelic and decidedly Elven voice as she played every note, even the ones that Luna was singing.

"_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_," Luna continued. Tom stared at the young woman in shock. He had heard her sing a prophecy. It was in her nature to use creativity as an outlet for her continuous visions. But this…he'd never seen her like this. She was moving away from Bella without the sheet music. She kneeled next to Draco on the platform he was on and she sang to his cold body.

"_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_."

Luna's voice was captivating. Her voice was a high soprano and there seemed to be no limit on what she expressed during her song. Bella went to the beginning intro again before she continued with the melody and harmony. Luna continued.

"_You used to captivate me_

_By your resonating light_

_Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face it haunts_

_My once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away_

_All the sanity in me_," Luna sang, laughing the last part sadly. Tom wondered what was going through her mind at this point. There were so many emotions fighting for control on her face.

"_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_."

Anger. Sadness. Rage. Grief. Happiness. Hope. Joy. Regret.

"_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me,_" Luna sang, beginning to stand. Bella's eyes slid open slowly and she looked over at Luna. Luna began to stand, slowly and she walked slowly towards Bella again. She touched the girl's shoulder and they exchanged mutual looks of understanding. Bella swallowed and she slammed her hands, down passionately.

This was different from her playing just a moment ago. She was playing the bridge now and the passiveness from before was replaced with only heartbreaking guilt and grief.

"_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_," Luna started. Her voice grew fuller and her pupils grew larger until her eyes were completely black. She fell to her knees and shook while holding the note and people started forward. Tom was surprised when he felt himself move as Bella flipped her hair back, not even looking as Luna jolted as she sang.

Tom watched Bella as she slammed her fingers down, passionately and he didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful. The pain and guilt in every move made her so much more beautiful than usual. The affection he held for her grew into something unidentifiable and he frowned at the strange emotion.

What the hell was _that_?

Bella continued to play as Luna gasped for breath, shock on her breath. Luna jumped, her eyes shining brightly as her eyes glowed with something akin to darkness.

"_Shael o tor Ai'p eirdae eir os os saes_

_Shael o'p maes Ai'p eirdae eir os os thaes_

_Eil Ai caer os cal syl eir os saeri os_

_Sher o mor cali_

_Eir os ti_," Luna sang. Everyone froze at the Druhir escaping Luna's mouth. She gasped and she shook her head. She took a step towards Draco. She leaned down next to him and pressed her lips to his cold lips. She took a step away from him and Bella finished the song, slowly.

The audience applauded and Bella stood by Luna's side.

"Brother…I love you. I will honor the promise I gave you," Bella said, softly. Luna smiled and nodded in agreement.

"And I…I will honor what your last request or perhaps demand was, love."

Bella frowned in confusion but Luna only lifted her wand. Bella was surprised to see that Luna's eyes were still black. Her irises had not returned as of yet.

They waved their wands, not saying a word. Black liquid flowed from Bella's wand in contrast to the white liquid that slid from Luna's wand, smoothly. It formed around Draco's body and hardened. Luna looked at it sadly before she turned away from Bella.

"Bella…you'll…you're going to have to go back. To Hogwarts. Without me."

Bella frowned as the rest of the crowd went to give their condolences to Narcissa and Lucius. A sizeable crowd was trying to get through to Bella and Luna. Bella shook her head. She swallowed harshly. She didn't want Luna to go.

First Tom.

Then Draco.

Now Luna.

But, she was done with being selfish. She didn't want to be selfish and she knew Luna needed this. Luna needed to leave more than anything. Bella searched the young woman's face and she saw the sheer determination in her black eyes. Bella swallowed and crossed her arms. The black was different from Hermione's eyes. Luna's held wisdom that weren't entirely her own and sometimes they were…judging even when she didn't mean to judge.

Luna waited for Bella to answer. One part of her…a large part. The part of her that was still a teenage girl screamed for Bella to beg her not to go. That part of her wanted Bella to scream and put blame and guilt on Luna.

"When are you leaving?"

That small part of Luna fell quiet. That wasn't what Luna had expected at all.

"Today. Now."

"Where are you going?"

"Not far. I'll just be gone…for a while. But you will only need to call my name and help will be there. Okay?" Luna said, quietly. Bella swallowed and nodded. She looked away from Luna and swallowed again. Bella sighed and looked to the prison Draco's body was in.

"First Draco. Now you. Where will you go? Please answer me," Bella said, softly. Luna sighed.

"I'm going…I'm going to visit Lily if you must know."

Bella froze.

"What? In hell?"

"No. I'm…I…I'm turning 16 soon. I have to visit Lily before I can turn 16. When I turn 16, I become part of the Elven society. Any rules I break after that could result in death. It's my only chance to visit her. But, I'm going to be back. Tell Dumbledore that I've gone to the elves or something. Don't tell _anyone_ where I've gone. Do you understand me?" Luna asked, seriously. Bella nodded.

"Of course."

"Good. I love you, Bella. You're like my sister."

"And you are mine."

Luna drifted away from Bella and ducked into a shadow. She looked down at her shoes as she melted into the shadows, the feeling of the Dark magic sticking to her. She had learned this from Tom himself. He didn't only teach Bella and the others. She knew this was against her nature and it screamed at everything inside of her but…Dark magic was her addiction.

Perhaps, that was why she loved Draco too much to let him go.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of June 1997**

**10:00 PM**

Tom continued to grade the last essay of the year. He had to get through all of the compositions of his students so he could start writing up the exams. He was deep in thought as he graded the essay and he wasn't even really thinking about what he marked wrong and right. He knew instinctively.

He was thinking of the class earlier. He had felt that strange thing…emotion for Bella again during that class. Tom had watched her jump down from the platform in the middle of them dueling. Snape had seemed just as surprised as Tom had been. Hermione and Daphne had been sparring but somehow it wasn't just sparring for Hermione anymore. She was ruthless and Tom didn't think it was entirely safe for her to spar with anyone more in all honesty.

Bella had intervened when Hermione would have made a fatal stab. She had put herself in danger for both her sister and Daphne. Hermione would have eventually felt overwhelming guilt and she would've been put into jail. Bella had easily calmed Hermione down and when Snape had tried to swoop down on Hermione, Bella had defended her without saying a single curse word.

Her defending the two older girls had been very impressive and somehow and extremely sexy. He sighed, running a hand through his hair when his eyes fell on a solidifying shadow. His eyes narrowed and then widened when a frazzled and tired looking blond girl stumbled from the shadows.

"Luna."

"Tom…I…I've been away," Luna said, softly. Tom nodded once, curtly.

"I'm aware of this. You told Bella that you were going to visit Lily and disappeared. A letter a week apparently. Where did you really go?" Tom asked, coldly. Luna gave a strained and slightly cold smile and she sighed, nodding.

"I…I've been researching. I was in the Department of Secrets across the pond in the American Ministry of Magic until now. I've…I think I've done it," Luna said, her lips curling into a smile. Tom frowned and crossed his arms, confused as to what Luna was actually saying.

"What have you done?"

"I…I'll…I won't say now but I…you'll see. I need time. How's Bella?" Luna asked, quietly. Tom's gaze darkened and he glared at Luna as he remembered how Bella had reacted after Luna had left.

"You're out of your mind."

Luna blinked in surprise.

"You just left her, Luna. After her brother's funeral. She didn't want to tell you not to go because she's on this new 'don't be selfish' stint. She knew you needed and wanted to get away. You lied about going to visit Lily. You know you can't go into the Purgatory Realm. Bella didn't know that but I did," Tom said, coldly. Luna swallowed and she felt like a little girl. Her eyes fell to the ground as Tom glared at her in righteous anger.

"She was playing that God forsaken song again. She hasn't played it in almost year and it sounded so terrible and quite beautiful. But, it still doesn't sound complete. How much must she go through?" Tom asked, his voice growing quieter and gentler. Luna swallowed again and looked up through her eyelashes. She didn't want to be yelled at again, honestly.

"She's not finished yet. In three weeks, she'll know happiness but…she has a while longer until her happily ever after. How…how have you been?" Luna asked. Tom knew what she was really asking.

"I had the urge to kill a student of mine today. A different urge from normal that is. I felt more like Voldemort."

"That's…that's not good."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Don't you have something to do?"

"I do. Soon…I have to wait until midnight. I missed you, Tom," Luna added, almost shyly. Tom grimaced. He didn't want to hear anything from her. He was still slightly upset by Luna's abrupt leaving. He sighed.

"I don't want to hear sentimental shit out of you. Are you keeping up with your coursework?"

Luna nodded.

"I _am_ coming back. I'll be back for my exams. Hopefully with someone with me. I have to prepare. I'll see you later, Tom," Luna said, as she walked towards the shadows. Her white robes melted into the darkness, unnaturally. Tom watched with a cool stare before he stood and sighed.

He didn't want to be in here at the moment. He didn't want to think about the young woman that had just shown up at Hogwarts for the first time in a month. What the hell was she even trying to do? She was always this mysterious but really, she was being ridiculous.

What required breaking into the Department of Secrets in _America_?

Tom left his office through the shadows and reappeared in the music room. He was right to find Bella in there. She was sitting at the piano, playing Chopin. It was the song she had played with Daphne. She was squinting at sheet music, surprisingly and Tom knew she almost never used sheet music unless she really didn't know the sheet music. That bastard had drilled memorization into her as well.

Her fingers danced gracefully across the ivory. She caressed the keys and she looked so much more confident than she used to be. She swayed with the deep, meaningful music. Tom could tell that she was making a few different changes to it and she stopped, suddenly. She picked up her quill and made some changes to sheet music. Tom understood what she was doing.

For some reason, she was rearranging the music.

Suddenly, Bella's lips curled into a slight smile and Tom frowned, wondering why. She pressed her fingers to the piano again but what came out was most definitely not Chopin. It was quite a familiar tune that Tom enjoyed very much. It was the song she composed for him.

She knew he was there, somehow. Her fingers played the faster and deeper beginning of the song and Tom slipped from the shadows and towards her. She didn't turn away from the piano as she played, masterfully. Tom admired the dark beauty about her for a moment.

Bella…his Anya looked so comfortable when only a few months ago, she had cringed at the idea of playing her beloved piano. Even though the sound wasn't as great on the school piano, it was still wonderfully. Tom knew that after the funeral many people had complimented her on her playing and she had gracefully accepted the compliments.

Bella's fingers danced across the piano, intensely. Tom sat down on the bench next to her, making sure to stay out of the range of her flying fingers. He wondered if anyone else could hear the playing. For some reason, Tom hoped there wasn't an audience except for himself.

His Anya didn't play the piano for anyone else. She played for herself. She had to play. It was how she got her emotions across and she got her emotions across quite beautifully. Her fingers slowed and she played that mournful sound again and Tom sighed. It was different from last time. It seemed now that she was mourning his broken soul. He didn't quite understand both Luna and Bella's obsessions with his soul but at least his Anya wasn't judgmental about it. He could quite easily block out Luna but her voice began to grate on his nerves when she got on a roll about it.

Bella picked up the tempo and she hummed the song as she played.

She was coming to the end now and her fingers twirled on the keys and she even crossed hands, still playing masterfully. It was like the piano was an extension of her. The tempo slowed and Bella leaned her head against Tom's arm. Tom didn't make a move to push her away. It wouldn't have felt right for some reason.

Her passion was quieter and even more intense than before. Tom wasn't quite sure how that was possible but he didn't question the beauty of it all. The song ended and there was silence for a moment.

"I love you."

Tom stiffened at the words and Bella gave a sad little smile that Tom couldn't bare to see on her face.

"Er…thank you."

It was the first time that Tom had responded to the words instead of ignoring them or admonishing them. It made all the difference to Bella. She beamed at him and kissed his cheek before she looked down at the piano.

"We have an Order meeting tomorrow. We're going to set the date for the…the battle."

Tom nodded once. He knew this already. Bella was only stating the obvious again. He found it endearing and it made him want to vomit in his mouth.

"I don't want…I can't. Tom don't make me do this. I can't fight you."

"You won't."

Tom watched as Bella looked up with wide eyes and a frown of confusion.

"What?"

"You won't have to fight me. Challenge me to the fight. They'll want you to lure me out. Challenge me to a fight. But…_I_ will pick the battlefield."

* * *

**Death Chamber,****Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 2****nd**** of June 1997**

**12:00 AM**

"Draco…" Luna moaned.

She kneeled in front of the Veil, watching it flutter in a wind that wasn't there. She didn't pay attention to the older woman standing on the dais next to the Veil. She didn't pay attention to the redheaded woman standing on the other side of the Veil. The older woman had long black hair, streaked with silver. Her face was sharp and her eyes were intelligent and very old.

Luna only had eyes for the cold dead body in front of her. She had snuck into the Malfoy Cemetery and had taken Draco's body. It had taken her a long time to find out how to create a golem but she had done it. Now, she had to do this just right. She didn't have much time. Luna lifted her wand as she began to use Draco's art. She could feel the dirtiness of using Black magic on her but she didn't care. She couldn't live without Draco.

"_Vori thys si paer os caer, Myl os Paer,_" Luna said, clearly, waving her wand in the intricate and precise pattern. The Veil glowed slightly and pulsed but it quickly dimmed. Lily took a step forward but the older woman with dark hair held her hand up, waiting silently.

"_Vori thys si paer os caer, Myl os Paer_," Luna intoned again. The Veil glowed even brighter but not with the increasingly Black magic that Luna had expected. It was a bright white and grey of Light and Neutral magic. Luna didn't question it. She cleared her throat.

"_Let his flesh gain life_

_Let his eyes grow bright_

_Though his distorted soul is absent_

_Restore it to its true state_

_Let his blood be replenished_

_And however, they try to destroy him…_

_Let him never die…let him never die_," Luna said, whispering the last part. The older woman raised an eyebrow at the specific words used. They were quite different from what she had expected from her. She had expected those black words from perhaps Bella. Of course, Bella. But never from such a Light Elf as Luna.

Despite Luna being the Dark Seer, she was _very_ Light in nature and magic.

It was strange but quite true.

"_Vori thys si paer os caer, Myl os Paer_

_Vori thys si paer os caer, Myl os Paer…Paer_…" Luna said, quietly. She groaned as the Veil dimmed at her words and she threw up her hand as she touched Draco's cheek.

"Ugh! What good is this chanting? I don't even know what I'm really _saying_! I don't even know what words I should try!" Luna cried out, angrily. She looked up and blinked when she saw Lily and the older woman. Luna didn't immediately recognize the older woman so she turned to Lily.

"How's Draco? What's he doing?"

"Serving in Purgatory. Collecting the souls. Death has sent him as his Collector. He hates it. He despises his job. He wants to be part of the living again," Lily said. She didn't say this callously but matter-of-factly. It hurt Luna all the same. She groaned and grabbed the roots of her loose hair. Her feather rested on Draco's chest and she pressed her face into his cold neck. She pulled away and shook her head.

"One more disaster to add to my generous supply! If I had told…if I had said something earlier we could have avoided this! But, I wanted to give him the best last year and he died _early_. He wasn't supposed to die yet," Luna said, sorrowfully. Lily nodded, slowly as she watched the grieving girl with unemotional eyes. She couldn't show emotion. Morgan had been quite clear on that. She had to wait until Luna offered a trade.

"Your good deeds have been misguided," Lily whispered, quietly. Luna shook with suppressed sobs and cries.

"No good deed goes unpunished. No act of charity goes unresented. I know Bella is angry at me from keeping his upcoming death from him. My good intentions led to where they always lead," Luna continued. She looked down, her eyes completely black again. She didn't even notice the Veil beginning to glow and Lily looked at in surprise. She glanced at Morgan and Morgan lifted a graceful finger.

"Bella…"

Luna had hurt Bella. She had kept many things from her and now Bella was hurting more. Luna had abandoned her friend in her time of need.

"Tom…"

She had left Tom to deal with the aftermath. She had left him to deal with a distraught young woman, an emotionally repressed young man, and an insane woman. And all three of them were extremely powerful and had the potential to kill off the entire school. She had judged him for his decisions. Decisions that were clearly his own.

"Draco…_Draco_! I'm so sorry…" Luna apologized.

She swallowed and shook her hair, brushing her hair back. She swallowed and sighed.

"I judged them when they only accepted me. I tried to direct them on the right path. The path that I saw in my head. I wasn't letting them live their lives or make their own mistakes like I had promised to do. They were like puppets to me and that's not fair…the right path that _I_ see might not be the right path for them. So, the question is…was I really seeking _good_ or just seeking attention?" Luna said, almost to herself. She had tried to put them on the right path but what if the right path was only the right path for her. But, she didn't want to be on a path that they weren't on. She loved them like they were own blood. They were her family.

"Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an ice cold eye? If that's all that good…_Light_ deeds are, maybe that's the reason why…no good deed goes unpunished. All of my helpful urges should be circumvented. Sure I meant well but look at what well meant did," Luna said, gesturing the corpse in front of her. It didn't hurt as much as it should have, seeing his empty carcass. He wasn't in there. He was only a shell to Luna but maybe not for long…

Luna looked up at Morgan and Morgan tilted her head.

"What are you willing to give me? What are you willing to sacrifice? It must be big. Something big enough to compensate a powerful man. What are you willing to give up for his life? There's always a price. Are you willing to trade your life? Your heart? Your soul? Are you willing? You cannot give grudgingly at this point. The choice is yours. The choice is only—" Morgan continued. Luna interrupted at this point. She didn't want to hear anymore. Morgan was only trying to freak her out.

"All right enough. So be it. So be it then. Let all of the wizarding world agree I'm…_Dark_…through and through. Since I could not succeed in saving Draco the first time, I promise no Light deed will I attempt to do again. My price is clear and let me say: I will _never_ _ever_ practice Light wizarding magic from this day. So mote it be," Luna said, clearly.

She knew the extensions of her price and Lily's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't easy changing from strictly Light to Dark. It was damn near impossible and since only _part_ of Luna's magic was even wizarding, she was sacrificing just that.

Luna had just sacrificed her wizarding magic for the life of Draco Malfoy. Morgan closed her eyes and then nodded, softly. Lily put a finger to her forehead and she seemed to be hearng something as well. Morgan extended her hand.

"Your deal is clear and sound. We accept. One Draco Malfoy shall be restored to his body in soul, magic, and mind. Your request has been granted for he not _truly _returned. He cannot eat. He has no need to breathe for he will _never_ die. So mote it be."

And Luna took her hand and there was a bright light that dimmed until it was nothing but black. Luna felt the magic drain from her and she dropped her wand. She had no need for a wizarding wand. She'd need to get one specifically for an Elf.

For, she was no longer a witch.

"So mote it be."

:::

**A/N: **So…that was a rushing chapter. Did you like it? My favorite part is probably the last part. I can't wait to write next chapter but it's kind of late and I have a few things to do anyway. So, I hope you like this and I hope I get awesome reviews from my _awesome_ viewers.

Next Chapter: Down Once More


	82. Chapter LXXVI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Here is the battle chapter. This is not my all time favorite chapter. That right goes to the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. And the Battle of the Masquerade (which is already written for the sequel). Anyway, this is the climax of the story whereas the end of fifth year was the beginning of the end. This is closing in on the end. Seventh year will be just mindless fluff. There was too much angst in this past year so you can have fluff. Well moreso, a fluffy plot.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 17****th**** of June 1997**

**8:00 PM**

Bella looked at the sealed letter calmly and she swallowed as she walked up the stairs and into the Owlery. That was where Hedwig was waiting for her. This was what the Order had asked of her. This was what _Tom_ had asked of her. Even then, she still didn't want to do this.

The door to the Owlery swung open in her face and she almost fell back down the stairs. Bella stared silently at one redhead Weasley. Gideon crossed his arms and looked at her with a cool expression. Bella gave him a hollow smile and it was to Gideon's credit that he noticed how upset she was. His expression warmed.

"Bella…are you okay?" Gideon asked, softly. Bella gave a sad smile and she nodded, shortly. She swallowed before sighing.

"Yes…I'm fine. Just fine. Very tired however. Excuse me, I have to send a letter," Bella said. She stepped to the left and Gideon accidentally went to his right, blocking her way again. They repeated the process and Bella giggled, softly. Gideon touched Bella's cheek and Bella stiffened.

"Bella…" Gideon whispered. Bella looked down though she didn't remove Gideon's fingertips from her cheek. She was internally screaming at herself but she didn't want to say anything.

"Gideon, please don't," Bella said, quietly.

"You could learn to love me, too. I still love you. I was just hurt by you dating me when you didn't even want me. But…couldn't we give it another try? You just said we were taking a break. Could we start up again?" Gideon asked, softly. Bella pulled away and Gideon's eyes flashed with hurt. Bella walked around him and Gideon turned around as she whistled for Hedwig. The snowy owl flew down from the rafters and Bella stroked the beautiful feathers.

"I'm sorry Gideon but I can't."

Gideon nodded, forlornly and he walked back into the Owlery. He pressed his lips to Bella's and he wrapped his arm around her waist, letting his hand fall on the small of her back. Bella's lips were unyielding though she didn't move. She knew Gideon needed this. The closure.

She would never know that this only fueled him on.

Gideon pulled away and looked at her.

"Thank you," Gideon said, his ears red. Bella nodded before turning back to Hedwig. Gideon left silently and Bella glanced over her shoulder. She then turned to Hedwig and swallowed.

"All right, girl. I just need you to go to Malfoy Manor. Get this letter to the Dark Lord. Voldemort. Get it to him _**before **_tomorrow. We need him in Tiree by tomorrow. Make sure you're not followed. Do you understand, girl?" Bella asked, softly. Hedwig gave an affirmative hoot and she took off with the letter. Bella watched as a streak of light flew into the air but Hedwig easily dodged it to avoid being tracked by a spell. Bella smiled and turned around before sighing.

"Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Bella walked down from the Owlery and was in the Entrance Hall when something with bushy hair crashed into her. Bella looked down at the girl hugging her middle and she was glaring at Blaise, frazzled. Blaise sighed, heavily and he ran a hand through his hair before reaching for Hermione. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"What's going on here?" Bella asked, curiously. Hermione glared at Blaise before looking up a wrapping her arms around Bella's neck.

"I saw Draco and Luna by the Whomping Willow! But, Blaise won't believe me," Hermione cried out, upset. Bella blinked and she looked over at Blaise. He looked extremely put out.

"She just had her medicine before that. I don't understand how she could have seen them. I think the medicine isn't working anymore," Blaise said, quietly. Hermione glared at him and shook her head. Her eyes suddenly softened and she grinned before she kissed Blaise on the cheek. Blaise looked surprised by her sudden change and she grinned.

"It doesn't matter. You'll see that I'm right. I feel the wind change," Hermione whispered, loudly. Blaise brushed her hair away from her face with a frown. She giggled again.

"There isn't a wind, Mione," Bella said, quietly.

"I smell the blood. Delicious…beautiful blood. So red. So bright. The wind has changed, B-B-Bell_ah_. Run and catch, run and catch, the Angel is caught in a bloody patch. Oh…dear. The war is so…tasty. I feel the wind change. Oh…it changed," Hermione said, laughing. She pulled away from Blaise before skipping into the Great Hall. Bella followed her immediately and she pulled the girl back. Hermione sighed and sat down with a great plop before she leaned her head on Bella's shoulder.

Hydra wisely said nothing as they talked amongst themselves.

Bella tugged on the sleeve of her black button down shirt and she sighed.

She wished Draco and Luna were here.

* * *

**Tiree, Scotland, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Wednesday the 18****th**** of June 1997**

**7:00 PM**

Bella stood in the meadow, her black robes blowing in the strangely cool wind. The sun was bearing down on Bella. Her long black hair was pulled into a long braid and it touched the small of her back. She was looking down at the ground and she felt more than saw when he arrived. Bella looked up and saw that he was standing across from her with at least thirty Death Eaters.

"Voldemort…" Bella said, softly. He looked at her with dark red eyes and Bella frowned, slowly. This wasn't Tom. He had said that he'd be fine but those eyes…there was something strange about them…

"Bella," Voldemort said, coolly.

"I…I asked you to come here for a reason," Bella said, quietly. Voldemort gave a cold smirk. Bella could make out three silver masks by his side. Bella's hands clenched into a fist.

"Quite obviously," Voldemort responded. Bella sighed.

"I'm so sorry…"

She shoved up her sleeves and yanked out the Elder Wand before spinning it, effortlessly. She didn't even have to say the words. The lightening shot into the sky and there were the sounds of Apparating. Tonks appeared at Bella's side under a Disillusionment Charm. She watched as Bella looked on, regretfully. Tonks looked at Voldemort and was surprised that _he_ didn't look surprised.

All of the Order was here and Dumbledore stood, proud. Moody and Tonks were under Disillusionment Charms. The first spell flew from Moody and Voldemort only moved his head a centimeter and it sailed past him.

"_Bella_…"

The thrall was strong and Tonks almost crumpled under the weight of the magic. Bella didn't even twitch. Tonks watched as she took a step towards Voldemort. Tonks threw an arm out at Bella. She wished that Riddle hadn't had to go to other countries looking for help. He was currently in Canada or something, asking for help in the war.

"I'm sorry…"

Tonks looked at Bella in surprise. Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he waved his wand, sharply. Bella flew towards him and he grabbed her around the middle. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. Her eyes looked watery and she shook her head. He said something else and then Bella looked horrified.

"NO! NO! Don't! _Please_ don't!" Bella begged. Voldemort only smirked and took a step away from her.

"I believe that I shall pick the battlefield. With the Order here I wonder who is protecting…_Hogwarts_."

Voldemort suddenly Apparated and his Death Eaters. Dumbledore looked shocked for a moment and he looked around, confused. He immediately Disapparated and Tonks rushed over to Bella, dropping the Disillusionment Charm. Sirius was by her side in a second.

"That son of a bitch…" Sirius muttered under his breath. He picked up Bella and she righted herself before looking around frantically. She grabbed Sirius by his shirt and Tonks looked at her in surprise.

"THAT'S NOT HIM! THAT'S NOT _HIM! _HE'S LOST HIS _MIND! _Sirius…help me. Please help me, Sirius," Bella begged. It was a testament to how frightened she looked that she called her godfather by his name instead of calling him 'Uncle Sirius'. Tonks was confused but it looked like Sirius wasn't.

"I'm not bringing you back to Hogwarts," Sirius said, coldly. Bella shook him and he looked down at her, surprised. Her eyes were cold and freezing and Tonks almost shivered at the iciness of her voice.

"You _will_ take me to Hogwarts. I will not allow my home to be destroyed. I will not allow _his_ home to be destroyed," Bella said, frigidly. Tonks knew that the 'him' she was talking about was not Voldemort. Tonks wondered briefly before Sirius nodded and sighed. He took hold of Bella and Disapparated.

They appeared outside of the gates of Hogwarts. They were open and Bella saw Dumbledore storming inside. Bella ran as fast as she could down the pathway and into the Entrance Hall. She wondered what she would see when she finally emerged there.

Bodies.

Blood.

And not all of them were Death Eaters. Students were on the ground, some injured and at least four dead and there was a cackling young woman standing with an older woman with a silver mask. The sword gleamed, wickedly in Hermione Granger's hand. It wasn't covered in blood so Bella knew that it was probably Bellatrix's work. Bella ran past Hermione, letting Sirius take care of it and she emerged in the Great Hall.

Snape stood on a table, dueling Voldemort. Gideon was trying to help but he was nowhere near Voldemort's level. The students that were battling the Death Eaters were quickly pushed aside as Order members appeared.

Christine looked over at Sirius and saw that he was now trying to get Hermione under control. Hermione had begun to cackle and Zabini was nowhere to be seen. Presumably, he was getting younger kids of Slytherin into the dungeons. But, Christine knew that he would have to get up here. Christine didn't know what was wrong with Hermione but there was something seriously wrong.

Bella looked around. Aurors were spilling into the room. It looked like Tonks had alerted them. Everyone was fighting and everything was going to hell. It was unlike anything Bella had ever seen. There was chaos everywhere and she was unable to do anything. She felt useless, standing in the doorway.

She just wanted it to end.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she almost screamed when she saw who it was. He held a scythe in his hand that didn't look like the old simple scythe he had had wielded before he had died. It was a bit like a spear but with scythe blades on either side of it. He wore all black while Luna wore all white. They both stood on either side of Bella. His skin was pale as paper and his lips blue. There were still dark circles under his eyes and the veins extended down past his nose now. Before, they had ended right to his nostrils. He standing motionlessly.

Luna looked different. She looked slightly taller and more Elven, for lack of a better word. She didn't have a wand unlike the blond scythe-wielder who held his wand, tightly. Luna looked over at Bella from the corner of her eyes.

"Only you can stop this," Luna said, softly. Bella blinked.

"Luna…Draco…you…"

"There are greater things at work, Bella. Luna will explain everything," Draco Malfoy said. Bella looked at him in shock before she let out a small sob and hugged him, tightly. Draco hugged her back and Bella frowned when she felt how cold he was. She pressed her face into his chest and her face depicted horror when she didn't feel or _hear _a heartbeat.

"What…your heartbeat…" Bella whispered. Draco smirked and tilted his head towards Luna. Bella looked at the other woman.

"There are some things greater than…good deeds. I sacrificed my wizarding magic for a life where Draco will never have to die. Now…go. You must put an end to this now. Show compassion, Bella. Remember that," Luna intoned. Bella nodded and she swallowed as she watched Voldemort bat Snape aside and turned his attention to an Auror. He pointed his wand and the Auror took a step back. Bella watched in horror when she realized that the Auror was _Tonks_.

Bella took a step forward.

"Stop!" Bella screamed. The green light didn't leave the end of Voldemort's wand and it died away just before it hit the Auror. The entire battle stopped as they looked at Bella who didn't look ready to fight except for the Elder Wand that she wielded. Bella's crimson cloak hung around her and her tears filled her eyes as she knew that Tom wasn't in his right mind at the moment.

"Bella…" Voldemort breathed and he almost…_almost _sounded like Tom.

But…that wasn't the man she loved. That wasn't her best friend. The cold and obsessive glint in his eyes wasn't Tom. It wasn't Voldemort either. It was a strange and crazy mix.

"Voldemort…stop!" Bella begged. Everyone stared at her as if she were insane. Hermione had been throwing curses, insanely and Bellatrix had been dueling rather passionately and had previously been lost in their insanity but even they looked at Bella as if she were the crazy one.

"And why should I?" Voldemort challenged.

Bella faltered before she fixed him with a challenging stare. She looked over at Gideon. He was on the ground and he was slowly raising his wand to curse Voldemort when the man's back was to him. Bella flicked her wand and Gideon's wand flew from his hand and clattered to the ground. Everyone stared at Bella.

"Don't destroy my home," Bella begged.

"Why not?"

"Because…because I know why you came here. I know why you _really_ came here," Bella said, softly. Voldemort raised a hairless eyebrow and took a step towards her. Bella didn't flinch from him. She'd promised that she wouldn't be scared of him any longer.

"And what is that reason, Bella Potter?" Voldemort asked, his tone just over a hiss though it echoed quite clearly through the Great Hall. Everyone stared at Bella as she swallowed and answered.

"Me."

"Is that so?" Voldemort challenged, blasé. Bella swallowed another sob. She nodded once, firmly. She held out her hand and he looked down at it with a raised eyebrow.

"Leave the school. Spare their lives…and I'll go," Bella whispered. There were shouts of outrage and pleading, one of the loudest coming from Gideon. Blaise, Draco, and Hermione were suspiciously silent. Luna was looking at her with sad but grateful eyes. Bella knew that she _needed_ Voldemort to leave or something would happen.

"_No_ one can follow. Not my Death Eaters, not your friends, not your siblings, and not that redheaded whelp," Voldemort said, dangerously. Bella nodded, slowly and she swallowed. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

"I…okay."

Voldemort looked to the Death Eaters and nodded. The Death Eaters backed away and began to throw curses, causing mayhem once more. There were soon spells being thrown and but the Death Eaters weren't aiming to kill it seemed. Not anymore.

Voldemort grabbed her by the wrist and then began to pull her from the room. Bella looked over her shoulder and watched as Severus Snape lifted his wand, trying to strike down Voldemort from behind. Hermione screamed in rage when she saw the curse leaving the wand and she sent a vicious curse right back. Snape dodged. Voldemort flicked his wand and Snape's curse was left harmless.

Bella tried to turn back to stop Hermione from making a mistake as she took Snape's curse as an insult. Bella knew how passionate Hermione was about the Natural Laws and whether Snape liked it or not, he was innately Dark. He had just broken a Natural Law and Bella could _feel_ that Hermione would do something that she would eventually regret. Voldemort pulled her along.

Bella wondered how Dumbledore would just let her go with him and she felt true hatred for him in that moment. He didn't give a damn about her. She looked at him with fiery green eyes but he turned away and started throwing spells at the Death Eaters. He wasn't even trying to stop Hermione from trying to murder Snape.

Bella spared Gideon a glance and she shook her head.

"I love you," he mouthed. Bella turned away, closing her eyes and she focused on the man she loved. She hated how he had told her that when she had already broken up with him. When she didn't want him anymore.

The _monster_ she loved.

"Tom…stop. Please…this isn't you. It's your…Horcruxes," Bella said, adding the last part under her breath. Voldemort seemed to be struggling with responding at all. He looked back at her and they flashed charcoal, showing that it was truly Tom for just a moment. His eyes flashed red as he heard people running behind them. Voldemort's eyes were the color of blood and he ran up the stairs pulling Bella along. Bella had to pick up part of her cloak to run after him. They stopped when they were on the sixth floor. They were searching the lower floors for them. Voldemort slammed Bella against a wall and he looked down at her with angry eyes.

"Why are you like this? Why are you so angry?" Bella cried out.

"I was an orphan. Hounded out by everyone because I was a freak. Met with hatred everywhere. No kind words from anyone. No compassion anywhere. Except…except from you…Anya…" Voldemort said, his eyes softening. It didn't answer her question but Bella touched his cheek. There was another shout for those that were searching to move upstairs. Voldemort's slitted eyes narrowed once more and he began pulling Bella up the stairs more until they reached the Astronomy tower.

Voldemort threw the door closed behind him and he leaned out of one of the long windows, pointing his wand towards the sky.

"_Mosmordre_."

The mark of Lord Voldemort was shot into the sky and the grey sky took on a sickening green color. Bella looked up at him with sad eyes. She pressed her fingertips to his face.

"Let me go…just go…Tom…control yourself. You're not yourself…you're being insane," Bella whispered. Voldemort opened his mouth to respond but he stopped and a cold look crossed his face.

"Face your fate…an eternity of this ugliness…this insanity. I see the fear in your eyes, Bella Potter. You fear the Voldemort part of me…you hate the face…the ugliness that you do not associate with me," Voldemort said, coolly. Bella felt a flash of anger and at what she didn't know. She growled at him and touched his face and pulled out the mirror that she brought with her _everywhere_ now.

"This face holds no horror for me. I don't fear it anymore. It's in your soul that the true distortion lies," Bella said, touching his face. Voldemort's slitted eyes widened and he tilted his head. Bella didn't even hear the solitary and almost silent footsteps coming up the stairs. Voldemort did and a wicked smirk spread across his face. Bella frowned in confusion at Voldemort's smirk.

"I believe we have…a guest…" he said, softly. He waved his hand and the door flew open. Bella's eyes widened when she saw the firm and determined face of Gideon Weasley. She almost groaned at the absolute _Gryffindor_ish behavior.

"Free her! Do what you want but just let her go! Don't you have any pity?" Gideon cried out. Voldemort smirked.

"She made her terms quite clear. She's not going anywhere until I let her go. Your wannabe lover makes such a _passionate_ plea," Voldemort said, mockingly. Bella flinched and she looked away from Gideon. He looked at her, anxiously. He knew that she could fight her way out of this but she wasn't. Gideon wondered what the point behind all this was.

"Gideon, it's useless. Go away," Bella said, dully. Gideon looked at her in surprise and he shook his head before looking to Voldemort again.

"I love her! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Bella respects you. There must be _some_ human left in you! Show some damn compassion," Gideon pleaded. Bella rolled her eyes. Gideon was making this all the more difficult. She was getting tired and very quickly at that.

"The world showed no compassion to me. Why should I show any?" Voldemort spat. Gideon flinched at the man's tone and he took a step forward. Voldemort raised his wand and Gideon took a step back.

"Bella…Bella…let me just say goodbye to her…" Gideon pleaded though he was quickly using his inner-Ravenclaw. He had no idea that Bella was using her inner-Slytherin at the same time.

"Be my guest, boy. I bid you welcome. Did you think that I would harm her? Why would I make her pay for the sins which aren't hers?" Voldemort questioned. Gideon stared at the man in complete surprise and he didn't even notice Voldemort raising his wand towards the ceiling slightly. Bella noticed just as the spell shot up and a rope shot down from the beams and wrapped around Gideon's neck like a noose. Gideon made a choking noise in surprise though it hadn't tightened yet.

"Stupid boy…attempting to fight off the Dark Lord for the woman you love. A woman who doesn't even love you back…" Voldemort said. He began to laugh and Bella shook with anger and sadness. She grabbed Voldemort by the arm and glared at him, angrily. Gideon looked at her in surprise or confusion.

"Let him go! He's just a boy. He doesn't know what war really is. Let him go!" Bella shouted. Voldemort raised a hairless eyebrow and he pointed at Gideon.

"Nothing can save him now. Except perhaps…you. Come with me without any more argument from you. Buy his freedom with your own. Refuse me and you send him to his death. This is _your_ choice. This is the point of no return," Voldemort said, coldly.

Bella knew he meant it.

In a twisted way, he was offering his hand to her again. He was trying to force her to make that choice when himself had told her she was the master of her fate and the captain of her soul. She looked down at the bracelets and she felt a blinding anger once more. Who was he to try to control her fate? Who was he to try and make her make a choice that she couldn't make at this moment?

WHO WAS _HE _TO DEMAND THIS OF HER WHEN HE DIDN'T EVEN LOVE HER?

"The tears I might have cried for you have fade and turn to tears of…_HATE!_" Bella said, screaming the last word. Voldemort froze in shock and he grabbed Bella's wrist and dragged her closer to him with narrowed eyes.

"You lie…" he hissed. He pointed his wand at Gideon and the noose tightened. Gideon gagged and he clawed at his neck to get the rope away.

"I WOULD NEVER LIE TO _YOU!_" Bella screamed. Voldemort looked at her as if she had just burned him. Bella's lip trembled and she glared at him.

"Bella…don't go…the school…needs you. I'm sorry…I did it all for you. And all for nothing," Gideon apologized. Bella wiped her tears, sharply and she grabbed onto him, tightly and looked up at him, begging.

"Then, goodbye my false _meilleur ami_. I would've taken your hand eventually but you're not…you're not in your right mind. You're not _you_," Bella whispered to him. Gideon could just hear her and she swallowed and backed away, unsure of what to do. She wanted to be free but she couldn't have the guilt of Gideon's on her forever.

"Too late for turning back. Too late for anything else," Voldemort said, waving his wand and the noose tightened around Gideon again. The young man choked and looked at Bella, pleadingly. He shook his head.

"Say you'll go and I don't know what I'll do," Gideon choked out. Voldemort watched as Bella's hand twitched towards her wand and he held up his hand. Bella's hand dropped.

"No use in fighting. For either way you choose, you cannot win," Voldemort insisted. Bella looked from boy to man and she honestly wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't have it both ways and Voldemort knew that. It was hurting her.

"So do you end your days here or send him to his death?" Voldemort asked, his eyes sparking maliciously. Gideon glared at her.

"Why make her lie to you to save me?" Gideon whispered. Bella was shocked by his retort and it only made the choice so much harder. She knew if this had happened only a few months earlier, she would have made the choice immediately. She would have went with Voldemort but now…things were different…

"_Mon meilleur ami_," Bella begged. Voldemort looked back at her with a curious look in his eyes before it hardened. His eyes were becoming more and more crazed but with each flash of awareness, he seemed more and more sane.

"For God's sake! Say no, Bella!" Gideon shouted. The noose grew tighter and he made a choking noise.

"Who deserves this? It's not fair! It's not fair to you…_mon meilleur ami_…stop," Bella requested, almost calmly though she was a big ball of emotion inside. Voldemort snorted and shook his head.

"Don't throw your life away for my sake! You're going to be someone! I'm not!" Gideon cried out. Bella backed away against a pillar. Gideon looked at her, hopefully. He'd fought so hard to free her.

"But…_mon meilleur ami_…" Bella continued. Voldemort interrupted.

"You've passed the point of no return."

"You deceived me," Bella finally finished. She finally knew what it had been. One year ago, he had not lied to her. He had not taken advantage of her.

He'd deceived her.

And that hurt so much.

Voldemort seemed to realize as well.

"I gave you my mind blindly," Bella whispered, harshly. Voldemort's eyes narrowed. He was still Voldemort and Bella wondered when or even if he'd gain his sanity back.

"You try my patience. Make your choice," Voldemort said, his tone extremely bored and nonchalant. He waved his wand down and Gideon was pulled upwards until he was standing on his toes. He gagged, and tried to claw at his neck but the noose was secured by magic. Only Voldemort could bring it down.

Bella felt a flash of fury at the nonchalant way that Voldemort addressed the issue of her life.

"_You're_ a pitiful creature of Darkness. On a whole He…He's not. You're the other half of him. The distorted half but part of a whole. You're still Him. Pitiful creature of Darkness, what kind of life have you known?" Bella whispered. She walked towards him, slowly. He looked at her in confusion. She placed a hand on either side of his distorted face.

"Gods give me courage to show you…that you are not alone," Bella said, whispering to herself more than anyone else. Voldemort could only just hear her. Bella looked up at him and she swallowed.

Deep…deep inside this monster was Tom. This cruel monster was _her_ Tom.

She pressed her lips to his lipless mouth and she heard Gideon gasp. Bella closed her eyes and she kissed him, passionately. It was still Tom. She knew Tom's taste and it was all Tom. Bella pulled back away from him after what seemed like hours but was only seconds. His eyes were charcoal with flecks of crimson.

She smiled and leaned in again and Voldemort kissed her back now. Gideon looked shocked and pale and Bella pulled back when she started hearing footsteps come closer.

Gideon looked horrified at what had just happened. Voldemort looked only slightly ashamed and he waved his wand and the noose fell from Gideon's neck. Bella touched his face and a smile crossed her face.

"_Mon ami…_" Bella whispered. Voldemort let out a shout of frustration and he didn't look at Gideon for fear that the boy would recognize his eyes. Gideon massaged his throat, gasping for breath. The shouts grew louder though they weren't coming towards the tower.

"_TRACK DOWN THAT MURDERER!"_

"_He must be found! He has Bella Potter!"_

"_Hunt that animal!"_

"_Find him! He must be found!"_

Voldemort paled and he turned around, not looking at Bella or Gideon. He needed to dispel his glamours while wrapped in shadows for this work just right. He couldn't have people questioning him.

"Take her. Forget all of this. Leave me alone. Go now and don't let them find you. _Ne dites jamais de l'Ange en enfer_," Voldemort hissed. Bella's eyes widened. She walked towards Gideon and helped him up and she looked at Voldemort in confusion.

"What?"

"Go now! GO NOW AND LEAVE HERE!" he roared. And with that, he melted out of view. Bella looked at the spot where he had disappeared in shadows though she knew to Gideon, it'd be different. He would think that the man Disapparated. It'd be best if he thought that. Gideon rushed to Bella's side and grabbed her hand.

"What the hell? Why did you do that? Why did you kiss him? Why did he leave?" Gideon asked. Bella looked at him and Gideon took a step back at the Darkness and sorrow in her eyes. Bella sighed.

"If I answer those questions for you…you will never speak of this. Do you understand? When they ask…we will lie. Is that clear?" Bella whispered. Gideon nodded, slowly. He looked at Bella and watched as she looked at the space where Voldemort had disappeared. She shook her head and looked up at the Dark Mark, hanging in the sky.

"I kissed the Dark Lord…because…I knew that it was what he wanted. He didn't want me dead or gone. He wanted _me_. The Dark Lord is…not evil. There is no good and evil. I've told you that. But, he doesn't…no, he _didn't_ understand," Bella murmured. Gideon frowned in confusion.

"Understand what?"

"That…even I do not know the answer to that. Luna didn't understand either but I did. She told me to show compassion."

"_Luna_ told you to kiss Voldemort?" demanded Gideon in disbelief. Bella looked out of the window.

"No…I did that to save your life. Go. Tell them I'm fine. I'll be down in a minute," Bella whispered. Gideon nodded, slowly and he walked down the stairs and away. Bella closed the door and murmured Locking Spell. She fell onto her knees and she looked down at her locket.

"**Play**."

The haunting sound of a music box floated from her beloved locket and it calmed her. Bella didn't even notice the shadows moving. The shadows unwrapped themselves from Voldemort but no…he looked like Tom now. Bella didn't even notice him and she listened with her eyes closed. It was probably one of the most beautiful things she'd ever heard. She touched the locket as the strings and music box sound came out. The music cut off abruptly just before the demanding sounds of the organ and she looked up at Tom.

He was himself and he looked pale, confused, but there was a look of understanding in his eyes.

"Anya…I don't understand…I…lost control. It hurt. The pain…the shattering of my mind. You put it back together. The broken pieces. I don't know how but you did," Tom said, sounding uncharacteristically childish. Bella gave a smile and she tilted her head.

"Of course I'd put you back together. I love you."

Bella had had compassion for a broken man and she knew she'd have to thank Luna for this. Just as she was about to stand, the words came out as a quiet whisper.

"Anya…I…love you."

Bella stared at him as if she'd never seen him before and she stood, walking towards him as she fiddled with her first charm bracelet. She pulled a charm from it and she placed the charm in his hand before closing his hand over the silver angel wings and snake. She smiled.

"Thank you," Bella whispered. She pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to his lips before she backed away towards the door. She unlocked the door and took a step backwards towards the stairs and she swallowed.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I love you," Bella whispered before she ran down the stairs, the cloak flying after her. She ran down the stairs and into the Entrance Hall. The Death Eaters were absent but there was still screaming and something was going on. Bella stared into the Great Hall. Hermione was fighting, viciously against Draco and Blaise.

She was being restrained as Aurors tried to bring her down. A fifth year was on the ground with a sword through his stomach. Bella recognized him as Michael Brown. Snape was vomiting blood in the corner. Bella stared in horror. Hermione made a loud growling sound and she punched both Draco and Blaise. They staggered away from her and Hermione pointed her wand at Snape.

"For your transgressions and the breaking of a Natural Law, I shall do as the Law commands! _INTERNA SOLVITE!_" Hermione shrieked. Bella stared in horror as the illegal Black spell flew at Snape in front of all the Aurors. And Hermione was overage…

"NO!" Bella screamed. The spell collided with Snape and he paled as blood vessels in his eyes popped. Pomfrey rushed over to his side with a number of Aurors as they tried to heal and stabilize him. Draco, Blaise, and Daphne wrestled Hermione down and a number of Aurors were rushing towards Hermione. Sirius watched in horror and shock. Bella felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at Tom. His hand was still clenched around the charm she had given him.

"She's going to be arrested," Tom said, softly. Luna was standing next to him and she nodded, slowly.

"_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_One by Light she be shunned_

_One by Light she be loved_

_Deceitful of the Dark do beware_

_For the War Lady in power cannot compare_

_Fiercely, quickly, boldly she rides_

_With a broken mind, she decides_

_Life is not worth it without the Dark_

_And so her spell may hit the mark_

_The Half-Blood Prince does not see_

_That the Light has lost for eternity_

_Locked away in heart and mind_

_Darkness will come only to find_

_Three are united with power uncontrolled_

_Then the Four shall ride fast, fierce, and bold_

_Follows of Light shall fall down in fear_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_The Half-Blood Prince does not see_

_That the Light has lost…for eternity_," Luna whispered. Bella's eyes stung as she watched Hermione swing, insanely at the Aurors. She walked forward, slowly and the crowd seemed to part for her. Bella knocked away a few Aurors and they looked at her in shock.

"Angel…Angel, help me!" Hermione begged as Draco and Blaise tried to pull her away from her wand. Bella gently pushed Draco, Daphne, and Blaise from Hermione until it was only the two women. Daphne ran to help Michael Brown. Lavender knelt by his side with Ginny and Padma was frantically trying to use Healing spells that Blaise had taught her. Bella pressed her hand against Hermione's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Mione."

Bella suddenly grabbed Hermione in a chokehold and she wrapped a leg around Hermione's leg, making them both fall to the ground. Bella wrestled with the girl and she finally pulled her wand from her hand. The green-eyed woman tossed her Hermione's wand towards Blaise. Blaise caught it and Bella watched, regretfully as Hermione raged and sobbed underneath her. Bella turned to Blaise and Blaise nodded. Blaise handed the wand over to Draco. Bella was surprised that people weren't questioning his prescence yet.

Blaise dropped to his knees and pulled Hermione from Bella and cradled her close to his chest. He rocked her, softly.

"Hush, love. It's going to be okay…quiet, Mórrígan. Shh. Shh," Blaise whispered. He looked to the Aurors and Tonks regretfully stepped forward. She lifted her hand and whispered a spell. Bright purple shackles of magic appeared on Hermione's wrists. Blaise looked down at them sorrowfully as Hermione looked confused.

"What? What's…what's going on? 'Pollo…Apollo, what's the shiny things?" Hermione whispered. Tonks cleared her throat.

"Hermione Granger, you are under arrest for the usage of the forbidden Black Art of Blood Magic. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and _will_ be used against you in a court of law. Under these circumstances, you do _not_ have the right to an attorney. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" Tonks said, tonelessly. Hermione's eyes widened in slight understanding and she looked at Bella. Bella looked away and she felt an arm wrap around her middle. Bella turned and pressed her face into Tom's shoulder.

"Angel…Angel…don't let them take me. _Please_. Tom…Tom? Please! Draco…Draco, don't let them take me! Don't let them take me to hell! Lu…Lu? Blaise…'Pollo. Apollo, are you going to let them take me? Sirius…Daddy? DADDY, DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!" Hermione screamed. Bella looked up and at Sirius. Sirius looked devastated. He stared in horror and there was something broken in him. Tonks lifted Hermione from Blaise. Blaise stared, emptily.

"I love you, Hermione," Blaise whispered. Hermione screamed his name again and she tried to reach out for him. The Aurors pulled her away from him. Blaise jumped up and darted forward before pulling Hermione into a crushing hug. Two twin streams of salty liquid fell from his golden eyes. Hermione shook. She wanted to hug him back but…

She looked around, screaming. There were shadows…they were writhing. Reaching out for her. They wanted to swallow her up and she couldn't pull away from the sticky shadows. She screamed as the shadows coated her skin. She jumped away from Blaise. Shadows were coming off of him. She screamed, shaking her head.

"NO! NO! NO! GET AWAY FROM _ME! _Get _away!_" Hermione screamed. Blaise's mouth fell open. He frowned as Hermione clung to him. Who was she talking about? Tonks pulled her away from Blaise.

"_NO!_ _ANGEL! _NIKKI! Nikki! Don't let me rot! Nikki! Nikki! _Bella!_ Bella! Don't let them take me? I didn't do it on purpose! I'm _sorry_! I'M SORRY! Don't let them _take me_!" Hermione begged. Bella looked away and she let out a low moan. She clung to Tom and she shook her head. Hermione grabbed Tom despite her shackled hands. She pulled him forward and Tom blinked in surprise.

"You get me out of this! You get me out of that hellhole! Do you hear me?" Hermione snarled, her voice not coming out as screams but more as a growl. Tom took a step away from her and tilted his head. Hermione turned from him and looked at the half-concious Snape. She let out a fearsome cat-like snarl. Her face was twisted up into something disgusting.

"You! Hell be on all of your heads! Hear me now! You will all rue this day! You will rue the day you tried to restrain what was boiling over! I SAY AS WAR THAT YOU SHALL ALL RUE THIS DAY! Let War be upon your heads! LET MY WILL BE DONE!" Hermione screamed. The only indication that her curse worked was the flash of her sword tattoo and the sword disappearing from Michael Brown's stomach. Her shirt was so shredded that it was falling off her body, exposing her tank top and the vicious scar across her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, sister. I love you," Bella whispered. Hermione seemed to hear her. She turned to her with that insane gleam in her eye. She frowned in confusion before she seemed to show any recognition of the woman.

"You…Bella…sister. The light's gone from Lu-_nah_. All gone. All gone. All gone. Bella…sister…dear. Love you, B-B-B-_Bell-ah_," Hermione laughed. She turned away from Bella and began to cackle as the Aurors led her out. Dumbledore looked over at the Order members and the fallen students.

"What do we do now?"

The question came from a quiet Gideon Weasley. Bella saw that he was still giving her a look. She turned from him and she pulled away from Tom and clung to Sirius. She swallowed and took charge.

"Clean-up. All of the Order will clean up the…the bodies. Fifth through seventh years will clean the debris. Prefects and the Heads of Houses, unless their in the Order, should check on the younger kids. Tom…Tom, you know what to do. Uncle Sirius, fetch Maya. She…she needs to know. Luna, Blaise, and Draco, you're with me. You owe me an explanation. Meet me and the Headmaster in the Headmaster's office," Bella commanded. Everyone didn't argue with the serious girl. She turned to Sirius before kissing his cheek. He walked, blankly as he kissed her cheek. He turned away and walked, slowly.

Bella turned to Tom and pulled him towards the Entrance Hall. She stood at the door with him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He let his hands rest on her waist. She pressed her forehead into his collarbone.

"Go. Deal with _them_. And…find out about Mione if you can," Bella whispered. Tom nodded once.

"Hermione's case is going to be high profile. They'll call the House of Families and the Wizengamot," Tom whispered, softly. Neither person saw the dark haired Black watching. Bella sighed, nodding. Tom pulled her closer until their hips were pressed together and she smiled, sadly.

"Love you."

"And I you."

Sirius' eyes widened at the words. Bella pressed her lips to his chin and she pulled away. She turned around as he melted into the shadows and she looked at Sirius. He was looking at her in surprise.

"He loves me," Bella said, softly. She drifted towards the stairs and Sirius went in search for the nearest fireplace.

It would be up to him to tell Maya that Hermione had just gotten arrested.

And that she had just called him 'Daddy'.

:::

**A/N: **So…intense chapter, isn't it? Not so much battle but I thought I made it a bit more artistic. My battle scenes are still really bad. I was re-reading all of this and I mean every chapter. I have the old one with all the mistakes and I noticed how much my writing style has improved. I'm incredibly proud of myself. I really use Fanfiction to improve my writing. I'm currently writing a dystopian novel and I'm really excited for it. Only expect one chapter a week because I'm in my third week of school and I already have a slew of tests. A math test tomorrow. A Mandarin test for Wednesday. And then the week after I have a slew of quizzes in History and English. Note, we only read three chapter of _Catcher in the Rye_ (Can't stand that book. Wel…can't stand the main character, Holden).

Anyway…yeah. Explanation about Hermione's shadows. She's hallucinating. There aren't any actual shadows. She's not a schizophrenic exactly but a symptom of insanity is in fact hallucinations. She's been hallucinating for a while.

Next Chapter: Questions and Answers


	83. Chapter LXXVII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **Here is the aftermath chapter that I hope you all enjoy. I hope you all understand the fact that I do not command my characteres. It seems that my characters' emotions command me and to me an emotion driven story is the best out of all of them. It makes everything so much more…_real_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXVII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 18****th**** of June 1997**

**9:00 PM**

"Where is my daughter? Where is she?"

Maya stopped yelling for a moment to take in the scene before her. Bella was sitting next to a supposedly dead man, her arms wrapped around his waist. Luna was sitting on the other side of Draco. Someone had transfigured three chairs into a couch. Blaise was sitting next to Draco's legs and he was staring blankly at the ground. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, looking grim.

"Your daughter caused nearly irreversible damage to Severus Snape, threw a sword into a fifth year, and has caused severe damage to Hogwarts. She's also a suspect in the murders of six Hogwarts students. She is currently being held at the Ministry. They're going to attempt to question her at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Dumbledore said, softly. Maya's eyes widened and she spun to look at Bella, as if expecting an explanation. Maya's eyes then fell on a man that had been previously dead. Her mouth fell open.

"You're…you're _dead_. I saw your body!" Maya breathed in shock. Draco offered a cocky smirk.

"Really, Ms. Granger. Magic does wonders."

"But…but…but only a _Necromancer_ can bring things back to life. And then not really. They only animate bodies. And that's illegal, isn't it? Did you fake your own death cause you caused a lot of grief," Maya admonished. Draco's eyes widened and he looked to Luna. Luna gave a slight giggle before she looked serious once more. Maya watched her carefully and she saw the girl's eyes bright with happiness and relief. She suddenly grew serious.

"He's…he's not _alive_."

Maya watched as Dumbledore frowned and fixed Draco with a look. Maya analyzed the boy as well. The boy was as pale as ever and she looked as he sat motionlessly. No…that wasn't right. No human could sit perfectly still like that. It didn't even look like he was…breathing.

"You're not breathing," Maya said, flatly. Sirius' eyes widened and Blaise jolted and he looked up at Draco as well. Draco gave a grim smile and looked to Luna.

"His heart doesn't beat either," Bella added. Blaise spun around and shot an accusatory glare at Luna. Luna didn't look perturbed by the penetrating glare that Blaise was giving her.

"What did you do to him? Is that even him?" Blaise hissed, angrily. Draco rolled his eyes and he gave a slight smirk, leaning back in his chair.

"It _is_ me. I still have blood and such. As wizarding tradition, we keep the body in complete stasis. I'm just not…alive, per say. And Luna did _not_ use Necromancy," Draco smirked. He smiled proudly at Luna and Dumbledore looked towards Luna. Luna was looking towards the ground.

"Miss Lovegood, could you clear up the matter for us? I would hate to have to call the Aurors back," Dumbledore said, sincerely. Luna nodded and she started wringing her hands. She sighed and tilted her head, carefully.

"I…as you know, my mother was an Elf and my father is a wizard. I inherited both types of magic though they are quite different. My wizarding magic is incredibly Light and my Elven magic is Light as well though with Dark tendencies. I am a Seer. It's considered Dark in some cultures. I couldn't live without Draco. So, I…I made a trade with Morgan le Fay and Lily Potter. I traded my wizarding magic for Draco's life. A life where he would never die. I suppose he could _find_ a way to die if he really wanted to. Going through the Veil would work but I digress. I am now fully an Elf. I'm a creature now," Luna said, proudly. Dumbledore's eyes widened and he looked at her with intense surprise. He had an Elf in his prescence. She didn't know all of the secrets but she would soon.

"Miss Lovegood, when is your sixteenth birthday?" Dumbledore asked, curiously. Luna opened her mouth to say but Bella grabbed her knee and Luna shut her mouth abruptly. Albus paled when the dark-haired woman shot him an accusatory glance.

"It's really none of your business, Headmaster. I just wanted to ask a few questions. Starting with this one: _why_ did you let Voldemort almost kidnap me?" Bella snapped, angrily. Maya's eyes widened and Albus looked down for a split second. He needed something to say and quickly.

"I knew it was the only way. It's quite obvious that you could talk your way out of it. He is only influenced by your prescence it seems," Dumbledore said, calmly. Bella crossed her arms and she sent him a frightening glare and Dumbledore actually leand back from it.

"Yes, well, that's what got us into this situation in the first place. Dumbledore, _you _are the one responsible for my sister's arrest. I didn't even want to go along with this in the _first _place! It was an utterly ridiculous idea and it was _cowardly_!" Bella spat, angrily. Dumbledore opened his mouth to say something but Bella hissed at him.

"NO! You're going to fucking listen! You're not going to _fucking _interrupt me!" Bella snarled, angrily. Dumbledore leaned back and folded his hands in his lap. Bella glared at Dumbledore, her expression mad with grief.

"You've put me through _hell _for this. And you then let him _kidnap _me? Merlin, sometimes I understand why Voldemort wants to kill you so much! He doesn't know any better you know! Voldemort's never been shown any compassion or love or caring. How do you _think _he's going to act when he is attracted to a girl? He was obsessive asshole, that's for one. But, to let him kidnap me…you're lucky that he has a shred of compassion left!" Bella chastised, her temper going down as she continued to rant on. Dumbledore almost raised his hand before he realized that he would look absolutely ridiculous.

"It was for the greater goo—"

"I swear to the gods that if you say for the greater good, I'll break your nose. I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

It seemed that all the composure that Bella Potter had magically gained just a few months prior was now gone. She looked to her wits' end and she just wanted to sleep. She crossed her arms before drawing her wand. Dumbledore tensed.

"Relax. I need to know the time. _Tempus_."

It was 9:15. Bella groaned and stood as she walked towards the fireplace in the far corner of Dumbledore's office. Maya looked at her with a frown on her face. She grabbed a hand full of Floo powder.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, curiously.

"Summoning your parents. _Malfoy Manor_."

The fire turned green and Bella knelt in front of the fireplace as she put her face into it. Draco watched, nervously and her words were muffled. He only caught a few and she soon pulled back as a silhouette appeared in the fire. Draco watched his parents emerged from the fire together. He stood, slowly.

"What? What is this? Is this your idea of a joke?" Narcissa hissed as she stared at Draco. She gave Dumbledore an accusing look and Dumbledore wondered why everything was his fault tonight.

"I am grateful to say it isn't," Dumbledore said, choosing his words quite carefully. Lucius gave him a distrusting look and Dumbledore looked the man over. There was a spark of hope in his dull grey eyes and he cleared his throat.

"I do hope that it isn't a joke. For your sake," Lucius said, coldly. Narcissa and Lucius turned Draco and they watched him, carefully as if not knowing what to expect. Draco waited for them to approach him but it was clear that they weren't until they were absolutely sure that it was really him. Draco's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"I miraculously come back from the dead and I expect a party. Or at the very least, a hello," Draco sneered. Narcissa's eyes brightened and she darted forward before pulling Draco into a tight hug. Draco hugged her back, gingerly and he sniffed, dramatically.

"Really, Mother. Showing affection in front of the…masses. How plebian," Draco said, his tone showing a false boredom. Narcissa pulled back and smacked him across the head as Lucius stared, dumbfounded at his recently resurrected son.

"How dare you? You scared me to death! You were dead! How dare you pretend that you were dead?" Narcissa hissed, angrily. Draco took a step away from his furious mother before he cleared his throat.

"I _swear_, I was dead. And I still am…sort of. I'm a…zombie, in truth. I'm a good looking zombie. Luna…Luna traded her wizarding magic for a life where I will never die," Draco said, summing up everything. A thought occurred to Blaise and he leaned forward as Narcissa stared at Luna with a multitude of emotions. Lucius gave Luna a piercing stare.

"How long have you been…undead?"

"Since the beginning of this month. I had to build my strength. Luna…Luna told me that Bella needed my help. She said that she had something _very, very, __**very **_important to tell Bella and she needed to tell her at that moment. So, I used a few tricks I picked up in Hell and I got us here," Draco explained. Blaise frowned and looked at Bella who was staring out the window, distracted. Maya was staring as well though she was focused intensely on something else.

"What was it that Luna had to tell Bella?" Sirius asked, curiously. Bella turned, sharply to look at her godfather and she tilted her head.

"Show compassion."

"To who?" Maya whispered, softly. Bella smiled.

"Voldemort. And I did. That's why he let me go. I showed compassion. Something that no one has ever _tried _to show him. It doesn't matter anymore. It's late and Uncle Sirius, you should get to the Ministry to see what's going on with Hermione, if you can. I sent Tom off to do that but you're an Unspeakable. I'm sure they'll tell you a bunch. I'm off to check on the Gryffindors. Headmaster," Bella said, sharply as she took on her leader mode again. Dumbledore looked at her, immediately and he was surprised at his reaction.

"Yes, Bella?"

"We're short one prefect."

"Oh, yes. Miss Potter, I officially instate you as the female sixth year Gryffindor prefect," Dumbledore said. Bella nodded and Draco opened his mouth to respond. Bella glared at him.

"Not a word."

"Right…Princess Prefect."

Bella almost lunged at him before she turned from him and pushed open the door to the office. Bella turned to look over her shoulder as she waved Blaise forward. Blaise gave Draco a tight hug before moving towards the door.

"We have to check on our houses. Lord Black, _please _tell me what you learn about Hermione's situation," Blaise requested. Sirius nodded, seriously. Maya clutched at Sirius' hand like it was lifeline at the mention of her wayward daughter. Sirius squeezed it, gently.

"You have my word."

"As a Black?" Blaise challenged. Sirius gave a grim smile.

"I never set much store in my name. Sick and twisted, the lot of them. Narcissa's the normal one out of my three cousins. Even Andromeda goes off the bend from time to time. And Bellatrix…Bellatrix's insane," Sirius said, not even going into that. Blaise nodded in understanding though he didn't mention that Sirius was sometimes out of his own mind as well.

"Well, then your word as Sirius then."

"I give you my word."

Blaise walked out of the room with Bella and Narcissa finally let go of her son and Dumbledore was shocked to see Lucius Malfoy give his son a light hug before pulling away. Narcissa turned to Luna and her eyes softened.

"Thank you."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 19****th**** of June 1997**

**12:25 AM**

Tom came into his office, unusually tired. He was used to doing so many things but now he was just uncommonly exhausted. The exhaustion went away when he saw the person sitting on his desk. She was reading a book, her lean legs crossed. Tom recognized the book she was reading and surprisingly it wasn't the book he'd given her for Christmas. It was _A Book of Verse_. Tom crossed over to her and pushed her glasses back up from where it had been slowly slipping down the slope of her nose. Bella looked up with unfathomable eyes and Tom leaned down and kissed her, softly.

It had been a long time since they had kissed like this and for some reason, it felt different to Tom. He cringed at the idea that it was _love_ making it different. He hated the emotion enough now that he experienced it. He didn't resent Bella for making him love her.

He resented the actual emotion more.

Bella didn't respond under him, immediately. Slowly, she kissed him back.

It was a chaste kiss at first with a strange sweetness to it. Tom took Bella's bottom lip between his own and his tongue stroked it, almost reverently. Bella let out a wanton moan and she let him take control for now. Tom reveled in the noise she made and he pulled her forward until he stood between her legs. But Tom didn't spur the kiss on. He simply spent time tasting her lips.

It had been such a long time since he had done just this and she had this strange spicy taste to her lips, almost like Thai food but different. And Tom quite enjoyed Thai food.

"You're being gentle with me," Bella whispered against his lips. Tom smirked and pulled back.

"Only you."

"I don't need you to be gentle."

The passion in the kiss intensified as Bella's fingers laced themselves in Tom's hair and she tugged harshly at the locks as he leaned down to kiss her again. This kiss was ravenous and made of lust. Tom's tongue explored her mouth in a very dominating manner and if he was thinking straight, he would have thought how strange it was that Bella wasn't trying to control him instead. Tom groaned into her mouth and Bella's tongue thrust against his for control. She wrapped her legs around his waist and Tom hoisted her up by her thighs before slamming her against the wall. He moved his mouth down from his lips and along her neck. Bella slammed her head back against the wall and she let out a delicious moan.

Tom smirked and he bit down harshly on her shoulder. He leaned his knee against the wall and let Bella balance on it as his fingers drifted to her button down shirt. Suddenly, Bella's hand grabbed his long slender fingers and Tom looked up, slowly, his mouth open in disbelief.

He watched her smirk and the mischievous look in her eyes. She leaned forward on his knee until they were chest to chest and she gave him a teasing kiss before leaning back against the wall. She tilted her head, observing his shocked and annoyed expression before letting out a quiet laugh.

"I'm not a little teenager anymore. You can't treat me like that anymore, love. You broke my trust and you know that. I know that. So, I'm not going to hand you _anything_," Bella decided, firmly. Tom looked at her in shock as she slid off his knee and she walked back towards his desk. She sat in his chair and propped her legs up on his desk and she gave a slight smirk.

"What the hell does that mean?" Tom hissed, angrily and confused. Bella laughed.

"You want me? You're going to have to _work_ for me."

Even under intense torture, Tom would _never _admit how turned on he was just at the picture that Bella made in that one moment. He looked her over once more and he admired how her physique was dramatically different from a year ago. She looked more mature and…well, _damn_ she was sexy as hell.

"Work for you? I'm not a patient man."

"You'll have to learn patience then. You want to fuck me against the wall?" Bella asked, using crude language for the first time in a _long _time. It had been quite a few months since she had cursed at all. Tom wasn't sure if he liked that or not but he definitely appreciated the context that the swear word was used in.

"Most definitely."

"Well, you can't. Because you put me through _hell_. Even if I didn't listen to you at first, you wouldn't listen to _me_. I tried to tell you that I loved you but you didn't want to hear it. I'm really happy that you love me too but I even _touch _your bed, we're going to _date_," Bella said, emphasizing the word. Tom frowned in absolute confusion and he tilted his head at the word.

"What is this 'date'? Black used the word before," Tom teased. Bella offered a slight smile before she looked away from him and she kicked her legs. Tom tilted his head and he looked at her, seriously.

"The Gryffindors are all upset. I had to tell them that Hermione was arrested. All of them were yelling and carrying on. I didn't know what to do. Ron wasn't doing anything. He just sat in the corner, staring at nothing. Gideon kept giving me 'meaningful' glances and for some reason Ginny Weasley was there too. Neville helped me get everything under control," Bella explained. She was a bit surprised that he had looked for concerned for her and despite the tragedy that had just occurred he looked…lighter, somehow. Though now with all of his focus on the war, he'd be twice as determined as before.

"I'm not surprised. Isn't he one of the leaders for your little gang?" Tom asked, nonchalantly. Bella grinned.

"We're not a gang, thank you very much. I know what you're trying to do and I'm not falling for that. You don't need to know anything except the name of it and that they will be actively participating in the war after we all graduate," Bella said, firmly. Tom snorted.

"By your side or mine?"

"We're on the same side, Tom. I suppose we always were…or maybe not. I still don't agree with the razing and pillaging of Muggle cities. And innocents shouldn't be harmed. _No one _should be killed unless in battle," Bella said, seriously. Tom rolled his eyes at her idealistic morals. Murder. What was it anyway? It wasn't destruction at all in Tom's eyes.

It was an art form that he had practiced to perfection.

"You've killed before. Do you not like it?"

"I revel in it."

"But?" Tom asked, knowing that wasn't the end of it. Bella offered a half-smile before it turned into a grimace.

"At the same time, I despise it. The act of killing someone, I will never regret. But…there's a small difference between guilt and regret. After, I feel guilty. Not for the person of course but…but for the people that loved that person. I revel in the control I have over that one person. In that one moment, I control life and death. But afterwards…I wish I didn't have that control," Bella said, honestly. Tom nodded in understanding. He ran a hand through his hair before moving on to the next subject. Her whole new poetic view of the world was just…not working for him at the moment.

"I see. Hermione is being held in a Ministry holding cell. I met your godfather and godmother there and they were arguing about Hermione with the Aurors. The Aurors wanted to place her in Azkaban until they put her on trial. Your godfather adopted her then and there and pulled the 'Black' card and that she deserved the best. I may have put in a few words. The Ministry cell has top security and her wand is set to be snapped once she's convicted," Tom said, sharply. Bella's eyes widened. Snapping one's wand was like destroying a part of the person. A wand would never fit Hermione as well as that one.

"No! Can't I…can't I get it for her? Keep it as a keepsake?" Bella asked. Tom tilted his head, considering it.

"Well…since you're head of the Light Denomination…"

"Wait. _What_?"

Bella stared at Tom in disbelief. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow before a smug smirk crossed his face that infuriated Bella. Her looked of confusion and disbelief twisted into a glare and she crossed her arms, looking dangerously close to pouting.

"You're Heir to the Gryffindor Family though I don't believe they have any money. There's a sword I believe…"

"But the Light Denomination was founded by Merlin Ambrosius and the Dark Sect by Morgan le Fay. How did it become the Gryffindor family?" Bella asked in confusion. Tom tilted his head and sighed. He was a DADA teacher not a History teacher but he knew this particular story and it was short.

"Myrddin Ambrosius, great, many times over, great-granddaughter of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue married Godric Gryffindor. Thus, her ruling of the Light Denomination transferred to the Gryffindors. Salazar Slytherin was a descendant of Morgan le Fay. One of the reasons why I have such strong political connections though I rarely use them," explained Tom. Bella's eyes widened and then narrowed in confusion. She slid off the table and right into Tom's lap. He didn't look surprised by her sudden move and she only hooked an arm around his neck.

"So…I have to take part in trials? I want to be an attorney. Not part of the jury. I don't want that," Bella murmured as she put her head in the crook of Tom's neck. He sighed, leaning back.

"You have to for Hermione's trial. Since this case has to do with the Black Arts, you make the final decision for Light Denomination. I believe Dumbledore has been holding your spot for you. There was a case when you were seven about Necromancy. In truth, despite your age, you should have been there. However, he spoke of how you were too young and didn't understand. They'll need to gather evidence of Hermione's extensive use of Blood Magic and they'll evaluate her to see if she is unfit for trial. This will take time so I believe the trial will be in August. After you turn seventeen."

Bella knew the implications of Tom's words. She'd be seventeen. She'd be of age and that meant she had several duties to take upon. She'd been the Heir to the Potters. Now she could officially assume her position as Lady Potter.

"I have to go to Gringotts that day…to check on the family vaults. And maybe to get my blood checked for more families. I forgot about the first time I did it. It's been a long time…almost six years," Bella said, softly. She didn't notice Tom's eyes narrowed and he said nothing before looking away. There was a knock on the door and Bella jumped up, surprising Tom. She sat on his desk.

"Come in!" Bella commanded. The door opened and revealed a harassed-looking Maya, Sirius, and Blaise. They entered and Bella frowned.

"Where's Draco?"

"With Lucius, Narcissa, and Luna. They went to the Ministry. Some of the Aurors returned to question him and Luna. It seemed they _did _notice that they were there. Since Luna is underage, they have alerted Xenophilius so they can question her. Draco's already seventeen despite his body being forever sixteen. Luna is trying to figure out a way to make it seem like he has a heartbeat. She's working some _powerful _Elven magic and she's not even sixteen yet," Sirius commented. Bella took his word for it. He was an Unspeakable and knew about a lot of magic by default anyway.

"And Hermione?" Bella prompted.

"I spoke to her. She had been raging and trying to kill the Aurors that had her in custody. They tried to tell me to leave because I'm a Muggle. But, when Hermione saw me…she stopped and asked for me. The Aurors let me in and she started crying and hugging me. They were surprised. Sirius explained to me that her trial is going to be in front of the Wizengamot and the House of Families. Is that true? Is it true that _you_ are going to be convicting Hermione?" Maya asked, speaking to Tom. Tom nodded once and Blaise looked at him in surprise.

"By default, I _am _Head of the Dark Sect. But _Bella _is the Head of the Light Denomination."

Maya's eyes flew open wide and Sirius stared in shock.

"What…that's Dumbledore! You're wrong! When Bella was seven there was a trial about a Necromancer. Dumbledore served as Supreme Mugwump _and _the Head of the Light Denomination," Sirius said, sharply. Tom nodded, solemnly. Even Black knew that Bella should have served where Dumbledore had sat.

"That's true. However, he claimed that she was too young at the time to participate in the trial and that she wouldn't understand. Despite that possibly being true, Bella should have had the right to choose for herself. She will not be able to take control of her Denomination just yet. Not until after her seventeenth birthday. And I believe that Draco will have to sit in the seat for the Lestrange House…Rodolphus is still an escaped convict…"

Suddenly, Sirius looked up with sharp eyes.

"You're Lord Voldemort."

Bella suddenly stood up and shut the door, locking it, quickly. She murmured a few choice words, the end of her wand glowing brightly before settling. She slid the holly wand back up her sleeve and she stood by the door, her eyes on Sirius. Tom had not reacted at the statement of pure truth.

"I am."

"You tried to kidnap my goddaughter," Sirius continued. Tom tilted his head.

"I did."

"You're insane."

"I _was_."

Sirius stopped and looked at him in surprise. He was surprised that Riddle would just openly admit that he was insane. Or that…he's not insane anymore? Sirius frowned in confusion but Riddle did not elaborate. Sirius glanced at Bella and saw that she was smiling ever so slightly.

"And you're not anymore," Sirius said, flatly.

Bella smiled.

"He's not."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 20****th**** of June 1997**

**8:10 AM**

Christine watched as Bella paraded into the messy Great Hall. The clean-up had not gone well and most were too shaken to do much of anything. She looked around before frowning and Christine watched as a woman that looked a lot like Hermione wander in behind her with Sirius Black.

"Where's Draco?" Bella asked Zabini. Zabini tilted his head.

"He's been at the Ministry since midnight. Luna is with him. I just spoke with her. They'll be finished soon. Draco said he's going to Azkaban after that. The dementors have been restless," Zabini said, sharply. Bella looked to Dumbledore who was sitting in the Headmaster seat. Riddle wasn't there yet.

"All right. How'd you sleep last night?"

"I didn't sleep. There was extensive damaged in the Entrance Hall and I helped do that. Then, I Flooed to China. My mother's there. I told her what happened and asked her…I asked her to become the Lord Zabini," Zabini said, softly. Bella's eyes widened. Christine frowned in confusion. What was so wrong about that?

"And what did she say?" Bella asked. Zabini lifted his left hand and showed her the gold ring on his finger.

"She said yes. She's tired of politics anyway. Being too connected with the government messes with her hunts," Zabini explained. Bella nodded and she kissed her cheek before running a hand through her hair.

"I couldn't sleep either. I was staying up with Gryffindor first years. They were all shaken. We stayed in the Common Room."

"I did the same. Draco couldn't be here so everyone looked to me. Daphne and I worked while Pansy carried on. Theodore was with Lalita. They were speaking with her father," Blaise explained. Bella nodded in understanding and Christine really looked at the girl…no, woman.

Christine had never _really _looked at Bella.

She had always seen the beautiful girl with the lightening scar. The Girl-Who-Lived who had lived through too much. But, now Christine really looked at Bella.

The young woman's long thick untamable, not curly, mane hung around her, dusty with the debris from the night before. She was wearing the same clothes from yesterday and there were dark circles under her eyes. The woman's bright green eyes shown with triumph despite the battle that had taken place the night before.

This woman was scarred. That was obvious. Not only physically. Christine could see the scars that Bella attempted to hide but couldn't quite. They would always be there. But, this woman was also _strong_. She was so very strong. Stronger than Christine could _ever _hope to be. This woman was broken but she had sewn herself back together for the people that needed her and Christine knew that without her the Light would lose.

And Christine wasn't sure if the Light actually had her.

She remembered the soft look in Bella's eyes when she had confronted Voldemort. She hadn't fought him. Bella had never raised her wand to him. She had clearly offered the one thing that he had come for. Herself. Her freedom. And Bella was a free spirit though it seemed that before she had been restricted by something.

"Bella…"

Bella turned around and Christine watched as the brightest smile that she had ever seen on Bella appeared on the woman's face. Riddle was standing in front of her with a slight smirk on his face.

"Everything taken care of?" she asked. Riddle tilted his head.

"Perhaps. The house elves are sending up the food in a few minutes," Riddle said, softly. Bella nodded and she turned back to Zabini. He had a raised eyebrow and Bella snickered under her breath before rolling her eyes.

"So…"

"So, nothing. Go eat breakfast and then go to sleep. I doubt there are going to be classes today," Bella said. Christine watched as Dumbledore approached her. He tapped her shoulder and Bella looked up at the others. They were all staring at her.

"There are reporters wishing to speak to you," Dumbledore said, softly. Bella looked at him though she didn't respond at first.

"I…I want to sleep first. Take a shower. Eat. See my brother. I don't want to deal with them right now. Tell them…tell them to go away. I'll speak to them later," Bella promised. Dumbledore opened his mouth to protest but Bella just turned away from him. Christine looked at her in surprise and she felt a shiver go down her spine as Bella gave a smile that was the complete opposite from what she given Riddle.

It was a sad one and Christine shook her head.

Bella Potter was the strongest woman that she had _ever _met.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 20****th**** of June 1997**

**1:10 PM**

"We're supposed to meet her where?" Gregorio asked Armani Giordano. Armani bit her lip as they wandered Hogwarts' grounds with the other reporters from several other newspapers. Armani opened her mouth to answer when she stopped as she heard the beautiful music floating over to them.

The group stopped speaking as they walked towards the source of the music. They found the source beside the lake.

Armani stared at the woman playing on a beautiful, glossy, black grand piano. Her hair fell in a mess of waves and curls and was still wet from a shower it seemed instead of her over elaborate curls she had went back to her old hairstyle. She had an overlong fringe that fell into her eyes instead of what she had been sporting recently. Tom Riddle was sitting on the bench next to her as she played and she was resting her head against his arm as her fingers danced over the keys. Tears were falling from her eyes and Armani looked around.

On the lid of the piano was a hand mirror, two roses tied together with a black ribbon, and a pair of gloves.

There were several students sitting on the glass, just listening to her play. A blond man stood next to the piano and Sirius Black and a brunette woman stood as well with a man with golden eyes. A blonde girl was smiling as she hummed something that went beautifully with the music.

Two redheaded twins were clutching each other and a blond girl sat on the grass with a slightly rounder kid with dark hair. His arm was around her shoulders. An Indian girl sat with a Slytherin and a group of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors sat together.

Hufflepuffs sat around as well. There were a lot of younger kids and they watched, silently as Bella played. Bella was shaking and she shook her head. She looked over at Tom Riddle and he gave a soft look that struck Armani to the core. The look held such reassurance and love that it couldn't _possibly _be platonic though Armani didn't say anything. Bella gave a shaky smile.

"_I've had enough._

_This is my prayer._

_That I'll die living just as free as my hair_," Bella sang. Armani had to admit that the girl wasn't a particular good singer but she could carry a tune. But she made up for that with her talent on the piano.

Bella's passion got more passionate and she squeezed her eyes shut and Armani felt her eyes sting as a quiet sob escaped from Bella. She had come to get a story out of the girl…woman in front of her but for some reason, now Armani just felt ashamed. She could feel the pain the woman was in. Bella continued having her fingers dancing across the keys, the sounds blending together to become something beautiful.

"_I just want to be free, I just want to be me_

_And I want lots of friends that invite me to their parties_

_I don't wanna change,_

_And I don't wanna be ashamed_

_I'm the spirit of my Hair_

_It's all the glory that I bare_

_I am my Hair_," Bella continued as she sang out the lyrics. She ran a hand through her hand before she began playing more intensely and she shook her head so that her hair could fall down her back.

"_I'm my hair, I am my hair_

_It's all the glory that I bare_

_I'm my hair-am my hair_

_I'm my hair-am my hair yeah!_" Bella said, singing the words that she had written. The blond girl that looked very Elven sang the last part, carrying out the last part with a beautiful soprano. Bella looked up at her and smiled and nodded. Bella stopped for a moment and Armani lifted her hands to applaud when Bella began to play again and she rocked back and forth as she played, tears falling onto the keys as she smiled, brightly.

"_I've had enough_

_You're not a freak_

_You just keep fighting to stay cool on the streets_," Bella continued. She began playing softer now and she smiled around at her audience.

"And this is my prayer, I swear. I'm as free as my hair," she finished by stating aloud. She stopped playing and Armani wiped the stray tears from her face before looking at Bella. She turned to face them and stood to look at the reporters. She gave a smile and her eyes were bright.

Armani examined her.

In the past few weeks, she had expected to see Bella Potter in a stylish outfit. She was mistaken it seemed. The girl was wearing jeans tucked into boots splattered with blood and an oversized white dress shirt. It was slipping off, exposing a nude colored strap.

"I wrote that song."

Bella spoke those words and Armani frowned in confusion.

"What?" voiced one person. Bella smiled brightly and she ran a hand through her wet hair.

"I wrote that song. I've written a lot of songs. Most untitled. The ones that are untitled stay private. But the ones I title…I usually intend to share with the world. That song was called _Hair_, quite obviously. A couple of months ago…in not so many words, someone told me to grow up," Bella said, softly. She looked at the ground for a moment before she looked up, her eyes determined and Armani shivered at the intensity of her stare.

"And so I did. I didn't curse. I didn't shout. I didn't yell. I was a submissive punk. And that's not who I _fucking _am. I am Bella _mother fucking _Anastasia Potter. And I'll curse if I _fucking _want to! AND I'LL SCREAM IF I WANT TO! And I'll be angry if I want to. I'm not who you think I should be! I'm not who you want me to be! I've had enough!" Bella said, shouting, angrily. Armani looked at her in surprise and Bella stormed up to a redhead boy and she pointed at him.

"You tried to make me someone who I'm not. Even if you didn't mean to but you _did_. But…you are one of my greatest inspirations for my music," Bella said, quietly. She turned from him and he looked after her in surprise and Bella turned to look at Tom Riddle.

"You told me that I need a haircut. I don't. My hair's not curly. It's not wavy. It's not straight. It's _my _hair," Bella continued. Armani knew that the woman was not necessarily talking about hair. Tom Riddle looked away with a narrowed-eyed stare and he sighed. Bella finally turned towards the golden-eyed boy.

"Blaise…you're my brother. I love you but I just want to be myself and I just want you to love me for who I am. I'm not who you saw…I'm sorry that I'm not _your _Bella. I'm _this _Bella. I am and always will be," Bella continued. Blaise looked down, looking almost ashamed. Bella finally turned to the reporters.

"I want you all to know…that I was almost kidnapped by Voldemort last night."

All of the reporters ripped out their quills and notepads and began writing what Bella was saying.

"In return for the safety of Hogwarts, I was to give my freedom. I had to give up my freedom for Hogwarts and the life of another student who was _foolish _and brave enough to come after me. Voldemort talked with me. What he told me…I will never tell you. I will take that secret to the grave but I will tell you why I'm here with you today. I showed Voldemort the one thing he was never shown. Compassion," Bella continued.

"And I'd like to say something else too. I haven't been completely honest with myself and with everyone else. I…I did a lot of things this year. I dressed differently. I talked differently. I walked differently. And that wasn't me. You all want Bella Potter. You all seem to have preconceptions on who Bella Potter is. I'll show you who she is."

Bella tilted her head and looked at them all with surveying eyes. She dared anyone to counter her and Armani knew that in that one moment that no one would challenge her. Not now.

"She's a girl with bangs falling into her eyes, boots covered in blood, and oversized shirts. Bella Potter likes to dance and go to parties just like any regular teenager. She loves music even though she pretended to hate the piano since she was ten years old until she was fifteen. Bella Potter hates lying even though she does it sometimes too. She curses. She used to be depressed. She used to want to die. Don't look at me that way. I wanted to _die_. I hated myself. I hated who I was. I hated who I was becoming. I hated my imperfections. But now I love myself. I don't care if you don't like this Bella Potter. But that's who I am. So you'll have to accept me. Flaws and all."

* * *

**Si Aelael Vaer, Brittany, France, Europe**

**Saturday the 21****st**** of June 1997**

**12:00 PM**

"Luna Lovegood, step forward before the Guild of Elves so that we may accept you into our fold."

Luna drifted forward in her gray garb and she didn't make eye contact with the elves, as she wasn't supposed to. It was rude to do so and she was never to make eye contact unless she was asked specifically to do so. And Luna was young so she wouldn't for quite a while. She couldn't even _look _at the elder Elves

"Luna Lovegood, shall you confess to any broken laws before we induct you?"

The voice was familiar.

Luna stopped for a moment and she stared at the ground. She had avoided speaking with Draco about this. She wasn't sure what to exactly say about this. She had known it would come up but she didn't know that it would happen before she was inducted. Luna knew she'd be killed on the spot if she didn't phrase this just right.

"I have…fallen in love with the Lord Death of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse," she said, softly. There were a few gasps from the sides of the room. She looked at the other young elves that were staring at her like she was the most interesting thing in the world. They were all wearing blinding white. One with dark hair was glaring at her in disgust.

"The Lord Death of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a wizard. A Horseman he may be but he is still a wizard."

They said it plainly as if Luna didn't already know. She swallowed before frowning and standing up straight. She fixed the Elven Council with a look and her eyes widened and she stared in shock at the woman who had spoken. A mirror image of Luna sat in the center chair. The only difference was that the woman had purple eyes.

Luna breathed the word.

"Mummy?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 21****st**** of June 1997**

**1:00 PM**

"I wrote another composition for you."

Tom looked up from the book he was reading. They were in his classroom because most of the kids looked for Bella to see if she was playing the piano. The woman hated when people interrupted the writing process. She was always in so much concentration. It hadn't surprised Tom when he realized that she had perfect pitch.

"What is it called?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella looked at him, seriously.

"The Last Song I'm Wasting On You."

Bella turned back to the piano and placed down the deep chords. She didn't even need to look at the sheet music, really. This song she knew by heart. Tom stood behind her and read the lyrics and his eyes widened as he recalled some of the words. He looked down at her as she played the simple piano music. She was smiling though as she played it.

"This song was…probably the easiest that I've ever written. I wrote this song the day that I tried to tell you that I loved you. Every other song usually takes me a few days. This song, lyrics and notes took an hour," Bella said as she continued to play. She said this conversationally. She tilted her head as she read the lyrics along with Tom.

"Give up my way, and I could be anything. I'll make my own way without your senseless hate…hate…hate. So run, run, run and hate me, if it feels good. I can't hear your screams anymore. That's you. I won't return. I refuse to run anymore," Bella said, firmly and Tom looked at her in surprise. She smiled at him and pecked his cheek and she tilted her head. She turned back, her fingers dancing across keys as if it were nothing. It always surprised Tom at the effortlessness and the fluidness of her fingers. She was just so natural at playing the instrument.

"And you'll never hurt me again…" Bella finished as she finished playing the song. She stood, suddenly and Tom looked at her in surprise. Bella shook her head, as she smiled.

"Your music is…"

"Is very good," Bella grinned, cockily. Tom tilted his head.

"Perhaps. Your music is very…honest. Incredibly so. Your song about your hair…it's quite interesting in fact. I think I like your hair like this. Your long bangs and untamable hair are a part of you. I shouldn't have made comments about whom you are when you never did about me," Tom said. He wasn't apologizing but it was close enough. Bella smiled at him and she crossed her arms, defiantly.

"Tom, I love you but it doesn't matter if you like my hair or not. I like me and I'm tired of changing for people. So I won't."

"You've grown up."

"You better fucking believe it."

"And you sound like a thirteen-year-old again."

"Fuck you."

"I'd love to."

Bella snickered.

"No chance."

:::

**A/N: **And that is the end of sixth year. I liked this chapter the most. I know someone commented on how the story seemed musical but from the beginning, I knew music was going to be a big part of the story. Bella's a very creative person and she's into music. Anyway, the reason why I had this all happen with the hair thing was because I changed Bella. I changed her into someone I didn't like.

She was too much like Christine from Phantom. And I mostly did that due to pressuring from a reviewer. She spoke about how cursing was immature of Bella and how she acts immature. She's SIXTEEN! She's going to be immature! She's supposed to be! But now she accepts that she can be immature and she told everyone that she is who she is and she's tired of being someone she's not. She's grown so much over this story in truth.

She went from a depressed teen to an unsure young woman. As an unsure young woman, she tried to conform to what people found socially acceptable for a person like her. Blaise was in the wrong when he told her those things many chapters ago. She finally realized that and she set him straight. Standing up to the love of her life and her brother finally made her an adult.

Next Interlude: Interrogations


	84. Interlude VI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **This chapter was kind of freaky to write for me. I wrote this to a really dark soundtrack. But I think I'm in love with this scene. It's such a good one and I love the way that Hermione's insanity shows so very clearly. I don't have much to say so read on.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Interlude VI**

**Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 22****nd**** of June 1997**

**8:00 PM**

"What do we got?" Scrimgeour asked Amelia Bones, quietly. Amelia sighed and shook her head. They looked through the one-sided mirror and at the young woman sitting with a smirk as she tipped her chair back. Her two bare feet were propped up on the table and shredded black clothing hung off her in rags. She was humming an eerie tune and Amelia would have shuddered at the sound of it if she wasn't a battle hardened Auror Commissioner.

"Nothing. We know her name but she won't talk. She's Bella Potter's sister. Her mother, a Muggle, was set to marry Sirius Black. That's been put on hold because of this piece of work," Amelia said, coolly. She watched as the dark haired woman's tongue flicked out and licked dark red lips. It looked like her lips were covered with wet blood and Amelia watched in horror as red actually came up on her tongue.

It _was_ blood.

Hermione Jean Granger ran a hand through dark greasy curls and she started moving her head from side to side. She lifted the same hand that had gone through her curls and pointed at Amelia. Amelia gaped and Scrimgeour frowned.

"This is one-sided glass."

The ex-Auror turned to the speaker. Kingsley watched with narrowed eyes. This wasn't the Hermione Granger that he had seen in Grimmauld Place all those many times. This…whatever _this _was, was something different.

"I know. Perhaps she's just pointing at it," Scrimgeour said, lightly. Goose pimples rose on his skin as Hermione Granger slowly turned her hand and pulled a finger up. She crooked her finger. When no one reacted, she did it again. She was beckoning Amelia in.

She had known they were there.

Amelia cleared her throat and nodded to both Scrimgeour and Kingsley before walking, swiftly towards the door. She opened it and the lights suddenly went out. Amelia almost jumped when she heard the soft chuckle. It was a frightening sound and it sounded more like the cackle of a hyena. The lights flickered back on and Hermione Granger tilted her head. Her eyes were still rimmed with kohl. It looked as fresh as it had the night that she had been put into the Ministry holding cells where she would stay until her trial.

Amelia didn't approve of Bella Potter and Tom Riddle pulling strings to make her comfortable but they had both pointed out that Hermione wasn't afraid of dementors, mostly because of a surprisingly alive Draco Malfoy. Amelia didn't know what to think of _that_ but since they didn't find any signs of Necromancy and since Luna Lovegood had actually made a fair trade with Death, she couldn't do anything. She wished to. The girl had narrowly avoided a few years in Azkaban.

"_Evening_, Com_missioner_."

The soft sound was a little disconcerting and the young woman licked her bloody lips again.

"Severus Snape has slipped into a coma and he's missing three fingers and a toe."

A little snort escaped from the girl with dark gleaming eyes and Amelia looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The girl swung her legs off the table and she leaned forward, showing her purple-shackled hands.

"Of course he is."

Amelia's eyes narrowed. How did the girl know? She leaned forward with a narrow-eyed glare. What the hell was this girl?

"_Solvite Interna _only damages in the insides of the body. It shouldn't have put him in a coma _days_ after the spell was cast. What have you done to him?" Amelia asked, coldly. Hermione Granger began to hum the eerie tune again and Amelia ran a hand over the goose pimples on her arm. Hermione Granger suddenly stopped and she lifted her shackled hands.

"You've done your research, _Com_mission_eeerrr_. I didn't do anything. I was _right_ here," Hermione Granger laughed. The laugh grated on Amelia's ears like steel on some other metal. She shook her greasy hair and licked her lips again. Her eyes looked sunken with the black kohl.

"Who did you leave him with? Your people? Ha…assuming, of course, they are still _your_ people and not…_mine _or worst…_Nikolai's_. Does it depress you, Commissioner? To know just how alone you really are…does it make you feel responsible for Severus Snape's current _pre-dic-a-ment_?" Hermione Granger continued as she over enunciated the words. She sighed and shook her head before leaving back.

"What did you do…have done to him?" Amelia asked, her tone steely as she completely missed the other name used in the suspect's little speech. Normally, criminals were frightened by the tone. But this time, it didn't work. Hermione Granger only stared, unimpressed. They sat there for a while, only staring at each other and Amelia quickly found herself unnerved by Hermione's unwavering and unblinking stare. It was wholly unnatural.

"What time is it?" Hermione Granger finally asked.

"What difference does it make?" Amelia asked in surprise. She hadn't expected Hermione to ask such a mundane question. Normally, they were screaming that they would kill her and attempt to escape by now. Hermione was trying no such thing.

"Well, depending on the time, he may be in one spot. Or many. _Ha…hahahahaha_," Hermione said, her voice muffled as she tried to hold back her cackles. She was unsuccessful and the brutal laughter echoed off the walls. Suddenly, it was cut off and the brunette was humming once more. Amelia's curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you humming?"

"Something…something…that _Tom_ composed for my sister, B-B-B-Bell-_ah_. She loves that locket. So very protective of it, you know. The locket doubles as a music box. Second most beautiful thing I've ever heard," Hermione said, softly. Amelia noticed that her eyes softened and the _gleam_ softened as she spoke of her little sister. She loved her quite a bit. Amelia could see that much. She wondered what her reaction would be to that Zabini boy that was apparently her boyfriend.

"What's the most beautiful thing you've ever heard?" Amelia asked, curiously. Hermione laughed and sighed.

"Kingsley's heard it. A song…a song that B-B-B-Bell-_ah_ played for Tom. Such a beautiful song. Speaks of heartbreak and sorrow. By the by, times running out for dear Severus Snape, the Bat of Hogwarts," Hermione said, cackling out the last part. Amelia sighed and knew she'd have to bring in Kingsley. She was good at interrogating but Kingsley was better at getting them to talk. When he came in, Amelia became the force.

"Well, I think I need to get a cup of coffee before we really get talking about that night. You want anything?"

"Your head…on a platter. Severus' heart…heated up of course. Kingsley as an interrogator. And…maybe a butterbeer. If you have one," Hermione added, maliciously. Amelia nodded and she walked quickly from the room. She looked at Scrimgeour and Kingsley. There were a few other Aurors witnessing and they looked horrified.

"What song?" Amelia intoned as a junior Auror passed her a cup of coffee and a butterbeer. Kingsley sighed.

"This…terribly beautiful song that Bella played almost two years ago."

"You still remember it?" asked one Auror. Kingsley cleared his throat.

"Hard to forget when the girl looked like she was dying just because she was playing it. She was angry that we heard. The girl threw a tantrum and was ready to kill someone. And i mean that quite literally. She is...frightening to say the least. What happened in Liverpool _paled _to what I saw in the Department of Mysteries. You want me in there, ma'am?" Kingsley asked. Amelia nodded once and Kingsley opened the door before sliding in with Amelia. Amelia slammed her cup down on the table, some hot coffee sloshing down. She put down the butterbeer in front of Hermione, forcefully before whispering a few choice words. The cuffs melted away. Hermione flecked her wrists before standing and cracking her neck. She popped open the butterbeer and took a long sip before speaking.

"Different disposition this time, Commissioner. And how nice to _seeee_ you, Kings_ley_," Hermione said, drawing out the words unnecessarily. She laughed loudly before shaking her head as if she'd told the funniest joke alive.

"You wanted me here. Here I am," Kingsley said, coldly.

"I wanted to see what you'd do. You remember what I said. I can't take part in battle. Because of you and the _Order's_ idiocy, you let six students die."

"Those were because of Bellatrix Lestrange," Kingsley said, coldly. Hermione tutted and Kingsley raised an eyebrow before he leaned forward. Hermione rubbed the dark red tattoo and Amelia frowned at it. It looked familiar.

"_ERRRH! _WRONG ANSWER! Bellatrix Lestrange likes to play with her food before chews them. I know when to get it done. Those bodies showed no signs of torture. I killed three of them. And then…you and the Order let Bella take the responsibilities of an adult. Even to a gal like me, that's cold…" Hermione said, loudly and proudly. She tilted her head at Amelia.

"What happened to Snape?" Amelia asked, again. Hermione ignored her, completely. She spoke differently now and she sounded completely serious. It was disconcerting.

"The Dark wants Ana…Anastasia. Bella Anastasia Black-Potter. They want her and they want _you_, the _Order_ gone. The Order wants the same. They want Bella and the Dark gone. For good. But I know the truth. There's no going back. _She's_ changed things. Forever," Hermione said, softly. She tilted her head at Kingsley and Amelia and Amelia almost shivered. The stare was penetrating and it freaked her out quite a bit.

"But, _why_ did you try to kill an Order member? What side are you on? Why Blood Magic?" Kingsley asked. Hermione tilted her head before she began to cackle.

"Kill an Order member? That's not what I was trying to do. And what side? My side. And Blood Magic…it completes me. I lost a lot for it. I won't give it up," Hermione promised. Amelia looked at her with complete disgust. This woman was far gone. She was absolutely insane and she didn't understand why Maya Granger, Bella Potter, Sirius Black, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Luna Lovegood and co. wanted to see her so bad. That wasn't her daughter anyway.

"You're being disgustingly ridiculous."

Amelia and Kingsley looked up and at the doorway. Tom Riddle and Bella Potter stood there with Aurors trying to pull them out. Tom Riddle pushed them away and Bella Potter walked forward with a cold look on her face. Tom Riddle had spoken. Hermione's eyes flashed with fury and she slammed her hand down. Kingsley and Amelia didn't jump, of course but Amelia was quite surprise to see that Tom Riddle and Bella Potter didn't either. They looked like this was regular behavior for Hermione Granger. Their poker faces were some of the best Amelia had seen in years.

"Don't talk like one of them! You're _not_. Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're both freaks…like ME! They need you right now but when they don't…they'll cast you out, like a leper. You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke! Dropped at the first sign of trouble! They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve," Hermione said, self-righteously. She grinned at them and Amelia watched in surprise as Bella Potter pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead. She pulled back and Hermione frowned in confusion.

"I never said you were a monster. I know what a monster is. You are not it. Stop being foolish and confess to what you did," Bella Potter commanded. Hermione nodded, dutifully and Amelia looked at Bella Potter in surprise.

"I, Hermione Granger, cast Blood Magic at one Severus Snape, threw my sword through one Michael Brown, and killed three nameless disgusting Hogwarts students. I am proud of this fact and I despise the Aurors for not taking care of Snape faster. Breaking a Natural Law means nothing these days, does it?" Hermione asked, speaking more to Tom Riddle. The handsome man said nothing, only tilting his head as he observed Hermione.

"You're lost," he finally said. Hermione Granger offered a bloody smile.

"I am. You were lost too. We were lost together. Bella was lost. Luna was lost. Draco was lost. You were lost. Blaise was lost…it's only me and Blaise now. Pretty Apollo. I'm his pretty _principessa_. I don't remember the last time he called me that. That's okay. We're lost together. Buh-bye," Hermione said, softly. Riddle nodded to her and he looked towards Bella Potter. She was looking at Hermione with a strange look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Amelia wondered what Potter was apologizing for.

"It's not your fault. I did this to me."

"I'm sorry for letting you."

Hermione Granger made a hiccupping noise and Amelia wondered if she was about to cry. The hiccupping sound was bit clearer this time.

"_Heh…heh…heh. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA_."

:::

**A/N: **I wonder how many of you will recognize the two characters that I base insane Hermione on. Here's a clue or two: one is female and one is male. One is from a movie and the other is from a television show. I wonder who will guess first. Whoever guesses first and is _**signed in**_ will be able to request a one-shot from this universe to put in my outtakes collection.

Next Chapter: Bonds and Birthdays


	85. Chapter LXXVIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXVIII**

_"Through me you pass into the city of woe:_

_Through me you pass into eternal pain_

_ Through me among the people lost for aye._

_Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:_

_To rear me was the task of power divine,_

_Supremest wisdom, and primeval love_

_Before me things create were none, save things_

_Eternal, and eternal I endure._

**_All hope abandon ye who enter here."_**

_-Divina Commedia, Dante Alighieri_

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of July 1997**

**11:00 PM**

"She's coming of age tomorrow."

The brunette woman looked at the dark haired man and gave a slight smile. She kissed his cheek and he gave her a grin that withered almost immediately. The brunette woman sighed.

"Sirius…you knew this day would come. She'll be an adult but she's still your daughter. Is everything ready for tomorrow night?" Maya Granger asked, curiously. Sirius nodded and he looked at Maya with a frown on his face.

"Do you think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it. Tomorrow, I have to go to the Ministry. Will you accompany me?" Maya asked, curiously. Sirius nodded and kissed his fiancée on the cheek. She smiled, lovingly before turning the page in her magazine.

"What for though? You've gone everyday since last week. Most of the Aurors know you by name now," Sirius pointed out as he laughed a little. Maya rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms.

"Just because Hermione got arrested doesn't mean I won't see my daughter everyday. She's…better when I'm around, I've heard. Saner. Not as much as when she's with Blaise or even Bella but she _is _saner," Maya pointed out. Sirius crossed his arms and tilted his head.

"What are you getting her for her birthday?" Sirius asked, curiously. Maya smiled.

"Hermione and I were talking about that the other day. It seems despite being in solitary confinement, she knows what time it is. Down to seconds, really. It's strange. She knew Bella's birthday was coming up. Hermione was muttering about a camera and we've decided together. It'll be from the two of us," Maya explained. It was clear that she wasn't going to explicitly tell Sirius what she was getting Bella. Sirius' eyes widened.

"She'll be going to Gringotts tomorrow. To get her family watch and to test her blood again. She'll be of age…Riddle's in for it," Sirius said, a malicious smirk working its way onto his face. Maya frowned in confusion and she looked at him, curiously.

"What?"

"Oh you'll find out. Bella said she's going to visit Hermione tomorrow too. She doesn't even know what we've planned for her. I feel bad about missing her last birthday and Yule so I'll make up for it with this," Sirius decided. Maya laughed and nodded in agreement.

"It isn't only that you know. You didn't only do this for her but you also bought her a new _piano_. Steinway & Sons…it's rather expensive," Maya pointed out. Sirius shrugged and he sighed.

"I rather blow all the Black fortune anyway. All they did was flaunt it. At least I'll use it for something Bella loves," Sirius said, nonchalantly. He thought of the beautiful white piano he'd bought Bella and he knew she'd probably flip out when she saw it. He had taught her to appreciate all types of things, including Muggle things and when she saw that it was a replica of John Lennon's piano, she would flip. In a good way.

He hoped.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of July 1997**

**11:00 PM**

"She's coming of age tomorrow."

The Dark Lord Voldemort looked up at his former mentor and nodded once to show that he had heard him. In truth, he had avoided think about his gorgeous lover for the entire day. Because shit was going to hit the fan tomorrow and he knew she'd be really pissed off…

"She'll reach her full potential. The girl is a formidable enemy. I do wonder why you didn't take her when you had the chance," Grindelwald said, coolly. Voldemort glared at Grindelwald but said nothing as he continued to draw a contract. He had limited time to make a peace treaty with the vampires and eh would hate if the Light approached them first.

"She's not our enemy."

"She's fighting for the Light!" Grindelwald said snarled, angrily.

"Because I told her to. You've been gone for far too long, Gellert. I told her to agree to fight for the Light while her siblings fight for the Dark. She is not our enemy. She is _your _enemy. She despises you. She doesn't despise me. She may hate me at times but she is not my enemy. You'd do well to remember that," Voldemort said, coldly. He frowned as he thought of Bella's birthday gift. He knew he'd either be punched in the face or instantly forgiven for what he was planning to give to her. He had made sure not to mention it to Grindelwald.

If the man knew he had this particular object and that he was planning to give it to Bella Potter, he'd have a fit.

Not that it mattered to Voldemort in particularly. The snake-like man wondered briefly if Bella was planning to destroy any of Grindelwald's Horcruxes. Voldemort couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face. She would do so in time.

"She's a pretty thing. Far from what she was in her first year. A little runt she was. Very pretty now. I can see why you've become entranced with her beauty," Grindelwald continued. Voldemort raised a hairless eyebrow but didn't make any other comment. He didn't want to discuss his love life with his kind of sort of father-like figure.

"But, really her swearing is disgusting. And so disrespectful. And her _hair_…" Grindelwald sneered.

The quill in Voldemort's hand snapped in half. He looked up, coldly and Grindelwald looked at the man in surprise.

"I like her hair," Voldemort said, coolly. Grindelwald rolled his eyes and crossed his arms before he went back to complaining and unknowingly angering Voldemort.

"And her voice grates only my ears. I do hope for your sake that she's good in bed. It'll probably be the only thing she _is _good for. Spreading her legs like the little slut she is…"

"Gellert, hold your tongue. _Now_," Voldemort whispered, frigidly. His voice held a calm and cold fury and his new quill was crumpled in his hand. He dropped it onto the table between the two men and he slowly closed the book.

"What?" Gellert asked, annoyed. He was incredibly dense if he couldn't see that Voldemort was close to murdering him.

"Hold your tongue about her. I do not wish to hear your petty complaints," Voldemort said, stiffly. Gellert's eyes widened and a malicious smile spread across his face and he let out a little chuckle.

"That isn't it! You _love _her. The cold and harsh Dark Lord loves a sixteen-year-old girl! This is rich!" Gellert heckled. Voldemort stood, his expression thunderous and Gellert's chuckling grew quieter as he looked at his once protégé.

"The cold and harsh Dark Lord is in a _relationship _with Nikolai of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Hold your tongue, Gellert, or I shall cut it out of your mouth. I do hope that's clear. Good night," Voldemort hissed, angrily before he stormed from the room. Gellert's eyes narrowed as something flickered in the silver light. A silver chain was around Voldemort's neck…

* * *

**Nurmengard, Unplottable Location, Germany, Europe**

**Wednesday the 30****th**** of July 1997**

**11:15 PM**

The dark-haired woman stood inside the cell, a basilisk fang in hand. She was glad that she had made piece with that son of a bitch basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Largato was a pain in the ass. She seemed to have hero worship or some kind of demented crush on Tom. She saw the woman as a _rival_ despite the fact that she was a _basilisk_.

"Where are you?" Bella Potter hissed under her breath as she looked around. She knew she wasn't in a life-threatening situation and there weren't any wards to mask her use of underage magic. She'd have to use her hands.

Bella's fringe was pinned to the side, sweeping across her forehead and hiding her scar. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail and she knew she _should _be at home sleeping but she couldn't. Not when she finally had this opportunity.

"You there!"

Bella stopped and she shoved the basilisk fang into a belt loop of her trousers. She straightened and offered a charming smile. The guard that was decidedly _not _a Death Eater and was a _guard_ of Nurmengard blinked at her smile.

"Hello. I'm a little lost. Can you direct me out?" Bella asked, winningly. The guard blinked, still caught off guard at her amiable attitude.

"How did you end up here?" the guard asked. Bella looked him over. He was relatively young, in his thirties most likely. He ogled her form and Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had an incredibly hot man already. Though, she had to refrain from showing him off…unless he was under a glamour but he wouldn't go for that, Bella was sure.

"I…well I was looking for something," Bella said, sounding utterly clueless. The guard nodded in understanding and he beckoned her forward towards the exit. Bella walked ahead of him and she pretended not to notice his hand on the small of her back. She stopped and bent down, slowly pulling out her knife as his hand drifted down to her ass. The glint of the knife didn't quite catch his eye.

"If that hand goes any more south, I might have to cut it off," Bella said, softly. The guard froze when Bella's leg flew up and then collided with his shoulder, knocking him down. Bella flew at him and crouched over his fallen form and she poised her knife at his throat. The guard's terror filled eyes were easy enough to ignore and Bella gave him a bored look.

"W-what?" the guard choked as he eyed the knife. He seemed to have forgotten that he had a wand. Bella did not. She slid her hand into his pocket and sneered when she felt his erection pressed against her hand. She drew out his wand and snapped it quickly.

"Tell me where Grindelwald's cell was or I'll slit your throat," Bella hissed in his ear. The guard's eyes widened and he nodded.

"U-up t-th-the stairs. Highest cell," he choked. Bella nodded. She put her knife back into her boot and the guard jumped up and prepared to run. Bella grabbed his wrist and he turned back to look at her with frightened eyes.

"Before I kill you would you like to know who I am?" Bella asked, patiently. The guard only whimpered. Bella smirked.

"Bella fucking Potter."

She let her fist fly forward with all the force she could manage. She heard the sickening crack as her punch broke the man's neck. She dropped the broken body before moving forward towards the direction he had directed her in. She ran up the stairs, two at a time, unhooking the basilisk fang. She froze as she entered the top floor. She could feel something pulsing with incredibly power.

Her scar _burned _as she came closer to the power. She knelt in front of where she felt the power and she pulled out her knife. She carved around the brick and pulled it loose from the rest of the wall. She reached inside the small cavity and pulled out a nondescript book. She remembered the words that Tom had told her at Samhain, all those years ago.

"Well, what do we have here?" Bella whispered, smirking. She opened the Tales of Beedle the Bard as she examined it. She touched basilisk fang to the page and it sounded as if the book was screaming at her. She looked around as the scream echoed across the room and probably the whole prison.

Bella cursed and she didn't waste time. She slammed the fang right into the heart of the book, destroying the Horcrux of Gellert Grindelwald.

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**7:00 AM**

Bella groaned as the bright light hit her. She opened her eyes slowly and reached over to slide her glasses on. The windows were wide open and she watched as five women bustled around her room. She watched with a raised eyebrow as Maya Granger, Luna Lovegood, Daphne Greengrass, Linda Moon, and Lalita Singh ran around her room.

"Good morning?" Bella said with a slight smile. The five women turned towards her and Daphne ran at her and jumped on her large bed, grinning.

"Happy birthday!" Daphne crowed with a bright smile. Bella grinned and she pulled her wands from under his pillow. She raised her holly wand and waved it sharply. The hand mirror on her vanity rose and then settled back down. Bella laughed.

"Finally! I can do magic without being illegal!" Bella laughed. Maya snorted and she walked, demure towards her daughter. Bella was struck by her mother's elegance and couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, Bella! What are you planning to do today?" Maya asked, curiously. Bella smiled and crossed her arms.

"Go to Gringotts, visit Hermione, and relax," Bella stated. Linda snickered and shook her head. Bella looked at the redheaded girl in surprise and Linda pat Bella on the head before tossing clothes to her.

"Wrong! We're going out to breakfast, visiting Hermione, then going to Gringotts, going to lunch in Pleasure Alley, going to the spa, and then we're going shopping!" Linda cheered. Bella raised an eyebrow as Daphne grinned, nodding. Luna looked relatively excited as well though she was looking out the window, distractedly.

"Are we really?"

"Yes we are," Luna said, turning to look at her. Bella looked down at the clothing that Linda has tossed at her and she looked it over before making a face.

"What is this?" Bella pouted at the clothes.

"Hermione picked it out. Don't fuss. She's trying to turn you into a fashion icon from jail. She was always a persistent little thing," Maya said, with a slight smile. Bella's eyes widened and she crossed her arms as she walked towards the bathroom.

"What? Did she memorize my closet?"

"Something like that…"

Bella paraded into the bathroom and she looked in the mirror. She didn't feel any different at all. She didn't think she looked any different but maybe Bella was wrong. Bella opened the door again and she looked at the large portrait she ahd hanging on the wall. The portrait that Luna had painted for her. She could see her friends casting looks at it.

Maybe she was a bit different.

The woman stepped into the shower and she washed her tangled hair. She closed her eyes and smiled as the shampoo slid down her face. She was seventeen. She was of age and she was officially an adult. It didn't matter what others thought about her anymore. No one could control her anymore and the feeling of being absolutely _free _was overwhelming.

She quickly showered before stepping out and getting dressed. She didn't even bother to comb her hair as she blow-dried it and she tripped over her own feet as she walked in the shoes her friends and mother had set out for her.

"Uncle Sirius! Uncle Sirius!" Bella called as she tripped down the stairs in the too high heels. She didn't find any answer and she watched as her friends walked down the stairs in their own heels, looking perfectly dignified. Bella bit her lip and sighed, shaking her head.

"Where's Uncle Sirius?" Bella asked Maya. Maya looked too nonchalant and Bella fixed her with a suspicious stare.

"He's around somewhere. I believe he went out to fetch your birthday gift. He'll have it for you by dinnertime. We'll be going out for dinner, mind you. Somewhere in Pleasure Alley. So stay in London," Maya warned her. Bella nodded in understanding and she smoothed down her Daisy Jacket or whatever the hell Linda had called it. She turned to look at her friends before looking down at the black heels they had forced her into. They added three inches to her five seven height and it was difficult to walk in.

"Is this all really necessary? I look more…dressed up than all of you. And my clothing is too expensive. I remember Luna and Mione bought most of wardrobe," Bella pointed out. Luna gave her a pointed look.

"Yes, I do remember that. And you prefer to wear Tom's oversized shirts when you have a perfectly good wardrobe that I specifically picked out for your body shape. The jacket adds a perfect blend of 'East Coast prep and contemporary English style'. You look elegant. The skirt is feminine. The black and white tweed looks nice with the skirt. And you're shorter than Tom. The heels add height. By the way, I'm taking your boots in to be cleaned. I'm tired of smelling dried blood when I'm around you," Luna said, sharply. Bella raised an eyebrow at Luna's slightly irritable attitude. She had been rather easy to piss of since her birthday last month and she had refused to speak a word about it.

She had only said that she had decided against joining the Elven society and that she'd rather be an outcast, neither Elf or witch, than be apart of them. Bella had not questioned her decision.

"Right…" Bella trailed off.

"Sit down please, Bella," Lalita said, guiding her to a seat. Bella frowned in confusion and she was too tired to see that Lalita was wielding a brush. Bella sat and Lalita began to yank the brush through the snarls and tangles of Bella's hair. Bella yelped and she glared up at Lalita.

"Could you be a little gentler?" Bella demanded. Lalita tried to untangle the hair but it was almost impossible to do so. Maya watched in amusement as Lalita tried to comb through her hair.

"Maybe…maybe we should just have Hermione do it," Linda suggested. Lalita dropped the brush and nodded in agreement.

"Hermione can do it. If she could handle her own hair she can do Bella's nest."

"Hey! My hair is _not _a nest!"

Daphne snickered. "You could've fooled me."

* * *

**Holding Cells, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**11:20 AM**

"Hello, Madam Bones."

Amelia Bones looked up from her paperwork and she nodded at the woman who had spoken to her. It took a moment for her to realize it was Bella Potter…except with crazy hair. She held a brush in hand and she had a sheepish grin. Her other friends surrounded her. One was Luna Lovegood who Amelia had questioned herself. There was another blonde that Amelia could easily identify as a Greengrass. Then there was an Indian girl that Amelia knew was Lalita Singh. Amelia and the Minister of India had spoken about the safety measures of Hogwarts. The last woman was a voluptuous and curvy redhead who couldn't pass for a Weasley despite their similar hair color.

"Hello, Miss Potter. Are you here to see Miss Granger?" Amelia asked, curiously. Bella smiled and nodded.

"Yes…I wanted to ask her a favor if you don't mind."

"Not at all. You may go in," Amelia said. She watched through the one-sided window as Bella walked in. Hermione jumped up from the bed she had in the corner of the holding cell and she rushed over to Bella, hugging her tightly.

"Angel…" Hermione grinned. Bella hugged her sister back and Amelia watched curiously as Bella handed something to Hermione. It was a brush and a hand mirror. Hermione sighed, shaking her head.

"You're going to need to learn how to do this yourself, Anastasia. I won't be there at Hogwarts to brush your hair for you. But, I do see you're wearing what I picked out for you," Hermione grinned. Bella laughed and nodded as she sat on the bed. Hermione knelt on the bed behind her. Amelia watched in surprise. Hermione was brushing the young woman's hair gently.

"Happy birthday," Hermione said, softly as she brushed Bella's hair. Bella smiled, softly.

"Thank you. I miss you…" Bella said, quietly. Amelia watched as the other girls waved at Hermione and Bella to give the two young women privacy. The exited and remained in the hallway that connected the room Amelia was sitting in to Hermione's holding cell.

"I miss you too, Ana. Blaise comes sometimes you know. He's very upset with me. He tells me that I'm reckless. Draco said about the same thing but he's a pompous asshole," Hermione laughed. Bella snickered along with her as Hermione brushed out the snarls and curls. Bella suddenly sobered.

"He loves me."

Amelia frowned and wonder who the 'he' was. Hermione had stopped in the middle of her brushing and had almost dropped the brush. Hermione cleared her throat and tilted her head.

"_He_…loves you."

"He does. He told me clear as day. He said 'Anya, I love you'. It was probably the most _shocking _thing I've ever heard in my life. After I told him that I loved him…he yelled at me not to. He asked me how dare I say that I love him. He was so angry with me…" Bella said, trailing off. She shook her head before she gave Hermione a brilliant smile.

"But he's still a right idiot and he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body," Bella snickered. Hermione laughed, quietly.

"I'd be frightened if he did. That doesn't sound like your Serpent at all," Hermione continued. Bella nodded and she sighed.

"I played another song too. I wrote it. I performed it for people. I was so scared that they wouldn't like it but they did. Witch Weekly is questioning if I'll ever sell the rights to the song to someone to perform. I told them I never would. I would _never _give away my music," Bella continued. Hermione nodded as she finally get the woman's untamable hair smooth. She reached forward and Bella slid a bangle off her wrist before handing it to her sister. Hermione curled it into an elegant knot.

"You'll like my present, Angel. Mum and I put it together for you. Luna helped a bit with it…but oh _Merlin_! Dad's gift…it's _beautiful_," Hermione crowed. Amelia's eyes widened when she referred to Sirius Black as her father. If this surprised Bella, she didn't show it.

"Do you know what…do you know what Tom is getting me for my birthday?"

"He visited me once…he's pissed at me. He told me that I'm a moron. I only laughed in his face…I do _not _know. I asked and asked and _asked_ but he only told me that it was none of my business. He told me that you'd either slap him or kiss him," Hermione laughed. Bella raised an eyebrow and Amelia frowned at that. She had not been there for that conversation…

"He _would _say that. I haven't seen him yet. Personally, I believe I should have gotten his gift first. No offense but his gifts are always the best. The locket, the Firebolt, the books, the bracelets, and he even broke into a one of Uncle Sirius' vacation homes to fetch my piano. Speaking of that piano…it's getting increasingly old. I refuse to get it tuned with magic and it's been out of use for so long, it's getting near decrepit…" Bella sighed. Amelia watched as a smile flashed across the older woman's face before she finished brushing down Bella's hair.

"Yes, well, that's what happens when you don't utilize such obvious talent."

"Yes, look at you. _You _utilized a talent and it landed you in jail."

"Oh shut up. I have no regrets and I would do it again. I would do it all over again. And you know why I did it, don't you?" Hermione asked. Amelia sat up straighter and watched. She had been trying to get this answer out of Hermione forever and the younger woman had provided unsatisfying results.

"No. Why did you?" Bella asked she stood. Hermione stood as well, her bare foot touching the cold linoleum floor. She didn't seem to mind as she walked towards the door and touched the handle, about to open it for the green-eyed woman.

"I did it for you. Everything I do, Bella, I do for you. That is my _job_. And you know that," Hermione said, coolly. Bella's eyes narrowed and she turned to Hermione with poisonous green eyes.

"That is _not _your job."

Hermione gave a cold laugh and she was very different from the soft person that Amelia had just seen. This was not the person that had done her sister's hair. It was someone very different and it almost frightened Amelia though Bella didn't look frightened at all.

"I'm afraid it is."

"I don't need to be protected!" Bella hissed. She threw her fist forward and Amelia gaped as Hermione caught it without looking away from Bella's intense stare. Hermione threw her own fist forward and Bella caught it.

They were locked or so Amelia thought.

Bella fell down to her knees without letting go of Hermione and swept Hermione's legs from underneath the woman. Hermione let go and back flipped and Bella crouched there, her eyes wild and narrowed. She let out a warning hiss that sounded like a snake. Hermione's hiss sounded more cat-like and she bared her teeth. Suddenly, Bella gave a little chuckle that escalated to a laugh. Bella slid into a standing position and threw her head back.

A high, cold laugh escaped from Bella's lips. It chilled Amelia to the core. That laugh shook her and she paled, feeling something crawling all over her. Hermione didn't move from her spot and she still sported a warning face. Bella stepped forward and her eyes narrowed before she tilted her head with a crazed lopsided grin on her face.

"Come now, Mione…why so_ seriousssss_?" Bella asked, hissing the last word. Hermione's lips turned into a sneer. Amelia's mouth fell open when she saw a knife in Bella's hand. She touched it to her sister's cheek.

"Lets put a _smile _on that _face_."

Bella snickered, loudly as slid the knife down her sister's cheek, creating a shallow cut. Hermione's lips curled into a manic grin and Bella pulled her knife away with a sweet smile.

"I win, sister," Bella said, the sweet demented smile still on her face.

"Very good. Very good indeed, Bella. But that's not what I was talking about. I did it for you…as your big sister. You deserved happiness. The Death Eaters saw what happened too…he almost hit the Dark Lord. He tried to _kill _the Dark Lord!" Hermione exclaimed. Amelia watched as the blood drained away from Bella's face and her smile slipped.

"What?" the woman whispered.

"You heard me. That's why I had _them _put him into a coma. Bit by bit he turns into pieces. He won't last long…I give very specific instructions, _B-B-B-Bell-ah_," Hermione said, conversationally.

"Who? Who put him in the coma, Mione?" Bella asked, softly. Amelia's eyes widened as Hermione actually considered telling her. Then Hermione's eyes darted towards Amelia and back to Bella.

"The walls have ears, Angel. But I did it for you. You would have hated for him to get hurt, now wouldn't you? It was a fatal curse."

"Of course I'd hate it if Voldemort got hurt…he…well, he's simply _misguided_."

Amelia gaped at the young woman. Misguided.

_MISGUIDED?_

"Is he really?" Hermione asked, amused. Bella pouted.

"Leave the poor man alone. That son of a bitch, Grindelwald, turned him into well, _that_. He just needs to be shown compassion. I showed it and that's why I'm _here_ on my birthday instead of stuck in a Godforsaken room in a tower somewhere."

"Aren't you dramatic?"

"Screw you, Mione. _Anyway_, Draco said he'd be at Azkaban getting things set up. The dementors were restless when he…died. They only relax when he's around. He already has your cell set up. You're with the other murderesses. There are five others," Bella explained. Hermione snickered and Amelia's eyes narrowed. How could she find this funny?

"Draco is excited about putting me in prison."

"He is. He thinks you were foolish too. But, I know you're insane."

Amelia thought she was just kidding until she heard what Hermione said next.

"Yes. My psychosis is my fault but…it'll get better. It'll heal soon," Hermione said. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

"When you become Mistress of the Claimer's Art. It's time for you to go now. Mum told me you set up an appointment with the goblins at Gringotts. Sirius said it'll be quite eventful," Hermione grinned. Bella tilted her head in confusion but Hermione said nothing more. The woman kissed Bella's cheeks and Bella returned the sentiment.

"I'll see you later. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I'll ask Madam Bones if we can have breakfast together. Just you, me, Blaise, and Drake…though I don't think he needs to really _eat _anymore. I haven't _seen _him eat except well…the stuff Augustus brings him. It's still disturbing to watch him do that."

"It always will be. Happy birthday, Bella."

"Thanks, Mione. Bye. I'll send the girls in for a quick hullo before I run to Gringotts," Bella said. Hermione nodded and she saw down patiently on her bed as Bella exited. Bella waved her friends in before going straight to Amelia.

"Can my brothers and I have breakfast with Little Miss Insane tomorrow morning?" asked Bella.

"If you aren't in bed with _him_!"

Bella spun and flushed when she saw Hermione grinning straight at her through a mirror. Bella leaned forward and pressed down on the magically powered intercom and sighed.

"You know, he asks to bed me every time I see him. I always say _no_. So screw you and say your goodbyes. Love you."

"Love you too and Amelia! Bring me some books and I might answer more questions," Hermione snickered as she turned back to her friends. Bella rolled her eyes and looked to Amelia.

"I'll bring her back some books from my library tomorrow. About breakfast…"

"If you bring food, sure. The food here…she complains about it. Quite a bit. She also complains of boredom. She's not even worried about the fact that she's in solitary confinement or the fact that she's going to prison."

"That's because she's not worried."

* * *

**Gringotts, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**11:45 PM**

Christine Jackson watched her walk into Gringotts. The sixteen-year-old stood with her parents. Diane Jackson watched the elegant woman walk in with a surprised look on her face.

"Who is _she_?" asked Christine's decidedly Muggle brother, Christopher. He was two years older than Christine but he always took the chance to travel to Diagon Alley. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. Now he was currently ogling the young woman that had just walked into Gringotts as if she owned the place.

"Bella Potter…the most _famous _woman in the Wizarding World. I was invited to her party," Christine said, softly. Christine watched as Bella stopped in front of her. Bella gave a gorgeous smile. She enveloped Christine into a hug and Christine hugged her back, surprised. Bella pulled back. Bella pecked Christine on the cheek.

"Hello, Christine. I haven't seen you in quite a bit. Or spoken to you," Bella added as an afterthought. Christine turned to see Bella's friends wander off to access their own vaults. Christopher looked at both girls with wide-eyed expressions.

"I know…how have you been since Hermione's…arrest?" Christine asked, softly. She was surprised to see Bella as relaxed as ever. She crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"Fine…just visited her. Had a fight with her, actually. She…she claims that she did it for my happiness. I'm afraid to say that that's true. It's not that I didn't like Snape…I didn't but he almost hurt…he threw a curse at…"

"The Dark Lord," Christine said. She didn't even notice that she had picked up one of Bella's traits, calling Voldemort by the nickname. Bella nodded.

"I…he's misguided not evil. I told the Order that if they tried to kill him that I'd…I'd kill _them_. I wasn't kidding. The Dark Lord is not as evil as everyone thinks. He's a good person. He's just very confused," Bella said. Christine looked at the girl in surprise and bit her lip before looking over at her surprised parents. They knew about the Dark Lord. Christine had told them but they had never expected someone to stick up for him.

"He cut off someone's head and sent it to you."

"I wanted him dead anyway. I just would have appreciated it without the traumatizing memory. I still have that mirror, you know," Bella said, calmly. Christine nodded, showing that she _did _know that she still had the mirror.

"I remember. It was on your piano. You sang that song…that was a beautiful song by the way," Christine added. Bella smiled and then she looked at Christine's parents and brother. They were looking at her in surprise.

"Ah…I'm Bella Potter," Bella said, extending her hand. Christine's father, George shook her hand first. He was surprised to see that the girl had an _iron _grip.

"I'm George Jackson…you're hurting my hand."

Bella let go immediately and snickered, shaking her head.

"Oops…I'm sorry. I'm a mixed martial artist…I sometimes forget about how strong I am compared to everybody else," Bella laughed, quietly. She shook Diane's hand with a lighter grip and then she turned to Christopher. She held her hand out and Christopher didn't take it immediately. Christine elbowed her brother.

"Oh…I'm Jackson. Christopher Jackson. You are absolutely gorgeous," Christopher said, suavely. Bella laughed again and shook her head. She patted his cheek and leaned back.

"You are just too cute."

Christopher flushed, embarrassed.

"How old are you?" he asked, curiously. Bella smiled, softly.

"Seventeen. It's my birthday. I'm officially of age today," Bella explained. Christopher's eyes widened and he leaned forward with what he thought was a sexy smile. Bella only stared at him, amused.

"Are you available for a birthday lunch date?"

"No."

The answer had not come from Bella. Bella spun around, her eyes wide. She had spun so fast that she looked like she had given herself whiplash. Christine watched as her lips spread into a wide smile and she all but jumped on the man.

"Tom!"

She hugged him tightly and he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk on his face. Riddle tilted his head at Christopher and Christine swallowed, suddenly nervous for her brother.

"Hello, Miss Jackson," Riddle said, softly, speaking to Christine despite the fact that Bella had still not let him go.

"Hullo, Professor," Christine said, softly. Diane and George's eyes widened in surprise. Bella pulled back away from Riddle and glared up at him.

"You son of a bitch. Where's my gift?"

Diane gasped.

"Not here."

"I want it now."

"You can't have it now," Riddle said, his smirk growing wide. Bella pulled away from him and she sighed and looked up at the massive clock over the entrance. She tilted her head.

"I have a meeting with the goblins in a few minutes. A blood test. You have anything to tell me before I go in there?" Bella asked, with a raised eyebrow. Riddle paled and he gave an innocent look that didn't fool Christine _or _Bella.

"No. I have business to do. Oi! Goblin!" Riddle called, sharply. A goblin rushed over to him and bowed, immediately.

"Merry meet, Lord Slytherin. Lady Slytherin," the goblin said. Bella and Riddle bowed to the little creature and Bella lifted her head, a locket glinting around her neck and two matching bracelets around her slender wrists.

"Merry meet, Gornhorg," they both said. Riddle cleared his throat.

"I need to visit every single one of my vaults," Riddle said, coolly. Bella tilted her head with a slight grin on her face.

"I'd like to withdraw money from every single one of his vaults."

Riddle glared at her.

"You will do no such thing. You have your own money."

"Your money is my money."

"No. My money is _my _money. By the way, you actually _owe _me money. You destroyed a near priceless piano. I want my money back," Riddle said, curtly. Christine's mouth fell open and she stared at Bella in shock.

"_You _almost destroyed a _piano_? But you're…you're amazing on the piano!" Christine exclaimed. Bella offered a slightly bitter smile and she crossed her arms and she sighed.

"I had an aversion to the piano at that time. You're an ass and I refuse to pay you back. Go ahead and tour your vaults. I hope you get cursed for not saying happy birthday," Bella said, annoyed. Riddle smirked.

"**Happy birthday. Can I bed you yet?**"

"No! You _cannot_! And thank you. I swear you ask me that every time I see you. The answer is still no. You have not met the necessary requirements yet. We'll talk after you do. Now get cursed," Bella snapped. Riddle smirked before turning on his heel and wandering away. Bella turned back to her friend and her family.

"So…Lady Slytherin? Since when?" Christine asked. Bella laughed.

"Since forever. I'm his 'Heir'. He's lying though. I'm about to find out exactly _why _I'm Lady Slytherin. Six years ago, I did a blood test with the goblins. I was just recently reminded of it. I'm supposed to serve on the jury for Hermione's trial, you know," Bella continued, sobering. Christine raised an eyebrow and she blinked in shock and tilted her head.

"But…you're biased…"

"No. I'm not. I'm convicting her. She's guilty and she's going to prison. I love my sister but she was foolish. She used that spell flippantly and she knows that that was wrong though she'll never feel sorry for what she did. But that day, our brother also came back from the dead and she's…psychologically unbalanced. It's just really complicated," Bella sighed. She shook her head and looked up at the clock. She paled and shook her head.

"Well damn…I'm late. I'll see you later, Christine," Bella said as she quickly ran-slash-stumbled towards a door on the right. Christine blinked at her and turned back to her parents. They were staring after her.

"She…who is she again?" Diane asked.

"The Girl-Who-Lived. She destroyed Grindelwald."

"And who was he?" George continued.

"Our professor."

"And he's _screwing _her? Hard core!" Christopher gaped in shock. Christine flushed and she shook her head frantically before slowing and frowning in confusion.

"I actually don't think…that that suggestion is impossible. They're impossibly close. He's given her so many expensive gifts that it's probably worth more than our house. Apparently, her locket is older than Hogwarts. At least that's what Gin and Gideon said," Christine explained. Diane blinked and shook her head.

"They remind me of how your father and I used to act. She's supposed to save the Wizarding World or something, right?" Diane asked, curiously. Christine shrugged and she sighed.

"I don't know if she really wants to."

"He's very young and very handsome," Diane continued. George flushed, annoyed and Christine snickered. Diane looked at her in surprise. Christine's laughter escalated until she was gasping for air.

"Mom…he's as old as Grandpa."

* * *

**Gringotts, Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**12:05 PM**

"Er…sorry," Bella apologized to the goblin she recognized as Griphook. There was a knock on the door as Griphook nodded. Griphook snapped his fingers and the door flew open. Luna, Linda, and Daphne bustled into the room before sitting on the couch by the wall.

"Where's Lalita?" Bella asked, curiously. Linda paled.

"Um…down Pleasure Alley. Meeting her brother for lunch. She apologized but she said that he was here and she misses him, you know," Linda explained. Bella nodded without questioning and she turned back to Griphook. He gestured to the bowl and knife in front of him.

"Oh…um…Merry meet, Griphook."

"Merry meet, Lady Slytherin. Samhain was quite a show. The magic was rich and very tangible," Griphook commented. Bella flushed and didn't turn around to look at Linda. Daphne had sort of known that she had done Samhain but Linda…she didn't think Linda had known.

"Thank you. I try."

"Yes…I do hope you remember the procedure. I find it tedious to repeat as most don't immediately cut themselves. They go into a panic attack that is annoying at best," Griphook said, pointedly. Bella nodded and she picked up the knife and slashed across her palm, mercilessly.

"There was a time when you whined and cried about cutting yourself and Lord Slytherin had to do it for you. You have grown, Miss Potter," continued Griphook as Bella let the blood spill into her hand. She drew out the Elder Wand and pointed it at the cut and murmured the word. The deep cut glowed before the skin slowly and almost clumsily knitted together. Bella sighed.

She was more destructive than healing.

Oh well.

"Yes, I suppose I have. I was dreadfully squeamish…a right pansy I was, I'm ashamed to admit," Bella said, adding the last part as an afterthought. Griphook gave a twisted and grim smile as he placed the parchment into the blood. He pulled it out, the writing in blood and his smile widened into a wickedly amused one.

"Ah…Lord Slytherin isn't here to hide things from you. Here you go, Miss Potter. Or do you prefer Lady Slytherin?" Griphook asked. Bella took the parchment absently and shrugged. She didn't look down at it immediately.

"It doesn't matter really. I like both. Now, what do you mean he hid…" Bella drifted out as she read the parchment and her mouth fell open. Linda and Daphne exchanged looks as Luna kicked her legs with a slight smile on her face.

**Name: Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter**

**Head of the House of Potter (Assumed)**

**Head of the House of Gryffindor (Assumed)**

**Blood Heir to the House of Black**

**Head of the House of Ambrosius**

**Lady to the House of Slytherin (By Bond)**

**Lady to the House of le Fay (By Bond)**

**Blood Status: Half-blood**

**Soul Bond Status: Bonded**

**Soul Bond: Tom Marvolo Riddle (Unconsummated)**

Bella paled at the results and Daphne leaned forward.

"Bella…are you okay? You look a little frightened…" Daphne said, worriedly. Bella let out a hard laugh and she shook her head, almost mechanically. She leaned back in her chair and put down the parchment, face down.

"Frightened? I'm not frightened. I'm _furious_. If you please, Griphook, could you call up Lord Slytherin? I'd hate to massacre this entire bank when I only want to _murder him_," Bella said, forcefully. Griphook's malicious grin stayed on his face and he nodded excitedly. He walked from the room in excitement and the room stayed silent.

"What did the parchment say?" Linda asked, softly. Bella cleared her throat. She didn't say anything for a good five or six minutes. She sighed.

"I'm Head of the House of Potter, naturally. Head of the House of Gryffindor too. Head of the House of Ambrosius. That's Merlin's family if you don't know. I knew that already. But, now I'm officially Lady to the House of Slytherin and miraculously to the House of le Fay. And you won't guess how," Bella said, conversationally as the door opened and Tom Riddle walked in with his head high. Bella did not turn.

"How?" Luna challenged with a gleeful tone in her voice. She grinned at her friends though they looked overly confused. They look from Tom to Bella.

"By a _soul bond_…" Bella said, harshly as she slowly turned to fix Tom with a frigid stare. It was to the man's self-control that he looked at his uncaring and nonchalant as he did. Tom did not flinch nor move from his standing point. He only offered a bored look on his otherwise emotionless face. Daphne's eyes widened.

"So…you found out."

"I _did_. And you know what? I'm absolutely _furious _with you. I'm _this _close to castrating you," Bella snarled, holding her thumb and pointer finger less than an inch apart to demonstrate how close she was to cutting off Tom's manhood.

"You're being dramatic. Overly so, I might add," Tom said, coolly.

"You kept this from me! That wasn't your choice to make. You kept this from me for _six_…" Bella trailed off and Tom looked at her patiently. Bella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"_Why _would you keep this from me?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. He had not expected the question from Bella and he tilted his head in confusion before deciding to answer.

"You were too young. You didn't like me very much at eleven years old. And then, I suppose I ignored it. It failed to be important and so I did not mention. In all honesty, I forgot," Tom said, adding the last part as an afterthought. Bella shot him a furious glare and he almost reacted.

Almost.

"You've got some nerve keeping it from me for _six _years. It may not have been important to _you _but it is to _me_. I mean, are you serious? I angsted over the fact that I had feelings for you of all people since you're a bastard! And now, I find out that I didn't even have a _choice _in the matter! _Vous êtes exaspérante! Vous êtes le contrôle et vous devriez me l'ont dit!_" Bella shrieked. Tom could tell she was exceptionally mad. She had begun screaming at him in French. He glanced over at his students. Luna was looking at him, smugly.

Bitch.

Daphne Greengrass and Linda Moon's eyebrows were almost buried in their elaborate buns. How elaborate could a bun really _get_?

"You did have a choice. A soul bond can be strictly platonic."

Bella froze and she gave him a hurt look before slowly standing to her feet. Her fists were clenched tightly. She disguised her hurt with a fury that came too easily to her. She was still mad at him despite the fact that she was also quite upset.

"You wish for our relationship to be strictly platonic?" Bella asked, softly. Linda cleared her throat and tilted her head.

"Isn't that what it _has _been?" Linda asked.

"_Shh!_" Luna, Daphne, Bella, and Tom hushed the young woman. Linda glared at all of them and she slumped in her seat, pouting and putting emphasis on her large breasts.

"Well then…" Linda sniffed. She preferred to be observe.

"Well you've been pretty clear on that issue, haven't you? 'No! You _cannot_! And thank you. I swear you ask me that every time I see you. The answer is still no'," Tom said, mimicking Bella with a slightly shrill tone and he glared at her. Bella's eyes flashed and she glared at him.

"Well, my aversion to sex with you would be due to the fact that you had a hand in _blasting my father through a bloody Veil!_" Bella shrieked, her tone just as shrill as Tom's had been when he had mimicked her. Tom glared at her. Neither noticed the amused goblin slipping from the room. Bella's friends didn't move. They only stared, mesmerized.

"That wasn't my fault."

"It _was_. You had him tortured, nearly killed, and because of your stupid bitch's mental issues, my brother was killed. Then you come out of nowhere and expect me to immediately forgive you! No…_no_! You don't _get _to interrupt me! You helped Grindelwald in my first year! My second year! My third year! My fourth year! My fifth year! And then it was _all _you in my sixth year! It seems that _every. Single. Damn. __YEAR!_You…you…you always have a hand in it! You always have done some—"

Bella's rant was cut off by lips that were certainly not her own. Tom's hand rested on her neck as his thumb caressed her cheek. Bella's eyes were wide with shock and they slowly fluttered shut as she returned the kiss.

Linda's mouth dropped open first.

Then Daphne's.

Luna only sat there, smiling triumphantly as she watched the sweet couple. Finally! Finally they got all the secrets out. There were no more secrets between them and that was all good and dandy for Luna. She could finally stop interfering and lead her own damn life…

Daphne was just completely confused and she got even more confused when Bella slammed Tom against the wall and the kiss got more aggressive. Bella pressed her knee between Tom's legs and it was like _she _was the man in the relationship though Daphne knew it was a major turn on for men when the woman took control.

Linda was just merely annoyed.

"We're still in the room. We can leave if you want," Linda said, blandly. Bella pulled away from the older man before blinking. The lust cleared from her eyes slowly and Linda was shocked to see the woman didn't look the least bit ashamed at snogging the man that was their professor in front of her friends.

"Uh…no…I…have to go," Bella said, softly. She was speaking to Tom. Linda watched as he nodded once and he tilted his head at her. It was clear that Bella wanted to say something and Linda waited, patiently to hear it.

"_Je veux ton amour_."

"You have it," Tom said, softly and just for her ears. Bella gave a brilliant smile before her eyes hardened and she poked him in the chest.

"I better. And only _I _have it. You got that?"

"As long as the same conditions are for you as well," Tom smirked. Bella grinned.

"I swear it."

* * *

**The White Towel, Pleasure Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**1:25 PM**

"I am feeling very relaxed right now…" Bella sighed as the tenseness was rubbed out of her back by the masseuse. She couldn't quite see her friends but she could hear their laughter at her off hand comment.

"You need this. I doubt with Lord Black as your only parent that you've ever been to a spa or ever bothered to detoxify," Linda added, tersely. Bella laughed and she cleared her throat.

"Hey Luna!"

Linda and Daphne stiffened. Bella called her friend's name again but there wasn't an answer. Linda sighed and shook her head. Bella would get too questioning if everyone continued to disappear.

"Luna left. She was saying something about nargles and wrackspurts and how they interrupt her relaxation. I think she went somewhere else. You'll see her tonight at dinner, I'm sure," Daphne said, nonchalantly. Bella sighed and she knew her friends were hiding something from her. Well she didn't know for _sure _and it _was _like Luna to say something like that and just leave but…

"Oh all right. I'll just ask her later. So, what are we doing after this?" Bella asked, curiously. Daphne hummed and it turned into a low groan as her own masseuse hit an extremely tense spot.

"Yeah…right there, Raoul. Um…after our massage we'll do yoga and meditation, take a shower, and then manicures, pedicures, hair, and makeup. You have to look good for dinner," Daphne said. She leaned up and offered a sly smile to Linda. Linda was leaning on her elbows as well, her red hair pulled up into a short ponytail. She offered her own grin.

"That sounds nice…I've never done something like this. Ever. It's a…calming experience. But I'm sure it costs a lot…" Bella said, adding the last part. Daphne offered an innocent look and shrugged.

"You have quite a bit of money already, don't you? It won't cost…much…" Daphne trailed off and she fell back on to her massage table. She was still teenager. She'd attempt to ignore the cost of things like this. Plus, it was the girl's birthday.

She needed to live a little…

"If you're sure. Is it necessary for me to get hair and makeup done? I'm only going out to _dinner_," Bella insisted. Daphne snorted as their friend failed to neglect the fact that she was a female and she should _like _looking a future fashion icon. Daphne sat up as Bella did as their session came to an end.

"Come on Bella as I explain the world of femininity to you," Linda smirked. Bella stuck out her tongue as she walked towards the changing room. Bella spotted the yoga pants that they had left out for her and Bella slipped into her own cubicle and began to get dressed.

"Femininity is such a very vague word. Tom thinks I'm rather feminine," Bella smirked. Linda snorted and the two girls cackled together at the words. As Bella hooked her bra and pulled the tank top over her head, she stepped out, glancing at them in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does when you shove your tongue down his throat. That was quite a display you two put on in Gringotts. And in front of us and everything. I thought you two were going to start copulating right then and there," Linda smirked. Bella glared at her friends, her cheeks slightly red and she crossed her arms as she began to pull her hair into a sloppy bun. She searched the room for a hairpin and she gave Daphne a grateful smile when the girl helped her pin her fringe back.

"We weren't that bad. He…took me by surprise. Merlin…"

"Aren't you mad at him?" Daphne asked, curiously. Bella's eyes flashed and she tilted her head.

"I'm not sure. I'm caught between the desires to throttle him and…snog him," Bella said, whispering the last part. Daphne snickered and she tilted her head in curiosity.

"You basically shoved him against a wall. Does he like it when you dominate him?" Daphne asked. Bella smirked.

"Very much. He finds it sexy. I find him sexy in general."

"We know that. He's very attractive indeed. And you want to look hot for him. He's coming to dinner, you know," Linda said, slyly. Bella's eyes widened and she cursed under her breath before a smirk spread across his face.

"Well then…I know how to get _him _back."

* * *

**Moonlit Rooftop, Pleasure Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**3:00 PM**

"Okay people! We have four hours! Faster people! Faster!"

Sirius' dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail as he walked around commanding people. He looked around as he watched the hired help and Bella's friends run around trying to get everything together in time. The Griffins would be here in two hours and start the sound check. Guests would start arriving by seven and Bella would be here by eight.

Everything was falling into place.

"How is dinner coming along?" Sirius asked turning Maya. She tilted her head as she looked over the clipboard she had. She sighed shaking her head.

"The cocktail hour is good. We have the vodkas, the wines, the champagne, and I even got Bella's favorite wine for when she first comes in. With the wines we'll serve cheese and crap. You know adults…adults that aren't as fun as us, sweetie," Maya laughed when she noticed Sirius' disgusted look. Sirius brightened immediately and nodded, solemnly.

"Damn straight. No un-fun adult could pull off these leather pants."

"Yes, honey. As I was saying, then there's the soup, the salad, the entrée, and dessert is served while the Griffins perform. After that, Bella will open her gifts and then you give her the _best present __**ever**_. Well, unless, Tom tops you once again…" Maya said, thoughtfully. Sirius pouted and crossed his arms, shaking his head in annoyance.

"He doesn't top me _every _year."

"Well when she turned eleven she got a wand. He bought that for her, I think she said. When she was twelve, she got a bunch of scrolls that she really wanted and a tome on parselmagic. When she was fourteen, she went to Italy and got tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. When she was fifteen, he took her to his home and made her dinner. When she was sixteen, he bought her two beautiful bracelets and gave back her prized locket. It'll be a close match," Maya said.

"But I bought her a _piano_! A John Lennon look-a-like!" Sirius whined. Maya smiled and shook her head and she opened her to mouth to respond when Sirius spun and pointed at a waiter.

"No! Bella sits there. That wine goes there! You're killing me here people!" Sirius said, dramatically. Maya laughed, quietly.

"I do love that man…"

* * *

**Prima Donna, Haven Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**6:00 PM**

"What are we doing here of all places?" Bella asked, curiously. Daphne and Linda exchanged another pair of looks. She asked _way _too many questions for a girl who was only supposed to be having fun.

"You need a dress for dinner. We're going to a very fancy place and despite the fact that you may like dressing like a ragamuffin, doesn't mean we're going to let you there," Daphne said, flatly. Bella glared at her friend but shrugged and she looked around at the expensive shop. She sighed and went to explore the store. She could feel the eyes on her from the seamstress and the cashier. She ran her hand over a silk dress.

"All of these dresses look amazing," Bella said, her voice showing her clear awe.

"You look amazing in anything. It doesn't matter what you choose," Linda said as she examined a black dress that would easily fit her. Bella wandered through the store without having to think about tripping once.

Until she actually thought of the possibility and of course she tripped.

Two strong but feminine arms easily caught her and Bella looked up and gave a sheepish grin to the cashier. The cashier woman laughed and Bella straightened. She looked down at her shoes and sighed.

She had been doing so well.

"Hello, Bella Potter," the woman said. Bella nodded to her and she looked over the woman. The woman had blond hair and violet eyes. Her blonde hair spilled over her ears, hiding them and hid most of her face actually. She reminded Bella of someone but she couldn't be sure.

"Um…hi…"

"Eve. You may call me by the name of Eve," the woman said after only one moment of hesitation. Bella nodded, slowly and she frowned in confusion at the woman's awkward way of stating her name and shrugged. She offered her hand and the woman looked at it in confusion.

"Hello, Eve. My name's Bella."

"I know of your name. You are the proclaimed Girl-Who-Lived. You fought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in June," Eve stated, firmly. Bella's eyes narrowed at the moniker that Eve had assigned Voldemort but she said nothing of it. It was a possibility that Eve knew the centaurs.

"But it's customary to shake someone's name and let them introduce themselves," Bella explained as if talking to a child. Eve hummed and then gave a tense and sheepish smile.

"I…apologize. I was a…sheltered child. It has been a long time. A very long time since I have been to the wizarding world. I am sure that my behavior is quite strange to you," Eve said, apologetically. Bella shook her head with a slight smile on her face and she shrugged.

"I've seen weirder. You should meet my friend Luna. You sort of remind me of her. She's just as weird. Err…not that you're _weird_. Just…strange. No…that's wrong too. You're different. Yes, that's it," Bella decided. She was almost talking to herself and she didn't notice Eve twitch at Bella's mention of Luna. Eve cleared her throat and Bella looked up at the taller woman.

"You have come for a dress. This way, Girl-Who-Lived," Eve said, gesturing for Bella to follow. Eve watched in confusion as Bella's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she gave a harsh breathing sound.

"It's Bella. None of that stupid Girl-Who-Lived business. There are a lot of girls that lived. I'm not that different. Just call me Bella or Miss Potter. Whichever. I don't really care," Bella said, sharply. Eve nodded, showing that she was willing to comply with Bella's strange demands.

"I apologize again. I have recently made contact with a dress that would look quite beautiful on you. Please follow me," Eve said. She didn't even wait for Bella to reply. She pulled the young woman to the back of the store, easily bypassing Madame Madonna. The woman was practically blind or perhaps it was Eve's Magicks at work. Madame Madonna would only see what Eve wanted her to see.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked, curiously as Eve pulled her past the dressing rooms and into a little room.

"This is where Madame makes her clothing. She has just completed a dress that would look quite nice on you, I do believe. Please put it on. I hope you find that you will like it," Eve said, calmly. Bella watched in confusion as the strange woman smiled and reached underneath the table and pulled out a pair of beautiful silver heels as if out of thin air. Bella's eyes widened.

"Uh…thank you."

"You are welcome, Bella Potter. Make haste. I do believe you have somewhere to be after this. Your beloved waits for you, I do think," Eve smiled. Bella's eyes widened even more as Eve slipped from the room, leaving Bella speechless. Bella rushed towards the door and stuck her head out, looking for the woman who had _known _that she was in a relationship with Tom Riddle.

Eve had disappeared.

Bella frowned and she closed the door to the workshop and began to strip of her clothing. She easily slid the beautiful gown over her body and it fit her, perfectly just as Eve had said despite the fact that on the mannequin, it had looked like it was a lot bigger than her slim body.

She gathered her clothing as she changed her shoes and she hooked her heels through her finger and she walked from the room a lot better than she had. She was surprised that she could walk in the silver shoes so much easier. A slight smirk spread across Bella's face.

"It's like I just acquired my own Fairy Godmother. I'm no Goddamn Cinderella…" Bella muttered to herself though it was clear that she was absolutely amused by all of this if confused. As she stepped into the main shop, Madame Madonna looked at her.

"What are you doing? That is not for you…my goodness…Miss Potter, you look absolutely _beautiful_," Madame Madonna exclaimed after she got a good look at Bella. Bella blinked in surprise and she looked to her friends. They were already dressed. Daphne was wearing a short black dress with lace sleeves and she wore black laced heels. Linda wore a sky blue fitted dress that fell to her knees. The dress had a Mandarin collar and the sleeves buttoned at the end.

"Do I?" Bella asked, surprised at the response. Daphne and Linda nodded enthusiastically and pointed to the wall length mirror near the register. Bella noticed that Eve was no longer there. Bella walked towards it, confidently and she saw Daphne and Linda staring at her in shock at the fact that she wasn't tripping onto her face. These heels were even thinner than the pumps from before.

Bella gave them smug smiles and they smirked at her.

The dark haired woman looked in the mirror and she stared in shock at the woman that was so obviously _not _her. This woman was beautiful and Bella was confident enough to say that she was beautiful. In a very Dark way. But this woman's Darkness didn't ooze danger. It oozed an odd elegance. The danger was masked.

Bella stared at her reflection and she admired the beautiful emerald green gown. The dress was floor length and satin. It was one shouldered and fit her like a glove. There was a side cut out just above of her hip and exposed part of her side and stomach. Beading lined this part and there was a slit right above her left knee. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her open back. The cloth cut across her back.

Bella's long bangs were side swept and her long hair was pulled into a loose side bun. Her lips were a dark wine color and her eyeshadow was dark against her pale skin.

She looked as if she was made of porcelain and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not.

"Where did you _find _that dress?" Linda breathed in shock.

"Eve brought me back there," Bella explained. Linda and Daphne frowned in confusion as Madame Madonna's eyes widened in confusion.

"Who is Eve?" Madame Madonna asked. Bella stared at the woman and she couldn't help feel a little annoyance at the woman. She had hired Eve and she didn't even _remember _her?

"Tall. Taller than me. Blonde. Violet eyes. Tan skin," Bella listed, tersely. Madame Madonna shook her head.

"I have never met a woman with those features."

Bella's eyes widened and she paled.

"I didn't see her either," Daphne said, softly. Bella cleared her throat.

"Well…that changes things."

* * *

**Moonlit Rooftop, Pleasure Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**7:50 PM**

"She'll be here in ten minutes. Ten. Freaking. Minutes…" Sirius whispered as he stared around at the massive crowd that filled the Moonlit Rooftop Ballroom. Maya sighed and shook her head. She was wearing a navy dress that fell to her knees and she looked around. Draco was sitting with Luna who was wearing a crazy dress. She wore a short white dress and over it a long multicolored coat that fit her like a second skin. It trailed after her and Blaise sat with her in dark gold robes.

They sat at the table that Bella would be sitting at. Sirius had 'slyly' made sure that there was only enough room at the table for Bella's friends, siblings, and herself. Tom was to sit with Maya and Sirius.

"Calm down. She'll like this. _They _enjoy it. They love the band. They love the food and butterbeer. We invited only people she knows. She'll love it," Maya said. She was saying this more to herself than to Sirius. The party wasn't only for Bella's birthday in truth.

It was to attempt to make Bella forget about her sister's impromptu arrest and coming trial. It was scheduled to be in about a week and Maya was frantically trying to forget. She knew what was coming and she would have been torn up inside if Hermione hadn't been so calm about it. But now she felt only reassured.

Hermione knew everything was going to be okay. Maya wasn't sure what the girl's plan was but she trusted her. She knew that Draco and Hermione had spoken about something privately and she wondered what they had spoken about. She had asked Hermione but Hermione had only smiled.

"She's outside."

Maya jumped and she spun around to see a bored Tom Riddle. He wasn't holding a gift like most of the other party-goers. Maya flushed as she looked him up and down and Maya was _almost _jealous of her daughter. Almost.

But it was hard not to be.

Tom Riddle was…_delicious _in his Antioch suit. He wasn't wearing robes like some of the other adults. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy both wore robes and they were sitting with another blonde woman who had stick straight hair and sparkling black eyes. The man she was sitting with had dark blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They were snickering and whispering to each other.

"Who are they? I didn't invite them…" Sirius said, looking at the couple. He seemed annoyed by their prescence and Maya was surprised to see a found look cross Tom's face.

"My…best friends. I apologize for inviting them. Beatrix and Ralph."

"You have friends?"

The words were out of Sirius' mouth and he smirked at the question as Maya sighed, shaking her head. She looked at Tom out of the corner of her eye and she was surprised to see he only looked slightly annoyed and not angry. Despite being the Dark Lord, he had quite the hold on his temper.

"Yes. I suppose you could call them my friends," Tom said with a sly smirk. He tilted his head.

"She's two flights down. Make them shut up," Tom commanded. Sirius paled and he looked around. He hushed the band and he fell silent. The teenagers stopped dancing and looked at him as he climbed on the slight stare where his present was Disillusioned. He was careful not to lean on it.

"She's coming up now. I want it _silent _in here. And dark. Riddle. Make it dark," Sirius commanded. Tom sneered at him and Maya snickered but the man complied anyway. The room was thrown into pitch darkness and it was completely silent.

Maya watched with a smile as the door opened and a sliver of light entered the room. She watched the silhouette of Bella and she could see the silhouette of Linda and Daphne.

"Is this the right room? It's dar—"

"SURPRISE!"

Maya frowned when the lights didn't go back on. Bella was just blinking in the doorway with complete confusion adorning her face.

"Turn the lights on!" Sirius hissed. Maya laughed aloud now and the lights flickered back on. She looked at Riddle. He was smugly smirking at Sirius and he turned to look at Bella. And the smirk and smugness slipped right off his face and he was staring with wide eyes. Besides that his expression was quite neutral.

"_What _is _this_?" Bella asked, shock on her face.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" Sirius cheered as he jumped off the stage. He looked at her with misty eyes. She was quite beautiful in that on moment and he pulled her into a tight hug. Bella smiled, brightly and she looked around.

She could see Draco and Blaise waiting to be hugged with a crazily dressed Luna and Maya. She felt a pang in her chest when she didn't see Hermione but she knew the girl had not seemed upset. She also was a bit upset when she didn't see Tom.

"Uncle Sirius…you did this…for _me?_" Bella asked, her tone expressing complete surprise as everyone stared at her. She could even see Christine standing with Gideon, Ginny, the older set of twins, Bill, Fleur, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and a disgruntled Ron. Percy wasn't there.

"Of course. You deserve it. And it wasn't only me," Sirius said. Draco stepped forward with a smirk and he crossed his arms with a raised and haughty eyebrow.

"How could you forget about _me_? I took time out of my exceedingly busy schedule. The dementors acknowledge me as the head warden of Azkaban and the Aurors needed my help in getting them under control again," Draco said, haughtily. Bella laughed and she hugged her brothers, tightly. Bella was surprised that they both returned the hug just as tight.

"You looked beautiful, _sorella_."

Bella blinked and she looked up at Blaise. There was a soft look in his pained gold eyes and she gave a brilliant smile at the old moniker.

"Thank you, Blaise. Thank you, Draco. Thank you, Mum," Bella said, softly. Maya smiled and kissed the top of Bella's head before turning from her. She nodded to the Griffins and they began to play.

"Can I eat now?" Sirius finally blurted out. Maya rolled her eyes and Bella snorted before grinning and nodding. Her grin slipped away.

"Where's Tom?"

Bella watched as Sirius scowled at the name and he crossed his arms and looked over Bella's shoulder. Bella tilted her head and she stiffened when she felt fingers brushing over the chain that held the locket around her neck.

"_Vous êtes absolument magnifique_," he murmured in her ear. Bella grinned and she turned around to look him in the eye. Her voice caught when she saw him and she tilted her head very slowly before swallowing.

"Right back at you," she said, hoarsely. Tom smirked at her and he tilted his head. His hair fell to his shoulders loosely and Bella could see several eyes on him. She looked towards Lucius and Narcissa. A blonde woman looked alert with her equally blond partner. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"What is _she _doing here?" Bella asked, glaring at the blonde woman. The blonde woman that Tom had said was Beatrix grinned and wiggled her fingers at her. Maya frowned in confusion.

"_Beatrix _and _Ralph_ insisted," Tom said, sharply. Maya looked between the two lovers and they seemed to be having an argument with their eyes. Finally, Bella's eyes hardened and she glanced at Sirius.

"You're still in a lot of trouble, Mister. You invited _her_ and then you keep the soul bond from me. You better have the best present on the face of the planet because if you don't, it'll be a long time before I forgive you," Bella said, coldly. She turned on her heel and promptly dismissed Tom. Sirius snickered as everyone began to dance once more. Tom glared at Sirius.

"I told you that wouldn't end well for you," Sirius smirked. Tom glared before storming back over to 'Beatrix', 'Ralph', Lucius, and Narcissa.

"My…Tom?" 'Beatrix' said, the word feeling foreign on her lips though it was absolutely necessary to keep her Lord protected.

"She has found out about a particular…bond that I share with her. She is not happy," Tom said, flatly. He watched as Christine Jackson and the Weasleys walked towards his lover and he watched in curiosity. Christine approached Bella slowly.

"Hey, Bella," they chorused.

Bella turned and smiled at the group.

"Hi! Thanks for coming," Bella said, grinning. She felt slightly uncomfortable at the way that Gideon was staring at her. He flushed when he noticed that she had noticed that he was staring at her.

"You look…_amazing_," Gideon said, softly. Bella smiled.

"Thank you. Someone at Prima Madonna's gave it to me. I got it free of charge. Madame Madonna was going on and on about how it looked like it was made for me when in all honesty, she had been making it for the daughter of the Italian Minister of Magic," Bella said, smiling. Gideon nodded in understanding. Bella flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned. She blinked when she saw Luna and she couldn't help but chuckle at the hat the girl was wearing. It was large and wide brimmed and hid half of her face.

"Who gave you the dress?" Luna asked, softly. Bella didn't notice the tension in the girl's voice.

"Um…someone named Eve."

"Eve…_Cuilwen_," Luna said, translating the name. Bella frowned and she watched, as Luna's eyes flashed in recognition and then her eyes were cold.

"Are you okay? Did you see…meet her in June? Is she an Elf too?"

"Oh, yes. She's an Elf. I've met her _long _before June. It doesn't matter at this very moment. Have fun," Luna insisted. Bella nodded, slowly and she turned as Luna walked away towards Draco who was dancing with some girl from Ravenclaw. She giggled in amusement as Luna sent the girl a cold look and the girl flinched. Luna did away with her long coat and hat. And then they began to take part in some very raunchy dancing.

"Will you dance with me?" Ron and Gideon blurted out at the same time. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"I…I…"

"No she cannot. My sister has guests to greet," Blaise said, sharply. He had appeared out of nowhere and he dragged a relieved Bella from the two redheads. Bella glanced over her shoulder and saw the two glaring at each other and arguing. Ginny and Christine were snickering and rolling their eyes.

"Do I really need to greet guests?" Bella groaned. Blaise smirked.

"No. Go dance by yourself."

Bella laughed and she darted out onto the dance floor as a harsh dance beat started. She heard a familiar cackle and her eyes narrowed on 'Beatrix' and 'Ralph' with Tom. Tom was glaring at them and they were snickering as they danced like the insane duo that they were. Bella's eyes twitched when she watched the two friends with benefits grind up on each other.

"That's just…wrong."

Bella looked over her shoulder at Draco. His arms were around Luna's waist and she was pressed against his chest. His chin rested on top of the younger girl's head and they were watching.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Watching my aunt and uncle grind in front of my father's boss. It's just…wrong."

"Watching them grind in front of my boyfriends is wrong too. It's even more wrong now that she's trying to grind on _my _man," Bella hissed when she saw 'Beatrix' move onto Tom.

And he wasn't pushing her away.

"Hey! Bitch!"

Sirius watched as Bella stormed up to 'Beatrix', 'Ralph', and Tom. It looked like Bella knew 'Beatrix'.

"If it isn't fickle little Bella Potter," 'Beatrix' smirked. Bella grinned.

"If it isn't the family dog, Trixie," Bella hissed with a malicious grin on her face. She leaned forward, grabbing the woman's shoulder and yanking her forward to whisper in her ear. Sirius couldn't hear and he only watched. Bella leaned back and 'Beatrix' was snarling.

"It's on."

"You know it."

* * *

**Moonlit Rooftop, Pleasure Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31****st**** of July 1997**

**9:30 PM**

"It's time for presents!" Sirius announced suddenly as he dragged Bella onto the stage and _away _from Tom. She had looked much too close to forgiving him and he just couldn't have that just yet. He needed an edge to win this year. Sirius growled when Tom followed them until he was near the edge of the stage with all of Bella's friends, Lucius, Narcissa, 'Beatrix', 'Ralph', and a few parents.

"Presents. I like presents," Bella said. Sirius nodded and he was bouncing with excitement.

"Only the important presents though. Other presents can wait," Sirius said. There were snorts from the crowd and Sirius only stuck his tongue out at them. Bella tilted her head as she sat down in the chair in the center of the stage. Sirius handed her the first present from the adult Weasleys.

It turned out to be massive amount of candy and Red Vines. Bella thanked them despite the look on Maya's face at the candy. Bella knew her adopted mother would try to get rid of quite a lot of it. And she'd most likely succeed. Bella went through the presents slowly and she accumulated quite a few gift certificates from people that didn't know her as well.

From Hydra, she had gotten a new set of battle robes and two new matching holsters for her wands. Bella grinned and she fingered her invisible and _very _frayed battle holsters that she had had from a few years back.

"This is from Narcissa and Lucius," Sirius continued. Bella nodded and she unwrapped it to find her first new piece of jewelry. She smiled at it and shook her head. It was a gorgeous onyx and emerald choker on black velvet.

A key ring hung from it and Bella unhooked one of her many bangles and she pulled off the key to Tom's library before fastening it to the choker. She grinned at the two people in question.

"Thank you, Uncle Lucius. Aunt Narcissa. It's gorgeous," Bella said with a smile. Narcissa nodded in understanding.

"You welcome, Bella. It will looked beautiful with your skin tone," Narcissa continued. Bella nodded and she was surprised when Maya handed her the next present from the crowd. Bella unwrapped it, slowly.

And almost dropped it.

It was a picture frame. Inside the picture frame was a magical photo. Bella let out a quiet sob and looked down at it.

It was of her and her siblings and friend. They were underneath a tree on the grounds of Hogwarts. Hermione was there with her hair pulled back into a plait. She was leaning against Blaise whom was leaning against the trunk of the tree. They were reading a medical journal together.

Luna was sitting cross-legged, batting at invisible nargles and wrackspurts. Draco was jumping up and trying to get into the tree. Bella was sitting on one of the branches, Draco's wand dangling from her hand. She was sticking her middle finger up at Tom who was glaring up into the tree. She remembered this day.

"Who…" Bella whispered. She looked around and saw Maya miming to turn it around. Bella turned it and tears began falling from her eyes.

" '_Anastasia, I follow you forever. No matter where I am. If they sing for mercy, show none. With love, Mione_'. How…how?" Bella asked. Maya raised her hand and gave a smile.

"Mione told me that you'd like the present. That's why I went to visit her this morning. She signed it. Do you like it?" Maya asked. Bella gave a smile and nodded.

"I love it. I'll visit her tomorrow and give her my love and thanks" Bella said, disregarding the startled looks. No one would have thought that Bella still loved the girl who had used Black Magic on Severus Snape.

"Next present. Bella, look at mine. Open mine" Luna said, with a bright smile. She pointed at the present wrapped in bright crimson and silver. She unwrapped it carefully and opened the velvet box to reveal a silver locket. It was just as beautiful as her others but she inspected the crest and blinked in surprise at Luna.

"I've foreseen."

It was the Slytherin crest.

It's very beautiful, Luna" Bella complimented. Luna sighed and tilted her head.

"Open it. With Parseltongue."

"**Open.**"

Music floated from the locket with a beautiful and unearthly voice accompanying it.

_Are you going to Scarborough Fair?_

_Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme._

_Remember her to one who lives there._

_He will be a true love of yours._

_Tell him to bring you a riverbed stone._

_Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme._

_Devoid of clumsy gold and full of soul._

_Then he'll be a true love of yours._

Bella looked down at the locket and frowned. It was Luna singing. She would always remember Luna's singing voice. She usually sung the nursery rhymes about the Four Horsemen to them since no one else had a very good singing voice.

_Tell him to bring you an entire world._

_Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme._

_Between the glens and the British sea strand._

_Then he'll be a true love of yours._

_Are you going to Scarborough Fair?_

_Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme._

_Remember her to one who lives there._

_He is really a true love of yours._

Bella smiled and shook her head. It wasn't only a song. It was a prophecy and no one would realize it if they weren't part of her small circle of friends. Luna smiled and looked at Tom whom was frowning.

"It was beautiful Luna. Thank you. Another necklace to add to the group" Bella said with a smile. Everyone laughed and Bella moved on through the pile of presents. From Gideon she received a gift certificate to her favorite clothing store, for which she was grateful. From Ron, a broom keeping kit for her prized Firebolt. From the twins, a lifetime supply of prank objects that Bella knew would come in handy.

There was now only one more present besides the one that Sirius thought could wait until later. Bella picked up the emerald wrapped present. She ripped it open and brushed her hand over the leather cover. Bella smiled down at it and looked at Draco and Blaise whom were smiling.

"It's a scrapbook. From 5th year to now. There's still pages left. So, we can take pictures of Mione when we visit her in Azkaban" Draco said. Blaise nodded, adamantly.

"We did it in conjunction with Mione. We visited her a few days after she was put in and well…Mórrígan knew you'd love this more than any materialistic gift except for the one thing we can't seem to get you" Blaise said. Bella nodded in understanding.

For her birthday, she had wanted the Resurrection Stone. With it, she'd become immortal and her siblings with her, as they were her soul siblings in soul and blood. But, it had to be Untraceable.

"It's fine. It was only a dream. Two out of three is fine" Bella laughed. No one seemed to understand what they were speaking on.

"That's it then," Bella sighed. She looked at Tom but he hadn't said anything. He was looking at something in his hand and Bella wondered what it was. Sirius tapped her on the head.

"No. It's not," he said, pulling out his wand. He Disillusioned the new piano and Bella's eyes widened. Everyone watched in shock as her eyes began to roll back into her head. The girl grit her teeth and she shuddered.

"What…_what _is _that_?" she whispered, harshly. Sirius looked at her in confusion.

"A new piano."

"It's white. Like…John _Lennon's _piano," Bella continued in a hoarse whispered. Sirius nodded, slowly.

"Yes."

"I'm not worthy of a piano that looks _exactly like John Lennon's _piano. Oh…dear Merlin. Oh gods…thank you so much, Dad…" Bella said, softly. Sirius smiled and he gave Tom a smirk. Tom only smirked back and this confused Sirius. Sirius shrugged and touched Bella's shoulder.

"Play it. Please."

Bella looked to the speaker and saw that it was a little girl that looked so very much like Blaise. A bright smile spread across Bella's face as she looked at the five-year-old girl. She could see that many were confused about who she was and Sirius frowned in confusion.

"Come here, Gia," Bella said, softly. The curly haired girl bounced forward in her silver dress and smiled up, innocently at her. She held her hands up, expecting to be picked up. Bella picked the girl up and secured her to her waist. The girl was heavier than she would have thought but Bella easily carried her to the piano bench. The whispers began and Bella sat down next to Gianna. Bella looked at Blaise and she could see him smiling ever so slightly.

"What would you like to hear little Gia?" Bella asked. The little Italian girl thought for a moment before she looked up at Bella with honest and trusting eyes.

"Anything. Not sad, though. I don't wanna be sad," Gianna said, thoughtfully. Bella nodded and she ran her fingers across the keys, doing the scales quickly. She winced when she messed up and she pointed at Tom. He raised an eyebrow.

"Come here. I…I need you to sit here," Bella said, her voice coming out sharper than it needed to be. Tom tilted his head in confusion.

"Why?"

"You tell me, Mr. Secrets. I play from the soul. Yes, _soul_," Bella snapped, annoyed. Tom rolled his eyes before walking onto the stage rather calmly. The students were not confused by this. When they had listened to Bella play before, she had asked Riddle to sit beside her while she played but many parents were unaware of this. Gianna tilted her head, slowly.

"Hi," she said, softly. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Hello."

"I is Gianna," Gianna said, quietly. Bella sighed.

"I _am _Gianna."

"I am Gianna," Gianna said, correcting herself. Tom nodded in understanding. He looked over the girl. He had to remind himself that this little girl had helped murder someone despite the fact that she was probably the cutest child he'd ever seen.

He almost vomited in his mouth after that one thought.

_Cute_?

_Really?_

Bella was turning him into a pansy.

"She has to sit on your lap," Bella said, calmly as she turned back to the piano. Tom's eyes widened and he saw that Bella was correct. The bench was not big enough for the three of them.

"Can't she go sit somewhere else?" Tom asked, slightly annoyed. Bella glared.

"I'm not playing for you. I'm playing for her. Stop being an asshole and let her sit on your lap. She's five. Get a grip," Bella said, as she began to play a number of chords. Tom ground his teeth and picked up Gianna who looked rather surprised before he sat down and dropped her into his lap. Gianna turned around and tilted her head.

"What your name?"

"Tom."

She looked at him, judgingly and Tom glared at her. She gave him an amused look that seemed oddly condescending and it angered Tom. He glared at the girl and Gianna gave a short giggle.

"Okay," Gianna started and she turned to Bella, "Play."

Bella nodded and then suddenly her fingers glided across the shining ivory of the piano. Sirius watched in amazement as she began to play Hallelujah instead of a Beatles song or even just a John Lennon song. It would have been appropriate but Bella had never cared for that kind of stuff. She was unpredictable.

She played with a skill that Sirius could easily recognize. It had been a while since he had heard her really play like this. She had played at the funeral and she had apparently played after Hermione's arrest but this was…different. Bella was not crying now. Her face was deadly serious as she moved her fingers smoothly, as if they were made of water.

'Beatrix' stared at the young woman in shock though she struggled not to show it. Bella was rocking back and forth with the music and 'Beatrix' could see that the Griffins were absolutely shocked at the utter soul she poured into her playing. A soft smile was playing at the corner of Bella's lips. She didn't seem to give a damn that everyone was staring at her and she was confident in her playing. 'Beatrix' hated her for making her Lord look at her that way.

The song slowly came to an end and Bella looked up with a smile. The crowd applauded and Gianna gave a blissful smile.

"So pretty…"

"Thank you, Gia," Bella said, smiling. Gianna nodded and she touched Tom's cheek. He looked down at her.

"Thank you."

"Your…welcome?" Tom said, almost as if it were a question. Bella snickered and Tom glared at her. Neither noticed that a Muggleborn was scrutinizing them. Bella's eyes softened and she leaned over to look at Gianna.

"Would you like to hear something else?" Bella asked, softly. Gianna nodded, firmly. Bella lokoed up and she cleared her throat.

"Any suggestions?" she asked of the crowd.

"Something dark," Daphne shouted.

"Something pretty!" Gia said with a grin. Sirius tilted his head.

"Something…original," he decided. Bella's eyes narrowed and she looked at Tom with a scrutinizing gaze.

"You'll have to stand. I need the entire piano for the song," Bella said, quietly.

Tom huffed under his breath and Bella gave him a warning look. Tom stood, holding Gianna to his waist despite the fact that he could in fact put her down. Gianna didn't look like she honestly wanted to move from her spot on Tom's waist. She only hung onto him, her little fists clenched harder. Bella turned back to the piano and she sighed.

"What are you playing?" Tom asked.

"May I? The song…" Bella said instead of answering. Christine watched as Riddle's eyes widened in understanding and he sighed before nodding once. Christine turned back to Bella and Riddle leaned against the piano. Bella was looking at him with a monotone expression.

Suddenly, Bella began to play. It was different from what Christine was used to hearing from Bella. It was a slightly light tone. It was almost like a lullaby but there was an undertone of coming darkness. The truth came out when suddenly Bella was playing, intensely. She blinked and she never looked away from Riddle. Her eyes never drifted to her fingers.

The sound coming from the white piano filled the room with an overbearing feeling that pressed onto the audience. Bella kept hold of Tom's eyes and Sirius frowned. He had never heard this. He looked over at Draco and Blaise and saw that they had in fact heard this before. They looked shocked to be hearing it.

Bella leaned her to the side before she started rocking back forth as her fingers brushed against the keys. Suddenly, her touch got much lighter and softer and the tone held a whimsical tone. The tone was mesmerizing and he could see tendrils of hair falling from her side bun. She was biting the inside of her cheek and she didn't look away from Tom. Sirius felt as if he were intruding. The music grew so soft that Sirius could barely hear it.

Then, suddenly Bella's left hand slammed down on a deep chord. Her left fingers went twisting down the white keys. She repeated the same process and it sounded strange and almost different. Then Bella shook her head and her side bun slipped into a low and twisted ponytail. Bella slammed the chords down and the sound was intense and almost scary. She looked Riddle in the eye with the same intensity that she was playing with.

"Don't they make a pretty picture," a voice whispered in Christine's ear. Christine jumped and she looked over her shoulder to see Luna who had a slight smile on her face. Christine frowned.

"What song is this?"

"A song that Bella composed. For him. She plays so beautifully, doesn't she?" Luna asked, softly. Christine nodded in agreement. Luna sighed, shaking her head as the music twisted through the air and planted dark thoughts in everyone's heads.

"What is her and Professor Riddle's…relationship?" Christine finally asked. Luna gave a sharp smile.

"I don't know. You tell me."

Christine blinked as Luna slunk back into the crowd who was staring mesmerized. Christine glanced at the Griffins and she could see the pianist staring almost jealously. Riddle was moving closer and closer to her side with Gianna looking just as hypnotized. Bella's passion was a sight to behold and this particular song showcased her amazing talent at the piano. The Griffin pianist looked more shocked than jealous now. She looked humbled.

The sound of the vibrating octaves caused Christine's eyes to sting and suddenly the intensity stopped abruptly. It was soft again and Riddle was by Bella's side. He set Gianna onto her feet and she leaned against his leg. Riddle pulled something out of his pocket and pulled something out of it. It was a black box.

Bella wasn't even paying attention to him as she played. The music got more intense thought not by much. Christine could see that Bella was trying to tell a story to them through the music and Christine could see that it was a tragedy. It was a song of heartbreak, hurt, pain, grief, and love. Bella caressed the chords but they came out just as powerfully as they would have if she had slammed down on them.

The music softened again and Bella stiffened when Tom brushed her hair back and put something cold around her neck. It felt like a chain of some sort. She didn't look yet and she could feel him pulling the pin that kept her bangs to the side. They fell straight down, past her eyebrows. He pulled her hair from the bun and it fell over her shoulders, touching the keys. It was a lot longer than most anticipated.

Bella's playing slow and she gave a tender smile and Gideon's eyes narrowed. The smile had been so intimate that he felt like he was intruding and he had to look away. He looked around and he could see several people averting their eyes as well. He heard a sharp gasp and he could see Bella looked down at whatever Riddle had put around her neck.

"_How _did you find _it_?" she asked, softly. Tom gave her a soft _smile _for once. She blinked at the sight of it before she looked down to what she was holding.

"It's one of my…treasured objects."

Sirius watched as Bella's disposition changed immediately. Her eyes got brighter as if she were about to cry and she lifted the necklace, looking at what looked like a charm of some sort.

"Do not try to," Tom said, coldly. Sirius' eyes narrowed and then widened when he saw exactly what was _on _the chain.

"A ring," Sirius said, sounding incredibly nervous. Tom snorted.

"Calm yourself, Black. It's a ring that is incredibly special to Bella. She never said it aloud but she has wanted this ring for a long time. Not any ring but _this _ring. This ring is special to her," Tom said sharply. Sirius looked to Bella and Bella gave a sad smile and she kissed the ring before clutching it in her hand.

"That…that is the Resurrection Stone," Draco said, softly. Tom nodded once. He watched as Bella lifted the chain and fastened it around her neck. She held it protectively and drifted back in, her wand gone once more.

"Thank you…thank you so much," Bella said, softly. Tom nodded once.

"You…you do know what you must do with that ring," Tom said, quietly. Sirius awaited the answer. He was curious what the ultimatum was. Bella tilted her head.

"I know."

Bella grabbed Tom's wrist and he looked at her in surprise. Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and she hugged him, tightly. Tom looked even more shocked by this and he looked down at her in confusion. Bella felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned though she didn't let go of Tom.

"Um…hello," Bella said, awkwardly. The redheaded pianist half of the Griffins stood there with a smile on her face.

"You are quite good. Why don't you play publically? And _where _did you hear that song?" she asked. Bella smiled.

"I play for myself. I don't play for others. And I composed that song," Bella explained. The redhead's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. She gaped like a fish for a few seconds more before she swallowed.

"We'd love to make that into something, if we could. Add a few lyrics. A few backing tracks. Drums, guitar—"

Bella's eyes hardened.

"That song…that song is _not _for sail."

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**2:30 AM**

The dark haired woman was dressed comfortably in flannel pants and a black tank top. She had said good night to all of her guests by now and they had all went home after trying to get a good look at the ring hanging around her neck. Christine had given her the strangest look as did Gideon and Ginny but they hadn't said anything about it. Bella sighed as she sat on her bed, cross-legged.

The ring rested in the palm of her hand and she knew how to use it. Bella sighed and then she inspected it again. There was a crack down the middle where the line of the Elder Wand had been. Bella looked at her scarred hand and she compared the two symbols. They were essentially the same.

Bella closed her eyes and turned the ring in the palm of her three times. There was a cold rush of air and she could hear them. Feel them. Bella's eyes snapped open and she looked up at the two people standing in front of her. They were staring at each other, drinking each other in.

Lily Potter nee Evans looked more like flesh than ghost unlike her counterpart who looked more ghost than flesh. However, neither were one or the other. James Potter stared at the woman he had not seen in sixteen years and he touched the auburn's face. He was glad that his fingers did not pass through her cheek like he had thought they would.

"Lil…" James said, tenderness permeating his voice. There was a hint of blind reverence in his eyes that was echoed in the way that Lily clung to her husband.

"James…oh James. I missed you, James!" Lily said, throwing her arms around her husband. James pulled her close and Bella watched with a tilted head as her parents kissed, fiercely. She wasn't very uncomfortable, surprisingly and she wouldn't have looked away even if she did. She had never actually _seen _her father. It was okay to watch him.

Then suddenly it _did _get uncomfortable as James' fingers found the bottom of Lily's shirt.

"Excuse me. I'm kind of here," Bella voiced, awkwardly. James stopped in his ministrations and Lily's eyes widened and the two turned to look at their daughter of seventeen years. James blinked.

"Fawn…you're…you've grown," James said, softly. Bella nodded with a smile and she tilted her head.

"You're…you're my father. I summoned you here. To talk to you," Bella explained through short sentences. She was still in awe that her father was here. It was true, she finally decided. She really did look like her mother except with her father's coloring. They shared the same dark and wild hair and James was pale. Not as pale as Bella and he had a more peachy tone but he was still fair-skinned.

"I've watched you over the years. Until you turned 14," James said, quietly. Bella nodded in understanding and she offered a short and grim smile. James was surprised to see such a look on his little girl's face.

"It's best if you _did _only watch until I was 14. I don't think you would have liked what would have happened after. But you've watched me until I was 14. That means you must know about—"

"Seth. That son of a bitch," James said, viciously. Lily's eyes flashed in the same righteous anger and she crossed her arms and she was shaking with rage every few seconds. She went to sit down next to Bella on the bed. James sat next to Lily, slightly confused on how to act in front of a daughter that he barely knew.

"He rots in Hell now. Draco sent him to be tortured in the Seventh Circle of Hell," Lily said, scathingly. James' eyes narrowed and he looked at his wife in confusion. Lily's eyes widened.

"What…how do you know this? Why couldn't I contact you after we died? You didn't board the train with me…where I was…no one would talk about you. They'd sneer and say that you were where you belonged. Where were you?" James asked, quietly. Lily sighed.

"James…everything went to Hell the night we died. Including me."

:::

**A/N: **The chapter was uncharacteristically long. It was 34 pages. That's a…wow for me. But I couldn't split this chapter in half. I just really didn't think it'd be this long. Oh well. I refuse to split it in half and I fear that this chapter isn't one of my bests. Next chapter, you'll see where Bella gets her odd story-telling from. Lily tells stories the same way. We're also going to find out why Hermione, Blaise, Draco, and Bella are the Horsemen. I wasn't planning to do this until the sequel but it just kind of happened. James has finally shown up.

He'll show up more and more in the sequel while Lily shows up less and less. I know, that'll be strange. Well, the Resurrection Stone is a _very _important ring. VERY. IMPORTANT. RING. If you go back to Chapter XI and read the first thing in the chapter, I'm sure you'll catch _why _it is a VERY. IMPORTANT. RING.

On another note, Amphibious Draculina was the first person to guess that Hermione has been imitating the Joker from The Dark Knight and Drusilla from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Anyway, despite the fact that she doesn't have psychosis, Hermione is still…mentally unbalanced. ASPD is a serious disorder that 'Beatrix' has. In truth, if you really look at Bellatrix Lestrange's character, you'll be able to diagnose it. My uncle is a psychoanalyst and he agrees with me.

Next Chapter: Stories


	86. Chapter LXXIX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, temp DM/CW, perm DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXIX**

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**2:40 AM**

"James…everything went to Hell the night we died. Including me."

Bella watched as James froze at the words and he shook his head, obviously very confused. Lily sensed his confusion and she offered the slightest of smiles before she tilted her head.

"Not Hell…Purgatory. I was sentenced to Purgatory at my death because of…Bella. Sirius calls her Doe now. I remember when we used to call her Fawn. I suppose I should start at Death's Circle," Lily sighed, shaking her head and James nodded in agreement. He was looking at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"I think that'd be for the best…" he said, softly. Lily sighed, shaking her head as the images flashed across her mind. She looked over at her daughter and saw that she was reaching out for her parents but she kept jerking her hand back.

"Come here, Bella. I'm here," Lily whispered. Bella crawled across the bed towards her parents. James reached out for her and his hand passed through Bella's. Bella frowned and she reached down towards the trunk at the foot of her bed.

She pulled out the silvery cloak and James' eyes widened on it and a slight smile spread across his face.

"The Invisibility Cloak! You got it!"

"Yeah…I don't use it often. I want to touch you…Mama, why can't I touch him?" Bella asked, frowning. Lily frowned as well.

"You should be able to. Will it to happen."

Bella's brow furrowed and the scars on her left palm lit up, drawing James' attention to it. He opened his mouth to shout when he saw the words written across her left hand. Bella held up her hand and then she waved her hand over James. His skin grew fleshier in color and more alive though not completely. Bella's eyes widened when he resembled Lily now.

"Come here, Bella," Lily said again. Bella nestled herself between her parents against the headboard. James' arm wrapped around Lily's shoulders and Lily leaned her head against James' neck. Bella lay there with her head against James' chest.

"Tell me, Lily. Why weren't you with me? Why were you in Hell?" James asked, curiously. Lily sighed, shaking her head and she closed her eyes as she recounted the events that had led her to Purgatory.

"There are seven currently in Death's Circle. The Circle rests in Purgatory and their primary job is to pass judgment. They send people to Paradise or Hell. Where you resided was Paradise. There is supposed to be ten people on the council. The seven of the ten: Cadmus Peverell, Antioch Peverell, Ignotus Peverell, Ariana Dumbledore, Merlin Ambrosius, Morgan le Fay, and Lily Potter," Lily started. James frowned as Lily referred to herself in third person. James sighed, shaking his head. He didn't understand.

"But why _you_?"

"That…that story starts long ago. I was ten…"

* * *

**Bethlem Royal Hospital, Bromley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 22****nd**** of March 1970**

**11:00 AM**

"_Mummy! I don't want to go visit Aunt Frances. She's freaky-deaky!" Petunia complained to their Mum as they walked down the hallway towards their great-aunt's room. Lily frowned and pouted. She didn't want to visit Aunt Frances either. It was strange enough when she started speaking nonsense but then she tried to make them __**stay**__._

"_Stop whining, Pet. We're going to visit your Aunt Frances. It's her birthday. Wish her a happy birthday and then you may play in the waiting room," Daddy reassured them, absently. Lily looked to Mummy who didn't look too excited to visit Daddy's aunt either._

"_I'm too old to play. I'm twelve years old. And I don't want to see some old woman that went around the bend years ago," Petunia hissed at Daddy. Lily's eyes widened and Daddy only sighed, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. Lily gave his sister a meaningful look._

"_You shouldn't be so mean. It's not her fault," Lily reminded her. Petunia sniffed and she crossed her arms before sticking her tongue out at her._

"_You __**would **__say that, wouldn't you? You're weird too. You sympathize with Aunt Frances. You belong here too, don't ya? With your weird stuff and the weird things you talk to that big-nosed Snape boy about," Petunia teased. Lily glared at her sister and she crossed her arms, angry at Petunia's talk of her best friend._

"_Leave Severus alone. There's nothing wrong with his nose. I like his nose," Lily said before she stuck her tongue out at her sister. They finally came to the door and Lily's dad opened and he smiled at old Aunt Frances. Lily's tongue slowly made its way back into her mouth and she looked at the woman, shyly. Petunia only gave a short wave before she turned back to glare at the wall._

_Daddy said it was a teenager thing._

"_Hullo, Aunt Frances," Lily murmured as she hid behind her Mum. Mummy was already straining to give a smile to the woman lying on the bed._

_She was short and she was wearing a white dressing gown. Long dark red hair fell over her shoulder and it was streaked with grey. In her face were the same green eyes that Lily possessed. Lily knew that the woman had a son that was much younger than her. He was only five years old, practically a baby. He was being raised by Lily's grandma. His daddy was dead and his mother was in the crazy house._

_Lily couldn't help but feel sympathy for him._

"_Hello…Lily," Aunt Frances croaked._

_Lily looked up, sharply at the woman and she was surprised. Aunt Frances wasn't supposed to be able to recognize anyone or not well anyway. Lily didn't really understand all the medical mumbo jumbo anyway. Daddy and Mummy looked surprised too._

"_Here, Lily," Aunt Frances whispered, patting the bed next to her and Lily walked over to her, rather confused. Aunt Frances looked at everyone and she suddenly looked very scared. She shook Lily by the shoulder and Lily looked rattled for a moment._

"_Who are you? What are you doing in my room? Get out! GET. OUT!" Aunt Frances roared. Lily jumped and she moved to leave the room but Aunt Frances didn't look at her. Lily blinked when she realized that Aunt Frances was talking to Daddy and Mum and of course, Petunia._

"_Come, Pet. I think Aunt Frances wants to talk to Lily alone," Daddy said and he rushed Petunia from the room. Petunia looked grateful to leave. She had looked more and more uncomfortable as the seconds went by. Mummy didn't leave the room, immediately._

"_Will you be okay with…Aunt Frances, Lily-flower?" Mummy asked, softly and Lily suddenly scowled at her Mum though she wasn't quite sure._

"_I'm a big girl, Mum! It's just Aunt Frances," Lily snapped. Mummy gave her a disbelieving look but she left the room and closed the door behind her. Aunt Frances tapped Lily's shoulder and Lily looked back to Aunt Frances. Aunt Frances was looking at Lily with a strange glint in her eyes._

"_You've touched, my dear girl."_

_Lily frowned in confusion._

"_Touched?"_

"_You have been touched. By __**magic**__."_

_Lily froze at the insinuation and she remembered all that Severus had told her. Muggles weren't supposed to know about the magical world. It was forbidden and it was to keep witches and wizards, like her, from harm. Muggles didn't understand so they might try to hurt them._

"_Magic? Are you calling me a witch? That's not a very nice thing to say," Lily started, shrilly and nervously. Aunt Frances only gave a slight smile and her eyes were glazed over and unfocused._

"_My dear girl, do not deny which you know. Do not discriminate despite the fact that they discriminate against you. You are different. You will be called terrible things by those close to you. But you are __**special**__. Never forget that. The child that will grow in your womb will be special. __**You **__are special," Aunt Frances said, firmly. Lily's eyes widened in shock and absolute confusion. Aunt Frances brushed Lily's hair behind her ear and she tilted her head._

"_Would you like to be special, Lily?" Aunt Frances whispered._

_Lily's lip quivered. She didn't want to be a freak. She wanted to be __**special**__. Lily slowly nodded and Aunt Frances smiled at her before kissing her forehead and Lily felt something drip down her spine._

"_You'll be special, Lily-flower, if you wish it. Like your sisters, you will be given choices throughout your life. Like the Flower of Narcissus and the Spring and the Free. You must choose to be special or ordinary," Aunt Frances said, firmly and Lily nodded though the odd wording of Aunt Frances' statement suddenly confused her._

"_Sisters? I only have one," Lily said, quietly._

_Aunt Frances' eyes came into focus and she frowned at Lily in confusion. She raised a shaking and terrified finger at Lily and started to shriek. Lily fell off the bed, scared herself and she shook her head._

"_A-Aunt Frances…"_

"_ABOMINATION! AWAY FROM ME! Get. Away. From. Me! You will birth an abomination! Twisted! I BANISH YOU, MOTHER OF EVIL!" Aunt Frances screamed. The door flew open and Daddy rushed in and grabbed Lily. He bid Aunt Frances goodbye and Lily clung to her father._

"_What'd you say to her? What'd you do?" Petunia asked, excitedly. Her eyes were bright with malice and Lily knew that the girl had just found a new nickname for her._

"_I didn't say anything. She was talking crazy stuff…" Lily said, carefully. Petunia looked at her with an almost approving look in her eyes and she slung an arm around her younger sister's shoulders._

"_Well now you know how much of a wack job she is. You'll make sure you're never as weird as her," Petunia said, more as if she was talking to herself. Lily's eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance and she glared at Petunia._

"_Special."_

_Petunia looked at her in surprise._

"_What?"_

"_I'm not weird or a freak. I'm special."_

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 19****th**** of September 1971**

**8:00 PM**

"_Lily, we're going back to the Common Room now. Curfew is soon. Is that okay with you?" Marie Waldorf asked Lily as the young first year studied vicariously. She refused to fall behind as she was a Muggleborn or as some Slytherins, namely Lucius Malfoy, liked to call her Mudblood._

_Lily refused to be proven ignorant to wizarding customs._

"_Mhmm…I'll be there before nine, Marie. You two go on," Lily said. Marie frowned and shrugged. She sighed and bit her lip for a moment._

"_I think I'm going to go read Witch Weekly anyway. You go on with your research or whatever…" Marie said. Lily nodded, not really listening to her roommates. She couldn't really call them __**friends**__ per say since she had only just met them. Marie and Grace sighed and nodded._

"_Groovy…see you later," Lily muttered under her breath. Marie and Grace exchanged looks and Lily almost laughed at their expressions. Purebloods didn't know Muggle lingo especially the word 'groovy', which was really one of Lily's favorite words._

_Marie and Grace wandered off, whispering to each other about the meaning of the word 'groovy'. Lily frowned as she looked at the book. Pureblood manners were strange. She was expected to know every single Lord or Lady of the English Wizarding World and she was expected to __**recognize **__them? And don't get her started on wizarding politics…so __**strange**__…_

_Lily sighed and shook her head. Her head drifted back to her Defense class and her professor's words of the Dark Arts. Lily's internal thirst for knowledge kicked in and she remembered her crazy Aunt Frances' words._

_Don't discriminate, she had said and Lily knew that those words still applied despite the fact that Aunt Frances was still terrified to have Lily in the same room for some inexplicable reason._

_Lily stood, suddenly before she wandered towards the darker corners of the library. The redheaded girl frowned at the rope blocking her way and she carefully took a step over it. She wandered towards the back of the library. Lily snatched up a candle and walked carefully. The girl suddenly stopped at a random bookcase. She tiptoed to reach the largest tome she could see._

"_What is a little __**Gryffindor**__ firstie doing in the Restricted Section?"_

_Lily jumped and she spun to see who had spoken to her. A pretty older girl with long blonde hair stood with her arms crossed and a cold smirk playing at the corner of her lips. Her eyes were an icy blue donned in a cream-colored neck tie shirt and a black pencil skirt with a dark green scarf tied around her neck, marking her as a Slytherin._

"_I-I…I was curious," Lily said, softly. The girl raised an eyebrow before taking step forward in clicking green heels._

"_What's your name, Gryffindor?" the girl asked._

"_Lily Evans," Lily said, bravely. The girl nodded once and didn't give her own name. She only observed her for a minute and it made Lily squirm underneath her piercing look._

"_What is __**your **__name?" Lily asked, finally._

"_Narcissa. Narcissa Black," the girl said, haughtily._

Flower of Narcissus…

"_The Flower of Narcissus," Lily said, quietly. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at the girl and she tilted her head with curiosity and she nodded slowly. Lily flushed under the frigid stare and then Narcissa's eyes softened._

"_You're a Mudblood. You are friends with Severus Snape. Lucius does not like how you poison his pureblood mentality further. It's a shame that he's a half-blood already," Narcissa said, bluntly. Despite her hurtful words, her tone was soft and for some strange reason it made Lily feel better._

"_I…I didn't mean to…" Lily whispered. Narcissa took the book that Lily wanted from the shelf and she flipped through it before looking through long eyelashes._

"_I can see that. You are attempting to immerse your self in our world. Not many Muggleborns attempt to do this. They are far too interested in poisoning our world with their own heinous ideas," Narcissa said, glaring at Lily. Lily frowned and she tilted her head in curiosity. What was the older girl talking about?_

"_What do you mean by that?" Lily asked._

"_All the Muggleborns come to us with their own ideas. They brought the ideas of Christmas and Halloween. They have made our grand worships of Magic into a joke. There is no more Yule or Samhain to the half-bloods and there never was to Mudbloods. They have made Ostara and Litha illegal for fear of the practices that they perceive as Dark. Merlin also took part in our great services to Magic," Narcissa snarled angrily. Lily leaned back her eyes wide and she suddenly came to terms with all of the things that Muggleborns had taken away from those that had lived in this world much longer._

"_Who would do such a thing? How could they gain power to do that anyway?" Lily asked, curiously. She knew enough of wizarding politics to know that the true power belonged to the House of Families._

"_The Light Denomination of the House of Families. The Head of the Light Denomination is Charlus Potter, that stupid little James Potter's father. And Charlus Potter is under Dumbledore's thumb. Dumbledore is taking away everything from us. And the Head of the Dark Sect has been gone for such a long time…I fear that he has abandoned us…" Narcissa said, looking away and Lily felt a flash of strange rage go through her. She leaned forward to look at Narcissa. Narcissa suddenly dropped the heavy tome into Lily's arms and Lily staggered at the sudden weight._

"_Could you…show me your world?" Lily whispered, softly. Narcissa suddenly looked at her with a raised eyebrow and an ice cold eye. Lily almost shivered under the girl's gaze._

"_A Mudblood who wants to learn of the world that she has intruded upon. A first, for sure," Narcissa said, sounding colder. She had sounded so passionate before but her icy front was back on and Lily flinched at the sudden change. She had almost liked Narcissa when the girl was being nice._

"_I would like to know __**everything **__about this world. Politics. Traditions. People. Magic…" Lily said, the greed permeating from her voice as she spoke of the last. Lily didn't even notice that she had caught Narcissa's attention._

"_Magic? Isn't that what you're learning?"_

"_That's Light and Neutral magic. I…I want to know __**all **__magic. I was told that I should not discriminate. I am discriminated against here but I shall not discriminate because it is done to me. I am different. I am __**special**__," Lily said, firmly. She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than Narcissa. Lily was looking at the ground and she looked up quickly through her eyelashes and she was surprised to see Narcissa staring at her with a wide-eyed expression._

"_You wish to know of magic? Dark included?" Narcissa asked. Lily nodded, frantically._

"_Every Friday you shall join me here and I shall have a book for you to read. Is that understood?" Narcissa whispered. Lily nodded and Narcissa turned on her heel before walking gracefully, leaving a confused first year._

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 19****th**** of June 1976**

**12:00 PM**

_Lily didn't even notice when the Great Hall fell silent. There was a click on the stone floor but still Lily didn't look up from her bowl of soup. She was staring blankly at it with the cold words of her once best friend._

_Mudblood._

_Mudblood._

_Mudblood._

_A Slytherin hadn't called her that word for years. At least not to her face anyway._

_There was a tap on her shoulder and Lily jumped and looked up. She froze when she saw the platinum blonde hair pulled back into a low bun and a sneer intact on her face. Except the woman's sneer wasn't directed at the redheaded girl. It was directed at her former House._

_It was directed at a boy with a curtain of black greasy hair._

"_Cissa?" Lily asked, frowning. She had not expected to see Narcissa Malfoy here. Cissa had graduated at the end of Lily's second year. They had kept in touch secretly and Lily had not been called a Mudblood because of the woman she had come to see as a mentor, almost an older sister._

"_Lily. Walk with me, darling," Cissa said, softly. Her tone was cold and Lily nodded, standing immediately. She knew better than to disobey Cissa. It would lead to disappointment and for some odd reason, Lily hated when she disappointed Cissa. Suddenly, Marie jerked her down and Lily leaned down._

"_You know Narcissa Malfoy?" Marie hissed into her ear. Lily nodded once and she opened her mouth to explain._

"_Now, Lily," Cissa snapped, impatiently. Lily pulled away from Marie and walked towards the woman's side. They were around the same height normally but Cissa was wearing heels, making her four inches taller than she actually was._

_Cissa waved the girl forward impatiently before she stopped and turned to a dumbstruck Albus Dumbledore._

"_This will take only a moment, Headmaster. Please excuse my hasty entrance," Cissa said and she flashed an icy smile before she turned back to Lily, her smile growing slightly warmer before it curled into a nasty sneer again. She glared at the dumbstruck boy sitting at the table. She pulled Lily along to the Slytherin table and she looked almost like a snake herself._

"_I left specific instructions to Slytherin House many years ago. I do hope you can all recall what I said without me restating it," Cissa began. The Slytherins __**did **__remember, in fact._

"_Then you should remember what I said about Lily Evans. I do believe that you, Severus, owe her a public apology for what she said of her on this past Thursday. You shouted at her 'Mudblood' when she was simply trying to help you. You have disrespected not only her but also me. You will apologize. Immediately," Cissa said, sharply and Severus looked very surprised. He looked confused for a moment before he looked at Lily. Lily tried not to look at her best friend and busied herself with looking at Cissa._

_The woman looked deadly serious and her expression was grim as Death. It was quite strange in fact._

"_I'm sorry, Lily," Severus said, quietly. Lily frowned and she sighed._

"_I…I can't forgive you. I am sorry," Lily she finally said. The redheaded girl felt a flash of victory at Severus' grimace. She looked to Cissa and saw a glint in the woman's eyes. Cissa nodded once at Severus before pulling Lily towards the doors of the Great Hall._

"_Cissa, thank you," Lily said, quietly. Cissa nodded once._

"_Lily, I shall send you a book soon. You will do well to read it away from prying eyes. Wait until your summer break. I may visit you if Lucius permits it," Cissa said, quietly. Lily's eyes flashed._

"_What do you mean if Malfoy permits it? He stops you from doing what you want?" Lily hissed, angrily. Cissa gave a slight smile and her eyes brightened._

"_On the contrary, I run the household. But we have many guests over right now…I am needed to run my home," Cissa murmured to her. Lily almost flushed before she remembered that Cissa had told her never to be embarrassed about random things like making a mistake as insignificant as that._

"_Oh…well then…I do hope you'll be able to come," Lily said, quietly. Cissa nodded and she pressed a kiss to each of Lily's cheeks. Lily returned the favor and Cissa turned and nodded to Dumbledore. The old man still looked confused. Cissa turned and disappeared from the doorway._

_Lily smiled and waved after her._

* * *

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Sunday the 1****st**** of October 1978**

**1:00 PM**

_Lily took a sip of the hot coffee as she waited for James to show. He had asked her to be at this little coffee shop because apparently he had to tell her something of some sort. They had been dating since the middle of seventh year now and it was almost a year and Lily found herself violently in love with the man._

"_Clark! I can do what I want and you can't stop me. If I want to major in War Studies, I can," sighed a young woman as she entered the coffee shop._

_Lily looked up at the woman and she blanched at the picture the woman made. She was holding books upon books and she had a mass of curly brown hair falling around her. A man with black hair and large square glasses with a button down shirt rushed in behind her with a large amount of papers and a bag by his side._

_The two looked only a few years older than Lily and it was obvious that they were college-aged. The woman had bright blue eyes and she was scowling at the man who was apparently named Clark. The woman dropped her books onto a nearby table and sat down, intent on ignoring him._

"_Maya, we're supposed to do dentistry school together. You and me. We decided that together, remember?" Clark said in what he obviously thought was a coaxing voice. Maya looked up with an annoyed expression and she sent Clark a dangerous scowl. Clark leaned back at the sight of it._

"_Why don't you stop bothering me about it? The Dental Institute is postgraduate. I'll only do War Studies as an undergrad, okay? Does that make everything better for you?" Maya asked, looking extremely annoyed. Clark gave a long suffering sigh and he nodded. Maya looked relieved for a moment before she stood. Clark looked up at her in surprise._

"_I'm going to get a cup of coffee. Relax," Maya reassured him. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she proceeded to the line. Suddenly, the door swung open and the bell jingled. Lily looked away from Maya and Clark and to the door._

_A messy haired, hazel-eyed man ran in, pushing right pass Maya, sending her tumbling towards the floor. Lily's mouth fell open and James bounced in front of her with a bright smile. He ahdn't even noticed that he had pushed her down._

"_Hey Lily! I'm sorry I'm late. I got caught up with Sirius and Remus and Peter and we got up to talking and they were walking with me to come here but then I told them to leave because I wanted to do this alone and if they were here it would be really, really, really awkward and—"_

_Lily snorted at her boyfriend before she turned her gaze onto Maya who was staring up with annoyance, disbelief, and a hint of amusement on her face. Lily offered a sheepish smile before turning back to James with a stern look on her face. Lily glanced over at Clark who was beginning to stand as if to defend his girlfriend's honor. Lily almost snorted._

_He looked too nerdy._

"_James! James, love, I'm happy to see you too but…oh jeez, never mind," Lily said when James only offered a confused look. She gestured to Maya and James' eyes flew open._

"_Oops! I'm sorry! Let me help you up!" James said and he grabbed Maya's hand before yanking her up and sending her flying into the air. Lily darted forward to catch the girl before she stumbled and hit the floor again. Maya laughed when Lily let her go and she gave a smile._

"_Ah, thanks. I haven't seen you two around here. You go to King's?" Maya asked, curiously. Lily blinked and then shook her head with a slight smile._

"_We just graduated from our boarding school in Scotland. We're taking a year off before we go off to college," Lily lied._

_In truth, Lily was an Apprentice in the Department of Mysteries and James was going through the Auror Academy faster than he could even blink. Lily felt pride well up in her when she thought of how well James and Sirius were doing at the Auror Academy._

_Maya nodded in understanding. James blinked before nodded in agreement. Lily was glad that he agreed immediately._

"_I'm Maya. Maya Wilkins," Maya said, extending her hand. Lily took it and she gave it a firm shake. Maya gave her a smile and for some reason Lily felt like she had met this woman before._

"_Lily Evans."_

"_Hopefully not in the future," James muttered under his breath. Lily frowned and looked at her boyfriend._

"_What did you say?" Lily asked, curiously. She looked at Maya who was grinning at something and James had a pink tinge to his cheeks._

"_Er…nothing. I'm James. James Potter. And Lily and I need to talk now," James said, firmly. Lily frowned at the wording. Usually, when someone said 'we need to talk' that meant they were breaking up. Lily's eyes widened._

_Oh no…_

"_What about?" Lily asked in a squeaky voice. James gave her a strange look before ushering her back to their table. Lily waved at Maya who was still grinning. Maya walked back over to Clark and whispered in his ear. Clark made a humming noise and he nodded in understanding. Then he frowned._

"_Well…Grindelwald and Voldemort are rising in power."_

_Lily nodded. She knew this. She read in the Prophet about how everyday someone was dying or there had been a battle somewhere. James and Lily were both part of the Order of the Phoenix, a vigilante group run by Dumbledore. They were a part of it along with Sirius, Remus, and Peter._

"_And…we could die any day and I love you so damn much, Lil. You're my life, you know. So…will you…share your life with me…err permanently?" James asked. Lily only stared at James with confusion on her face. He couldn't have just asked her…_

"_I'm sorry. What?" Lily asked again. James slid in his hand into his pocket and produced a black velvet box. He flipped it open, nervously and revealed a silver band with a diamond._

_A __**large **__diamond._

"_Will you marry me?"_

"_Oh dear Merlin…I'll marry you. Of course, I'll marry you James," Lily said, grinning. She threw her arms around James and there was applause through the coffee shop. The door was thrown open and three men rushed inside. The tallest who had long waist length black hair grinned at his best friend._

"_I told you! I told you she'd say yes!" he laughed. Lily threw her arms around Sirius, Remus, and Peter and they hugged her back, cheering._

"_She said yes…my God…she said yes…" James was muttering to himself. Lily laughed and she shook her head. She looked at Maya and she was amused to see her looking at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. She was eyeing his hair and the young Black was sneaking looks at her himself._

"_Of course I said yes! I have to tell Cissa!" Lily said, brightly. James almost frowned at the mention of the once Black and now Malfoy. Sirius openly scowled at the name while Peter began to look slightly nervous._

"_You still talk to her?" Sirius sneered._

"_She's my best friend, Siri," Lily said, sharply._

"_She's my cousin. And I __**know **__she's well…not on the right side of the tracks anyway," Sirius said, just as coldly as Lily. Lily sighed, shaking her head and she looked over at Maya. Maya gave a slight smile._

"_Congratulations," Maya called from her table. Lily grinned, unwilling to let Sirius' bad mood ruin her happy moment._

"_Thanks!"_

* * *

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Tuesday the 3****rd**** of October 1978**

**9:12 AM**

_The fire roared green and James and Lily exchanged looks of confusion. They had not expected anyone over to Lily's small flat. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus all lived in the flat across the corridor and had named it the Marauder's Den. Lily's eyes widened when she saw who had stepped out of the fire with a fierce expression on her face._

"_You're marrying him?"_

_The cold and almost dead voice of Cissa permeated through the room. Her eyes were icy shards of blue and she was staring at Lily with disappointment. Cissa turned her gaze onto James and it flared into rage. Lily almost shrunk in on herself._

"_I love him…" Lily said, softly._

"_You love him? You __**love **__him?" Cissa mocked and Lily stared at Cissa before averting her eyes to ground and then to James. James was looking at her, patiently. He was waiting for her to stand up for herself. Lily didn't know if she could._

"_I do," Lily said._

"_Lily! How could you? After everything I did for you. After everything I taught you. You fall for him. He's __**Light**__, Lily. He's blindingly Light and it sickens me to be in the same room as him. His magic, slowly, tainting my own. It disgusts me to the point of no return," Cissa hissed, angrily._

_James glared at Cissa and he opened his mouth to shout back at her. Lily gave him a pleading look and he leaned back with an angry stare. Lily swallowed and she looked up at the woman that she had glorified for years now._

"_Cissa, I understand that he is Light. I understand but I still love him and that doesn't change anything. It's different for me. You may not have married Lucius for love—"_

_Cissa's eyes flashed and she stormed up to Lily and leaned down, getting into the younger woman's face. Lily leaned back but Cissa's nails gripped her chin._

"_Don't. Don't talk to me about love, Lily. You don't know what I've done. What I've sacrificed for my husband…for my family's happiness. You have no idea," Cissa whispered, dangerously. Her grip tightened and Lily found that it was too much. She slapped Cissa's hand from her face and Cissa looked surprised for a moment._

_A cold laugh erupted from Cissa._

"_Well, look at that. Lily has grown a backbone. How utterly surprising. How could you marry him when I told you what he has done? What his father has done?" Cissa whispered. James couldn't hold back his shouts any longer._

"_What do you mean 'what I've done' and 'what my dad has done'? We didn't do anything. It's you and the Dark that has gone around the bend! Doing your dark rituals and worshipping Grindelwald and that guy who is probably worst than him…Voldemort," James said as the name came to him. Lily didn't miss Cissa's eyes flashed and she glared at him._

"_What have you done? Do you know what Samhain is?" Cissa asked._

"_Yeah. It's a Dark ritual that was outlawed because it's—"_

"_Wrong!" Cissa shouted and James fell silent. Lily stared, wide-eyed. She had never heard Cissa shout and to hear her shout was disconcerting and even a little scary._

"_Samhain was the honoring of those before us. The dead. For centuries, Magic chooses two to do the ritual of ripping apart and reconstructing the barrier of the dead. It separates their world from our own. We need it to make sure that spirits don't invade this world. Magic continues to choose two and It will do so until the end of time," Cissa said, coldly. James looked surprised for a second and he opened mouth to respond but Cissa didn't give him a chance to counter._

"_Do you know nothing of the pureblood customs that have been practiced since Merlin and Morgan? Do you know nothing of the nights of peace between the two sides? Do you know nothing of our history? Our blood?" Cissa asked as if speaking to a child. James flushed and Lily could see that he didn't know. This angered Lily but her anger was not to James._

_It was to Cissa. She was making him feel inferior because of things he wasn't taught._

"_Stop it, Cissa. It isn't his fault that he doesn't know of our world. Don't make it seem to be. Leave it alone. Why are you really angry with me? Why? Don't you want me to be happy?" Lily asked, softly. Cissa's eyes only gained fire and she leaned forward to look at Lily but she didn't grip the younger woman's face._

"_I would do __**anything **__for your happiness, Lily. You're more of a sister to me than the blood traitor or Bellatrix ever was or is. But, I don't want your happiness to be with someone who does not understand you…does not understand us. It is his fault. It is his fault that he chose to stay ignorant. You didn't," Cissa pointed out and Lily glanced at James. James frowned in confusion._

"_What is she talking about, Lil?"_

"_James…" Lily murmured. Cissa's eyes widened._

"_He does not know? He doesn't. He doesn't know that in your first year, you came to me, wishing to know of the culture of the wizarding world. I taught you everything you know. I taught you __**everything**__. The Light Magic. The Neutral Magic. The Dark Magic. Without me, you'd be nothing. NOTHING!" Cissa shouted. The door slammed open at the shout and Sirius burst into the room with his wand pointed. Some of the Muggle neighbors peeked out of their rooms. The walls were far too thin._

"_Cissa please…stop…" Lily begged._

"_No! You can do this to yourself without me. You can make the wrong decision by yourself. I'm finished with you, Lily," Cissa said. Lily darted forward and grabbed Cissa's hand and looked up at the woman's frigid expression._

"_Please, Cissa…don't…stay with me. Sister, stay with me," Lily begged. Cissa glared at her and she walked towards the door. She could tell that there were Muggles around. Lily darted forward and she wrapped her sister in a hug._

"_Cissa…stay…I can't."_

"_You turned your back on my beliefs. On our beliefs. For him. We used to talk about how you would change the world. You would make the Muggleborns understand. You're nothing but a common Mudblood," __**Narcissa **__said with a disgust sneer on her face. She pulled away from Lily and walked into the hallway. The Muggles stared at her in shock and Lily ran into the hallway, glaring after the back of her sister._

"_Fine! Don't come back, Narcissa! You helped me but you can't control me anymore! I love you but you can't anymore! Yell! Scream! Shout at me! You can say what you want but I'm not walking out with you! I'm not going to leave him because you want me to," Lily shouted, glaring and Narcissa spun around to look at her sister with a sad expression and Lily could see the flash of tears on her cheeks before she wiped it away._

"_I used to think that you would never leave __**me**__."_

"_I don't want to but you're forcing my hand, Narcissa. I'm telling you now. I'm not going anywhere," Lily said, firmly. Narcissa took a step forward and she grabbed Lily's hand and looked her in the eye._

"_So this is your choice. You're turning your back on me? To be __**ordinary**__," Narcissa said, spitting the words at her. Lily jerked her hand away from her and she glared at Narcissa._

"_You used to call me special. All I want is for you to love me despite my decisions. Is loving James, a Light man, ordinary?" Lily asked, frigidly. Narcissa gave a sardonic smile and she touched her hand to Lily's cheek._

"_You're making the wrong choice. You don't want to be special. You want to be normal. Lily, you're not normal. You know that. I know that. He doesn't. You're supposed to be special. He will hinder you. He will hold you back. He will blind you with his beliefs and you won't remember anymore. And that…that cannot be changed, I see now. I believe that this…this is goodbye, sister," Narcissa sighed. She turned on her heel and Lily grabbed her wrist and Narcissa turned to see tears falling from Lily's eyes._

"_You were more of a sister to me than Petunia ever was. I love you."_

"_Goodbye."_

_Narcissa walked quickly and Lily ran forward and grabbed her around the waist. Narcissa looked down at her in shock._

"_All I wanted was for you to be __**proud **__of me! Love me! Be proud of me! For this once!" Lily begged. Narcissa blinked and a tear slid down her cheek before her eyes grew icy once more and seemed to freeze over forever._

"_I love you, little sister. I wish you a happy life," Narcissa whispered. Lily let go of her sister and stared after her with empty green eyes as her best friend walked out of her life._

_For good._

* * *

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Friday the 6****th**** of June 1980**

**8:00 AM**

_Lily waddled towards the window of the flat and she pushed it open. The owl swooped in and stood proudly. It was a jet black owl and it looked at Lily almost pompously. Lily frowned in confusion and she accepted the cream colored parchment from the proud owl._

_The owl didn't wait for a reply._

_Lily opened the parchment and read it with a surprised look on her face:_

_Lord Lucius Malfoy and Lady Narcissa Black-Malfoy_

_Proudly announce_

_The birth of their firstborn and heir_

_Draco Lucius Malfoy_

_On June 5__th__, 1980_

_A soft smile spread across Lily's face and surprised replaced the smile when a note fluttered out from behind the parchment. Lily frowned and she picked it up. She looked it over without reading in but she easily recognized the scrawled calligraphy._

_Despite all of Narcissa's grace and poise, her handwriting had never been a great match for herself. Lily looked over the paper again._

_I didn't tell Lucius but you're to be his godmother._

_Love, Cissa_

_Lily blinked in surprise and her lip quivered. She dropped into a seat and dropped the parchment before her head fell to the cool wood of table. She shook, tears pooling underneath her head and soaking the ends of her fiery red hair._

* * *

**St. Mungo's, London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Saturday the 2****nd**** of August 1980**

**7:00 PM**

"_What shall I sing to you, beautiful?" Lily murmured to the little girl in her arms. Big green eyes stared back at her with her head tilted. A tuft of soft black hair covered the newborn's head and she was making a high keening sound._

"_Shh, my darling. James won't ever sing this song to you. He'd tell me never but you should know. You should know of it," Lily decided. Bella Anastasia Potter only looked up at her with a confused look but babies were always confused._

"_Two Coming, Two Passing_

_Four Horsemen Far Surpassing_

_One deceitful of the Dark_

_May fall by the War Sword_

_Plague starts, Plague rides_

_As his brother, Death, arrives," Lily sang, sweetly. She frowned as she tripped over the next words and she opened her mouth to sing it._

"_L-l-lightening strikes_

_As the A-A-Angel falls, into the arms of Serpents_

_Against the Light's calls," Lily stumbled and she frowned. She opened her mouth to keep singing but the words wouldn't emerge from her mouth. She tried again but nothing emerged._

"_Ride fast, ride fierce, ride bold_

_Power strong and uncontrolled_

_Followers of Light_

_Fall down in fear_

_Lips are sealed_

_As the Horsemen appear_

_Apocalypse comes, Apocalypse sees_

_The Dark ruling for eternity_

_Eternity."_

_Lily looked up sharply and she stared at the blonde woman in the doorway. She was cradling a pale baby herself with icy eyes. The boy had a tuft of blond hair on his head and he was staring, unblinkingly at Lily._

_Narcissa Malfoy closed her mouth and walked towards Lily, slowly. Narcissa stopped at the side of the bed and she looked out the window. The rain hit the windowpane, sharply and Lily cringed at the noise. She moved to comfort her child but she saw the newborn girl staring at the lightening with a bright eyed expression._

"_You couldn't sing of your child easily, could you?" Narcissa whispered. Lily looked back at her sister and she put up a cold and frigid mask with narrowed eyes. Narcissa stared back._

"_Francesca can't sing of her son either. Mrs. Crabbe cannot sing the song of the Apocalypse any longer. Neither can most others. We all know what this means. __**You **__know what this means," Narcissa said, calmly. She sat on the edge of Lily's bed and she looked over at the baby lying in Lily's arms._

"_Her name is Bella Anastasia Potter."_

_Narcissa nodded in understanding. She looked down at her own son who was looking at Bella with a frown. Bella was making whining sounds as she looked at Draco. A soft smile crossed Narcissa's face._

"_His name is Draco Lucius Malfoy. You're his godmother. He's…he is Death," Narcissa said, the smiling leaving her face as she stated the last one. Lily frowned in absolute confusion and she stared at her._

"_What?"_

"_He hungers for…for souls. I took him out into the gardens once. I showed him a rabbit. He was so interested, I could see despite being only two months old. He touched its nose and then…administered the Kiss to it. I don't even understand. He's only two months. And look at your child. She is not interested in much. She does not cry and she is two days old. She is more concerned with the lightening outside. The sky. She is the Angel," Narcissa explained. Lily's eyes widened and then she shook her head as she remembered the rest of the song._

"_I refuse to let my daughter become…that. I refuse to let her become an abomination," Lily hissed as she recalled the words that her dear deceased Aunt Frances. Narcissa's eyes widened and she leaned back. Narcissa stood with her son and shot her a cold look._

"_An abomination. My son is not an abomination."_

_Lily's eyes widened when she realized what she had said. She opened her mouth to apologize._

"_Narcissa I…"_

"_Lily, no matter how much you want to change this, your daughter is the Angel. You can't change what she's going to do in the future. You can't change who she's going to meet. You can't change who she's going to love. You can't change who she is. To some she may be an abomination but to __**you**__, she should be loved. And those that shall call her and my son abominations are wrong. They are simply __**special**__," Narcissa said, frigidly though her voice warmed when she said that word._

_The word that tied her and Lily together, forever._

"_Why are you here, Cissa?" Lily asked, softly._

"_My friend, Francesca's son…he has a Muggle illness. The bubonic plague, I believe it is called," Narcissa sighed. Lily's eyes widened and shock and her mind whirled._

"_What do you mean? That's impossible," Lily whispered, more to herself than anything. Narcissa tilted her head._

"_Nothing is impossible when Magic is concerned, Lily. You should know this by now. Where is your…Muggle-loving husband?" Narcissa said and her nose wrinkled when she spoke of James. Lily frowned when she thought of her husband and she tilted her head._

"_Getting something to eat with Sirius, I think."_

"_Well then, I shall tell you this quickly. Before he gets back. Dumbledore is not who you think he is."_

_Lily raised an eyebrow in surprise and she tilted her head. She waited for Narcissa to finish before she interrupted her and told her that she was a bloody liar._

"_He and Gellert Grindelwald were friends. Friends but not. Once upon a time, Grindelwald and Dumbledore were lovers. That is why he does not kill him. That is why he cannot kill him. Dumbledore still holds feelings for him," Narcissa said. Lily raised an eyebrow and she tilted her head in curiosity. Narcissa didn't seem to be done and Narcissa proved right._

"_There was a prophecy spoken. My husband has told me. A prophecy spoken of your daughter. Dumbledore wants to use your daughter to do something that he couldn't do himself. He wants to use your daughter to defeat Grindelwald. He will make her his puppet for the greater good. Bella shoudn't be the puppet. She is the puppeteer. She is __**special**__," Narcissa said, firmly. Lily's eyes widened and she looked at Narcissa and then leaned back, sighing. She looked down at her yawning baby before biting her lip._

"_Cissa…"_

"_You should know before he simply dumps this information on you. I shall take my leave," Narcissa said, shortly. Lily watched as Narcissa turned on her heel and walked out the door with little Draco._

"_You're her godmother. If Sirius isn't around to take care of her, take her please. Hide her away from him. My daughter isn't to be used in any which way," Lily said, softly. Narcissa looked over her shoulder._

"_I shall do my best. Take care, Lily."_

* * *

**Potter House, Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 31****st**** of July 1981**

**8:00 PM**

"_Pretty little girl. My Angel…what do you dream of, sweet Bella?" Lily murmured as she placed her sleeping child in her crib. She stroked the soft black curls sitting on top of her head. The child instantly curled up underneath the covers and a soft smile crossed Lily's face._

"She dreams of the future."

_Lily spun around at the voice and she stared at the woman standing in front of her. She was there yet she wasn't. There was something about her that just told Lily that the woman wasn't completely there. So that left apparition or ghost. But then Lily thought again. She was neither._

_She was simply there._

"_Who are you?" Lily asked. She slid her hand into her pocket, reaching for her wand but she didn't immediately pull it out. She positioned herself in front of her daughter, ready to lunge at any moment. Lily began to look at the woman._

_She was older. She looked ageless but the streaks of silver in her dark hair told Lily that she was older than Lily. Much older. Her face was made of sharp planes and her dark eyes were intelligent and very old. Another clue to the age of the woman. Lily looked her over and then deemed her a threat._

_She slid her wand from her pocket._

"You do not not need to fear from me, young Lily-flower."

_Lily froze at the nickname and her eyes narrowed._

"_No one calls me that. The only woman that ever called me that is dead," Lily said, sharply and her eyes widened when she saw a sharp smile spread across the woman's face. It looked odd on her face and she didn't look like she smiled very much. Lily frowned._

"Are you sure that was truly her, Lily-flower? A Muggle speaking of your future child. You know so little of the wonder that your child is. A wonder that I created…" _the woman said with a slight smile adorning her face. Her eyes brightened when they fell on the sleeping one-year-old._

"_What do you mean by that? She's my baby. What do you mean she's a wonder you created?" Lily asked, sharply. The woman's smile fell away and she sighed, leaning against the wall._

"There…there was once a time when I was considered the most powerful woman in the world. There were those that worshipped me. And those that hated me. One of those that hated me had once been my friend. A very good friend of mine but we slowly drifted apart. He was chosen by the King of Camelot and I…I was shunned as an abomination. I was angry. Hurt. And so I wished for vengeance. That lust for vengeance began what you know as the Blood Wars_," the woman stated firmly and Lily's eyes widened in absolute shock. She knew that word. So that must mean that this woman was…_

"_Morgan le Fay. You are the Dark Lady Morgan le Fay. You're the one…you went to that Elven Seer and she made the prophecy of the Apocalypse. You are the one dictating my child's future," Lily snarled and she took a step forward, her eyes flashing in anger. It did the same thing whenever Dumbledore brought up the prophecy that proclaimed Bella the future defeater of Grindelwald._

"I suppose you could put it that way. But in truth, _you _started this all. Narcissa did. Francesca did. Maya did. And _you _did. You all wanted to be special. You wanted to be considered special and not a freak. Francesca wanted to be special and not the strange little foreign girl. Narcissa wanted to be special. She didn't want to be just the sane pureblood Black girl. Maya wanted to be special. She didn't want to be the boring girl with large hair. You all wanted to be special so I made you special," _Morgan said, sharply with her eyes narrowed. Lily's eyes widened as it finally occurred to her what she had agreed to when she had told Aunt Frances or Morgan or whoever that she did want to be special. Suddenly, Lily wasn't so sure that she wanted to be special anymore._

"_What does that have to do with my daughter?"_

"She will be special too. I guarantee you that she is the greatest of the four. The strongest. The proudest. But she will also be the most broken. And the most loved. You have no need to worry about that. But, with being special there comes a price, I'm afraid. I was told that a price would be needed_," Morgan said, almost mournfully and Lily took another step forward in confusion, her wand up just in case Morgan decided to do something. Lily was glad that the woman did not take offense._

"_Like the price for a magical gift? Does she have one? What is her price?" Lily asked, rapidly. Morgan smiled._

"I was not speaking of her though her gift is strong. The sky. She will start with lightening and move on. She will own the sky. But I digress. Or perhaps not. You and Nikolai are connected—"

"_Nikolai?" Lily asked in confusion._

"I apologize. Bella and yourself are connected. She is considered an abomination. I reside in what would be called Purgatory. I serve on Death's Council and I decide where each person goes. Muggle or otherwise. It is a tedious process and I will be there until the end of time for the crimes I have committed. The only benefit is that Merlin is there as well for the crimes he has committed, for her is not completely guiltless. As an abomination, she is not permitted to move on yet she will still be too pure for Hell. Leaving her in Purgatory_," Morgan explained. Lily's eyes widened. To be sentenced to a place like that sounded…horrible…Lily didn't want her daughter to _ever _experience anything like that and she shook her head._

"_No. To be there until the end of time for crimes she has yet to commit. I will not allow it," Lily said, sharply. She was surprised to see a wide smile spread across Morgan's face and it looked slightly more natural this time._

"Good. Very good. I had hoped that you would say this. There is another option._"_

"_Anything," Lily said, firmly._

"You take her place. For one millennium, you will serve in Purgatory_," Morgan stated, firmly._

_Lily did not even have to think._

_If there was the smallest possible for peace for her daughter, it should be in death. Lily had had a relatively peaceful life so far and so she thought that her daughter deserved some happiness in life._

"_I swear on my magic."_

_Morgan smiled and she nodded before extending her hand. Lily took her hand and there was a bright flash._

"So mote it be._"_

* * *

**Potter House, Godric's Hollow, West Country, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of October 1981**

_Lily Potter stumbled in, her red hair falling around her face, crazily. Her eyes were wide and green and she was looking around. Lily spun and locked the door. She had to make sure that Grindelwald didn't get to the only hope for the wizarding world. Lily knew now what her child's place was now._

"_My little Bella…oh, my sweet Bella. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Don't be frightened and don't be scared. My sweet, I have nothing I can give you except maybe this chance that you will live. I pray we'll meet again if you will…deliver us. I know who you are, my child. I will protect you until you can protect yourself. You will live on," Lily whispered to the baby Bella Potter._

_The child finally started crying softly. She could feel her mother's great distress. Lily held her daughter and used her hair to shield the child's hair and she shook her head as she rocked her. Lily bounced the child and hushed her._

"_Hush now, my baby. Be still, love, don't cry. All will be well. Remember these last words…I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world. I gladly give my life for you. You will live on…I will protect you," Lily said, softly._

_Lily closed her eyes and began to pray to whoever was listening. She didn't care who it was. She just prayed that her daughter would succeed with the great task that was set before and suddenly, there was a flash of confidence in her._

"_Bella, you are so loved. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Bella, be safe. Be strong," Lily whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear except for Bella. Even Lily could barely hear her own words and Bella looked up, streams falling from her chubby cheeks._

_She wiped the tears from the child's eyes as the door was thrown open. Lily spun, holding the child tightly._

"_Leave us alone!" Lily shouted. She placed the child in the crib. She pointed her wand at Grindelwald, threateningly._

"_Give me the child and I may spare you!" Grindelwald shouted, his navy eyes glowing. Bella took a step back._

_She didn't even notice the salty tears running from her eyes and dripping onto the floor, though it did not show._

"_Please…not Bella! Not Bella!" Lily begged. Grindelwald pointed his wand at her._

"_Stand aside you silly girl!"_

"_No…kill me instead! Not Bella!" Lily shouted. She was hysterical at this point. She was coming to terms with the fact that Grindelwald had come in and was now trying to kill her._

"_She's a danger to all that I've worked for," Grindelwald said, sharply. Lily shook her head and_

"_She's a baby…she's my baby! Please have mercy!" Lily sobbed, tears falling from her eyes though somehow she still looked defiant. Grindelwald's eyes flashed at that._

"_Avada Kedavra!" Grindelwald shouted, impatiently._

_Lily didn't make a move to stop or block the green light. She stood there firmly with her eyes narrowed and she stared bright light in the face without a hint of fear or anger in her face. Lily's eyes darted to Grindelwald and she could see the slight shock and fear on his face and she gave a slight smile._

_The mother of Victory fell to the ground, dead._

_Lily died with a smile of triumph on her face._

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**3:40 AM**

James stared at his wife in shock and then looked over at his daughter. She was looking at Lily with bright eyes and a smile was spread across her face. She tilted her head as she looked at her mother. James watched as Bella threw her arms around Lily and he wondered what he had missed.

"You…Bella…a Horseman of the Apocalypse?" James muttered. Bella frowned suddenly and she looked over at her father. She leaned against her mother and she looked over at James.

"I am. You've missed a lot. To most, I am Bella Potter. To my followers, I am Nikolai. To Uncle Sirius, I am Bella Black. To my brothers and sister, I am Anastasia. To my beloved, I am simply Anya," Bella said, softly. James frowned and he nodded to her and he tilted his head while he looked at her.

"I don't understand. Why…you…you went to Hell for Bella."

"I did. I spent all of these years in Purgatory," Lily stated, sharply. James tilted his head and he observed. His emotions were flickering too fast for Bella to really distinguish what they were.

"I…I would have done the same."

Lily's lips broke into a smile and she leaned over her daughter to press a kiss to James' lips. It was a sweet kiss and Bella watched with a slight smile. It slid off when James turned to look at her.

"What about your story? What have you been up to?" James asked. He was shocked when she was suddenly unemotional and then a dark look entered her eyes and she sighed.

"I…I…I fell in love."

"Isn't that a good thing?" James asked. Bella gave a sharp laugh that chilled James' bones and she shook her head. He watched as she brushed back a lock of dark hair. She sighed.

"You don't understand. He gave me everything. Knowledge, jewelry, power. He offered me the entire world. And I wanted the world. I still want it. But the world he wants…the world he wants…I fell in love. Oh I love him. I love him with my entire being. I love him but I also hate him. I hate him with my entire soul," Bella continued.

James frowned in confusion and she watched as she ran a finger over the black onyx in the ring that she was holding. The ring that had temporarily returned him to her and she watched as she looked away from it.

"I fell in love with a monster."

James couldn't find himself to be upset. He was just confused.

"Even monsters need love sometimes," Lily said, softly and Bella looked up with a half-smile and she nodded in agreement.

"I know."

:::

**A/N: **There is Lily's story. It's not nearly as sad as Narcissa's will be. Narcissa's story will be depressing. Francesca's and Maya's not so much. We're going in reverse order. Since we just dealt with Lily, at the end of the story, I'll probably do Narcissa's story. Then, I'll do Francesca's. I already have a story in mind for Francesca but not for Maya. Well, Maya is sort of fleshed out already but I had to come up with Lily right then and there so it has taken a while.

I hope you liked it.

**Next Chapter: **Breakfast in Solitary Confinement, Lunch Dates, and the Beginning of a Trial


	87. Chapter LXXX

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXX**

**Holding Cells, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**11:00 AM**

Amelia Bones watched as the seventeen-year-old woman ran into the area, hair flying behind her. Amelia stopped and watched with Kingsley Shacklebolt and a few other Aurors. She was wearing jean shorts and an oversized black shirt that looked familiar. Amelia's eyes widened when she remembered that Tom Riddle had worn the shirt when he had visited a few days before.

"Are they here?" Bella asked, breathlessly. She tugged on the tail of her braid and Amelia saw that she had a ring on a chain around her neck. Amelia nodded and leaned in to look at the ring.

"That's a beautiful ring…but the stone is broken," Amelia remarked. Amelia was surprised that a bright smile spread across Bella's lips and a fond look entered her eyes and she stroked the ring. She tilted her head before looking up.

"It's supposed to be that way. Tom…Professor Riddle gave me the ring. It's an heirloom," Bella said, quietly. Amelia looked over the girl and saw that she was wearing a remarkable amount of jewelry. Amelia was suddenly extremely curious.

"You have a lot of jewelry on. What do they represent?" Amelia asked. Bella lifted up her left wrist and Amelia frowned when she saw the girl was wearing a glove over the hand and she pat her hair.

"Um…this bracelet says _'I am the master of my fate'_. The matching bracelets says _'I am the captain of my soul'._ The charm bracelet represents my family and myself. I gave a charm away to someone very…special to me. I believe he keeps it in pocket or something. On my other hand, the charm bracelet represents my friends. The locket is…something special to T…Professor Riddle. It's a sort of music box, too. I…I protect it. The ring was his since 1945, I think. The silver heart locket is from my Uncle Sirius. It has a picture of my parents, him, Remus Lupin, and myself. That's about it," Bella explained as she reached into her bag and pulled out everything so the Aurors could search it for Dark curses on anything to help Hermione escape. Amelia's lips curled into a half-smile when she saw the plate of treacle tart.

"Why do you wear a glove?" asked one junior-Auror. Amelia frowned when she saw Bella tense up and her hand clenched. She slid her hand into her pocket and offered a sharp smile.

"Bad…memories. My left hand is…heavily scarred. Is my stuff finished?" Bella asked, quietly. Amelia frowned but nodded. She watched as Bella rushed into the room with her bag and Amelia looked to Kingsley. He looked just as confused. Bella walked into the room and Amelia watched as her lips split into a smile. And then suddenly it slipped off.

"Hello, Bella."

Bella stared at the three people sitting at the table in front of her. Blaise was sitting in one chair with Hermione sitting on his lap. Her eyes were slightly red. Draco was looking down as he tapped a finger on the tabletop. They had plates and silverware but it was obvious that Bella was the one who was supposed to bring food.

"What happened?" Bella asked, quietly.

"My trial is in a week," Hermione said, quietly. Bella frowned and she crossed her arms. She had not heard about this but she should have known that Dumbledore wouldn't say anything.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I know I'll be sentenced but I…I won't be able to take my Masteries…" Hermione hiccupped. Bella rolled her eyes and she cast Draco and Blaise amused looks. Draco was smirking at the tabletop. Blaise was hiding an amused smile in Hermione's hair. Bella looked at Hermione and she could see how serious she was.

"Give us a moment," Bella murmured. Blaise and Draco nodded. Blaise pressed a light kiss to Hermione's lips that she returned only briefly. Draco sighed, shaking his head.

"Drama queen."

"Bitch," Hermione snarled back. Draco pressed a kiss to her forehead and smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes and the door closed. Amelia watched, curiously as Bella leaned against the door and looked at Hermione. Hermione was frowning.

"What's the real reason that you're so upset?" Bella whispered, quietly. Hermione glanced at the one-sided mirror. Bella sighed and she slipped a wand from her sleeve. She flicked it and all was silent in the room.

"Should we do something about that?" asked Kingsley. Amelia shook her head with a frown.

"I believe that Miss Potter needs to speak to Granger about something exceedingly private. Give them ten minutes. If the privacy ward isn't gone after ten minutes, take it down," Amelia commanded. Kingsley nodded and he watched the two women sitting inside the room.

Hermione sighed and looked down.

"That's…part of the reason. Just look at me. I limited myself. And just look at _you_. You could do all I couldn't do. Ana…Bella…" Hermione sighed and she ran a hand through her oily brown hair. Bella could tell that the girl hadn't taken a shower in a day or two. She was currently donned in black and white striped robes that made her look like she was fit for Azkaban.

"What do you mean by that? Hermione…it's not over yet…" Bella said, quietly. Hermione gave a sad smile and she tilted her head as she observed her younger sister for a moment.

"Not it's not. But…this limits me for a time. So, now it's up to you, for now. For both of us. Train Daphne and Theodore for me. You know, Bella…I'm so proud of your right now," Hermione murmured. Bella walked towards her sister and she sat down next to her in one of the metal chairs. Hermione smiled at her and she touched Bella's cheek. Bella leaned forward and tilted her head.

"I remember when you came into my life. I met you at Madam Malkin's, I think. I never thought things happened to me for a reason but now I know that it's true. Very true. When I met you I didn't think you'd bring me all of this. I learned a lot from you. I hope I helped you learn too. You helped me become the woman I am today…so you should be proud of yourself," Bella said, quietly. She looked at her sister and Hermione was smiling, slightly. She sighed.

Hermione looked at her sister with dark rimmed eyes and she only stared. Bella looked so confident and so proud and Hermione couldn't help the bright smile that appeared on her face. And then it dimmed when she realized that this may be one of the last peaceful moments that she'd have with her baby sister for a long time.

"It well may be that we won't ever meet again like this. You're…you're going places, Bella. I'm not right now. I made a stupid mistake. A mistake that I don't regret for a minute but that doesn't change the fact that it was a huge mistake. You say I helped you but so much of what makes me, me is from you. From the moment, I met you…you made me feel…special. I didn't want to be the know-it-all nerd. I wanted to be special and you made me special," Hermione said, softly.

Bella stood suddenly and she shook her head. She sighed and bit her lip as she thought of what she wanted to say. There were so many things she wanted to say Hermione in one of these rare serious moments. She tried to take her mind off of the fact that her sister was going to Azkaban but it was hard. She had to keep herself constantly distracted.

"I'm sorry," Bella blurted out.

Hermione looked up, sharply. She frowned in confusion.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry for the things I've done. I'm sorry for the things I've let you do. I'm sorry that I didn't stop you when I clearly had the chance. I'm sorry that I let you do this to yourself. I'm sorry," Bella apologized, sincerely. Hermione stood and walked towards her sister before grabbing on of her hands. Hermione looked at the woman and her eyes settled on the ring hanging from the chain around the woman's neck.

"We can share the blame if you truly think it's your fault. But it doesn't matter anymore, does it? It's illogical to apologize at this point. I know what I've done. But because I knew you…I have been changed. And I would like to think that it was for the better. For good. Do you understand, Bella?" Hermione asked, quietly. Bella nodded and Hermione pulled her sister in for a tight hug. Bella returned it for a moment. Hermione sighed.

"Go far, Bella. Do what you have to do to achieve your dreams," Hermione said. Bella gave her a slight squeeze before she let the older woman go and she pulled out her wand and waved it.

The privacy ward disappeared and Bella opened the door. Blaise and Draco came back and Draco was glaring at both of them.

"Finished with your girl talk?"

"Stop being a bastard and sit down," Hermione snapped. Draco smirked and he sat down next to her. Blaise rolled his eyes and he sighed as he sat down. Hermione sat down in the seat next to him.

"Can we please have a nice, quiet breakfast for once?" Blaise asked.

"Don't get your hopes up. These two will argue about anything and everything. So, how's life for you two? I haven't actually sat down with you all in a while," Bella said, calmly. Draco tilted his head and he sighed, looking quite annoyed at the moment.

"Scrimgeour is proving to be difficult. As you know, the dementors refuse to listen to the Ministry anymore and they harass the Aurors. I'm like the unofficial warden. And then, Luna…attending Hogwarts is…she took her OWLs last year and she did well. Remarkably so but the fact that she can't use wizarding magic anymore. The school is a school for witchcraft and wizardry. And she refuses to go back to France to learn Elvish magic," Draco sighed. Bella frowned in confusion and Hermione tilted her head with curiosity on her face.

"About that…I got that dress from yesterday from a woman named Eve. She used a different name for her. _Cuilwen_, she said. She translated it, I believe into Druhir," Bella explained. Draco's eyes widened and he leaned forward. Blaise, Hermione, Bella, and Draco did the same.

"Cuilwen…Cuilwen was…_is _the name of her mother."

"Her mother?" Hermione whispered. Blaise's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And you say 'is'. As in present tense. Why is that?" Blaise challenged. Draco sighed and ran a hand through his slightly messy blond hair. Bella's eyes were wide in curiosity.

"It seems that…her mother wasn't as dead as she thought. She was in the Elven Realm and was serving on the council. As the _head _of the council. Luna was so upset that she refuses to go back or even demand an explanation. So, Eve gave you the dress?" Draco asked, curiously. Bella nodded and she tilted her head.

"The shoes as well. And I think she charmed my feet or something. Heels are suddenly very comfortable. I still don't like them very much, though," Bella added as an afterthought. Hermione laughed, quietly. The three siblings looked at her in confusion.

"So, she's like your fairy godmother? Like in Cinderella?" Hermione laughed. Draco looked appalled for a moment.

"What the hell is that? An illness?"

"No! It's a Muggle fairytale, stupid," Hermione snapped. She looked rather amused though her comment held quite a bit of bite. Draco stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled hr eyes.

"You know, Tom…Professor Riddle, says don't stick your tongue out. Unless you intend to use it," Bella said, adding the last part quietly. Draco gave her a nasty glare and Hermione gave her a flat look. Bella snickered while Blaise looked only bemused for a moment.

"Professor Riddle?" Blaise finally asked. Bella hummed.

"Yes."

"Since when do you call him 'Professor Riddle'?" Hermione added.

"Since our relationship was put under scrutiny. We are strictly professional. At the party last night or perhaps very early this morning, I heard Gideon, Ginny, Ron, Michael Brown, and Christine…_discussing _our relationship. Christine thinks it perfectly plausible that we're sleeping together," Bella said, staring at the ceiling as she spoke. Her eyes drifted towards the one-sided window and she knew that Amelia Bones could hear every single word that she was saying at this point.

"_Are _you sleeping together?" Draco asked, curiously.

"No."

"Then why do you care so much about them discussing a relationship that isn't sexual in nature?" Blaise asked, curiously. Bella gave a slight smile at that and she tilted her head.

"It doesn't _bother _me, per say. I just wish they wouldn't gossip about me. Apparently, Christine's brother came up with assumption first. I may or may not have tackled T…Professor Riddle in the middle of Gringotts," Bella said, with a dry smile. Hermione tilted her head in curiosity and she ate more of the eggs on her plate.

"Hey. You never said that the relationship wasn't sexual. There are other things that can be done besides sex."

Bella could just imagine Amelia and Kingsley choking with the other Aurors outside of the room they were in now.

"The relationship is _not _sexual. He is my colleague, of sorts. He was also my mentor. Despite the fact that he's not actually my magical guardian—"

"I'm sorry but _what_?" Draco, Hermione, and Blaise interrupted. Bella looked at them in surprise and then burst into laughter when she realized she had not told them what had happened at Gringotts. Bella leaned in to whisper to them so that Amelia could not overhear.

"_Well_…it seems that we have a bond. A _soul _bond," she murmured.

She leaned back and watched as their expressions changed. Draco looked surprised then pissed then amused. Blaise looked shocked and then amused. Hermione just looked very amused and she began to laugh, hysterically. Blaise rolled his eyes and he pulled a pill bottle from his bag. Hermione took it, quickly.

"One, I love you. Thank you for my pills. Amelia will love you too. I attacked an Auror yesterday and broke his collarbone because I was pissed. Second, that explains _a lot_! So…the relationship is 'platonic'?" Hermione said with a meaningful look. Bella gave a sly smirk.

"That is correct. I never said that I didn't have _feelings _for him. I may have a little 'crush' on him but so did everyone. He's hot, which I won't deny at all. I bet Madam Bones would agree, whole-heartedly," Bella snickered. She could imagine Amelia choking over air about that one and it was very amusing. She frowned when she sat her siblings snickering and Blaise was choking over his bacon, which was very confusing. Blaise was always dignified.

"You think I'm hot?"

Bella's eyes flew open and her mouth fell open. Bella spun so fast in her seat that she almost fell off her chair. Tom was leaning against the doorway with a raised eyebrow and looking incredibly hot in sunglasses, a leather jacket, a white t-shirt and jeans. Bella swallowed.

"Er…hello," Bella said, quietly. Tom smirked.

"_Bonjour_."

Bella paled at the use of the very sexy French language.

"Why are you here?"

"_Je savais que vous étiez ici,_" Tom said, perfectly calmly. Bella sighed and she tilted her head.

"Professor, why do you insist on using French?"

This had Tom stopping and he raised an eyebrow.

" 'Professor'? Respect. From _you_? Now, that's a strange thought, isn't it? What is the reason for this wonderful display of respect that you have owed me for so long?" Tom asked, smirking. Bella gave him a sneer and sighed.

"It's…complicated. Make no mistake about it though. I don't have an ounce of respect for you. You're a jerk and you're mean and you're a lecherous old man. But, I'm calling you 'Professor' for a very logical reason," Bella said, sharply. Tom snickered and he walked towards the table before grabbing Bella's wrist and jerking up. She fell into him and glared.

"You're never logical, Miss Potter. Come on, you," Tom said, pulling her after him. Bella looked at him in surprised and then she jerked away from him with a reproachful glare.

"Don't call me that. What do you mean by that? I was having a perfectly nice breakfast with my brothers and sister," Bella snapped. Tom snickered.

"You're calling me 'Professor'. And you were gossiping."

"We tend to do that when we have breakfast," Draco supplied, helpfully. Tom rolled his eyes and Blaise and Hermione were nodding, solemnly. Bella sighed and she shook her head.

"That makes us sound sad."

"Very much so. By the way, you never answered my question, Anya. You think I'm hot?" Tom asked. Bella glared at him.

"You're my teacher, Professor. That's an inappropriate question."

"Not in our circumstances. I'm afraid that it is a _very _appropriate question. And we're going out. That's why you must come on," Tom said, sharply. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"Where are we going?"

"**On a date,**" Tom said, grudgingly. Bella's eeys widened and she grinned.

"Are you serious?"

"I am rarely not serious," Tom said, very seriously. Bella raised an eyebrow and she looked at her siblings. Hermione was snickering under her breath and she went towards Bella's bag and pulled out a few books that Bella had brought her.

"Shut up. I'm still upset with you," Tom snarled. Hermione wasn't even paying attention. She was busy hyperventilating over a book.

"You brought the book! _The Art of War!_" Hermione cheered. Bella laughed.

"It's your favorite book. Now, it appears that I'm off to have the best day of my life. I'll see you three later. Love you, Mione. Be good and eat your veggies. Draco…don't be a haughty jackass when you talk to the Auror guards. You're going to get yourself into a fight. Blaise, have fun applying for your Healer seminar," Bella smiled. Blaise smirked.

"I will. I'm off to that after this, actually. Have fun doing whatever it is that he stalked you for."

"I do not stalk. I merely knew where she would be. You think I didn't put a tracking charm on my ring? That ring is worth more than the three of your lives put together," Tom said, haughtily. Bella raised an eyebrow while her siblings looked rather indignant at the whole thing.

"What about my life?" Bella asked, curiously.

"We really must be going now," Tom said, sharply and he pulled Bella from the room. Bella laughed as she grabbed her bag and waved to her siblings. Tom stalked out of the room, Bella's wrist in his hand. They emerged into the room where Aurors were watching in shock.

"I suppose you heard that whole conversation," Bella laughed. Amelia nodded, wordlessly. She looked over at Tom.

"I do not find him attractive," Amelia blurted out. Tom stopped in his mission to vacate the premises and he sent a vicious glare to Amelia. She looked outraged for a moment and his glare got more intense.

"I'm exceedingly attractive and I don't need some old woman with more gray hairs than my dead grandmother telling me that I am. I already know," Tom hissed, annoyed. Bella snorted and many Aurors muffled their own snickers. Bella shook her head.

"Professor…"

"Cease calling me that. It's grating on my nerves and putting me on edge. It makes me think that you're planning to do something. Like raping me or something of that sort," Tom snarled, paranoid. Kingsley stared at the two in shock and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Fuck off. I apologize for his behavior. He's acting like a two-year-old for some odd reason. _Au revoir_," Bella said, saluting them. Tom only gave them glares and Bella rolled her eyes as she pulled him from the room. They walked to the lift and closed the lift door. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked. Tom tilted his head.

"You'll see. Come here. You haven't said hello, properly," Tom murmured. Bella gave him a slight smirk and she leaned against the door.

"We'll see."

* * *

**Barcelona, ****Barcelonès, Spain, Europe**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**12:10 PM**

"You're making lunch for me?" Bella asked with a slight smile as she lounged on Tom's couch with a glass of wine in between two fingers. Tom glanced over his shoulder and tilted his head.

"I'm apparently not getting any sex unless we go on a few dates. So, yes, I am making lunch for you," Tom said, sharply. Bella's smile dimmed despite the fact that he had admitted that he was making lunch for her and hadn't made any smartass comments as he usually would've.

"Does it really bother you that bad?"

"What?"

"The fact that I won't have sex with you," Bella explained. Tom stopped in the middle of his cooking. He had just dumped some kind of meat into a stew pot so Bella wondered what was he making for a short moment. Tom continued placing herbs into the pot. He then began to add water slowly and Bella waited, patiently for him to continue.

Tom finally turned away from the kitchen and walked towards her. He sat down in the middle of the couch. Bella crawled into his lap and he did nothing to stop her. She pressed her lips to his collarbone.

"It doesn't bother me…much," Tom admitted. Bella frowned and she looked up at him.

"But it bothers you."

"Occasionally. Anya, I understand that I haven't done much to gain your trust. And I am truly…_sorry _for the things I've done to hurt you. I understand and it wasn't fair of me to attempt to pressure you into having sex with me," Tom said, quietly. A slight smile spread across Bella's lips.

"Now I want to have sex with you."

Tom groaned and Bella looked at him in shock and annoyance.

"_Now!_ You want to have sex at the least opportune moment? I have things to do later. We can't have sex _now_," Tom hissed, angrily. Bella laughed and she leaned up to give him a short and sweet kiss.

It turned into a heavy snogging session.

Bella's knees were on either side of Tom's hips and she was straddling his lap. Tom's hands were wrapped around her possessively, one hand sitting on her arse. Bella's hands ran through Tom's hair quite enthusiastically. Bella continued to grind her hips against the man underneath her. It looked like a fierce battle of wills at this point.

Bella's hands drifted to the hem of Tom's shirt and she slowly pulled it off of him. Tom attacked her neck next as he laid open-mouthed kisses up and down the column. Tom's own hands were increasingly busy as he unbuttoned her shirt. He pulled away suddenly and groaned.

"What the fuck is this?" he started to hiss but it quickly turned into a moan when Bella licked his neck.

"It's called a tank top. That can easily come off. I like sexually assaulting you. It's fun," Bella murmured as she bit down on his collarbone. Bella kissed down his chest and she almost giggled when the very fine sprinkling of hair down the middle of his chest brushed across her cheeks. Bella slid to her knees on the floor. Bella could clearly see the bulge in his pants and she enthusiastically unbuttoned his jeans.

"No underwear?"

"I knew I was getting some. I mean, I'm making you lunch. I deserve something," Tom said, his tone indignant. Bella's eyes narrowed and she brought her thumb to the waistband of his jeans.

"Bella?"

"My Lord?"

"OH FUCK THIS!" Tom roared and he stood, buttoning his pants and storming towards the door. He threw it open and glared at the five people in the doorway. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Sirius Black stood outside. Sirius looked shocked to see Tom without a shirt while Bellatrix looked very interested.

"What do you _want_? I'm _busy_," Tom hissed, angrily. Bella smirked as she walked towards the door and looked under Tom's shoulder. Sirius stared, indignant at the fact that her shirt was unbuttoned and she had a vicious love bit on her collarbone.

"The jury for Hermione's trial is meeting in twenty minutes and they failed to alert you. Dumbledore just Flooed me and told me to be there," Sirius explained as he shot Tom a glare. Tom cursed and he looked over at Bella and he ran back into the apartment. Bella was already shrugging off her shirt and she was rushing into the apartment.

Sirius watched as they half closed the door.

"Give me my shirt!" Riddle called. Something hit something and there was a crash. Sirius heard Bella curse in French and Sirius watched as Riddle rushed back, through the door with the same black shirt that Bella had been wearing when she left the house.

He was wearing the jeans still and Sirius watched as Bella rushed forward with a white shirt that Blaise and Draco recognized. Bella slid it on over her shirt and she looked around. She snarled when she realized that her pants weren't white.

"My pants are blue. I need white!" Bella hissed, angrily. Riddle took the holly wand from one of her holsters and tapped her leg. The jeans turned white and Bella looked more relaxed. Riddle handed her back her wand and he pulled his wand from his pants. He placed it in Bella's waiting hand and he pulled the locket from her neck.

Sirius blinked when he saw the chain hanging around Riddle's neck. It had a small silver box hanging from it and it looked extremely masculine for a necklace.

Riddle darted back into the apartment and came back in a minute and thirty seconds with black robes over his black trousers and button down shirt.

"Here's your wand," Bella snapped as they walked down the hallway. Riddle stood behind her and he was undoing her braid while taking his wand from her. To Sirius, they looked like a married couple who was insanely late to an event of sorts. Bella's tumbled down her back and Riddle grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back against him.

"I'm going to kill him," he growled. Bella's eyes narrowed and she tilted her head.

"I am the Head of the Gryffindor House and I need to prove it if I'm to take my position from Dumbledore. I believe we need to make a stop at Gringotts."

* * *

**Courtroom Ten, Level Ten, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Friday the 1****st**** of August 1997**

**12:45 PM**

Albus Dumbledore glared at the Dark Sect from across the room. He sat next to the Light Denomination despite the fact that he was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. The golden throne he sat on was quite nice and felt similar to the grand seat he had in Hogwarts. Albus looked at the light families behind him and couldn't help the smirk on his face. It disappeared quickly behind his beard.

"Do we call this meeting of the Wizengamot and House of Families to order?" Scrimgeour asked impatiently from his seat. Cornelius Fudge sat in his own Wizengamot seat looking quite upset himself.

"Wait! The Lord Slytherin is not here yet!" called one man. Lord Nott, if Albus remembered correctly. Albus frowned when he thought of Tom. He wasn't sure what the man was trying to do in this situation. He was Hermione's self proclaimed sensei and so he may take her side.

"We do not have the time to wait for them," Lord Clearwater, a Light wizard from the Light Denomination said, coldly. Many of the other Light wizards and witches agreed. There were only thirty families in the House of Families as a whole. It was almost like an exclusive club of sorts.

"However, we do not customarily begin without the Lord of the Dark Sect," Amelia said. Scrimgeour shook his head.

"Nonetheless, he should have been aware of the time ch—"

"We are here."

Albus watched in shock as Bella Potter walked into the room with Tom Riddle. Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and Sirius Black were flanking them. They were both wearing open robes though Tom's hood was done. It was like with silver as customary. What was truly surprising was the robe that Bella was wearing. Her white hood was up and the gold lining proclaimed her for who she was. In her hand was a piece of parchment.

"What is _she _doing here?" asked one wizard of the Wizengamot. Albus wished to know the answer to that question himself. How had she found out…

"I believe that there is an issue of the jury at this point, Madam Bones," Bella said, formally. Amelia raised an eyebrow and Albus' eyes narrowed and he looked at Bella with annoyance on his face.

"Do proceed, Miss Potter."

"Incorrect title, Madam," Bella said, sharply. Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"It is. In this particular court setting, I would prefer to be referred to as Lady Gryffindor. If you would read this particular parchment," Bella said, handing the parchment to Madam Bones. Amelia took it and her eyes scanned it. Dumbledore wondered what was on the particular sheet of paper for the woman's eyes widened. She looked up, sharply and looked from Tom Riddle who was lounging in his throne to Bella Potter.

No.

Lady _Gryffindor_.

"I see. And this…connection…you have known for how long?"

"It is not relevant, Madam Bones. Lord Slytherin is not on trial and neither am I. However, I have known since my seventeenth birthday. Yet again, that is not the relevant part of the document, Madam. As you can see here, it is stated that I am Head of the House of Gryffindor among others. I am also the Head of the House of Ambrosius. For those uneducated, the surname of Ambrosius belonged to the great wizard that you know simply as Merlin," Bella said, sharply. Albus had to admit that she sounded far more articulate than she should for a girl her age and Bella looked exceedingly confident as well.

"There was a case that involved the Black Arts previous to this one. Why did you not serve then?" Amelia asked. Albus' eyes widened.

"It seems that Professor Dumbledore did not see fit that I should know of it. According to trustworthy sources, he did not believe me to be emotionally ready, I believe. He did not inquire either way and thus he took my seat as the Head of the Light Denomination. However, that is an illegal act and though I will not press charges, I urge him to stand from my seat at this very moment," Bella said and she sent him a vicious look. Albus did not stand and he frowned as he approached Bella. She didn't flinch.

"I only did what I believed best for you. You were very young at the time…"

"By the time that I was seven, sir, I was already quite aware of many things in this world. Do not assume that you know the appropriate choices for me, sir. Now, if you would, vacate my seat," Bella said, commandingly. Albus stood and walked towards the benches that belong to the Wizengamot. Bella crossed towards her chair, slowly and she ran a gloved hand through her hair.

The young woman reclined in the chair and she crossed her legs before turning to look attentively towards the Wizengamot. She glanced over her shoulder at the other Light wizards and they looked almost impressed with her. Bella bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"I call the Light Denomination to order," Bella intoned.

There was a rumbling noise and as if one the entire group of ten wizards called, "Aye."

"I call the Dark Sect to order," Tom continued.

The ayes came immediately and Tom leaned back in his chair and began whirl in his wand in circles.

"Before the trial can commence, there are many issues that need to be attended to. For example, will Miss Potter be able to do her job as prosecutor without bias," Scrimgeour started. Bella's eyes widened and she paled, exponentially. Tom stopped and he sat up straighter with a frown.

"Excuse me, Mister Scrimgeour. Could you repeat that?" they asked at the same time. Many of the Wizengamot raised eyebrows though the House of Families sat stoically, including Draco, Blaise, and Sirius. There was an empty seat and Bella wondered who was supposed to sit there.

"Well, as the Head of the Light Denomination, you are to be prosecutor. Or did you not know that?" asked one condescending member of the Wizengamot. Lord Nott sneered at the girl and he gave her a glare. Bella's eyes narrowed and then widened when she saw Tom spin in his chair and give Nott a cold glare. Nott raised one eyebrow but fell silent.

"Auror Tonks read Miss Granger her rights the night that she was arrested for the use of the Black Art, Blood Magic. She did not have the right to an attorney under those charges. That is quite understandable. But she is still to be prosecuted," Bella said, flatly. She exchanged a glance with Tom and she cleared her throat and bit her lip.

"That is correct. She is to be prosecuted by you. If you do not think that you are able to handle this then you may leave," another wizard of the Wizengamot said, coldly. Bella sneered at them and then her eyes widened.

"**She was accused of murder. She admitted to murder,**" Bella hissed, softly. It sounded like she was letting out a long breath instead of words. Tom's eyes widened and he tilted his head before frowning. He sat up straighter.

"If I may say, Miss Granger has the right to an attorney."

The Wizengamot stopped and Sirius frowned.

"What do you mean by this, Lord Slytherin? How is that possible?" asked Mrs. Diggory of the Light Denomination. Tom tilted his head and he regarded Mrs. Diggory for a moment with an expressionless face. Bella found slight amusement in the fact that color was quickly rising in Mrs. Diggory's face.

"Miss Granger did not have the right to an attorney when she was accused of one crime. However, she admitted to murder. The murder of three Hogwarts students. She is entitled to an attorney in this specific instance. Auror Tonks read her the rights for using the Black Arts. _Not _murder though there was explicit evidence that Miss Granger committed those murders," Tom continued. There was a great amount of uproar and the Dark Sect looked very smug for a moment. Bella's eyes narrowed and she looked around at the Light Denomination who was most outraged.

"Silence. I am led to agree with Lord Slytherin. Miss Granger has the right to a fair trial. If we are to follow this law, she has the right to counsel. This leads us to our next decision. Who is to be her attorney?" Bella continued.

"I will."

Bella froze and her eyes fell on Tom. He looked very serious and Bella's eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"I disagree," Amelia, Dumbledore, and Bella said at the same time.

"You first, Lady Gryffindor," Tom said, softly. Bella leaned back in her seat with narrowed eyes.

"You're biased."

"As are you," Tom challenged.

"You were her mentor. You trained her in the sword arts. You gave her the tools to commit these crimes," Bella said, coolly. Tom raised a finger.

"Ah. However, there is the fact that she did not utilize her sword in any of these instances. I'm sure that you were aiming to charge me as an accessory for teaching her the way of the sword," Tom said, coldly. Bella's eyes widened at the accusation and she took a deep breath as a way to keep her cool. Tom was challenging her and she knew by the glint in his eyes.

"I wasn't aiming to do that at all. I was simply stating fact. You are biased in that way."

"You are also biased."

"In what way?" Bella challenged, annoyed.

Tom raised a condescending eyebrow and she resisted the urge to punch him across his face. She told herself that it was an act but he was such a talented actor, of course. He had fooled her for the longest time.

"You are the sister of the accused."

"Not legally, I am not," Bella said, softly. She looked over at Sirius and she saw him frowning as well. Lucius looked perfectly straight-faced and Bella wondered why Draco was here if his father was here.

"However, you are emotionally close to this case. Would you say emotionally compromised? Will you be unable to do your job properly?" Tom challenged. Bella's fury turned into something cold and she gave him a calculating glance. Tom seemed surprised by the cold and calculating look she gave him.

"I assure you that I will be able to do my job quite well. I do hope that you will as well. We will meet later to discuss if I happen to have a plea bargain for your client. I doubt I could reduce her sentence even if I tried," Bella said, sharply. Tom looked at her in surprise and there was a grudging respect there in the planes of his emotionless face.

"I look forward to that."

Bella nodded once. She turned back to the Wizengamot who looked surprised at their…creative discussion. Scrimgeour also looked impressed with her. He cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat.

"Opening statements will be given in one week's time," he decided. This told the Wizengamot that the meeting was adjourned. Bella stood and turned sharply to look at the Light Denomination. Some looked rather curious, others skeptical, and others still, surprised.

"I request a meeting with you before the ordered court time. This is a very public trial, so I advise you to avoid appearing in a biased light at anytime before now. I do hope that's understood," Bella said, sharply. They all nodded and Lord Clearwater looked over her shoulder. Bella spun around and she looked at Tom Riddle with an elegantly raised eyebrow.

"I do hope that this won't affect our…amicable relationship," Tom said with the slightest of smiles. He offered his hand and Bella took it and gave it a firm shake. Tom looked surprised at this as if this wasn't what he expected. Bella quickly dropped his hand.

"We'll see," she said and there was a glint in her eyes.

" 'We'll see?'" Tom said, his tone hard and Bella offered a graceful smile. This only seemed to piss Tom off more and Bella resisted the urge to laugh or even giggle. She tilted her head.

"See you in court, Lord Slytherin," Bella smiled as she sashayed away, heels clicking as she walked. She glanced over her shoulder and she saw a fuming Tom Riddle and confused Light Denomination.

"Bella…are you really going to prosecute Hermione?"

Bella looked towards her left and saw a worried Blaise and Draco. They were looking at each other before they looked back to Bella. Bella's own expression was rather grim and she sighed, nodding.

"What else can I do? I have to. I doubt that I'll win. Or maybe I _will _win. The case is solid. However, they're all sworn to be unbiased and their magic is bound. I might lose. She won't walk free but her sentence will be lessened. I can't let that happen…" Bella said, softly. Blaise looked at her in shock and then his eyes narrowed and he sent a vicious glare at Bella.

"Why not?"

"Blaise, are you serious? This is my dream! I want to be an attorney and this my chance. If I win this case by a large margin…I would be accepted to the program. You would do _anything _to be part of the Healer program, Blaise. Try to understand…" Bella pleaded.

"That's your sister! Your sister is underneath her and you're about to send her to Azkaban for the rest of your life!" Blaise shouted. Bella looked around and she could see many people looking at them. Bella flushed and she looked down. She looked to Sirius and he looked shocked for a moment.

"Blaise, I'm not even sure if I'm going to win."

"We all know you will, Bella. The evidence is against her and unless Riddle is pretty damn persuasive, you'll win. And you don't…you don't even care," Blaise said, his tone sounding very disgusted. Bella's flashed.

"I would advise you to lower your face and calm down. Hermione told me to do what I had to do to achieve my dreams. That's what I'm doing. What she did was _wrong_. You know that and you're sounding ridiculous. I'm just as emotionally involved if not more so. She struck down Snape for _me_. Because she knew I would have been unhappy if _he _had gotten hurt. So, you would do well to stop lecturing me. I'm not in the mood," Bella snarled. She stormed down the hallway and Draco frowned.

"Where are you going?"

Bella looked over her shoulder and she glared at Blaise who was giving her a smoldering golden glare of his own. It was the wills of golden fire versus electric green lightening for a moment before Bella turned to look into Draco's steel grey eyes.

"St. Mungo's! I have a damn case to win."

:::

**A/N: **Bella finally get her chance to be best prosecutor on the face of the fucking planet. However, she's giving up a lot to do this. Oh well. I've already come up with Tom and Bella's separate arguments for the opening statements. And I already came up with a list of victims and the plea bargain that Bella may or may not be offering. We don't know because Bella is such a sly bitch. Remember, Blaise doesn't know that Hermione told Bella to do whatever she needed to do.

You have to remember that Hermione is…unbalanced at this point. She may not have psychosis any longer but she definitely is still mentally ill. She will be even when the ENTIRE story is over, including the epilogue of the next story. I think this is going to be longer than I thought. I mean this particular half of the story. Seventh year will take a bit longer because before I wasn't going to do the trial in this much detail and I wasn't planning to have Bella be the prosecutor. It just sort of snuck up on me, I guess.

Next Chapter: Interviews, Opening Statements, and UST in the Courtroom


	88. Chapter LXXXI

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXI**

**Jackson House, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Sunday the 3****rd**** of August 1997**

**1:00 PM**

"Bella?"

Christine looked at the young woman with confusion all over her face. Christopher was ogling over her shoulder. Christine pushed her brother out of the way, looking exceedingly annoyed. Christine frowned while Christopher gave her a scathing glare but he slunk off.

"How do you know where I live?" Christine asked.

"A Point Me spell. May I come in?" Bella asked, softly. Christine nodded and she ushered Bella inside. Bella looked around interested and Christine suddenly got defensive as she saw Bella's critical eye.

"We do our best," Christine snapped. Bella turned an amused smile onto her and Christine flushed.

"I can see that. It's very nice. I just…the last time I was in Liverpool…everything was burning," Bella explained. Christine turned even redder and she ushered her friend to the living room. Christopher was slouching in the reclining chair but he sat up when he heard that Bella had come to Liverpool.

"When were you in Liverpool? I would've saw someone as pretty as you," Christopher said with a winning smile. Bella laughed and her eyes took on a haunted quality. She leaned into her seat and tapped his chin.

"I was in Liverpool when…it wasn't too long ago. I was having a…disagreement with…a friend."

"You call the Dark Lord your friend?" Christine blurted out. Christopher sat up straighter at this and Bella frowned. Christine watched as Bella debated on how to answer the question. Christine had never assumed to know how Bella thought but she could see that the girl was conflicted.

"I don't think that's a…wise way to say that. I'm not sure what to call the Dark Lord. He…he was very confused the last time I spoke to him. I stopped him from destroying Liverpool. It's been a while. But I'm here for business," Bella said, suddenly sounding more serious than reminiscent. Christine nodded and she straightened and she cleared her throat.

"Where are your parents?" Bella asked. Christopher looked up at the ceiling.

"MUM! DAD! SOMEONE'S HERE FOR YOU!" Christopher shouted. There was the sound of footsteps and the sound of stairs creaking and Diane and George Jackson emerged from the upstairs. They looked surprised.

"Hello…Bella Potter, right?" Diane asked. Bella blinked before she burst into laughter. Everyone looked at her strangely. Bella stood and offered her hand as she giggled.

"I'm sorry. It's just…nice that someone _doesn't _recognize me. Yes, Bella Potter. I have to ask you something very, very serious. I do hope that's okay," Bella said, softly as she shook Diane and then George's hands. The two sat on the sofa opposite from Bella and Christine's. They looked at Bella and suddenly she looked colder and more businesslike.

"I do hope that Christine Jackson has told you about the case of Hermione Granger," Bella started. Diane frowned.

"Yes…she's your sister, right? What exactly did she do? Christine didn't go into much details," George explained. Bella nodded once and she leaned back in her seat. She tapped her leg.

"My sister in all but blood and name. She committed three accounts of murder and one attempted murder. However, the last charge is to be counted as aggravated assault. She is also being charged with the use of Blood Magic. Blood Magic is one of the darkest uses of Magic and is considered unnatural. Messing with the blood is messing with one's magic and it just isn't done," Bella explained, solemnly. Diane nodded though she didn't look like she understood very much. Only Christine understood a little.

"But what does that have to do with Christine?" Christopher asked.

He was now hanging upside down on his chair as he flipped through the channels on the television.

"I am considered the Head of the Light Denomination because of my family. This is also deems me as the prosecutor. My…colleague, Tom Riddle has elected to be the defense attorney. This makes my job…difficult," Bella said, quietly. Christopher looked up interested.

"_You're a lawyer? _Your boyfriend is the other lawyer? Tough shit, that," Christopher remarked. Bella flushed and she gave him a cold glare that he obtusely ignored.

"_Christopher_," Diane, George, and Christine hissed. Christopher rolled his eyes and he glared at them all.

"Whatever. Everyone was thinking it," he said, his tone indignant. Bella's glare turned into an amused half-smile and she snickered under her breath. The Muggles and Muggleborn turned to look at her.

"It's…okay. Many people assume that T…Professor Riddle and I are in a relationship. Contrary to properly belief among incoming sixth years, my ring is _not _an engagement ring," Bella said, laughing. Diane was surprised to see her own daughter flush. Then, Christine raised an eyebrow and she leaned forward.

"Would you be opposed to it being such a thing?" Christine challenged. Bella tilted her head.

"I don't know. I'm sure he would be. First, he's more than half a century older than me. Second, he's my teacher. Third, he's just…a difficult person to spend time with let alone with. In short, he's a pretentious, narcissistic arse," Bella said, flatly. Christine could easily see the fond smile that crossed her face. Christopher snorted and he sat upright in his chair.

"Bella, you've got it bad. For your professor."

Bella glared.

"I digress. I need Christine to be a witness. Hermione was…typically in her right mind though she had lapses. She wasn't fully in her right mind when she killed those people but she admitted happily afterwards that she did arrange for Professor Snape to be put a coma and she did kill those three students," Bella explained. Christopher frowned and leaned up. He thought this was a bit like Law & Order in some ways.

"Why'd she kill them? And why'd she hurt your professor?" Christopher asked, curiously. Bella stiffened and she ran a finger down the chain that held her ring.

"She was trying to… it's…I'm not allowed to really talk about the case to you. It's against protocol. Anyway, I wished to all Christine to the stand. Blaise Zabini who was in a relationship with Hermione has been called to witness on her behalf by Riddle. I am going to call question to his competency because I believe he's emotionally unbalanced despite his skills at hiding his emotions," Bella said, flatly. Christine nodded in understanding and she could see that being the case. But then again he couldn't. He had always seemed so emotionless and detached to her but Bella did know him better.

"Who else are you calling to the stand?" Diane asked, curiously.

"Ginny Weasley, Amelia Bones, if she is not serving as judge. If she is then I will call Kingsley Shacklebolt. I will also be calling an expert witness from St. Mungo's. My last witness…will remain unidentified at this point. Even that person does not know that I will call them to the stand," Bella said, softly. She sighed and tilted her head as she pondered about what she was going to say next. Diane and George frowned.

"Why'd you ask us here then? Christine is old enough to make this decision," George said. Bella hummed in agreement.

"That may be the case but she is also underage. She's in other words, a minor. I need your permission and you'll need to be present at the trial if that's okay with you," Bella explained. Christopher grunted.

"Is this a public trial?"

"It is. Very public. I actually have an…interview after this. A lot of people are confused so I have to get set it straight. Apparently, it's my duty to my people. I swear Dumbledore is going to get his old ass kicked off his high and mighty throne…" Bella said, grumbling the last part of the sentence. Christine couldn't help but notice how she seemed so…much like a teenager. She actually forgot for a moment that Bella was some kind of awesome prosecutor.

"What do you mean by 'the duty to your people'? You're seventeen! I'm only eighteen and I have absolutely no ambitions in life," Christopher said, proudly. Bella snorted and she rolled her eyes.

"That's…nice. I don't necessarily _have _to have a job. I'd just…prefer to have one. I have access to all of Professor Riddle's bank accounts and my own that I inherited. But, working…doing this feels…nice. Anyway, the duty to my people thing is…well, I've promised to help destroy the Dark side. In other words, I'm supposed to be the poster girl for goodness. I don't really like the idea of that but I promised and I don't like to break promises. For example, I told Hermione that I'd do what I had to do to achieve my dreams. I'm making sure that she's sentenced to Azkaban for a lifetime," Bella said.

Christine frowned. To most it would've sounded callous but Christine could hear the genuine sadness in the older woman's voice. Christopher, Diane, and George exchanged looks before looking at Christine.

"So…what do you think?" Diane asked, softly.

"I'll testify."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 3****rd**** of August 1997**

**2:00 PM**

"I was surprised when you asked me to conduct this interview, yet again. How _did _you hear of me?" Armani Giordano asked. Alessandro was looking around the drawing room with a quiet interest. Bella Potter offered a slight smile.

"Well…it's complicated. You're getting an exclusive here so what would you like to do first?" asked Bella, curiously. Armani thought about it. On one hand, she needed extra money so she was conducting an interview for the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler. On the other hand, she was still a _Witch Weekly _reporter. And since _Spella Daily_, despite being considered a tabloid rag,was the daughter-paper of _Witch Weekly_…

"Well, as you know I'm primarily a _Witch Weekly _reporter. People look up to you. Especially, young women and girls. They read _Witch Weekly _and in such a short time, you've become a sort of fashion icon. I'd like to separate the interview. One for the _Daily Prophet _and the _Quibbler _and one for _Witch Weekly_, if that's fine with you," Armani said. She looked at the young woman and she saw her tilt her head and then sigh. She nodded once and she cleared her throat. Suddenly, the fire roared green and Bella looked up sharply.

Armani's eyes widened when her eyes fell on Tom Riddle's frame.

"Anya…" Tom murmured. Armani frowned for a moment. Who in the world was this Anya?

She looked to Bella but she didn't look confused at all. She looked simply annoyed. Bella tilted her head.

"What are you doing here?" Bella snapped. Tom offered a slight smirk.

"Anya, is that anyway to talk to your beloved teacher?"

Bella sneered at him but there was a teasing glint in her eyes as she did so. Armani sat back and watched.

"What do you want?" Bella asked, her tone less aggressive.

"The ring. I need to…borrow it," Tom Riddle said, softly. Armani watched as Bella stiffened and she gave him a slightly hostile glare.

"Why?" Bella asked, softly.

"I need to fix the crack."

Bella relaxed a little and she pulled a chain from inside of her button down shirt. Armani could see the ring and the massive crack down the middle. It was a very simple ring and it was rather pretty.

"Could you…give us a moment?" Bella asked, quietly. Armani blinked.

"Oh…uh, yeah."

Bella stood and she walked over towards the far corner of the room and Tom Riddle followed after her. Armani had to strain to hear their conversation. Tom Riddle was waving his wand over the ring around her neck and Armani and Alessandro exchanged glances before looking back to the duo.

"What exactly are you changing about the ring?" Bella asked.

"This and that," Riddle said, softly.

The golden band quickly turned…whoa, was that platinum? Bella seemed surprised too and the claw shifted the onyx. The onyx healed and pulled together and in the band there was a diamond on the left side. He began to move his wand as if he were writing something.

"What does the ring actually mean?" Bella murmured. Armani's eyes widened when she saw Riddle look almost _shy_. He looked up at her from underneath long lashes and Bella looked at him in confusion.

"It…can mean whatever you want it to mean."

Armani's eyes widened as recognition dawned on Bella's face. Bella paled and Armani could see that Bella almost took a step back. Bella looked trapped. On one side, she looked happier than ever but on the other, there was something in her face that portrayed fear. The young woman was absolutely terrified at the very vague statement.

"Oh," Bella whispered. Riddle tilted his head.

"Oh."

Armani frowned. She had no idea what they were talking about. What was up with Bella Potter?

"I…I…no?" Bella said, as if a question. Armani saw Riddle's eyes flash with hurt and something else. He placed a cocky smile on and he looked her up and down. Bella looked nervous and she tilted her head.

"That was expected," Riddle said, softly. Bella's eyes widened and she then glared at him in annoyance.

"Was it?"

"Very much so. You don't trust me," Riddle said, his tone becoming sharper. Bella's eyes widened when he seemed to address what really was her issue with this whole unorthodox whatever. Bella tilted her head.

"Very true. You haven't given me much of a reason, have you?"

"I suppose that's very true. And it seems that you have an interview to get back to," Riddle said, casting Armani a look. Armani flushed and looked away. He had caught her staring unashamedly and it was a little embarrassing.

"That's very true. But, Tom it's a bit more…_complicated _than that…this is a very bad place to have this type of conversation and this is a very bad time. And now I know you're…you are _such a JACKASS!_" Bella said, her eyes widening. She grabbed him by his arm and pulled him back towards the fireplace. He looked at her in surprise and slight confusion.

"I'm sorry. What?" he asked as she pushed him into the mantle.

"You're trying to throw me off my game! You're the defense attorney and you want to win! You're such a jackass. I can't believe you'd use _this _to try to…to…distract me! God, I'm going to kick your ass in court. Now, get out of my house. _Now_," Bella snarled, angrily. Riddle began to snicker and he rolled his eyes at her as he took a pinch of Floo powder from a little box on top of the mantle. Bella's eyes narrowed and she hissed at him.

"I was being extremely serious."

"No. You weren't. You were being an ass."

"Are you sure about that?" Riddle asked. Bella nodded once. Riddle pressed a kiss to her forehead and she froze in shock and he smirked at her before tapping her on the cheek with a finger. With his other hand, he pulled hairpins from her hair, making it tumble down her shoulder until it rested comfortably at her waist.

"We'll see about that. I accept your challenge. See you in court, Anya," Riddle said, snickering and he muttered something under his breath as the flames turned green from the Floo powder. He disappeared and Bella groaned pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Give me a second to process what just happened," she requested. Armani nodded. Bella walked out the door and Armani and Alessandro exchanged looks. Armani opened her mouth to comment.

"_MUM, TOM JUST…HE JUST…OH MY GODS, MUM! I'M SO CONFUSED!_"

Armani and Alessandro burst into laughter. Armani sighed and shook her head.

"What just happened?" Armani asked. Alessandro shook his head.

"I have no idea."

Bella darted back in with glasses perched on her nose and a plate of treacle tart. She still looked rather confused and she sat down on the couch opposite the duo. Armani grinned.

"What were you so confused about?" she asked. Bella blinked and shook her head.

"Uh…nothing. Just…start…"

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Monday the 4****th**** of August 1997**

**9:00 AM**

"It's out."

Bella looked up from her breakfast as Maya and Sirius entered the room. She cast them smiles and she held out her hand for the two magazines that Maya was offering. Sirius looked rather pissed and Bella assumed that was because of some of the allusions the Witch Weekly magazine held.

"Thanks. Kreacher made breakfast, so help yourself. After this, I'm going out," Bella said, softly. Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"I hope not to see Riddle."

"Uncle Sirius, I'm an adult. I may see whomever I want to. But, I'm not going to see him. Yesterday was…surprising at best. I don't even want to talk about it. It…I don't think he was serious or not and I rather not think about it. I'm seventeen and I love him but…too many factors," Bella said, shaking her head. Sirius seemed to relax and he nodded in agreement. Maya looked unconvinced.

"You're afraid you're going to get hurt, aren't you?" Maya asked. Bella looked up, sharply and her eyes narrowed.

"Aunt Maya…"

"It's true. You're afraid you're going to get hurt again," Maya stated, firmly. Bella sighed and didn't answer. She simply turned to look at the magazines in front of her. She looked down at the Daily Prophet.

_EXCLUSIVE_

_Bella Potter:_

_The Woman Behind the Mask of _

_The Girl-Who-Lived_

_Armani Giordano, 35, was invited to interview the one and only Bella Potter. Bella Potter previously held a press conference among many of Armani's peers last June after the Battle of Hogwarts or as some refer to it, The Hogwarts Massacre. Armani was invited to Bella's townhouse home within London where she resides with Lord Sirius Black, her godfather, and young Maya Granger, mother to one of the participants of The Hogwarts Massacre._

_AG: Good afternoon, Miss Potter._

_**BP: Hullo. Just call me, Bella.**_

_AG: If you're sure. So, where should we start…many people would kill to get inside of your head. What were you thinking about when you saw Voldemort striking down the people that you call your allies and friends?_

_**BP: (Here Bella Potter laughs for some inexplicable reason. She catches herself and gives long suffering sigh**_**) You know…I…no one has asked me that yet. They've only asked me how I was after almost being kidnapped by the Dark Lord. Ah, right. Please in my prescence…show the man some respect. I know a lot of people will be confused by that request but **_please. _**Call him Lord Voldemort of the Dark Lord. Anyway, I only felt intense…pity for him. Meaning the Dark Lord.**

_AG: I'm confused. Why would you feel pity for the man attempting to destroy your home?_

_**BP: **_**I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that most people haven't spoken to the Dark Lord. I have. Several times, actually. The first time I spoke to him, I was fourteen. Grindelwald was resurrected. The second time, it was a year later. I tried to kill him. The third time, I met him in a graveyard.**

_AG: I'm sorry but you met him again_before _the Hogwarts Massacre?_

_**BP: **_**Is that what they're calling it?**

_AG: Yeah. Professionally and on the records, it is called the Battle of Hogwarts._

_**BP: **_**It wasn't much of a battle. I didn't get to fight…anyway, I **_**did **_**meet him before the Hogwarts Massacre. I was dating someone at the time and you see the Dark Lord didn't…like him very much. I went to the graveyard where my parents are buried. I only wanted to pay my respects. It was February and he tried to convince me to turn to the Dark side. I'm not going to lie…I thought about it.**

_AG: You did? What made you think about it?_

_**BP: **_**My magic is Dark. It calls to me. But I promised someone that I'd fight for the Light. Anyway, I didn't go and so he declared war upon me. He tried to destroy Liverpool and I went to defend it. I spoke to him and he left. I don't think I've ever raised my wand to him except for one time. There was never the need to do so.**

_AG: I see…then lets return to the first question and add on. What made you decide to offer your freedom in return for the safety of Hogwarts?_

_**BP: **_**Hogwarts isn't only my home. It's the home of someone very special to me. Very, very special. I couldn't let that person down like that even if that person wasn't there. I did the only thing I could.**

_AG: Who is this person?_

_**BP: **_**That's a rather closely guarded secret.**

_AG: Oh. I understand. How is Hermione Granger's trial connected to all of this and how do you feel about the largely public trial?_

_**BP: **_**Hermione was and is mentally unbalanced, that is true. She believed that throwing a curse at Snape was the only way to keep me happy. I didn't want Voldemort harmed and she knew that.**

_AG: Anything else to say about how you feel about the trial?_

_**BP: **_**I can't actually…say anything, really. I'm not allowed.**

_AG: What do you mean by that? Who has forbidden you about speaking about the trial? Is it because of the public interview?_

_**BP: **_**Yes and no. The court forbids me. As prosecutor I'm not allowed to talk about it.**

_AG: Wait, wait, and wait. You're the prosecutor? How is that possible? You don't have a Law Mastery._

_**BP: **_**That's correct. However, I found out on my birthday that I am now Head of the House of Ambrosius. For those that don't know, Ambrosius was the surname of Merlin.**

_AG: Wow! That's a pretty big accomplishment for someone your age. After this trial, do you intend to continue being an attorney or do you have other dreams?_

_**BP: **_**I'm planning to get my Defense Against the Dark Arts Mastery and Ancient Runes Mastery by the end of the year in addition to my N.E.. I also am going to apply for pre-law classes at the Ministry so that I can continue on to get my Law Mastery.**

_AG: It's good that someone your age considers the future. Now, what is your opinion on the war?_

_**BP: **_**I don't like war. Although, I'm an…aggressive person and love a good spar, I hate fighting. I hate killing although I've had to do that to protect the people I love. I admit. I've killed people. In the Department of Mysteries, I killed a Death Eater or two. Before that at the Quidditch World Cup, I killed Death Eaters. But, I hate it. A lot. I'm a firm believer in humanity. Some would call me a bit of a…pacifist.**

_AG: But you've just admitted to enjoying sparring._

_**BP: **_**That's how I show my affection for some people. That's also how I show respect. When my skills with magic are involved, I'm not a very modest person. I'm very much aware of how good I am. However, I **_**despise **_**war.**

_AG: Can you tell me why that is?_

_**BP: **_**I don't like seeing the people I love get hurt. Look at what war did to my older sister. This would have never happened if it wasn't for war.**

_AG: Can you give us a final statement on what you think about the way the Ministry is going on with this war?_

_**BP: **_**I don't think the Ministry knows a thing about fighting this war. And if they want my help, they're going to have to ask for it instead of simply expecting it.**

Bella looked up from the paper and saw that Sirius was looking at her over his cup of coffee. Bella took the cup that was waiting in front of it and she took a long sip of it.

"Nicely done. Very professional," Sirius said. Bella smiled and nodded.

"I'd hope so," she said and she flipped open Witch Weekly. As soon as she turned the page, she was hit with a picture of herself on the white piano, playing for Armani after the woman had requested so very nicely.

_EXCLUSIVE:_

_Bella Potter:_

_An Icon_

_Armani Giordano, 35, has gotten the exclusive of a lifetime when she was invited to come to Bella Potter's posh townhouse in London. The young woman who is quickly starting fads invited the lucky young reporter to interview her on not only the upcoming trial of Hermione Granger (See Giordano's interview in the Daily Prophet) but also her personal lie._

_AG: So…what have you been up to besides the trial?_

_**BP: **_**This and that. My music for one and I've been spending a lot of time with my sister.**

_AG: You mean Hermione Granger._

_**BP: **_**Of course.**

_AG: Your best friend is going to jail. How do you feel about that?_

_**BP: **_**Mione isn't my best friend. My female best friend would be one Daphne Greengrass. My male best friend would rather stay out of the public eye. Sorry.**

_AG: It's fine. Last June, you told the media that we would have to accept you as you are, bloody boots and all. Yet, on your birthday you were seen in Muggle couture._

_**BP: **_**I didn't buy it myself. But, I do like to look pretty. I like to look pretty for…**

_AG: For? Someone special, perhaps?_

_**BP: **_**Now that you mention it…I am currently in a **_**very, very **_**serious relationship with someone. I like to keep some parts of my life private and many people just wouldn't approve.**

_AG: Why would that be?_

_**BP: **_**I'm still in school. He's…well…not. He's overage and he's a lot older than I am. But, I love him and I don't believe age should affect it at all.**

_AG: How much older is he than you?_

_**BP: **_**Um…no comment?**

_AG: Oh…oh. He's a lot older than you, I'm guessing. Is he in his forties?_

_**BP: **_**About…yeah, sure. He's in his forties. (She laughs)**

_AG: So, can you tell me about your social life? What do you like to do in your free time and what do you do with your friends?_

_**BP: **_**Well, I…I know this is going to sound really crazy but I **_**love **_**to go clubbing. And I love to go to raves. And I never go clubbing in London. It's really weird that I've never gone clubbing here. I love to spar, as you know and I love to write music and play the piano. I have a work-out room here where I keep in shape. And I love to read this one book over and over. It's a French book and I read it in French but the English translation is The Phantom of the Opera.**

_AG: You speak French? How many languages do you speak?_

_**BP: **_**Well, I speak French, Parseltongue, Druhir, an Elven language, and Latin.**

_AG: That's…a lot. I thought Parseltongue is in an inherited language. How did you come to speak it?_

_**BP: **_**It's…complicated. Genetics. I don't **_**think **_**I'm related to Tom…Professor Riddle, I mean. That'd be…intensely creepy, actually. And really weird.**

_AG: Speaking of the top bachelor in the wizarding world, what is your relationship with him?_

_**BP: **_**I'm sorry…**_**what**_**? What do you mean by that? We're…colleagues?**

_AG: Colleagues?_

_**BP: **_**Er…it's complicated. Tom…um…Professor Riddle and I have an…interesting dynamic. We're close.**

_AG: How close exactly? Some would say that you're in a romantic relationship with him. That wouldn't be exactly illegal now that you're seventeen._

_**BP: **_**Who is making all this up? And why they hell do they want to know so bad? We're close. He's a bit of my confidante. I don't hang out with him a lot because I don't like his friends. Lucius Malfoy is an ass. Be…Beatrix is a bitch. I only like Ralph. Ralph is cool.**

_AG: You know his friends?_

_**BP: **_**Unfortunately. They're all of their rockers.**

_AG: I see. What can you tell us about your friends?_

_**BP: **_**We're all very different. I'm friends with only purebloods, it seems. Daphne Greengrass, Neville Longbottom, Padma and Parvati Patil, Theodore Nott, Lalita Singh, Linda Moon, Fay Dunbar, Michael Corner, and Anthony Goldstein are my primary group. Draco is a given. Blaise is a given. And oh god…Luna Lovegood. Don't know where I'd be without **_**her**_**.**

_AG: Did you say Singh? The Indian Minister for Magic's daughter? And who is Luna Lovegood?_

_**BP: **_**Yeah. Lalita is great. So talented. Luna is probably the glue that holds us all together. I met her in her first year and I think it was my second. She's an Elf. She **_**was **_**half and half until she…gave up her wizarding magic. They're debating whether she should be let back into Hogwarts.**

_AG: I'm sorry to hear that. Now, I want to ask you about your music. You played an unfamiliar song at your birthday party. I'd like to ask and several people want to know…who wrote it?_

_**BP: **_**I did. I wrote that over the course of five months. It's probably the piece I'm most proud of. The Griffins approached me and wanted to buy the rights to the song. I said no. I would never give up my music. It's not for sale.**

_AG: That's understandable. One more question, what are you planning to do with your new freedom as a seventeen year old?_

_**BP: **_**After this trial…I'm going out with my friends.**

_After the previous interview, Bella Potter graciously gave a tour of her townhouse and allowed the reporter and photographer du to take images of her exercise room, extensive closet, and the gorgeous dress from Prima Madonna's that she wore to her birthday party._

_For a close replica to the one of a kind dress, one could easily purchase one at a less costly price at Madame Malkin's._

"They're trying to copy my dress?" Bella said, surprised. Maya nodded and she didn't look to surprised.

"Yeah. You looked great. Now, have you got your argument organized?" Maya asked, curiously. Bella nodded and she sighed, looking at her mother with apologetic eyes.

"I'm so—"

"Don't apologize," Maya said, firmly. Bella and Sirius looked at her in surprise.

"You're not torn up about the fact that your adopted daughter is putting your biological daughter to prison?" Sirius asked, curiously. Maya sighed and she ran a hand through her hair.

"My biological daughter is a psychotic genius. Her IQ _is _genius. She'll escape."

Maya looked at Bella, hesitantly and she blinked when she saw the girl give a slightly malicious grin.

"I know. She will."

* * *

**Salem Witches' Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, New England, United States**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**9:00 AM**

Headmistress Anderson sat behind her desk as she waited for one Miss Evans to arrive. The Headmistress of the Institute frowned when she saw that the young exchange student was about a minute late now. Headmistress Anderson was _punctual_. She couldn't stand when people were late…

"Good morning, Headmistress."

Headmistress Anderson looked up from the small clock on her desk and she looked at the doorway. A young woman who was rather tall stood in the doorway with a woman that was only an inch shorter. The young woman who was tall had dirty blonde hair pulled back into a tight and secure bun. She was wearing bright purple robes and she had a file in her hand.

The woman standing next to her had dark red hair that tumbled in soft waves to her elbows. Her skin was creamy and she was dressed in a long sleeved boat neck shirt and dark slacks despite the fact that it was the summer. She didn't look like she was uncomfortable.

"Good morning. Which one of you is Miss Evans?" Headmistress Anderson asked. The redhead stepped forward and she raised her hand with a slight smile. She sat down in an armchair across from the Headmistress.

"Hello, I'm Miss Evans. Morgan Evans. And I was hoping that I could attend this school."

* * *

**Courtroom Ten, Level Ten, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**10:50 AM**

Christine sat in the stands with the rest of the spectators and she looked over. The Weasleys were sitting just a little ways off and Diane and George looked a little nervous to be surrounded by a lot of wizards. Diane blinked when she saw a woman with thick brown curly hair and bright blue eyes approach them. She smiled at them and extended her hand.

"Hello. My name is Maya Granger. You must be Diane and George Jackson."

Diane froze. This was the mother of the accused. She was the mother of the woman that had killed three students and placed Severus Snape in a coma. She was also a _Muggle_.

"Er…hello," George said, shaking her hand gingerly.

"Hullo, Ms. Granger," Christine said, softly. Maya Granger smiled and nodded.

"Hello, Christine. I'm a little antsy. I'm ready for this trial to get underway. I swear if that girl doesn't just plead guilty…but of course, she isn't. Mione was always so difficult. She really thinks what she did was right…" Maya sighed. Diane's eyes widened and she blinked.

"I'd imagine this must be hard for you," Diane said as Maya drifted away towards a snobby looking blonde woman. Maya stopped and turned back towards the family. She gave a slight smile.

"Not as much as you'd think. If you'll excuse me," she said, softly before she turned to the blonde woman. The blonde woman's eyes softened and she smiled before standing to give the woman a hug. Just before they were about to embrace, the door flew open.

Diane's eyes widened at the sight. A young man with a long silver robe on came storming through the door with his wand raised. His eyes were rimmed with black and he had black and blue veins extending from under his eyes. He looked cold and he had a blonde woman trailing after him in a neon green dress.

"Who is that?" Diane whispered, almost frightened.

"Draco Malfoy…God, he's scary," Christine said, shuddering. Draco Malfoy stopped and then made a rattling sound that made almost everyone freeze. An unnatural cold settled and suddenly someone screamed.

Including Christine.

Diane looked around btu she was just confused. She felt the happiness being sucked out of her and she looked at Christine. Christine looked ready to pass out and she was shaking while she pointed.

"Dementors…" she whispered.

"Calm down or I'll curse all of you!" Draco Malfoy hissed, angrily. He waved his wand and began making rattling noises that sounded like commands. A silvery spell came from his wand and made a barrier. Diane could see what was making everyone scream now and she almost screamed herself.

They were large black things with scabby hands and you couldn't see their faces. They were on the opposite side of the barrier, except for one. That one was clinging to the blonde woman, like a child. The blonde woman was whispering to it and she held it close. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Luna…Augustus needs to get Hermione."

"But, he's scared of her," Luna pouted. Draco sighed and pressed an adoring hand to her cheek before turning away from her and looking to the crowd. They were staring at him in shock. Draco just rolled his eyes and Diane watched as he made his way towards one side of the room and sat down.

As he sat, 'Augustus' drifted from the room while Luna bounced over. She jumped in front of Christine and kissed the girl on both cheeks.

"Hi, Christine! I Saw that you're a witness. I'm not allowed to be a witness. Tom Marvolo _wanted _me to be a witness but I'm a creature so I can't. Ana is going to change that eventually. Ooh…that's Narcissa! Well, goodbye, George, Diane."

The girl was gone and Christine stared after her in shock. Diane decided not to question it. She looked around and saw that everyone was straightening as the lights dimmed. She looked to Christine about to ask but Christine didn't seem to know either.

Diane watched as a group of fifty men and women paraded into the room in plum colored robes. The robes had a big silver 'W' on it and they sat down in the middle stands. Next came a group in white and they sat down on the left side. Finally, a group in black came in. Diane watched in shock as next came in Bella Potter.

She looked severe and stunning. Her hair was pulled back into a French twist and she was wearing a long robe of white and gold. The sleeves were cut off until it was like a vest and it flared out at her waist, revealing…white jeans.

There were whispers as the severe looking woman walked towards the side of white and she began whispering something to them. They were whispering back but then a cackle rang out. Diane shuddered at the sound of it.

It was sharp and cruel-sounding and she saw Christine stare, wide-eyed. The room was silent and a man with dark hair and golden eyes leaned forward in his seat. He was sitting closest to the dais in the middle of the room. Suddenly, there was a loud sound of something singing.

It was a woman and she was making 'la' sounds. Diane could see Bella freeze at the sound of it and she looked like she knew exactly what the sound was. Suddenly, everyone was completely quiet. Even the things above them were quiet and they stared at the woman standing in the doorway.

She was wearing heavy chains and Tom Riddle was standing next to her. The woman had long, greasy brown hair that was tangled and curly. She had blood red lips and she licked her lips. Blood actually came off of her lips. Her eyes were rimmed with too much black and she was grinning when she saw certain people.

"Hello, Madam Bones! Hullo, everyone! I'm finally here. The guest of honor at this little…party," she laughed.

Diane shuddered.

_This was Hermione Granger._

Hermione walked, slowly towards the crowd of black and she leaned forward, expectantly towards the man with golden eyes. The man gave her an amused look and pressed a kiss against her bloody lips. Diane blinked when Hermione pulled back and skipped towards a man with long black hair and pale skin.

"Daddy!" she said, cheerfully. The man nodded and he kissed her on the forehead. Hermione turned towards Bella and stopped, frowning.

"Angel…you didn't visit me. I'm hurt."

"Miss Granger," Bella said, softly and there was pain in her voice as she used those words. Diane looked over at the plum people and the severe woman who had a black hat and who was apparently serving as judge nodded.

"You better have a good argument, B-B-B-B-Bell-_ah_. That's a pretty ring, you got there, though. _Really _pretty. Who gave it to you?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella cast Tom Riddle a look but that was obviously enough for Hermione. She blinked and then gave wicked grin.

"What's it mean?" Hermione asked. Bella sighed.

"Later."

Hermione nodded and she skipped towards the chair on the dais. She sat down in the middle of it as if it were a throne. The chains wrapped around Hermione wrapped around the chair. Madam Bones looked to the prosecutor and defense attorney. Bella sneered at Tom Riddle but her smirked at her and offered his hand.

Bella took his hand, gingerly and then her eyes widened when his hand tightened over hers.

Diane watched as he whispered something to her and she flushed but not anger. Suddenly, he jerked her forehead until they were pressed together. Bella was leaning backwards in shock and she took a step away from him when she noticed several people staring in shock and speculation.

Bella sighed and she pinched the bridge of her nose and walked backwards towards the group of people in white. She sat down in the gold throne and Tom Riddle proceeded to the silver one towards the group of black. Madam Bones looked shocked for a split second before she just shrugged it off.

"The criminal trial of Hermione Granger shall proceed after the House of Families take their oath," she said, sharply. Tom Riddle raised his hand lazily and the group behind him followed resolutely.

"I call the Dark Sect to order. Swear upon your magic _to _Magic that you shall tell the truth and nothing _but _the truth. Swear upon your magic _to _Magic that you shall be unbiased in your decision in court today. To do anything but in a court of law is declared to be heinous and illegal. Do you swear to avoid this act of betrayal?" Tom Riddle asked.

"Aye."

This was said by the whole lot of them. There was a flash of light and Tom Riddle sighed.

"So mote it be."

"I call the Light Denomination to order. Swear upon your magic to Magic that you shall tell the truth and nothing _but _the truth. Swear upon your magic _to _Magic that you shall be unbiased in your decision in court today. To do anything but in court of law is declared to be heinous and illegal. Do you swear to avoid this act of betrayal?" Bella asked.

"Aye."

"So mote it be."

Madam Bones nodded and she cleared her throat.

"This court is now in session. Miss Hermione Granger is hereby charged with the use of the Black Art of Blood Magic, the second-degree murder of three underage individuals, and one aggravated assault. The court jury of the Wizengamot and House of Families has convened to determine the extent of her crimes and the extent of her stay in the wizarding prison of Azkaban," Madam Bones stated, clearly and Diane watched as Bella stiffened. She swallowed, nervously and she glanced around, almost panicked. The man who Hermione had called 'Daddy' gave her a reassuring look and she relaxed.

"To all charges and specifications, what is your plea?" Madam Bones asked.

Tom Riddle glanced at Hermione and he nodded once at her.

"Not guilty by reason of insanity."

The crowd began to whisper to each other and Madam Bones slammed down her gavel.

"Silence in the court. The prosecution may now make their opening statement," Madam Bones said and she gestured to Bella Potter. Bella walked forward and suddenly there was this commanding air about her. Diane watched in interest as she cleared her throat.

"Good morning your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, Lords and Ladies of the House of Families. On the eighteenth of June, the Battle of Hogwarts occurred when the Order of the Phoenix, a Ministry-approved vigilante group, challenged the Dark Lord Voldemort to a duel via myself. The Dark Lord took advantage of the fact that Hogwarts was unprotected and changed the battlefield to the school of witchcraft and wizardry."

Bella looked around at the crowd and they all were staring at her enraptured with what she was saying.

"That night, when Lord Sirius Black transported myself to the castle with Auror Nymphadora Tonks, we came upon a scene. Hermione Granger stood among several dead bodies of not only Death Eaters, the followers of the Dark Lord, but also students. At the time, at least four were dead. She was standing with an unidentified Death Eater and they were laughing together. At the time, the Dark Lord was a more pressing matter. I went with the Dark Lord of my own free will to free the place I call my home. After negotiating my return with the Dark Lord, I arrived in the Great Hall to witness the most horrific events that occurred that evening," Bella said. She glanced at Hermione, dramatically before she made a sound that sounded almost like disgust and she turned her back on Hermione. Diane couldn't see Hermione's face as the girl was facing the jury or whatever.

"This young woman was involved in a fierce duel against Professor Severus Snape. Aurors were attempting to restrain her while a fifth year by the name of Michael Brown was on the ground, a sword through his stomach. Let the record stand that Michael Brown was in intensive care for two weeks after the traumatic event and he still attends mandatory therapy sessions. Following her momentary freedom of the Aurors, Miss Granger cast 'Interna Solvite'. This spell destroys ones internal organs. Severus Snape was hit full on and collapsed. I was forced to bring her down while some Aurors attempted to stabilize Professor Snape while students attempted to do the same with Mister Brown," Bella continued and she began to pace back and forth in the courtroom. She sounded impassioned and some of the people in black, the Dark Sect were frowning at her or smirking.

"Miss Granger was read her rights and was put under arrest. In the course of a few days, Professor Snape was placed into a coma and was apparently missing three fingers and a toe. After intense questioning, Miss Granger admitted to the murders of three Hogwarts students and assigning unidentified people to further Professor Snape's injury. The potency of her curse also suggests that there has been a prolonged use of the Black Art. The coherency of her words and her subsequent confession suggests that her present mental illnesses were suppressed by the four medications that she was taking at the time of the crime. She did these crimes of her own free will. The evidence is astounding and there is no doubt that Miss Granger will go to prison for quite a long time. Thank you," Bella said, firmly. She nodded at Madam Bones and walked back towards her throne and sat back down. She sat ramrod straight and she still looked a bit nervous.

"The defense may now present their opening statement," Madam Bones dictated.

Tom Riddle stood. He seemed like a bit of a conundrum. He stood lazily but he looked extremely cold and Diane almost shuddered at his emotionless face. His eyes flashed red for only the briefest of seconds when they settled on Bella and Bella straightened and her own eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"As we all know, Hermione Jane Granger is not what we would call an orthodox student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She has been referred to as one of the brightest witches to pass through Hogwarts. Her intelligence quotient is 160, genius level. In her time at the Hogwarts School, she never received less than an A. However, despite her intelligence, Miss Granger suffered from ASPD. ASPD is antisocial personality disorder. Symptoms of this disorder would be lack of remorse, reckless disregard for the safety of herself and others, impulsiveness, deception and surprise, surprise failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors," Tom Riddle said and he flashed a smirk. Several people in the crowd couldn't help but smile too. He was very charismatic and Diane saw Bella's eyes narrow.

"Miss Granger was curious about magic. She accepted magic as just that. Magic. As young child, she came into our world as a Muggleborn. She had no idea what was socially acceptable. In addition to her ignorance, her mental illnesses continued to progress until she not only had ASPD but she also developed psychosis. Psychosis is a generic term for a mental state that has often been described as the loss of contact with reality. She controlled these dangerous impulses with strong prescription medicines. With the death of her beloved friend, Draco Malfoy, her psychosis and ASPD took a turn for the worst. She began to hallucinate more and more as her psychosis grew stronger and her medicinal help weakened. In truth, we can blame her actions on the circumstances she was thrust into," Tom Riddle said, knowingly. He gestured to the woman in the middle of the dais. She was leaning back, observing everyone as if they were all beneath her. When she saw that they were looking at her, she flashed everyone a bloody smile.

"Miss Granger was pushed into circumstances which anyone was crack under. She was in her school where there was a great amount of violence. As her hallucinations and delusions tended to be violent, it is easy to see that she could have been confused by what she was seeing and doing. As an intelligent young woman, she may have believed that she was truly doing the right thing," Riddle concluded. He nodded to Madam Bones and made his way back to his own seat. He sat down and exchanged a look with Hermione.

Diane's eyes widened when she saw the craziness clear from Hermione's eyes for a split second. Her dark eyes flashed with recognition and her smile twisted into something darker and twisted. It was a smirk and Diane's eyes widened. She wasn't insane! They were lying!

And she couldn't do anything about it because she was a Muggle…

The insanity clouded her eyes once more and she stopped smirking and she sat, emotionless now.

"A short break will now be ordered so that the prosecution may speak with all of their witnesses before the examination and questioning of each witness," Madam Bones dictated. The crowd began to speak to one another and Bella darted towards them. Suddenly, a hand closed around her wrist and jerked her backwards. Bella stumbled and looked up.

Tom Riddle was holding her wrist and he murmured something to her. Bella's eyes flashed and she glared at him before pulling away completely. She stalked towards the spectators and she stopped in front of Maya.

"Hi, Mum."

"Hello, Bella" Maya said, pressing a kiss to Bella's cheek. She stood and Bella hugged the snobby blonde woman.

"Hi, Aunt Narcissa. Mama says hi," Bella said, softly. Narcissa's eyes widened in shock and she looked at Maya. Bella laughed, quietly.

"Mum is Maya. Mama is…Lily."

Narcissa stared before she pulled Bella into a fierce hug that Bella returned just as tightly. Narcissa pulled away and she looked around. Diane could see that several people looked shocked at her display of affection.

"I believe that it's time that I say hello to my son. If you'll excuse me, my dear," Narcissa said, walking past Maya and Bella. Maya followed her and approached the dais. She stepped onto it and she grabbed Hermione's chin.

"My crazy little girl. How are you today?"

"Mummy…I'm extremely tired. Angel's being mean. She's trying to put me in prison. But, I told her to do that. I told her to do what she's got to do. Does that make me good? Am I a good big sister?" Hermione asked, curiously. Bella smiled and she went to braid Hermione's hair. It was a bit sloppy but it looked a lot better than it had before. Maya nodded.

"Very good. Bella, why don't you go speak to your witnesses?" Maya suggested. Bella nodded and she made her way over to Diane, George, and Christine. Christine straightened as Bella approached. Bella leaned over the railing.

"Okay, Christine. I'm calling you up second. Ginny is first. Then you. Then I'm calling up Kingsley. He's an Auror that I've worked with before. Finally, I'm calling up a Healer from St. Mungo's. We're probably only going to do two witnesses today. I need you to answer honestly but if he asks a question that potentially messes with my argument, I'll object, okay?" Bella asked. Christine nodded. Bella moved on to Ginny. She began saying the same words and Ginny paled. Diane looked over at Tom Riddle. He was leaning against the railing of the crowd and he was speaking to two blond people. A blonde woman and a man.

"Who are they?" Diane asked. Christine frowned and shrugged.

"I don't know. They might be witnesses."

"Who do you think he's going to call up? His argument actually makes some sense. She could get a lot less than a lifetime if they prove it well enough," George said, knowingly. Christine nodded and she looked around.

"Professor Riddle will probably pick someone that no one would have guessed," Christine said, softly.

"The trial will resume in thirty seconds," Madam Bones suddenly called out. Bella turned away from the man in cream colored robes that she had been speaking to before she walked back over to the dais. She pulled out her wand and murmured something a seat melted out of virtually nothing next to the dais.

Bella turned away and walked towards her own seat. Tom Riddle sat down himself and he watched her, carefully.

"Trial has resumed. The prosecutor may now proceed," Madam Bones dictated. Bella stood and she looked around. Suddenly, a change came about her and Diane watched her eyes grew colder and more calculating. She didn't look as nervous anymore and she tilted her head.

"Ginny Weasley to the stand, please," she said in a chilly and soft voice. Bella walked up to the stand as Ginny walked up, slowly. She didn't look as chic as Luna did but she still looked rather nice. Ginny sat down and Hermione bared her teeth at the young woman. Ginny cringed.

"Okay, Miss Weasley. I'm going to ask you to take this vial of Veritaserum. One sip is all that is needed. Relax your muscles," Bella said, her tone softening though it didn't lose the frigidness. Ginny attempted to relax in the chair and Bella sighed, shaking her head. She handed Ginny the vial.

Ginny took the tiniest sip and suddenly her eyes glazed over as she leaned back in the seat. Bella crossed her arms.

"State your full name."

"Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"Very good. Where were you on the night of the eighteenth of June?" asked Bella. Ginny shifted in her seat though the glazed look didn't leave her eyes.

"At Hogwarts."

"What were you doing that night?" Bella questioned.

"I was in the library."

"Whom were you with?"

"Christine Jackson, Michael Brown, and Gideon Weasley, my twin brother," Ginny said, tonelessly. Bella nodded in understanding and she tilted her head.

"Was Hermione Granger in the library as well?"

"I…I believe so. I heard her laugh," Ginny explained more thoroughly. Bella nodded again and she leaned forward before taking a step back.

"When did you realize that there was a battle in the Great Hall?" Bella asked.

"When we started to hear the screams."

"And when you say 'we', you mean yourself and your friends. Correct?"

"Yes, that would be correct," Ginny said, dryly. Several people laughed at her tone and Bella cracked a cold smile herself. Her face took on neutrality once more.

"What would you say was Miss Granger's behavior during this battle?"

"Well…she was a little erratic."

Bella raised an eyebrow.

"In what way, exactly?"

"Hermione was throwing curses. However, she wasn't aiming for anything in particular until a Death Eater came. Hermione was in the Entrance Hall with a silver-masked Death Eater. I saw one of the curses hit a student but I couldn't stop running. My brother was trying to duel Voldemort and I had to get to him," Ginny explained. Bella nodded in understanding and she looked over at Hermione. Hermione looked like she was nodding off.

"Anything else you'd like to add about your assessment of Miss Granger?"

"Objection!"

Diane looked over at Riddle and he stood with a cold look in his eyes. Bella's eyes widened and she looked over at Madam Bones.

"For what reason?" she questioned.

"The question is ambiguous. It is too vague," Riddle said, sharply. Madam Bones frowned in thought and Bella's eyes flashed.

"No it is not. I was simply asking her to elaborate on her opinion of Miss Granger," Bella said, coldly. Riddle glared at her and he stood from his seat. Madam Bones raised an eyebrow at the behavior but she didn't say anything yet.

"No, you were not. You were attempting to place my client in a bad light based on the opinions of schoolchildren," Riddle snapped, annoyed. Bella's eyes widened and then narrowed and she glared at him.

"I was simply asking of her general opinion on Miss Granger's _erratic _behavior," Bella said, stiffly. Riddle opened his mouth when Madam Bones raised her hand. He fell silent.

"Sustained. Please rephrase the question," Madam Bones requested. Bella scowled and Riddle smirk in victory. Bella leaned back.

"What do you think of Miss Granger?"

"Hermione's really smart. She's probably the smartest witch in our school. She was throwing a lot of spells that I didn't even know about and I'm a pureblood."

"However, what did you think of Miss Granger on that particular night?"

"That night, she was very fierce. She turned on us though. That night, when Professor Snape tried to attack Voldemort from behind, she started to duel him. In between the duel, she threw spells at students and Order members instead of the Death Eaters. She had a clear target. Her dueling got a little more intense and focused. She was making very smart moves. It was like a chess match," Ginny continued. Bella nodded in understanding and she leaned forward, ready to ask what seemed to be one of her final questions.

"What do you think of Miss Granger's mental health that night?" Bella asked.

"I think she knew what she was doing."

"Thank you, Miss Weasley. The prosecution rests," she said before turning to Madam Bones. Madam Bones nodded, approvingly.

"The defense may cross-examine the testimony," she said.

Tom Riddle stood up, fluidly and he walked towards Ginny with long legs. He stopped in front of Bella and held out his hand. Bella stiffly held out her hand and Riddle ran a finger down from the crease of her elbow to her hand in a decidedly flirtatious manner. Bella flinched away from him and he gave her a decidedly slick smile. She dropped a vial into his waiting hand as if he'd burnt her.

A low hiss slipped between his decidedly delicious looking lips and Diane flushed at the thought. Bella, surprisingly, flushed as well. She looked away from him and walked back towards her seat, looking flustered. Madam Bones looked like a cross between annoyed and amused.

"Careful or I shall hold you in contempt," Madam Bones warned. Riddle gave an innocent look and raised an eyebrow.

"Who me?" he asked, innocently. Madam Bones rolled her eyes and Riddle smirked back before wandering over to Ginny. He smacked Hermione on the back of her head and she jolted up.

"Hey, psycho. Stay awake. You're on trial. This is not a sleepover," Riddle said, sharply. Hermione snickered and nodded before she leaned back and sighed. Riddle turned back to Ginny.

"State your name."

"Ginevra Molly Weasley."

"Good. You are a Ravenclaw, correct?"

"Yes. That is an accurate assessment," Ginny said, with the slightest of smiles. A giggle escaped from Diane's lips and Christine snorted next to her. A few other wizards and witches chuckled.

"Then I would be correct in assuming that you do not spend a lot of time with Miss Granger?"

"I suppose you could say that. I don't in school but I've spent an entire summer with her before. I believe I know her as well as I wish to," Ginny stated, firmly.

"What is your usual perception of Miss Granger?"

"She's a bit…aggressive but she's nice enough. I don't particularly like her," Ginny said, shrugging. Diane's eyes widened at the bluntness. Hermione snorted and she gave Ginny a dry smile.

"Ginny…I'm hurt."

A snicker escaped the man addressed as Lord Sirius Black and Hermione shot him a smile.

"Comparing her behavior prior to the death of Draco Malfoy and after, would you say there was a difference?"

Diane saw Bella's eyes widen and fear crossed her face for a split second. Bella controlled her expression and made her face neutral once more. Diane glanced at the boy that was called Draco Malfoy. He was sitting in the crowd of black and he looked almost nervous.

"Yes. Before Malfoy's death, she was…different. Before his death, she only got…weird when she was sparring. I never really witnessed her spar very much but when I did, she got strange. After his death, she had regular hallucinations to my understanding. They usually stopped after Zabini gave her medicine," Ginny explained. Riddle turned to look at who Diane assumed was the scribe.

"Let the record show that Zabini is Blaise Zabini who Miss Granger is in a romantic relationship with," Riddle continued. The scribe who was a curly-haired redhead frowned.

"She was in a relationship with him? Is that correct?" he voiced. Riddle rolled his eyes.

"Present tense. _Is_. As in currently," Riddle snapped, annoyed. The redhead flushed and glanced at Hermione who was looking up at him through half-open eyes. She leaned away and flashed the man who she had kissed a flirtatious smile. The man smirked.

"What do you mean by 'strange'?" Riddle asked.

"Well, she'd be a bit off. When she sparred with Bella or Zabini or Malfoy, she'd become…bloodthirsty. She wanted the blood," Ginny continued. Riddle nodded and he leaned forward.

"Can you remember a particular instance? If you can, could you recount it?"

"Objection! Relevance?" Bella called out. Riddle looked over at her.

"What do you mean by relevance? It's perfectly relevant. Her bloodlust is intimately connected with her mental illnesses," Riddle said, sharply. Bella looked towards Madam Bones and she shook her head.

"Overruled. I'll allow it."

"The same question, my dear," Riddle said, coolly. Bella's eyes flashed.

"I…it was her seventeenth birthday and I wasn't really supposed to hear. Hermione was speaking to Ernie Macmillan who was dating Bella Potter at the time. I was coming down the stairs with Gideon but they were taking pictures. Hermione…scared me. Ernie asked why she used a sword. She said 'I like it. The violence. The blood. The agony in their eyes. The battle. The smell of sweat and exertion and pain'. That really scared me," Ginny explained. Riddle nodded once and tilted his head.

"Any other example comes to mind?"

"Not really."

"Thank you. The defense has completed its cross-examination," Riddle said, as he pulled out a vial from his pocket. Madam Bones nodded. Riddle poured a drop of the liquid into Ginny's mouth. Ginny took one look at him and turned as red as a hair. She jumped up, glanced at Hermione.

"You don't like me?" Hermione asked, innocently. Ginny turned redder, if possible and she scurried back to her seat. Madam Bones looked slightly amused.

"We'll resume trial in seventy minutes," Madam Bones said, sharply. Bella darted up faster than ever and she was out the door in the next thirty seconds. Tom Riddle was gone not five seconds after. Diane's eyes widened.

"What was _that_?" George muttered. Diane shrugged.

"I'm not sure."

"That was an…intense questioning session. Was it me or did they seem very angry with each other?" Christine asked, softly. There was a faint giggle and Diane looked over her shoulder. That Luna girl was leaning against a chair, smiling.

"That wasn't anger."

"I don't know _what _it was. But, I'd like to know where the ladies room is," Diane said, softly.

"Oh. Out the door, down the left hallway, second door on the right," Luna said with a knowing smile on her face. Diane stood and walked from the courtroom. She flinched when she saw some of the people from the Dark Sect sneering at her. Only Sirius Black smiled at her and she nodded.

Diane followed Luna's instructions and she came to a walnut door. She opened it slowly and she stared in shock at the sight in front of her. It was…somehow not very surprising with what had been happening in the courtroom.

Bella Potter was sitting on the sink counter, necking with one Tom Riddle. She had her jean clad legs wrapped around his waist and her fingers were entangled in his hair. A slight hiss escaped from her lips when Riddle apparently bit down on her neck.

"Dear God…I fucking love you right now. _Je t'aime_. Even though you're such an ass…" Bella murmured. A gasp escaped from Diane's lips and Bella and Riddle jerked apart like they had been set on fire. Riddle spun, lifting his wand and Diane lifted her hands.

"I-I'm sorry…didn't mean to interrupt your little…conversation?" Diane said, nervously. Bella sighed.

"Oh fuck…I'm sorry, Mrs. Jackson…" Bella sighed. She glanced at Riddle and nodded.

"For the record, I'm not sorry. _Obliviate_."

* * *

**Courtroom Ten, Level Ten, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**1:29 PM**

"Court will resume in sixty seconds. Where is the prosecutor and defense attorney?"

Draco frowned as Madam Bones looked around. Tom and Bella's chairs were deserted and court was to begin. And they couldn't proceed without either of them. Well, they could proceed without Tom but Bella was detrimental.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three—"

Suddenly, Bella Potter darted into the room, shoving the last of a burger in her mouth and vanishing a cup of coffee. She slid into her seat and Tom fluidly slipped into his seat, literally a second after her. Everyone stared at both in shock. Bella gave a guilty smile.

"You were very nearly late," Madam Bones said, an amused note in her voice though it was still chastising. Bella gave a slight smile and opened her mouth to answer. Tom answered first.

"We were having lunch. Lunch is detrimental. It also tasted _very, very _good," Tom said, giving Madam Bones a smirk. Madam Bones rolled her eyes and glanced at Bella. Bella was attempting to blend in with the bright gold throne.

As far as Draco could see, it really wasn't working for her.

"Court is now in session. The prosecutor may now proceed," Madam Bones said, gesturing towards Bella. Bella stood and walked towards the seat next to the dais. She nodded to Hermione.

"I call Christine Jackson to the stand."

:::

**A/N: **I'm stopping here, primarily because the trial is just too long for me to write. I believe I will finish the prosecution's witnesses in the next chapter and then I will go into the middle of the defense's witnesses. I'm really excited from Tom because he's such a BAMF and I bet _none _of you will guess who his witnesses are. You have to really think outside of the box.

Next Chapter: Witness


	89. Chapter LXXXII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXII**

**Courtroom Ten, Level Ten, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**1:34 PM**

Christine sat nervously as Bella approached her with a vial of Veritaserum. Bella held it out and Christine raised a shaking hand to accept the vial. She took it and uncorked it and looked down at the half full vial that Ginny had taken before. Ginny had very nearly humiliated herself with her comments and Christine hoped she wouldn't do the same.

Christine raised it to her lips and Bella grabbed her hand, suddenly. Christine looked at her in shock and Bella took the vial from her hand, suddenly. She sighed and whispered something over it. The potion remained clear and Bella gave it back to her. Christine frowned.

"Just checking. I'm frightfully paranoid," Bella smiled. Hermione snorted and rolled her neck before her crazed eyes fell on Christine. Christine flinched at the insane smile on the young woman's face.

"Relax, darling. You're not the one on trial," Hermione said, almost as if she were Christine's mother or aunt. Christine shuddered at the idea and Hermione cackled, rolling her eyes. She leaned back and Bella gave her a look. Christine took a sip and suddenly she felt her world go strange.

She felt as if she were shoved to the back of her mind. She didn't have control any longer. She was just a witness to the event that was going to happen. Her mind had gone onto auto-pilot and she looked at Bella.

"State you name."

"Christine Jolie Jackson."

"Very good. Very pretty. Where were you on the eighteenth of June?"

"I was at Hogwarts. In the library. I went to my classes and then I went to the library," Christine said. She tried to frown but her face was a blank mask. She couldn't control what she was saying and it was disconcerting. She tried to blink and she was happy to see that she could do that.

"Who were in the library with?" Bella asked.

Bella had to get Christine over with, quickly. Ginny had essentially given all that they needed but there was something about Christine…she needed a second point of view. A second point of view that came specifically from another student. Then, Bella could move on and brace herself for whatever Tom had up his sleeve.

"Gideon Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Michael Brown. They were sitting with me," Christine said, softly.

"Miss Weasley previously stated that Miss Granger was also in the library. Can you prove this?" Bella continued with her hands on her hips.

She frowned when she felt a gaze on her. She looked over her shoulder at Tom who was lounging in his seat. He was giving her a look that went straight to her knees and she controlled her blush. His gaze was full of lust and want and Bella wanted him.

Oh, she wanted him…

But not wasn't the time to think about her insecurities and reservations about sex.

"I heard her laugh. It was loud and she was laughing until she left the library," Christine whispered and her blank expression did nothing to hide the fear that flashed through her eyes. Bella shook her head and cleared her throat.

"When you found out that there was a battle occurring in the Great Hall, what were your first actions?" Bella asked, curiously.

"First, I pushed a bunch of kids out of the Great Hall. The younger ones. They didn't know what to do. Then, I started fighting when someone threw a curse at a first year," Christine explained.

Bella nodded in understanding and she glanced at Christine.

"When did you first spot the defendant?"

"When Sirius Black was trying to get her under control. She was in the Entrance Hall and she was laughing and cackling and she wouldn't stop. She was standing with that Death Eater and she began to throw curses at random things and she had her sword. Sirius Black grabbed her but I didn't stick around to watch."

"What is your opinion of Miss Granger? In reference to her state of mind," Bella elaborated when Tom straightened, ready to object. He fell back into his seat with a scowl and Bella gave a smirk before she turned.

"I think she's sick. In the head. She's not right. I've never thought that she was right. She always had these moments. These strange moments where something would set her off and she would be different. And then, suddenly, someone was shoving a potion or pills in her mouth and she'd be back to normal. But then, not really. It was always there. In her eyes. That glint of madness and intelligence. She channels the insanity. The craziness. I don't think she was ever really sane. She was just damn good at hiding it," Christine said, honestly.

Bella's eyes widened and she smiled, "No further questions."

"The defense may now cross-exam the witness," Madam Bones said.

Tom stood up, fluidly and he crossed towards them. He passed right behind Bella and he brushed his hand against the small of her back, causing her to tense up. He gave a hissy little chuckle and Bella scowled at him before she passed him the antidote and prepared to walk away.

He grabbed her wrist.

"None of that. I have only one question. How did you know it was Miss Granger in the library?" Tom asked and it didn't really pertain to his argument. Everyone could see that it was mild curiosity. Bella didn't object. She was curious too despite the fact that the relevance wasn't really there.

"Her laugh is…frightening. Not as frightening as Bella's but it's still terrifying. It's a cackle and it builds. It's shrill and high and…scary," Christine whispered.

"And Miss Potter…Lady Gryffindor's laugh?"

"Hers is different. Scarier. When she's in a mood…when she's cold and angry, she lets out this laugh. It's not shrill but it's high. It's high and cold and sounds like death. It's chilling," Christine said, just as quiet. Tom tilted his head and nodded. He looked over at Bella. Her head was tilted and she looked mildly disinterested now.

"No further questions," Tom said. Bella coaxed Christine's mouth open as Tom poured some of the antidote into her mouth. Christine swallowed and her eyes cleared. She blinked and Bella gave a smile.

"Christine, we're finished here. You did fantastic…though, now I'm sure that the jury is questioning _my_…sanity," Bella murmured. Tom smirked at her and Christine stared wide-eyed. She nodded and her cheeks turned a dusty pink as she scurried back to her parents.

"I call Kingsley Shacklebolt to the stand," Bella called out, clearly. The tall black man walked forward with a wide stride. He looked perfectly confident and Bella knew she was taking a chance with him. He had seen Hermione when she had been perfectly calm. But, he'd also been there during her questioning. He was the next best thing to Amelia Bones.

"You're going to lose, sweetheart. It's playing with fire, using him," Tom murmured in her ear. Bella didn't turn to look at him and she frowned at the floor and sighed.

"I know I am. Make yourself scarce. I have a witness to question," Bella said, sharply and she walked towards Kingsley. He was already sitting in the witness chair and Bella held out the Veritaserum for him. He took it without hesitation and his eyes glazed over.

"State your name."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"What is your occupation?" Bella asked. Kingsley did not hesitate.

"I am the deputy-head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I am also part of the vigilante group, the Order of the Phoenix," Kingsley said, his deep voice vibrating through the room, clearly.

"Very good. On the night of the 22nd of June, you questioned the defendant. What did you learn from this questioning?" asked Bella. Kingsley thought for a moment and then the words tumbled from his mouth.

"She was a psychotic. She admitted to casting Blood Magic on Severus Snape, throwing a sword through Michael Brown, and killing three students. She also has a network of people that placed Snape into a coma. She insinuated that her people had infiltrated the DMLE," Kingsley explained. Bella nodded in understanding and she crossed her arms.

"What is your perception of Hermione Granger?"

"She truly believes she's in the right. I believe that Hermione truly believes that what she did was right and okay. However, I also think she knew what she was doing," Kingsley said, vaguely. Bella left it at that. She could accept that question and she tilted her head.

"When did you first meet Miss Granger?"

"In 1995, I met Hermione. I didn't truly speak with her very much but I did meet her and her mother. Tom Riddle had Hermione join the Order. His reasons were never clear. Hermione spoke and what she said was…disconcerting," Kingsley said, quietly. Bella's eyes widened and she frowned. She'd never heard about this conversation in much detail though she did remember it, despite it being a long time ago.

"What was said during this particular meeting?"

"She claimed that she knew war. She said that she was a skilled battle strategist. There's no doubt about that. She was the one who chose the battlefield for the battle in June. She had everything planned in. However, she didn't factor in the fact that there was a chance that Voldemort would change the venue. She also stated that there was a possibility that she would fight for the other side. She also specifically stated that she suffers from ASPD and that she was psychotic. I never truly believed her until the battle," Kingsley said, firmly.

"Is there anything else she said during this meeting that would pertain to her crimes now?"

"She said that she had done things that should have earned her a place in Azkaban. She said that she would kill anyone that hurt Bella," Kingsley said, softly. Bella paled and she turned away from him and her eyes slammed shut for a moment.

"No further questions."

Bella took a step away and she ignored the finger that brushed across her treeth. Tom made his way to Kingsley and he crossed his arms before looking up to Amelia.

"Bones?"

"The defense may now cross-examine."

Bella began to pray to any god that was said to exist in this world. She decided to start with the A's. Apollo. Artemis. Abeona. Adeona. Aakash. Acyutah. Adimurti. Ame-no-Uzume. Amaterasu-O-Mi-Kami. Ame-no-Koyane.

She prayed that Tom didn't ask the question that would turn this whole trial around.

"So…did Miss Granger ever state the reasons for her actions?"

Well, damn.

"She did. Madam Bones told me that she said that she had done it for Bella Potter. She claimed that everything she did, she did for Bella. Hermione continued to say that she hurt Snape because he tried to kill Voldemort from behind. Madam Bones continued to say that Bella was frightened by this," Kingsley said. Bella could feel the eyes burning into her and she closed her eyes.

"Did you believe Miss Granger to be insane?" Tom continued.

"Yes. Once, I would have disagreed. The medicine was working. But, after seeing her that night. I don't know if she took her medicine or not. Even if she did, I don't think it would've made a difference," Kingsley said, firmly. Bella cursed under her breath and she looked over at Tom. He looked dreadfully smug as he gave Kinsley the antidote.

"No further questions," he smirked as Kingsley came to. The dark man looked regretful for a moment before he looked over at Hermione. She was grinning at him and she jerked her head towards him.

Kingsley moved on and Bella looked to her final witness. He had told her _exactly _what was going on and Bella knew that he would be the final nail in the coffin. Tom _couldn't _turn this onto her. It was impossible.

"I call Healer John White to the stand."

Bella turned on her heel and she waved the Healer up. The man was handsome despite the gathering of gray hairs at his temple. Bella gave him a slightly flirtatious smile and she could see Tom's jaw clench up and tense. Bella smirked at him before looking back at the Healer.

"Take this, Healer," Bella smiled and she handed the Healer the Veritaserum. Healer White looked rather confused by Bella's smile but Bella only snickered and shook her head. The Healer took the required amount and his eyes glazed over.

"State your name and occupation."

"John White. Healer of the Janus Thickey Ward."

"Due to your occupation, you know quite a bit about the mind, don't you?"

"That is a correct assumption, Miss Potter," the Healer said, blandly. Bella tilted her head and she tapped her chin with her fingertip. She tilted her head.

"Do you know about the healing of the mind?"

"Yes. I know Muggle _and _magical ways of healing the mind," the Healer said and he sounded as if he were boasting. Bella couldn't help but smile, vaguely. Tom scowled at her smiled in annoyance and Sirius snickered.

"Last week, I showed you three types of medication. Could you describe them to me?" Bella asked, curiously. The Healer nodded and he cleared his throat.

"The first two were Muggle medications. The first, which restricts her impulses, doesn't have as much to do with the mind as with her muscles. She would still feel the impulses but she would be unable to act upon them. They are neuromuscular-blockers. The second, which is generally called a depressant, is actually an anti-anxiety drug. Typically, there are side-affects, which are mania, aggressive behavior, hostility and rage, and hallucinations. Because of her magical core, it did the opposite and suppressed her anxiety, aggression, and hostility.

"It did nothing for her hallucinations. That brings me to the final medication. Most would know it as the Anti-Hallucination Potion. It's truly an antipsychotic medication. It suppresses her psychosis. With all of these medications combined, she could have passed as a normal person," the Healer continued. Bella frowned and tilted her head.

"Based on the description of events and her behavior now, would you say she was under the influence of the medications that night?" Bella asked. The Healer tilted his head.

"I was told that she took more than the required medication by you. However, I am not inclined to accept that information from you," the Healer said, sharply and Bella looked at him in pure shock.

"And why ever not?"

"You sympathize with the Dark Lord. It's disgusting and I'm disgusted with your choices _and _you," the Healer said and Bella paled as everyone stared at her.

"No further questions."

Bella turned around and looked at Tom. His eyes were narrowed and hard and his eyes resembled burning coal. Tom ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards the Healer. Madam Bones cleared her throat, awkwardly.

"The defense may—"

"No questions."

He dumped the antidote into the man's mouth and the Healer squawked. Bella stared in shock as he emptied more than the required amount. She knew that it burned and the Healer turned red in pain and anger.

"You're done. Get out of the seat," Tom whispered and the Healer stumbled from the seat as he massaged his throat. Madam Bones looked surprised at Tom's vindictiveness and some of the spectators looked vaguely confused. Bella looked at Sirius and he looked slightly surprised.

"I call to the stand…Hermione Granger," Bella whispered and there were various gasps. Tom wasn't staring at her with that surprised expression and Madam Bones was staring.

"Proceed with the hostile witness," Madam Bones murmured. Bella turned to Hermione and she opened her mouth, waiting for the Veritaserum.

"I expected you to fight against this," Bella said and she looked into Hermione's eyes. The glint of insanity disappeared for only a moment though she still looked unstable at best.

"No point. Just give me the potion," Hermione snapped and Bella poured the three drops into the chained woman's mouth. Hermione's eyes glazed over and she stared blankly at Bella. Bella swallowed and she shook as she prepared to seal her sister's fate.

"You took your medicine that night, didn't you?"

"I did."

"You don't suffer from psychosis anymore, do you?"

"I don't."

"You liked what you did. You liked the blood and the anguish rushing through the children you killed. You enjoyed the agony in Snape's eyes. Didn't you?"

Hermione didn't answer and she only stared up at her with those blank eyes and Bella felt the agony before she could recognize what it was. Bella was screaming inside and she didn't want to do this. She looked over at Tom. He was staring at her with the same blank eyes as Hermione and Bella turned, suddenly filled with anger.

"ANSWER ME!" she shouted and Hermione shuddered in her seat. The glazed look in her eyes cleared for just a moment and she shook with rage and pain. Bella stared at her with the same blazing eyes.

"I did! I enjoyed it. AND I DID IT FOR _YOU! _ALL I DID, I DID FOR _YOU_! BECAUSE YOU FUCKING LOVE HIM!" Hermione screamed and Bella turned from her. She turned her back on the young woman and Hermione's eyes glazed over once more.

"No further questions," Bella whispered.

"No questions," Tom said and he poured the antidote into Hermione's mouth gently. The brunette woman paled and Bella cleared her throat.

"The prosecution rests," Bella said and she shook her head as she walked back to her seat and Tom turned to Madam Bones and he cleared his throat. He didn't look shaken but Bella could see in his eyes that looked worried for her. Bella could hear the people whispering as they stared at her and she looked at Draco. He looked shocked and Blaise looked worried. Luna looked frightened for a moment and Maya's face was full of emotion.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," Hermione whispered to her and Bella only looked away from her. She couldn't look her in the eye at the moment. She knew now that she would lose after that whole thing. She would lose just because of her supposed love for the Dark Lord.

"My first witness. I call Nymphadora Tonks to the stand," he said, quietly. Tonks stood, her hair flickering from electric blue to bubblegum pink before finally settling into electric blue with bubblegum pink streaks in her hair. Remus gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she walked forward, donning her Auror robes.

Tonks sat down in the seat and she glanced over at Hermione, nervously. Hermione continued to stare at Bella though the younger woman refused to meet her gaze. Tom walked towards Bella and held out his hand for the Veritaserum. Bella gave it to him, her eyes looking at her lap. She felt his hand brush against her cheek and she only turned away, staring at the ground.

"**I'm sorry**," Tom whispered and Bella looked up, sharply with a frown but Tom only turned from her as he dropped the antidote into her lap. Bella stared at him in confusion but he said nothing as he turned back to Tonks.

"Take this. You know the amount," Tom said, sharper than needed. Tonks drank the tiniest sip of Veritaserum and her eyes glazed over. Tom looked at her and he tilted his head.

"State your name and occupation."

"Nymphadora Tonks, Auror, agent of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Were you there at the start of the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"I was."

"Where did it take place?"

"Tiree. In Scotland. It moved to Hogwarts later."

"Recount for us what happened in Tiree," Tom said, sharply and Bella looked down as she began to shake in her seat. She knew people were looking for her and she felt the prick of tears. She couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"I was Disillusioned. Most of the Order was. The plan was to have Bella distract Voldemort. I came up with it. We would strike when she had him fully distracted. We had Bella asked him to come to Tiree but he didn't come along as we thought. He had dozens of Death Eaters with him. At least thirty. Bella apologized and then we attacked. Moody was also Disillusioned. He cast the first spell and he moved as if he knew it was coming. I think he did. He knew somehow though I _know _Bella didn't tell. Then, he used the strongest thrall I'd ever felt and it wasn't even directed at me. The magic was so strong I felt like I was being crushed.

"He was calling Bella. Bella was under the thrall and I tried to grab her but she was too quick. She apologized again and then tried to stop. He summoned her and she flew towards him and he caught her. He whispered something to her and she looked horrified. She started to scream. 'No. No. Don't. Please. Don't," Tonks said, emotionlessly as she recounted the exact words of what Bella had shouted. Bella was shaking in her seat with emotion and she wiped her eyes furiously and all she wanted to do was curl in on herself.

"No…no…don't…please…don't," she whispered and her whispers echoed through the room as everyone looked to her. She looked scared and she didn't want to hear anymore. Tom looked anywhere but her.

"Then he said that he'd pick the battlefield and he wondered how well protected Hogwarts was with the Order in Tiree. Sirius called him a son of a bitch but Bella was scared. She screamed again. 'That's not him. That's not him. He's lost his mind. Sirius…help me. Please help me, Sirius'. And he told her that he wasn't bringing her. She looked like she was about to cry for a moment. And then grew cold and her eyes were hard and she glared at Sirius. And in this cold voice, she said 'You _will _take me to Hogwarts. I will not allow my home to be destroyed. I will not allow _his _home to be destroyed'," Tonks continued. Tom turned to look at Bella in surprise and she was staring up at him with a betrayed expression and she looked slightly traumatized.

"Then we Apparated there and Bella ran in. I was right behind her. I stopped when I saw the blood. The blood was falling down the walls and bodies were on the ground. Organs had been pulled right out of one of the Death Eaters. I went straight to the Great Hall and Sirius hung back. I fought and tried to help Snape. I was fighting Voldemort with him and then Bella came in and screamed 'Stop' just as he threw Snape into a wall and tried to…use Avada Kedavra. He stopped when she screamed.

"He said her name. She asked him to stop again and I just looked at her like she was crazy. He asked why should he stop. She begged him not to destroy her home. Others couldn't understand why he wasn't cursing her. But, I knew. He was obsessed with her. He asked why not. She said that she knew why he came. He came for her. She bargained her freedom for the freedom of the school and he accepted. The Death Eaters started throwing curses but they weren't aiming to kill. Voldemort grabbed Bella and dragged her and Snape threw a curse," Tonks continued and Hermione started bouncing in her seat as they finally came to her part.

"Hermione threw one back even though Voldemort blocked it. And then they left and Hermione started screaming. She screamed that he broke a Natural Law. I didn't notice Gideon leave to bring back Bella. I just know that we sent some of the Aurors after her when the Death Eaters started to leave. Hermione continued to duel Snape and she was getting more and more vicious. Michael Brown, the kid, tried to help Snape when no one else would. She threw a sword through him. I don't know what happened to the sword after all of that. Bella returned almost fifteen minutes later with Gideon in tow. She came just when Hermione used the spell. Interna Solvite. And then in my head, I heard this hauntingly beautiful singing."

Bella looked up sharply at her and she glanced at Luna. Luna looked surprised.

"I can't remember all of it. But…

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_One by Light she be shunned_

_One by Light she be loved_.

Then, the last part. It repeated the first part of the rhyme.

_The majestic Lord of Black_

_Had two lovely daughters he_

_The Half-Blood Prince does not see_

_That the Light has lost for eternity._

I asked a fellow Auror later and he said he heard it too. Then…I arrested her," Tonks finished and Bella shuddered again. Tom nodded once and he tilted his head.

"What is Miss Granger's general attitude?"

"In the Order meetings, when I saw her…she was okay. She spoke morbidly however. Everyone reassured me that that was how she always acted. But then…I saw her sparring and it was…frightening."

"No further questions," Tom said, sharply.

"The prosecution may now cross-examine the witness," Madam Bones said and her voice was gentle. Bella looked down and she shook her head. Tom grimaced now and his eyes fell on Bella. She didn't look up. Bella stood and walked towards Tonks. She slowly administered the antidote to Tonks and Tonks looked up with sharp and apologetic eyes.

"Bella…I'm sorry…I want _you _to win but he…" Tonks whispered. Bella held up a finger for her to be quiet and Tonks fell silent. Tonks scurried away and Bella stood there frozen. Tom put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down into the seat. Bella looked around confused.

"**I'm sorry. **The defense now calls upon our last witness…Bella Potter."

The whispers fell silent and Bella looked up, sharply. Madam Bones froze and straightened in her seat. Tom tilted his head.

"You son of a bitch," Bella whispered and a dry smile spread across her face despite the fact that there was nothing to be happy about. Tom gave a smirk back and he looked to Madam Bones.

"That's not typically allowed," Madam Bones said, quietly.

"Allow it, then."

Gazes fell on Hermione Granger and she was staring at Bella, quizzically. A slight smirk spread across his face.

"All you see is the pretty face of the Girl-Who-Lived. Wouldn't you like to hear the dark thoughts in the head of the Angel? The dark thoughts of the woman who has fought for you. The twisted thoughts of a woman who went through trials to save the students of Hogwarts. I know I'm not the only one who wants to know what happened in that tower. Gideon lied. She lied. Would you not like to know what happened in that tower?" Hermione tempted and Bella looked up with darkened eyes, full of fury. She was a sight to behold, looking up through long eyelashes and she slowly tilted her head at Madam Bones' expression.

"That's now what this trial is about," Madam Bones stated, firmly. Hermione gave a wicked smirk.

"What happened in that tower is the answer to why I did it all. _Bella _is the answer to why I did it all."

Madam Bones gave Bella an apologetic look.

"Proceed."

"Give me the Veritaserum," Bella whispered and Tom handed it to her wordlessly. Bella downed the rest of the potion and her eyes glowed as they glazed over and she tilted her head as she stared at Tom.

"State your full name," he said, coolly.

"Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter."

Tom nodded and he sighed and tilted his head as he decided what question to ask of her next.

"When did you first meet Miss Granger?"

"In Madam Malkin's on my eleventh birthday," Bella said, sharply and Tom nodded in agreement.

"When did you become aware that she had ASPD?" Tom asked.

"In our second year. The sphinx that was after my life, at the time, had just attacked her. She admitted to Ron and myself that she had _partial _ASPD. She'd always been a good liar. She had so much more than that," Bella said with a sad little laugh and Tom nodded again. He tilted his head and leaned on the chair she sat in.

"When did she develop psychosis?"

"I remember that day…the exact day. The 12th of May 1994."

"How was her psyche?"

"She was relatively fine with her medicine unless she became extremely agitated or she was sparring. She got violent. So, we just kept her calm and happy."

"We being?"

"Myself, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy."

"I see. After Draco Malfoy's death, how was her psyche then?"

"Even with her medication, she was unstable. But, despite being unstable emotionally and mentally, she knew exactly what she did. Even without the medication, she knew. Because she liked the pain she inflicted. It was her passion and her pastime."

"What happened the night you were almost kidnapped by the Dark Lord?" Tom asked and Bella sighed and she shook her head. Her eyes were still glazed over but there was the slightest hint of awareness.

"I let him take me. I asked him to stop of course. No…I didn't ask him. I _begged_ him to stop. I asked him why he was like this. He was alone, you know. The Dark Lord was all alone. Without a soul to care for him. Hated everywhere he went. No compassion from anyone. Except from me, he said. In all of his years, he was only met with compassion from me. That's a sad thought," Bella said, softly and Tom nodded once and Bella continued as if she hadn't seen him. Of course, she probably hadn't through the haze of truth.

"I tried to tell him to let me go. He told me that I feared him. I feared his face. I told him… 'It's in your soul where the true distortion lies'. Gods…I wish I had never said that. Gods, I wish it. I didn't hear him. Gideon. He came up the stairs but the Dark Lord heard him. He showed up like the little Gryffindor he is. I'm not sure what he wanted more. My freedom or the thought of being a martyr. Because he would have died if I hadn't done what I did," Bella said, coldly. Tom took a step forward towards her and he looked down at her with spinning and swirling eyes that only she could see. She was becoming hypnotized in her state with those eyes…

"Then?"

"Gideon declared that he loved me. I don't love him. He has said it to me many times but I will _never _return the sentiment. I once was sorry to say that. I'm not anymore. I digress. The Dark Lord became angry at the declaration and he placed a noose around Gideon's neck. I was to buy his freedom with my own. And I couldn't do that. I was told…ride fierce. Ride fast. Ride bold. I can't be tamed. I can't be trapped. And so I tried to bargain. It did not work. And so, I really looked at him. Really looked at the Dark Lord for what he really was. And then…"

Bella trailed off and she looked down at her lap. The crowd was leaning forward, both those of the jury and the spectators. They looked widely interested. Rita Skeeter, who was quickly making her comeback as a reporter after three years, looked salivating.

"What? _What_?" snarled Tom and he looked almost shaken but not quite. He just looked angry to those who didn't know him.

"I pitied him. He was a Creature of Darkness. And I did not want him to be alone. _No one _deserves to be alone, Tom."

Tom froze and he looked down at her. Her lips twisted into a slight smirk. She was still staring up at him with glazed eyes but she had been able to recognize who he was threw the haze. It was remarkable.

And unnatural.

"And so…I kissed him."

The courtroom erupted into outrage and there were shouts and screams and Madam Bones looked shocked and mystified. Mrs. Weasley was screaming at Bella to snap out of it and she looked ready to wring Gideon's neck for not telling her. Gideon was leaning back.

"ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURTROOM!" Madam Bones shouted, slamming her gavel down. Bella sighed and leaned her head on the palm of her hand.

"Why?" Tom whispered.

"I didn't do it out of a sense of duty. I didn't do it to save Gideon's life, like I told him. In fact, in a way, Hermione is very right. She did what she did _because _I loved. But, in a way, Hermione is very wrong. I didn't do it because I loved him. If I had ever had any feelings for the man and I'm not saying that I did or did not, for I don't know, it ceased that night. I…did it for you," Bella said, quietly and Tom looked down at her in surprise. Madam Bones frowned and then she looked scared for them for just a moment. Many looked surprised and Christine looked at her parents, wide-eyed.

"You did it for me?" Tom said, flatly.

Bella smiled.

"I did it for you. Despite the fact that I hated you at the time because you were a selfish son of a bitch, I did it for you. Because Hogwarts isn't just my home. You're my best friend. I did it for my best friend. _Mon ami_. _Mon partenaire._ _Mon amour_. _Tojours_," Bella said, quietly and just loud enough for him to hear the last part in French. Tom pinched the bridge of his nose. He centered himself so he could continue.

"How does this lead to the accusation Miss Granger posed? Do you know why she did what she did?"

"Hermione…is my sister. She is my older sister. Aren't older sisters supposed to make their younger sisters happy? I would not have been happy if the Dark Lord had been harmed. Despite the fact that I do not love him and that he has done terrible things…he should not be hurt. Because he. Is. Innocent. I don't give a damn what people _think _they know. They haven't spoken to him as I have. He. Is. Innocent. Not of crimes but as a person. I don't care what Luna says about abnormality. I don't care what Draco says about evil. He. Is. Innocent. I pity him because circumstances did this to him. What would you all have said if it was me?

"I grew up in the same circumstances as he did. The same pain. I may have had a loving uncle but do you think that was enough for me? Day after day, the pain of seeing people with parents. There was a time when I was a kid. Before Hogwarts. My uncle got sick. Very sick. It was just myself and Kreacher, our house elf, taking care of him because he hates hospitals. He was hallucinating. He called me Lily," Bella said, her voice growing louder.

Sirius paled as he looked at his young goddaughter and he could hear the hurt permeating the emotionless haze.

"I came to Hogwarts. I went to Charms class. And Professor Flitwick looked so damn hopeful for me. My mother could have been a Charms Mistress. I almost failed my OWL because my magic is too Dark for me to perform any of those spells adequately. I can't be an Auror. I can't be an Unspeakable. He can't be anything else because society doesn't allow it just as society doesn't allow me the things I want in life because my parents _died_ and I just happened to live. And so I understand. And if there is ever a time where Voldemort must die…I will do it myself. But, right now, it's not necessary," Bella said and it sounded like she had avoided the question and Tom knew it. He frowned at her.

"You didn't answer the question. Why did she—"

"Shut up, Tom. Give me the antidote, rest your case, and let the prosecution make their closing argument," Bella snapped and Tom looked at her in shock. He handed her the antidote and Bella downed the last of it. The last of the haze cleared.

"I rest my case?" Tom said. Bella flashed him a smile before she turned to Madam Bones. Madam Bones looked shocked at the turn of events.

"The prosecution may make their closing argument," Bella dictated. Madam Bones looked frazzled and everyone gave a dazed and confused laugh.

"Yes…the prosecution may now make their closing argument."

Bella took a deep breath and she looked more relaxed than she had during the entire trial. Tom looked bewildered by the change.

"Right. Obviously, Hermione knew what she was doing when she made the mistake of murdering those children and striking down Severus Snape. Her sanity is currently questioned and I will allow the jury to decide her fate. However, I believe that many of the jury don't understand what I was trying to say about Voldemort's innocence. Hermione understood all along. You think this trial is about good and evil. Right versus wrong. Winning or losing. I would agree with you if I didn't remember one changing factor. You forget one thing that turns this entire trial around.

"Despite Hermione's short-comings. Despite her obsessive-compulsive study charts. Despite her temper. Despite her violence. Despite her bloodlust, she understands something that all of _you _fail to understand," Bella said, firmly and she looked over at her sister and her eyes cleared, slowly. Hermione looked at her in shock and Bella reached over and grabbed her sister's chained wrist.

"You're a monster, Hermione."

Everyone stopped and stared at Bella in confusion. An amused smile spread across Bella's face.

"I'm a monster. You've made mistakes. You've felt satisfaction. You have regrets. You know happiness. You know fear. You know joy. Oh, Mione, you know pain. You've seen pain. You've seen Blaise's pain. You've seen Draco's pain. You've seen Luna's pain. You've seen my pain. You've seen _your _pain. You know love. You've seen what love can do. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you did what you did because you love me and I love you. And then, you know hatred. You _hate _the Dark Lord. I know you hate him. You hate him for what he did to our father. What he did to our family," Bella said with a slight smile and Hermione glared at the ground.

"What he did to you."

"What he did to me…that was a dark time. So you know all these things. You've embraced them. I'm sure all of you have too. But…that only means your human. Hermione did human things and made human mistakes and looking at her as if she was anything but is stupid. In all honesty, I'd rather win but I'd rather lose if it means creating a better criminal law justice system," Bella concluded and everyone looked at her in shock. Dumbledore didn't look too happy but Madam Bones had bright glint in her eyes and Maya was beaming at her daughter, looking more enthusiastic than before.

"The defense may now make their closing argument."

"Hermione Granger is a psychotic. She's an intelligent psychotic. She made calculated decisions in a heat of passion and disorder. Many of your Aurors have done the same. I do not disagree with the decision to put her in prison. However, I do disagree with the statement that she clearly made mistakes. It has also been shown that she despises the Dark Lord. I know what much of the jury's opinions are on the war we are currently suffering. To say that she did it to save the Dark Lord and thus, makes her Dark is ludicrous. She did it for her little sister. She made a calculated decision in internal and external chaos. Would you not have done the same?" Tom questioned and he turned to Bella. She nodded towards him and he nodded back. Bella could see that there was a newfound respect in his eyes and Bella couldn't help but sigh.

She knew what her friends and family's opinion on this was. Blaise had been angry with her. He had been angry with the fact that she was turning on her family who had been there for her through it all. At her lowest points, Hermione had been there for her and now when Hermione was at _her _lowest point, Bella was willing to put her in prison.

Bella felt quite selfish in that moment and she flushed despite herself.

She knew she was getting quizzical and cautious looks now because of the cryptic words that she had spoken and the unexplained flush on her cheeks. She hoped that they would never figure out that it was from intense shame.

"The jury will converse during an hour break. Dismissed," Madam Bones stated and Bella sighed and she covered her face with her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at Tom. She gave a slight smile. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders before pulling him from the room.

On his way out, he tapped Hermione's chains with his wand and they unwrapped form the chair but stayed wrapped around her. He led her towards Draco who took charge of her with a smile. Blaise was smiling at Bella.

"I'm proud of you," he said, softly.

"I didn't do it for you," she said, sharply. Blaise nodded, his smiling never leaving.

"I know."

"Well…good. I did it because it was the right thing. They need to be taken down off of their high thrones. They think they're above all of this. Bullshit. Pure. Bullshit. They have their Aurors throwing curses and Killing Curses at the other side but you never fucking see them falling. I've only used the Killing Curse once in my life and it was against the guy they want dead. I shouldn't have done it all. But because I was throwing it at the 'evil' side, all of a sudden it was okay. Well, fuck that," Bella snarled. Rita stared with wide eyes as she jotted Bella's words down. Bella was surprised to see Rita nodding in agreement.

"Come. We'll bring Hermione down to the holding cells for the hour," Tom said, softly and Bella nodded.

It would be a long hour.

* * *

**Courtroom Ten, Level Ten, Ministry of Magic, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**5:00 PM**

Maya Granger stood firmly next to Narcissa Malfoy with a grim expression on her face as she waited for the verdict. Madam Bones' expression was emotionless. Tom stood in front of his throne with his usual emotionless frown. Bella looked just as emotionless but there was something there. She looked like just one hit would shatter her.

"You have been brought here before the House of Families and Wizengamot," Madam Bones said clearly, "so that we may judgment on you, for crimes so heinous that we have rarely heard the like of it in this court."

Maya felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked over at Narcissa. Narcissa was staring down at her with a sympathizing expression and Maya looked away as her eyes began to sting.

"We have heard the evidence against you. You stand accused of the use of the Black Art Blood Magic, second-degree murder of three underage Hogwarts students, and one aggravated assault of one Severus Snape. I now ask the jury to raise their hand if they believe that these crimes deserve hundred-year sentence in Azkaban," Madam Bones said. Maya watched not her blood daughter but Bella. Bella was shaking in her seat and she looked agonized.

Maya looked around and she watched as all of those in white raised their hands immediately. All of the Wizengamot excluding two lifted their hands. They looked down at Hermione, severely. Maya knew that it was really for show that the Wizengamot was there. It was the House of Families that decided this case and half of them hadn't done anything yet.

Maya watched as ever so slowly Draco Malfoy lifted his hand. Bella stared in shock as Blaise lifted his hand as well. More than half of the House of Families had voted for Hermione's conviction. Bella let out a broken sob as Hermione threw back her head and let out a sharp cackle.

"Hermione Granger, the Magical Court of Law finds you guilty of these three charges. We sentence you to a hundred-year sentence in Azkaban. Court dismissed. Case closed," Madam Bones finished. She slammed her gavel down and Bella broke down where she sat.

Maya stared, frozen in time as she listened to the soundtrack of sobbing and laughing. Hermione cackled as the Aurors approached her and Draco lifted his wand, solemnly. The dementors swirled down out the door as people let out sharp yelps. Draco let out a hollow sound that had one dementor stopping.

Augustus.

Maya watched as Augustus approached Hermione and the Aurors raised their wands. Draco stared.

"He'll bring her to her cell. She's going to Level X," Draco said, quietly. He looked over at Bella and she was shaking in her seat. Tom was sitting frozen in his seat as he stared at the ground, not moving. Bella stood, suddenly and ran to Hermione as the Aurors led her from the room.

Bella tackled Hermione and she clung to her as the harsh laughter and soft sobs mixed into a haunting soundtrack.

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to win…I'm sorry," Bella apologized. Hermione laughed again and she shook her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Angel. Ride fast. Ride fierce. Ride bold. I'll see you in a bit, okay?" Hermione said, softly. Bella nodded, slowly and she tried to move but she couldn't make herself let go. She tried to pull again but she wouldn't stop. She felt larger and bony hands unwrap her fingers from the chains and cloth that clung to Hermione's thin frame.

Tom pulled her backwards and she tried to go forward again. Bella tried to pull from him.

"Stop! Stop it! She doesn't deserve this," Bella snapped, angrily.

"She got caught. It's over, Anya. It's over," Tom whispered, harshly into her ear. Bella spun suddenly and she clung to his robes as she began to cry, tears falling from her eyes. Tom wrapped one arm around her and his eyes met Maya's. He was close to her as Maya was standing close to the door. She saw Sirius making his way towards her.

"I'm sorry," Tom said, quietly.

Maya frowned in confusion and she tilted her head. She frowned when she felt wet. Her face was wet…

Maya licked her lips and she was surprised to taste salt.

Oh…she was crying.

:::

**A/N: **Done with the trial. The next chapter will deal with Bella's aftermath. I promise she won't go into another depression. And Hermione's _definitely _not going to disappear from the story. Bella will be visiting her in between her little outings and her classes. Remember, Bella has started to go after Grindelwald's Horcruxes. Bella also has just won her first trial. She doesn't really like the fact that she won.

I also noticed that a lot of you were confused with the whole Salem Academy thing. Well, that doesn't really matter much _now_. I just had to set up things for a new character that will be appearing in the _epilogue _of this story and the next story. That character, Morgan Evans, is _really, really, really _important. Don't be confused by her though. She'll seem mysterious for a while but if you really look, clues will tell you who she is and what she's about.

But she really is related to Bella.

**Next Chapter: **The Dinner and Night After


	90. Chapter LXXXIII

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXIII**

**London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**6:01 PM**

"Where are we going to eat?" Christine asked her parents as they walked in London with the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley was looking around and pointing to everything Muggle while Ron, Ginny, and Gideon looked completely embarrassed by it. Diane was watching Mr. Weasley with an amused expression but she didn't say anything.

"Well, doesn't this count as a victory? I'll treat us all to an excellent Thai dinner," George said, graciously and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged looks at that. Mr. Weasley leaned forward, confused.

" 'Dai' food?" he questioned.

"Thai food. It's from Thailand. I'm going to just find a phone booth and call Christopher. He didn't want to come to the trial really. He thought it'd be boring. He's in London somewhere," Diane explained and she quickly looked around for the Thai food restaurant and the nearest phone booth. George pointed as he talked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about the different customs of Thailand. Christine couldn't help but smile. Her dad was so obsessed.

"Right here," George said as they crossed the street. The place was smile and wasn't very well known despite having the best Thai food that Christine had ever had. And she had had a lot.

Like she said, he dad was _obsessed_.

"I'll call Christopher and you—"

"No need, Mum. I know dad like a book."

Diane jumped and spun around to see her son. She slapped him upside the head and he yelped and burst into laughter. Gideon and Ginny laughed quietly while Ron roared with laughter. Christine only snorted and she rolled her eyes. Christine brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Well, hello, hello. Who are _you_?" Christopher said with a flirtatious smile. Christine raised an eyebrow when Ginny giggled. Christopher grinned. Ron frowned in annoyance and he crossed his arms.

"She has a girlfriend," he snapped. Christopher shrugged.

"Just having a bit of fun," he said, lazily. Ron opened his mouth to start an argument but Christine grabbed Ron's wrist.

"Calm down. Christopher flirts with anything that had a pulse. I'm surprised he hasn't attempted to flirt with Gideon yet," Christine said with a slight smirk. Gideon flushed, horribly and Christopher gave a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, I was getting there, Chrissie. Do not underestimate me. Hey Freckles, you're looking might fine for going to court," Christopher snickered and he gave Gideon a wink. Diane rolled her eyes as she and Mrs. Weasley listened in on the younger people's conversation. Mrs. Weasley looked slightly embarrassed and amused. Gideon just turned even redder.

Ron looked slightly sick.

"Inside now?" Christopher asked. George nodded and they walked into the little restaurant.

"Party of nine," George said. He looked around restaurant and so that it was basically deserted. The hostess nodded and she picked up nine menus and led them to a large round table towards the back of the restaurant.

As they go situated, Christine saw her brother's mouth fall open. He pointed and Christine turned to look. She blinked when she saw _who _her brother was pointing at.

Bella Potter was sitting in a booth with Tom Riddle towards the very front of the restaurant. She was sitting next to him instead of across from him and she wasn't wearing the white robe anymore. She was wearing an oversized black jacket that obviously belonged to Riddle. Bella was slowly eating and Riddle's fingers were carding through her loose hair.

"Is that Bella Potter and her boyfriend?" Christopher asked, quietly. Mrs. Weasley looked up, surprised and she blinked when she realized just who Christopher was talking about.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. They aren't together. That is Tom Riddle, the Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts," she said as if speaking to a child. Christopher and Christine scowled at the redheaded woman. Mrs. Weasley looked surprised at the open hostility.

"They're screwing," Christopher said, flatly. Christine nodded in agreement.

"He gave her a ring. It was kind of ugly when I first saw it but I saw it at the trial. It was hanging out of her shirt when she questioned me. It's gorgeous now. It used to be a big gold ring with a black onyx that was cracked down the middle. Now, it's a platinum ring with a healed onyx and a diamond. It's really pretty. It looks like an engagement ring," Christine said, matter-of-factly. Gideon blinked in shock and he shook his head.

"No. She can't be dating _Riddle_. He's…he's _insane_. He tried to hack off my _head_. Remember, Christine? In the middle of DADA class. I said something about…Bella and he threw a knife at me. And when it cut me, he told me to be quicker next time. And he uses Dark magic on her. The puppetry spell, remember?" Gideon said, almost as if he were trying to convince her. Mr. Weasley's eyes widened in shock and he leaned forward.

"A puppetry spell?" he whispered.

"Yeah. It was really weird. But, she _did _say that she _allowed _him to do that. I don't like him though. I get a bad vibe," Gideon murmured. Christopher snorted and everyone looked at him.

"I think he's a pretty cool dude. Granted, I've never spoken to him and I only met him the one time when I tried to get Bella to go out on a lunch date with me. I'm sure she would've said yes though if he hadn't shown up. Hey, Freckles, do _you _want to go out on a lunch date with me?" Christopher grinned. Gideon flushed again.

"Not in particularly, no."

"Well, damn. Maybe you'll get over your little crush on Miss Potter, if you did," Christopher continued. Gideon choked over air and he looked over at Christopher in absolute shock.

"_What_?"

"You heard me. Now, anyone want to catch me up on this infamous trial? Who won? Who lost? Any tears? Any broken bones?" Christopher asked, excitedly. Christine rolled her eyes.

Merlin, he was predictable to a fault.

"Bella won. She cried. She looked ready to break someone's face after one of the Light Wizengamot members started talking about Hermione. She almost did. She yelled in French and then started yelling in this language that I've only heard Luna use. Then, she yelled in Parseltongue. Then, she cursed him out in English. Riddle had to carry her out by flinging her over his shoulder and walking out. Ms. Granger was crying, of course. Hermione…laughed. But, Bella was prepared to give up. I know it," Christine said and Gideon nodded in agreement, surprisingly. Ginny looked ridiculously pale as she was reminded of the trial.

"Emotions were kind of high. But, you'll freak when you hear _this_. Riddle called only _two _people to the stand and he very nearly won," Ginny said. Christopher's eyes widened in shock.

"_Really_? Who did he call?"

"This Auror…a police officer, named Nymphadora Tonks—" Christine started.

"Her parents must have hated her."

"Shut up. And Bella Potter," Christine smirked. Christopher's eyes widened and he stared at her.

"You can do that?"

"Apparently. Well first, she called Hermione to the stand. And Hermione was cooperating I guess. Bella was asking some loaded questions. Hermione admitted to taking her medicine the night she killed those kids. She admitted to not being a psycho anymore. And then she admitted to liking the kill. But then, Hermione accused Bella of loving the Dark Lord and Hermione said _that _was why she started that battle with Snape," Christine said with bright eyes. Christopher's mouth fell open and Gideon nodded in agreement.

"At one time, I thought the same thing. But she said she didn't love him. I was confused during the trial because I didn't know _whom _to believe. On one hand, Hermione's definitely crazy but on the other hand she's her sister. But, I dated Bella. Anyway, Riddle called her to the stand and had her close to tears. Her full name is _long_. Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter. Where do you suppose the Anya comes from?" Gideon asked, curiously.

Diane leaned forward.

"Anya is a nickname for Anastasia in Russia. Who calls her Anya?" Diane asked, curiously.

"Riddle," Ginny, Gideon, and Christine said in unison.

"He doesn't really call her anything else. Her friends call her Anastasia or Bella. Malfoy and Zabini call her Ana. Hermione calls her Angel or Nikki. I think the 'Nikki' is an inside joke," Ginny said. Gideon nodded and he shrugged.

"Anyway, he asked her about her early history with Hermione. They met on Bella's eleventh birthday. She developed psychosis when she was fourteen. She was crazy all these years and we didn't even really notice. They tried so hard to hide it and they would've kept hiding it if Malfoy hadn't died. Then, they talked about that night," Christine said. Everyone looked at Gideon. He sighed and rubbed his neck, as if feeling the pain of the noose.

"I was there. There was this huge argument between them that I didn't quite understand. But, she left part of it out. She said…that he deceived her. And then she called him a pitiful creature of Darkness and _kissed _him. And let me tell you, she didn't seem too hesitant. Then, she said a lot of things that I didn't understand…" Gideon said. Christine frowned.

"I did."

Everyone looked at her.

"Honey, I don't think Bella was coming from a good place. You know she has a different view. It _was _about right versus wrong," Mrs. Weasley said, condescendingly and Christine glared.

"No. It wasn't. It wasn't about good versus evil. Because Hermione, despite her mistakes, isn't evil. Bella has done some questionable things too, hasn't she? She's killed and don't try to tell me she hasn't. She has murdered in cold blood before. And she's proud of it. But that doesn't make her evil. It makes her human. And this case was trying to make a person, a teenage girl, look less than. Mrs. Weasley, did Gideon and Ginny ever tell you what Bella once told Riddle at the end of her fifth year?" Christine asked. The two redheaded adults paled. Ron looked rather interested and he leaned forward.

"Why? What happened at the end of Bella's fifth year?" George asked, curiously.

"I don't know. She…she fell into a depression. She was mean and angry and she couldn't stand the sight of Tom Riddle. He sickened her," Ginny whispered and she shook her head before swallowing.

"It had to do with Voldemort. I don't remember _exactly _what she said…" Gideon said.

"I do. Normally, I wouldn't but what she said sounded eerily like what she said today. Anyway, she said '_Here is your locket. Here is your book. I shall not breathe a word but do not forget this. I despise your very being. I hate you with my mind, my body, and my soul. I hate you more than life itself. I hate you so, so much it hurts me. But isn't that all part of being human? Mistakes. Satisfaction. Regrets. Happiness. Fear. Joy. Pain. Love. Hatred. All parts of being human. Hating you reminds me that I am human. If there is one thing I've learned from you that I will value most, it is the lesson of being human even when you are…less than_'," Christine said, solemnly.

The adults at the table fell silent as well as the teenagers. Christopher frowned as he looked at the young woman sitting huddled near the front of the restaurant. She was leaning into the older man and speaking, softly in a language that Christopher didn't quite understand.

"She's speaking in French."

Christopher looked over at his father and his father smiled back at him.

"Oh…what about the conviction? How long?"

"She has a hundred years. The vote for her conviction wasn't surprising but _who _voted her into prison. Of course all the Light people, us, voted her in. The Wizengamot is really just for show. They kind of serve as a collective judge even though it was really just Madam Bones. The real votes have to come from the House of Families. The Dark Sect was indecisive. No one was voting. No one wanted to attend _another _trial and I don't think Bella could handle it. The people that voted in the Dark Sect…Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy," Gideon said, softly. Christopher's mouth dropped open and he shook his head. Ron nodded.

"I can't believe it either. Those slimy snakes finally did something right," Ron said, almost viciously. Christopher raised an eyebrow. He stiffened when he saw Bella stand. Riddle stood with her and she gave him a slight smile before she pushed him back down. She whispered something to him and he sighed and nodded before she began walking towards the back.

Christopher watched as Bella caught sight of them and she stopped.

"Hello…" she rasped.

"What's up, Good Lookin'?" Christopher said as if everything was normal.

He knew everyone was glaring at him but he knew that if it had been him in Bella's position, he'd wanted to be treated like everything was normal. Bella seemed to appreciate it and she flashed him a smile.

"Nothing much. Thanks for the compliment. I didn't see you come in," Bella commented.

"We saw you," Ron blurted out. Christopher rolled his eyes.

"Yeah…I imagine so. Did they fill you in on the trial? Are you going to offer your congratulations like everyone else?" Bella asked hoarsely and Christopher snorted. Bella looked at him in surprise.

"No. I'm sorry that you won. She could've gotten sent to a mental institution if your boyfriend one and then she'd get better eventually, right? I'm glad that your sister didn't get that lifetime sentence though. Don't wizards live long? And isn't there visiting hours and shit? It's not like you're never going to see her again," Christopher said.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for Bella's reaction. She was looking at him in surprise before a true grin broke across her face and she launched herself at him. She hugged him and he looked at her in surprise.

"Um…why are you hugging me? I don't know you that well though I'm totally not opposed to skin on skin contact. But, yeah, once more, why are you hugging me?" Christopher asked, curiously as she tightened her hug. Bella pulled away with a breathy laugh.

"Thank…thank you. Your first assumption was correct. Except…Tom. Riddle. Isn't. My. Boyfriend. But, the second, yeah. I can visit her if I want. It's just…she had a lot to do. She wanted to do a lot. She was supposed to be Headmistress of Hogwarts, you know. After Dumbledore kicked the bucket," Bella said.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked scandalized when Bella snorted at that idea. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Don't give me that. That old man is as senile as they get. How did he think I got away Voldemort anyway? And what the hell did you think Voldemort wanted from me? You thought he wanted to just like me away like a pet? He wanted me as a bed warmer," Bella said, flatly.

Mrs. Weasley flushed and looked away.

"We thought he wanted you on his side," Mr. Weasley said, softly. Bella gave a short and cold laugh. It was high and cold and made the hairs on the back of Christine's neck stand at attention.

Riddle had turned at the sound of the laugh and his eyes narrowed on Bella.

"He _does_…he _did_. He wanted me as a Consort. Not a foot soldier. I'm not made for the background on either side, Mr. Weasley. You think you know me but you _don't_. You think you know what I'm capable of. You keep forgetting. Even if I'm incapable of killing one man, I can kill the others. _Don't_. _Forget_," Bella whispered, dangerously. Mr. Weasley leaned back in surprise when Bella took a step forward.

"Tell this to your mother fucking goat. I'm. Done. He can fuck himself. I'm fucking tired. I'm not supposed to be involved in a fucking war. I'm going to let the grown-ups deal with this. You all seem to think it's simple. Good versus evil. There is no good and evil. There is only power—"

"And those too weak to seek it."

Bella turned, sharply to look at Riddle. Their eyes were mirror of the other. They were both cold and Bella cracked her neck. She tilted her head and she had a broken porcelain doll look about her that frightened yet intrigued both Christopher and Christine.

"Of course you won't understand though. Of course _he _won't understand. I'm beyond your understanding. He's an old man with a quick tongue and a wand. I'm more than that. More than flesh…" Bella whispered and the lights in the dim restaurant as Bella took another step forward. A twisted grin graced her pretty face and Christopher leaned back.

"More than blood. I'm…you know, I don't think there's a human word good enough to describe me, honestly. In Druhir…yes there is. Oh, yes. _Bolysia_. Oh, my name…not the mundane name my parents gave me but my _name_. The name Hermione screamed for…my name will be on everyone's lips. But not just yet. That's alright, though," Bella continued and she slowly circled their table. Her hand brushed over Gideon's and he stiffened as something slimy and rancid and _evil _slid around his body. Bella chuckled as the feeling of wickedness suffocated him.

She lifted her hand and Gideon took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I can be patient. Everything is well within parameters. Hermione's exactly where she's meant to be. I may not have _wanted _her there, but I knew. I've known for years that she'd do something. I had dreams of my future. A beautiful future…but she's right there where she's supposed to be. So are _you_ all," Bella laughed, her voice breathy and she shook her head.

"So…what did you actually think? She'd be put into jail and all the evil…the Dark would disappear? Merlin, you're fighting the wrong side! There are more than two. You thought you'd be free of the evil but you're so wrong! You thought you owned me too. I know you did. You're wrong. You belong to _me! _And you hadn't known it. I own you. Luna sings the little songs about me and you've never even noticed. You haven't tried to understand them…maybe if you did you wouldn't be in this mess…"

"What are you talking about Bella?" Ron whispered. Bella hushed him and he fell silent. The lights continued to flicker and Riddle hadn't moved to stop her as of yet.

"Shut up! You want to know…you want to know who I am. Why I am. You don't think I heard you? Talking about me. I could feel it. You want to know…I can _taste _your curiosity. You want to know why I'm a monster. Well, why don't we go right to the beginning. Because that's where we're going. Right back to the beginning. The true beginning. Beginning with the Blood Wars. And I think we're all going to figure out something about ourselves in the process," Bella laughed and she suddenly stopped laughing as each candle and light bulb began to blow out until the candles on the Weasleys table was the only one left.

The hostess was shouting and there were shouts from the kitchen but they fell silent when Bella touched her lip.

"Look at you all, trying to do what's 'right'. You don't get it, do you? It's not about right. It's not about wrong…" Bella continued and she began to touch the flames with her fingertips and she pinched each one until only _one _was left. She leaned over it and she gave a chilling smile.

"It's about power."

She blew the light out and there was a high and cold cackle and suddenly the lights flickered back on and the duo was gone.

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 8****th**** of August 1997**

**7:00 PM**

"That was a dangerous thing what you did," Tom reprimanded, lounging on Bella's large bed. Bella was pacing at the foot of the bed and she sighed before walking towards her closet and swinging the door open. She walked inside and Tom could hear rummaging for something.

He waited for her to respond and he had to wait for five minutes. She emerged in flannel pants and a tank top. She was in the process of braiding her hair into two pigtails and she flopped down on the bed next to him.

"I know. I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand. But they made me so _mad_…they didn't think I could hear them? And then they all spoke about me. Gossiped about me. Only Christopher understood about why I was upset and he wasn't even _there_. I think Christine understood a little…" Bella said softly. A dry smile spread across Tom's face and Bella looked at him in surprise. She moved until she was settled half on his lap.

"Imagine that. A Muggle understands Anya's point of view," Tom smirked. Bella laughed a little and herself and she sighed before biting her lip. She looked up at him and he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I…Luna calls me Nikolai."

"I know. You _are _Nikolai. Lady Nikolai. The Horseman of Victory and Conquest," Tom said, softly. Bella nodded in agreement.

"Will you ever let me join your side?"

"You all but resigned from the Light side just now, love. I am inclined to say yes. However, there are many factors involved. Namely, the fact that your battle strategist was just placed into a prison," Tom reminded her. Bella sighed and nodded and she tugged one of her braids. She leaned back against the pillow and shook her head.

"Today was an emotional roller coaster."

"I know. For you at least. That's why I'm not asking to have sex with you," Tom said and he snickered. Bella rolled her eyes and she rolled up, leaned up on her elbows and looked at him. He looked at her in surprise.

"Tom…you do realize why I won't have sex with you right?" Bella asked. Tom cleared his throat.

"You aren't ready to have sex with me and I treated you like shit?"

"No."

Tom looked at her in surprise. Bella gave a half smile and she leaned up to press a kiss to the edge of his strong jaw. Bella sighed and she shook her head before she thought back on what Maya had said. She had been afraid of being hurt by him.

"You turn me on."

Tom gave smug smirk and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. I'm aware of the affect I have on you but to hear the words from time to time is nice," Tom said, his smugness sinking into his tone of voice. Bella rolled her eyes and she sighed. At times like these, he was so ridiculously playful. But, it was cute so Bella allowed it. She rolled onto her back and sighed.

"Your eyes. Your voice. Your body. _You_. Turn. Me. On," Bella restated and Tom moved until he was straddling her waist and he was smirking down on her. Bella sat up and leaned back, supported by her elbows.

"_But_…"

"Here we go," Tom groaned. Bella glared at him.

"But before I do anything with you, I really should ask…"

"Is this about my past conquests because I'd really like to skip past that part," Tom murmured as he buried his face in her neck. Bella pushed him away as she leaned against her headboard.

"It's not about your _past_. You think I care about that? Sweetheart, I don't care who came before me. They don't matter. And I think I'm a little more mature than that," Bella laughed. Tom looked at her in surprise and he tilted his head.

"Really?" he asked, sounding slightly more interested now. Bella grinned and then she became a bit more serious than she normally would. Tom assumed his serious face as well.

"Really. I'm a bit more curious about who you actually _want_," Bella said, off-handedly.

"What I want? Love, if I'm trying to get you in bed with me, that means I want _you_," Tom said, flatly. Bella nodded in agreement.

"Yes. But is that _all _you want from me? I want you sexually too. But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about trust. And the truth. About you and me. And what you want from me," Bella said, shortly. Tom looked at her in confusion.

"Excuse me? I want sex. That's not much. Unless you're incredibly good, which I have a sneaking suspicion that you are. Because you have such a talented pretty little mouth," Tom smirked. Bella punched him in the arm.

Hard.

Tom hissed in pain and Bella gave him an innocent smile.

"Do you want me to be incredibly crude? Fine. I don't want just your cock, Tom. I mean sure that'd be nice but there are other things that are involved in a relationship," Bella reminded him. Tom snorted.

"Like you'd know. Aren't you little Miss Expert?" Tom jeered. Bella glared at him in annoyance and she crossed her arms.

"Fuck off. I know more than you. All you do is fuck and then walk," Bella snarled.

"Well, you wouldn't know that as you don't want to know who I've been with."

"I _don't_. But, Tom, you're not that hard to figure out, really. Listen some girls would be happy to have a sugar daddy with some dough. I _have _money. I don't _need _yours. And some are so desperate that they're happy to have a boyfriend in the first place," Bella said and suddenly she grabbed Tom by the throat and he stared up at her in shock. Her eyes were flashing in annoyance and warning.

"That isn't me. If you're going to stake claim on my virginity or whatever, you _better _learn that the fact that you turn me on isn't going get you _anywhere_. You _better _respect to me. You _better _treat me right. And you _better _treat me as an equal. If I have sex with you, I'm not going to be your whore, orgasming on command. If you got that, then we're on the same page," Bella said, sharply.

Tom nodded, his eyes wide on her in shock and that new respect. Bella smiled and she pulled her hand from his throat. She pressed a light kiss to his lips before she bounced off the bed.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to visit Hermione," Bella decided. Tom nodded and he leaned up.

"We're going out to lunch tomorrow. After _we _visit Hermione," Tom dictated. Bella nodded in agreement and she suddenly sat up with a sly grin on her face. Tom frowned at her.

"Can we…I want to Club _Piacere_ tomorrow," Bella whispered and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Go with your friends. I have a…meeting to go to tomorrow."

Bella pouted and then she blinked.

"A meeting…with Death Eaters?"

"Perhaps."

"May I go?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom looked at her in surprise before tilting his head as he tried to decide whether he should say yes.

"Grindelwald will be there."

"Never mind."

Tom snorted.

"Go with your friends. I'll spend time with…my…friends?" Tom said, confused. Bella laughed and she shook her head before standing from the bed. She held out her hand and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Come on. Lets go down to the kitchen."

"I refuse to cook in _your _house," Tom said, sharply. Bella laughed and she pulled him from the bed. He followed her easily and she walked down the creaky old house with a slight smile on her face.

"When I was at the Dursleys I learned how to make three things. Tomato soup—"

"From a Muggle can."

"Screw you," Bella snarled as she almost slipped down the stairs. Tom caught her with one hand by her waist and Bella looked back at him in surprise. He had a predatorily smile on his face.

"Gladly."

"_Anyway_, I am capable of making tomato soup…from a can. And grilled cheese. And hot chocolate. From a powder mix…do you want grilled cheese and tomato soup? We didn't really get to eat at the restaurant," Bella reminded him. Tom gave an amused smirk and he decided to humor her.

"If it isn't burnt or scalded I _may _eat some."

Bella grinned and she raced down the stairs, almost tripping over herself once more. Tom sighed and kept a steady hold on her as they walked into the kitchen. Kreacher was going around, muttering to himself as always. When he saw Tom, he froze and bolted from the room with a muttered 'Mistress'. Bella frowned in confusion.

"What was that about?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom stared after Kreacher.

"Nothing."

Bella's eyes narrowed in suspicion but she didn't question him. She moved towards the cupboard and pulled out a can of tomato soup and she walked towards the refrigerator and pulled out a block of cheese and a tub of butter.

"Can you get me the bread out of there, love?" Bella questioned as she rummaged through the cabinets for appropriate pans and pots. Tom sighed and reached into the walnut cupboard and pulled out the loaf of bread that she had indicated.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dead. You could meet them if you'd like. Well…you know Mama. But if you want, you could meet Dad," Bella said, conversationally. Tom raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.

"I'm glad to know that you make use of my gift. I meant your other set of parents. Your godparents."

"Narcissa's at Malfoy Manor, I suspect. Uncle Sirius is with Maya, if you're talking about them. They are at Azkaban, I think. Then, they're going to the Ministry to argue to keep Hermione's wand. They don't want it snapped. _I _could've done it but I don't want to leave the house…after everything that happened…" Bella said, softly. Tom nodded in understanding. He _did _understand.

"I see. And if Dumbledore appears with the Order?"

"I changed the wards. The Black Heir watch," Bella said. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her flannel pajama pants and pulled out a beautiful pocket watch. Tom raised an eyebrow and Bella placed it on the table. It was on a silver chain and was dark silver in color.

The outside of the watch was decorated with the Black shield of arms. 'Tojours Pur' was written elegantly beneath the elaborate Black shield of arms. She flipped it open and the white face of the watch was marked with Roman numerals for all twelve hours. Between the _VII _and the _VIII_ was the position of the sun. It looked rather red, signifying sunset was approaching.

"This allowed you to manipulate the wards? How is that possible?" asked Tom with a raised eyebrow.

"It's tied to the house. Out of all the Black properties this is the main one. Even if I _am _blood adopted, the house doesn't accept me as a Black. The watch, which I picked up from Gringotts on my birthday, serves as a conductor since it's supposed to belong to the Black Heir. Furthermore, my magic is Dark so it was a bit easier. And then the wards are made of Runes instead of blood. It was only slightly difficult," Bella said and she closed her pocket watch and slipped it into her pocket. She sighed and shook her head before she tapped the can with her hand. There was the sound of metal tearing and the top popped right off.

Tom watched in amusement as she poured the tomato soup into a pot and she put it on the stove to simmer. Tom walked towards the bar that Maya had insisted that Sirius place there and he sat down on a stool.

"I'm really _bored_. What do we do except make out and talk about emotional shit?" Bella finally blurted out. Tom burst into laughter and Bella looked at him with so much shock that she almost sliced her finger off, cutting the bread. Tom didn't laugh very much but when he did, Bella couldn't help but smile.

"I suppose we don't."

"You know…I know you. I love you. But, I don't know your regular likes or dislikes. What you do in your spare times…stuff like that. That's kind of weird," Bella remarked as she began to slice the cheese. She buttered the break and began to create her first master grilled cheese.

"I don't know yours either," Tom remarked.

"Well…I like music. You knew that. My favorite kind of music isn't rock or pop or classical even. I've always been into jazz. It's…soothing. I can't play it though. I wasn't trained to play jazz. You have to be taught," Bella said, softly. Tom nodded, slowly.

"In the orphanage, we each had to learn an instrument," Tom said, slowly. Bella looked up sharply and she stared at him.

"And you played?"

"The guitar. I hated it."

Bella stared at him in surprise and she flipped the grilled cheese to let it cook on the other side. She took down a ladle and two bowls for the tomato soup. She reached into another cupboard and pulled down a tray.

"Why did you hate it?" Bella asked, curiously.

"They made me play religious songs. They tried to exorcise me once. It didn't work out so well. For them," Tom said with a dark smile. Bella blinked in surprise again and she shook her head.

"What'd you do to them?"

"The priest caught on fire. Mrs. Cole had 'visions'. Do you have religious views?" Tom asked, curiously. Bella gave a slight smile.

"I…I don't have a _specific _religion. But, I do believe in higher powers. For one, Magic. Astoria Greengrass…she believes in Magic as in one would believe in a god. But, you haven't noticed?" Bella asked.

"Notice what?" Tom deadpanned.

"I say 'Gods'. I don't have a specific religion because in some way, I believe in all of them though I don't practice any of them. Before we eat…would you like to meet my Mum and Dad?" Bella asked, her eyes sparkling. Tom frowned before sighing. He nodded once and Bella reached around to unclasp her necklace. The young woman pulled the ring from the chain.

The chain slithered around her wrist and secured itself to make sure it didn't get lost.

Bella shut her eyes and turned the ring three times in her palm and suddenly there was a little laugh. Bella opened her eyes and she grinned when she saw Lily and James Potter standing in front of her. She rushed to hug them both and they hugged her back.

"I fulfilled my promise."

Lily looked over at Tom and she gave him a smile.

"You did. Thank you. James, this is Tom Riddle. Bella's boyfriend," Lily said with a bright smile. James tilted his head in confusion.

"He doesn't look like much of a monster."

Bella snorted and Tom smirked.

"Not in this persona, no," Tom said, stiffly. Bella rolled her eyes.

"He looks rather pretty, doesn't he?" Bella baited. Tom gave her a glare and she smirked and stuck her tongue out. Tom leered at her and Bella turned away. James leaned forward.

"So…_who _are you exactly? What do you do for a living? How old are you?"

"I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr, the Lord of the House of Slytherin and le Fay. I am Bella's DADA teacher. And I am…_seventyyearsold_," Tom said, slurring the last words. Bella burst into a fit of laughter and James looked bewildered. Tom glared.

"Finish making your damn food, brat," Tom hissed in annoyance. Bella stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't forget your part time job as the Dark Lord," Bella snorted. James paled.

"The…Dark…_Lord_?"

"Yes. Voldemort. The Dark Lord. The most gorgeous man on the face of the planet," Bella said, flashing Tom a bright smile and she ladled tomato soup into a bowl. She placed it in front of him and she slapped a grilled cheese onto a plate before handing it to him.

"Eat," Bella commanded and Tom rolled his eyes but complied. Bella made her own food before sitting down. She grinned at James' fluctuating expression.

"I'm confused. _WHY IS THE DARK LORD IN YOUR KITCHEN?_"

"It's a long story, Dad…"

* * *

**Level X, Azkaban Prison, Isle of Azkaban, Atlantic Ocean**

**Sunday the 9****th**** of August 1997**

**12:00 AM**

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping you. We're obligated to do that."

"No. You're not. Bella's not helping me. I don't need anyone's help. I don't need help. I'm fine here. It's dark. The shadows speak to me. I don't need the help of the Angel who has no yet Fallen."

"What about me? _I _want to help you. I've fallen, Mórrígan. Your brother has fallen. We are Fallen."

"I want the Fallen Angel to help me."

"She _will _help you. I sense a shift. Visions flit in the corner of my eyes. She spoke to the Light. She has planted a seed of Darkness within another Light. She is Falling."

"But she is not yet Fallen."

"Not yet, I admit. But, she _will_. I promise."

"What about Apollo? Where is my lover of the sun? Where is my Healer?"

"He's…he's hurt. He's at home with his little sister. He will visit you tomorrow."

"I see."

"Only you and she will go."

"Go where?"

"Look. This."

"Brilliance…you've outdone yourself but what is it for?"

"It is, isn't it? Golden. Closer to the bars, Lady War. We will leave now and return later."

"Put it around me. I can't reach through the bars. I haven't tried to break the wards yet. Did you know how stupid Aurors are? They never once questioned where my sword was…it's a conductor you know. A conductor of magic. I shall break the wards and escape."

"But not today. Luna…fifteen will do. Augustus will keep them a bay."

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

* * *

**Club Piacere, Piacere Vicolo, Venice, Italy, Europe**

**Sunday the 9****th**** of August 1997**

**10:00 PM**

She danced to the bumping beat and she laughed when Daphne spun her around. Fay was dancing with Lalita and Theodore and they looked like they were having quite a bit of fun. Linda was dancing with some guy that was paying more attention to her breasts than her face though Linda didn't seem to mind. Neville danced, awkwardly and Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Neville! Loosen up! This is supposed to be fun! It _is _fun," Daphne crowed and she grabbed a bottle from someone's hand before taking a swig of it. She handed it back to the person and flashed them a grin.

"Why aren't you dancing with a guy?" Padma asked as Michael spun her again and Parvati laughed when Anthony dipped her. Bella shrugged.

"My significant other is currently not here."

"Significant other?" Daphne asked as she wrapped Neville's hands around her waist. Neville flushed against her body but he didn't let go. If anything, his hold on her grew tighter.

"My _boyfriend _isn't here!" Bella stated.

"You've got a boyfriend? Who?" Lalita asked, curiously. Bella sighed and she crossed her arms.

"My ex-boyfriend. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome."

Daphne froze and she stared at her best friend in shock. She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose in a very Riddle-ish move. Bella couldn't help but smirk when she thought about that.

"_Him_? Again? This is really getting unhealthy, Bella."

"He loves me. He told me. I love him. It's as simple as that. We're not complicating it with sex just yet, so chill," Bella said, sharply as the music slowly changed. It was slower and Daphne gave her friend one more incredulous look before pulling Neville after her. Her eyes were flashing with anger while their other friends looked more confused than anything.

"Daphne…what's wrong with her dating…Riddle…besides the obvious?" Neville asked, softly. Daphne sighed.

"He scared her last year. He treated her like shit. I don't like this," Daphne murmured. She watched as Bella remained on the dance floor in her short skirt and tank top with a black blazer. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun and she didn't even seem to notice the guys and reporters checking her out.

Daphne watched as Bella froze up and her lips parted. She looked ready to collapse and Daphne started to make her way forward. Suddenly, somebody seemed to appear from the shadows and the shadows unwrapped from the person and revealed one Tom Riddle.

His hands were resting on her hips and Daphne watched as they entered a sensual dance in front of all those watching and dancing. They swayed to the music slowly with the beat and Bella rested her head back against Riddle's shoulder. Her back was pressed into his chest. She turned in his arms and his hands never left her hips.

Bella's pianist fingers trailed up Riddle's button down shirt and she pressed her fingertips to the exposed skin near his throat. One of Riddle's hands drifted down her hip and he caressed her exposed leg. Daphne suddenly saw Bella's hair go tumbling down her back. Riddle yanked her forward, viciously and he had a smirk on his face. Bella pressed herself against him and she murmured something in his ear and Riddle's smirk transformed into a predatory look. Bella backed away and he jerked her back in, spinning her in until she was wrapped in his arms.

Bella flipped her hair back and then entered a dance of predator and prey. She was away from him and she was dancing enticingly as she backed away and he stalked after her, unconsciously moving to the music.

His hand caught her arm and she looked over at him and she gave a slight smile. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of something quite similar to lust but…different. Love, Daphne realized.

"You're _mine_," Riddle hissed. And Bella grinned and nodded in agreement. Her arms were wrapped around him tightly now. The song was coming to an end and he spun Bella back out and she slid back in, lifting her leg until she had wrapped it around his waist.

The tendrils of darkness were still partially wrapped around Riddle and Daphne had a feeling that they were obscuring Riddle somehow from the paparazzi and spectators, as they still looked confused. The shadows continued to circle around Bella until they disappeared into darkness.

* * *

**Salem Witches' Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, New England, United States**

**Sunday the 30****th**** of August 1997**

**10:00 AM**

"Orientation Day."

Morgan Evans looked up at the simplistic building with bright blue eyes. She ran her finger over the gold chain around her neck. She made sure to tuck the necklace in her shirt. She'd be screwed if it broke. It had taken them long enough to get it for her.

"It's not till twelve. We've got time."

Morgan looked over at the teenager who she spoken. She was leaning against the brick wall and she had a leather satchel resting at her feet. To her were large suitcases. Morgan lifted an eyebrow as she looked at the girl.

"And you are?" Morgan questioned. The girl gave a slight smile. She wasn't pretty really and she wasn't ugly either. She looked nothing like…_no_, stop thinking about her. She wasn't here.

Not anymore.

"Jessica. Jessica Anderson. And you?"

"My name is…M-Morgan Evans," Morgan said, softly. The girl nodded in understanding and the girl stuck her hand into her jeans. She pulled out a small box and a lighter. Jessica pulled out a cigarette before she stashed it back into her pocket and she lit it. She took a long drag from it.

"Nice t'meet you. You're not from around here. I've never seen you before," Jessica continued. Morgan nodded and she gave a sly smile.

"Yes, well. I just transferred in. I was…home-schooled. My parents got tired of me. I'm a good student but behavior wise…they thought it'd be best if they sent me away. I'm of age but they send a couple people over all the time to check one me," Morgan explained and Jessica smirked and she nodded. She took another drag of her cigarette.

"That's why most of use are here. Salem Witches' institute is a bit like a remedial school. I mean, who wants to go to school in _Salem_. That's where most of the witch trials were. Where do you come from?" Jessica asked, curiously. Morgan crossed her arms with a slight smile.

"My family hales from England. I'm a Mu…Muggleborn."

"_Really_? You've ever met Gilderoy Lockhart?"

"I saw him once. At a book signing," Morgan said, softly. Jessica blinked and she reached into her satchel before pulling out the UK version of Witchy Weekly. Morgan blinked at it as Jessica flipped through the pages until she opened it to show a spread of pictures of one man in particular.

Tom Riddle doing several things and looking pissed while doing it.

There was even a picture of him walking down the streets of London with a dark haired beauty with bright green eyes and red lips.

"You've ever met Tom Riddle? He is _so _dreamy!" Jessica giggled. Morgan snickered and she rubbed the length of her arm slowly. She tilted her head and gave a slight nod.

"Yeah, I've met him before. In passing."

Jessica squealed and she brought out her little box again and she held out the box of cigarettes and a lighter.

"You want one?" Jessica asked. Morgan nodded once.

"Thanks."

* * *

**Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London, England, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 30****th**** of August 1997**

**3:00 PM**

Penelope sighed as Maya finished relaying the entire story to her. Helen looked shocked out of her mind and she was shaking her head in absolute disbelief. Penelope couldn't quite wrap her head around the entire thing herself. It was astonishing to think that Hermione…_Hermione _was capable of something like that.

"And you're saying that the forever loyal Bella prosecuted her?" Helen demanded and she sounded angry. Penelope could understand the pretty woman's annoyance.

"She had to. She wants to be an attorney, you know. She has for a long time. She's actually due at Hogwarts in a couple hours. She's going to argue her friend's placement there are Hogwarts. She's around somewhere," Maya said, nonchalantly. Penelope couldn't understand this either. She had know for Maya for a long time and the woman was typically laid back about…well…_everything_.

Except maybe candy and teeth.

But besides, that yes. But to be laid back about the fact that her daughter was in prison was disconcerting and just plain confusing. Maya took another sip of her tea and she sighed.

"You're not upset?" demanded Penelope.

"No," Maya said after another sip of tea.

She frowned suddenly.

"Should I be?" Maya asked, curiously. Both women nodded and Maya looked at them in surprise before she tugged a loose curl.

"Your adopted daughter put your daughter in jail—"

"Maya!"

The three older women looked up to see Bella running in with a little girl on her hip. The girl was looking at the other women in confusion and she was biting a finger while her other arm was looped around Bella's neck.

"Oh. Hello, Penelope, Helen," Bella said when she saw them before she turned to Maya and she cleared her throat.

"Um, Blaise went…hunting with his mum. Francesca wants to be done with this hunt before the end of October. They asked Aunt Cissa if she could babysit Gia. Aunt Cissa couldn't because she has some kind of fitting in Paris. She's under the impression that I'm getting married. I don't know what that idiot has been telling her. It was just a joke anyway," Bella scowled and Maya snorted.

"Still with the 'no'?"

"Maya…I'm _seventeen_. First, it was a joke to throw me off my game. Second, I'm not going to marry him, no matter how pretty the ring is," Bella said, sharply and Maya snickered while the little girl looked played with the ring hanging around Bella's neck. Penelope leaned forward to look at it and it was indeed beautiful.

"How _is _Narcissa?"

"Fine. Mama's doing fine too, you know," Bella commented. Maya raised an eyebrow and Bella raised the ring.

"The ring…what is it?"

"It lets me recall the dead. You can talk to her some time if you want. You'll meet my dad too. Anyway, Aunt Cissa wants to have tea some time. So, I'm here to tell you that I won't be here for dinner so you don't have to cook for me," Bella suddenly remembered and Maya cleared her throat and she tapped the table with a tilted head.

"And why not?"

"Well, I have to watch Gia. And Tom is taking me out to dinner. We _were _going to go to the Starlight Café but we're going to some restaurant in Diagon Alley now," Bella said. Penelope watched as a smile spread across Bella's face suddenly and the air around her shifted. Something loomed out of her shadow and someone appeared behind her.

Penelope's breath escaped her when she recognized the handsome form of Tom Riddle. He was glaring down at Bella and Gianna's eyes widened and she grinned at Tom with a beautiful smile.

"Tom," Gianna said, brightly and Tom gave a tight smile before glaring down at Bella.

"Why am I about to cancel a reservation that I had to _pay _to get before you went back to school?"

"I'm watching Gianna. Go away. I was talking to my mother. _Anyway_, if you're still going to cook, you can call up Draco on the Floo and send him with some food to Mione. He has to stop by the prison tonight. Something about Augustus is bringing him…food," Bella said, sharply and she cast a hazardous look at Gianna. Gianna was smiling and her lips spread into a slightly sharp smile.

"Uncle Drake-y eats people," she said, softly.

Bella snorted and she looked down at Gianna. Penelope and Helen exchanged bemused looks.

"What, Gia? How do you know that?" Bella asked, smiling.

"I watch. I like Auggie. Blaise call white stuff soul. He said it's in person," Gianna said in broken English. Bella laughed while Penelope and Helen looked horrified. Bella placed Gianna on the table before turning to face an irate Tom Riddle.

Penelope blinked when she leaned up and pressed her lips to Riddle's.

"Listen up, Mr. Dark Lord, we're doing things my way. You've convinced Narcissa that we're getting married," Bella said with a slight smirk. Riddle looked smug suddenly and he crossed his arms.

"I've done no such thing. She simply assumed. I was speaking to Lucius and she was being nosey," Riddle smirked and Bella sighed.

"You should have set her straight."

"You should have said yes. Then I wouldn't have to set her straight," Riddle said, sharply and Bella pinched the bridge of her nose and she shook her head.

"Not right now, okay? It's really not funny anymore. I'm babysitting Gia so by extension, so are you. Now, stop being a brat and buck up, my good man," Bella said, shortly. She scooped up Gia again and shot him a look and he pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at Maya.

"I'm the bloody Dark Lord and I'm letting this woman boss me around. A woman that is more than five inches shorter than me," Riddle groaned. Bella laughed and she rolled her eyes before she grinned down at Gia.

"What d'you want to do?"

"Mix ars'nic potion," Gia decided. Bella laughed louder this time.

"How about watching me kick Tom's ass?"

"Okay."

"_What_?"

Helen's mouth fell open. As the three vacated the room the two outsider Muggle women looked at Maya. Maya took another nonchalant sip of her tea and she bit her lip.

"Hmm…DON'T BREAK ANYTHING! AND DON'T SCAR THE CHILD WITH ANY DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION!"

* * *

**Level X, Azkaban Prison, Isle of Azkaban, Atlantic Ocean**

**Tuesday the 1****st**** of September 1997**

**8:00 AM**

"Good morning to you."

Bella walked into the cage that housed her sister, mother and father flanking her. Maya swept in and sat down on the stool in the corner. Hermione was sitting cross-legged on her bed and Bella joined her. Sirius went to lean against the wall and shivered while he stood in the room.

"Good morning. Food?" Hermione asked, curiously. Maya smiled and she pulled out of her bag a bowl of wrapped food. She set it in front of Hermione and Hermione grabbed it, greedily. Maya sighed and handed her daughter a spoon.

"Soup," Maya explained. Hermione nodded as she took off the plastic wrap from the top and began spooning the chicken noodle soup into her mouth. She shuddered in pleasure and grinned. Bella looked to Maya with a hopeful expression and Maya rolled her eyes before she pulled out coffee in a Styrofoam cup. Bella grinned and she took it from Maya gratefully.

"It's September 1st…" Hermione said as she tilted her head. Maya nodded in agreement and she looked to Bella.

"I'm taking my Ancient Runes Mastery at the end of the year along with my Defense Against the Dark Arts Mastery," Bella said after a sip of her coffee. Hermione nodded and she gave Bella a stern look. Bella was surprised to see it and she crossed her arms as she waited for Hermione to say something.

"You better do well. Blaise visited me last night. We've decided that he'll be the valedictorian," Hermione said, firmly. Bella snorted and Hermione glared at her in annoyance.

"Education is not funny. I would be more upset about the fact that I won't be finishing mine if I didn't know most of the curriculum," Hermione said, severely and she crossed her arms. Bella nodded, solemnly.

"I won the argument. Luna gets to finish school at Hogwarts. Next step, making sure that she gets equal standing in court. That goes for most everyone actually," Bella decided and Hermione nodded in agreement. She sighed and looked out her barred window as Bella jabbered on about applications to the Law program at the Ministry.

Almost time for some fun…

* * *

**Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1****st**** of September 1997**

**10:50 AM**

Rita Skeeter watched as the young woman walked confidently through the crowd of reporters. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Luna Lovegood flanked her. The young woman had large black shades on and her overlong bangs hung over her forehead. Long legs were covered by leather and she wore open toed heels. An oversized white shirt was tucked into the trousers and she wore a black tie. Her lips were curled into a smirk.

"Miss Potter!"

"Miss Potter!"

"Bella!"

"Bella!"

Rita tried to call out but someone elbowed her away. Rita fought her way through the crowd just as the young woman stopped in front of Lucius Malfoy and his wife. They were standing with two other people.

"Aunt Cissa, Lucius, Ralph, Bitch."

"Brat," the blond woman with black eyes snarled. Bella gave a slight smirk.

"He's here, then?"

"He's…around," Ralph said, sharply.

"Why?" Bella said, sharply and Ralph tilted his head before looking around. He grabbed her by her wrist. Rita watched as several things happened and she was shocked to see it.

The Lovegood girl stayed where she was but Draco Malfoy's wand flew up and Blaise Zabini dropped into a combative stance, looking ready for a fight. Bella turned held up a finger and she tutted.

"Calm, you two. Ralph is our…friend. It's his bitch of a wife you need to look out for," Bella smirked and the woman hissed at her, warningly. Bella turned to Ralph and leaned in with a raised eyebrow. Bella pulled back with a grin.

"Is he really? I'm insulted. Why didn't he invite me?"

"You weren't invited," Ralph said, simply. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"Well, you all have fun without me. I'll see you later, then. Perhaps on a weekend, I could come to Malfoy Manor, Aunt Cissa? You could see Mama," Bella said, shortly and Narcissa smiled.

"I would like that. Have a wonderful year, Bella."

"Thanks, Aunt Cissa. Mum? Dad?"

As if by magic, Maya Granger and Sirius Black appeared by Bella's sides and pulled her into a tight three-way hug.

"Good luck, Bella," they whispered to her. Bella gave a grim smile.

"I'll need it."

:::

**A/N: **So…not the best of chapters and I just wanted to go through the motions so I could get to the important stuff. I just want to finish Inside My Mind up so I can move onto the sequel. Unfortunately, I will be posting the sequel weirdly. The sequel chapters will be really long but expect a monthly update. I have piles of work and Fanfiction needs to be pushed aside for a while.

_And _I'm participating in NaNoWriMo so this might be my only update for the month unfortunately. I'm sorry.

Next Chapter: Goin' Back To Hogwarts


	91. Chapter LXXXIV

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXIV**

**Platform 9 ¾, King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1****st**** of September 1997**

**11:00 AM**

"Hi!" Bella called, cheerfully as she walked into the compartment, Draco, Luna, and Blaise flanking her. There were a chorus of 'hello's as Bella, Luna, and Bella's brothers sat down. Bella was practically bouncing in her seat despite the weird looks her friends were sending her.

"Mione sends her love," Bella said, suddenly and everyone smiled softly at the mention of their lost friend. Bella shook her head and her dark hair flew around her as she ran a few hands through it.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Theodore murmured. Lalita nodded in agreement from her seat next to him. She was playing with her ring that hung on a chain and Bella brushed her hand against her own ring. No one quite noticed.

"It's been a long time. But we're going back," Fay sighed. Daphne leaned forward with a smirk.

"We're not going for work or for class," Daphne snickered. Bella laughed and they fist bumped in excitement. Blaise rolled his eyes though he had slight smile upon his face as well.

"As long as we're together, we're going to kick some ass!" Bella cheered.

"And it's going to be totally awesome," Daphne crowed and the two girls laughed. Lalita rolled her eyes with a disapproving look on her face. Linda laughed at her friend's expression.

"We're seventh years now! This year we'll take everybody by storm," Linda added. Draco looked interested now and Luna nodded in agreement though she was pouting slightly.

"Sneak out of our dorms for parties, too…can't forget parties…" Draco said with a smirk on his face. Lalita shook her head and she flicked Draco's ear. Draco looked at her in surprise and she raised a finger towards him.

"But lets not forget that we need to perform well in class if we want to pass our N.E.W.T.s and Masteries," Lalita reminded everyone. The whole of the compartment groaned except for a smirking Blaise and Luna Lovegood who was only biologically and not magically a witch. It's not like she even had exams in her sixth year except for the regular ones.

"_Aww_, Lalita why do you have to sound like such a…Hermione?" demanded Bella. Blaise snorted. Bella flashed him a grin while Lalita pursed her lips in annoyance.

"Because guys, school isn't all about fun and games. We have to study hard if we want good jobs," Lalita said, sounding rather annoyed. Bella nodded, conceding that Lalita was actually right. She began to fiddle with her ring. Daphne leaned forward suddenly.

"What the hell?"

"_What_?" Bella squawked when Daphne grabbed her around the neck. Daphne pulled Bella forward by the chain and she showcased the ring. Lalita stared in absolute shock.

"What the fuck happened to that fugly ring he gave you?"

"He _fixed _it. He turned the gold to platinum, healed the onyx, and put diamonds on it. It looks _nice_. What the hell is your issue?" Bella snapped. Daphne shook her head and looked at Lalita's ring.

"It looks like an _engagement _ring," Lalita said, sofly. Bella flushed and Draco and Blaise stiffened. Draco's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward to look at the expensive piece of jewelry as well.

"Well, it's not. Well…I don't _think _it is. I mean…he well…when he came to change it…I asked what it meant. He told me it could mean whatever I wanted it to mean. He was only joking," Bella explained though she frowned and she ran a hand through her hair. She sighed and pulled out her bag. She searched through it, anxiously before she found what she was looking for.

Her music folder.

"What?" Parvati asked, curiously.

"I composed a new song. I'll play it during Christmas. It's good. It's kind of part of a gift for Tom, actually," Bella said, softly and Padma raised an eyebrow. Bella cleared her throat and shook her head.

"Only part?"

"I'm having something commissioned to be…made. You'll see," Bella said with a slightly secretive smile. Bella sighed as he ran a hand through her hair and she tapped her fingers on her knee.

"Lets take a walk," Draco said, loudly. He was looking at Blaise and Bella. The two shrugged before nodding. Bella waved Daphne with her. Luna followed them as they walked from the room. Bella pretended not to notice that she was being watched and she flashed a smile to her brothers. They were both smirking as well.

"_Oh_!" squeaked a voice. Bella blinked and looking at the flushing young girl in front of her. She looked vaguely familiar with dark hair and familiar wide eyes.

"D-Daphne…you never gave me back my book. On magical theology," the young girl said, softly. Daphne blinked before nodding and she crossed her arms before sighing.

"It's my room back at home. Sorry. I'll get it back for you," Daphne said, shrugging and the younger girl who looked around fifteen nodding. She was biting her lip and looking anywhere but Bella.

"Who is this?" Bella asked, curiously.

"Uh…this is my goody two-shoes little sister, Tori. Tori, this is Bella. Potter," Daphne elaborated, calmly. The girl's eyes widened in recognition once more and she looked over at Bella. She flushed again and Bella stared at her in confusion. 'Tori' leaned forward.

"You're Bella Potter…the youngest attorney _ever_," the girl said. Bella flashed a smile and she nodded.

"Yup! And you're Tori," Bella said, softly.

"It's Astoria."

"Um…I'll stick with Tori," Bella said and Daphne and Bella cackled. Astoria flushed and Luna elbowed Draco and Blaise. The two boys looked at her and Luna nodded towards Astoria. Blaise smirked and Draco snorted.

"Where are you going?" Luna asked, kindly. Astoria shrugged.

"Back to my compartment. But, the Weasleys are nearby and they hate me because of Daphne's choice in best friend. It took me a while to get around them," Astoria said, solemnly. Bella stopped laughing and she glared around before crossing her arms. Draco was scowling as well.

"Where?" Draco asked. Astoria pointed down the carriage and Draco walked quickly. The others followed and suddenly Bella heard a loud and obnoxious cackle that sounded like it was from Ginny.

"I can't believe you said that!" Ginny laughed. Ron snorted with his arm around Lavender Brown and she was leaning into him with a smile. Ron shrugged and Gideon was smirking. Christine looked rather bored.

"It's okay! I hate that guy too! With his stupid high and mighty attitude and _stupid _blond hair! He looks like a freak with those crazy veins," Ron laughed. Draco pushed past an angry Bella and he threw open the compartment door with a shattering crash. The group stopped laughing and stared at Draco who had a smirk on his face.

"Did someone say Draco Malfoy?"

"Malfoy, what do you want?" spat Ginny and Draco glared at her with a silencing look on his face. Ginny looked at him in surprise.

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you. Hermione is still rather pissed that you don't like her very much. She's smart enough to escape, isn't she? I'm sure you'd be on her list, blood traitor," Draco spat at Ginny. Ginny paled and she leaned back into Michael Brown who was looking at Draco with a similarly frightened expression. It seemed that he feared Hermione as well and by extension, her siblings.

"Back for another year, blood traitors and Mudbloods," Daphne snickered and she tossed her shampoo commercial hair behind her shoulder with quite a bit of an exaggerated hand movement.

"Christine…maybe this year you'll wise up and hang out with a higher caliber of wizard," Blaise said, softly. Bella glanced at Blaise but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes remained on Christine. Christine cleared her throat as she looked to her friends.

"I…the Weasleys are my friends. I wouldn't trade them for anything," Christine said, firmly. Blaise shrugged.

"Have it your way. I think you'll change your mind when you find out certain things about the Weasleys," Blaise said, sharply and knowingly. Christine leaned back as if she'd just been slapped. Ginny looked almost confused. Lavender snorted and she looked at the dark haired girl standing half way behind Daphne.

"Wait! Don't tell me…big eyes, overly expensive clothes, and a magically enhanced complexion. You must be a Greengrass," Lavender smirked. Daphne's eyes narrowed and she took a step forward with anger on her face.

"Hey bitch, lay off my sister. She may be a pain in the ass sometimes but she's _my _pain in the ass," Daphne snapped. Astoria rolled her eyes.

"That's nice," she muttered under her breath. Bella gave her an amused smile and Astoria flushed before looking away, almost nervously in fact.

"Isn't that cute. It's like a little pureblood family. Except, wait, Bella's _not_," Ron said, viciously. Bella looked at her ex-best friend in surprise. He was being rather vindictive. Even Gideon and Ginny looked a little put off by his attitude with her.

"Hogwarts has really gone down hill if they're letting blood traitors like you in," Bella spat and she tossed her long hair behind her shoulder. She popped out her hip and placed a hand on it.

"You're going to end up living at that filthy hovel you call a home, I bet. Next year, I'll be at the Ministry getting my Law Mastery what will _you _be doing?" Bella asked. Ron glared at her and he stood up.

"There are Quidditch scouts coming this year. I'll be on a team," Ron snapped. Bella snorted.

"I'm Captain, if you've forgotten. Who says you're even going to get on the team? Let me tell you something, Ronald Weasley, I can't _wait _to get out of here. _I'll _have the greatest wizard career. And by the way, Daphne, it's going to be totally awesome," Bella said with a smirk and Daphne snorted. They shared a little cackle before Bella became serious again and looked over at the shocked students.

"And you all better look out because one day everyone will do what _I _say. And you won't be in my way. No one will. Not Grindelwald. Not Voldemort and not that _obnoxious _Tom Riddle who is clearly out of his mind. And then _I'll _be the one who has everything. _I'll _be the—" Bella said. Daphne jumped forward with a grin and Bella looked at her in surprise.

"Yes, you'll be the one who is totally awesome," Daphne laughed. Bella snorted and she cast a look around the compartment. Everyone looked frightened and bemused by their behavior. Bella looked serious again, suddenly.

"You guys, I'm being serious. Ginny, Gideon, Michael, and Christine, I still see you guys as…sort of friends. I know Gideon probably hates me right now and Ginny probably hates me and I know that Michael probably hates me—"

"We don't hate you," Gideon said, firmly and Christine, Michael and Ginny nodded. Ron snorted and Lavender rolled her eyes.

"And I know Ron hates me for some reason and I know Lavender hates me because I supposedly stole her best friend but I just really want my last year to be great. So, if you could…lay off Daphne's sister, that'd be great. And Christine, you are welcome to our compartment any time," Bella commented and she nodded at all of them before pulling away from the compartment. Blaise walked forward instead and leaned down to whisper something to Christine. Christine flushed.

"No…I'm not," Christine muttered. Blaise smirked.

"I see Christine. It's okay," Blaise said, softly. Christine shook her head and she looked out of the window.

"I really don't. I kind of like Colin," Christine muttered. Blaise snorted.

"Sure," Blaise said with a smirk. Christine flushed and looked away. Blaise turned from the room and looked to Astoria with a slight smirk before nodding and turning to his siblings.

"We can go now," Blaise said, firmly. The group quickly left the compartment and they delivered Astoria to her own. Bella smiled, softly at Astoria.

"Bye, Tori," Bella waved and the younger girl flushed before waving as well.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1****st**** of September 1997**

**7:30 PM**

"They'll be here in a half-hour, Albus."

Albus Dumbledore looked over to Minerva. She looked grim-faced though calm. Albus nodded and he looked at the rest of the staff sitting around the conference table in the teacher's lounge. Each of the Head of Houses had a pile of schedules sitting beside them for everyone in their house.

"Indeed. Tom, have you Sorted your newest DADA extensive class?" Albus asked. He looked at the young man and he saw him look up, sharply. He looked drawn and exhausted if Albus was being honest. Tom's eyes were narrowed and he looked like he wanted to sleep.

"Yes," Tom hissed.

"Professor Delacour, have you received the list of students as of yet?"

Albus looked at the redheaded French woman. She smoothed a dark strand into her bun and she nodded once before looking over the list once more. She cleared her throat and tilted her head in curiosity.

"I noticed zat Miss Potter iz not on ze list," Colette Delacour commented, lightly and Tom looked over at the young woman with a raised eyebrow. She stared at him with unblinking and serious grey eyes.

"Miss Potter is in my class," Tom said, quietly. He was quietly glaring at Colette. Albus wondered if Tom knew Colette from somewhere else but he quickly dismissed the errant thought. The Delacour woman nodded, softly and she tilted her head.

"Why iz zat?"

"She is skilled."

"Wiz 'er mouth?" Colette challenged. Albus looked at the two in shock. Many of the other staff members looked just as shocked as Albus was. Tom's teeth were clenched together and his fingers folded into fists. He sent Colette a fearsome glare that unnerved her. His nostrils flared with rage.

It certainly unnerved Albus.

"_Ferme ta bouche, tu petite pute_," Tom spat and Albus looked at Tom in shock. He had never spoken to a woman in such a manner and to hear it was shocking. Colette looked pale and Tom sneered at her.

"I apologize. Zat was ou' of line," Colette remarked. Tom glared.

"Indeed. Miss Potter is skilled in multiple aspects of Defense. You are welcome to test her if you wish. She is in my class tomorrow morning," Tom said, flatly. Colette nodded in agreement and she crossed her arms as she looked over Tom once more before looking to Albus.

"Perhapz, I can meet wiz Miss Potter—"

"About what?" Tom snarled, hostilely. Colette raised her hands in submission and Tom looked dangerously close to hissing at her.

"I simply wished to speak to her. If she is truly as good as you believe her to be—"

"Perhaps you haven't heard what I said. I said she was skilled. I am not the type of man to give compliments. What I truly meant was that she could beat the shit out of you. Would you like a demonstration?" Tom snapped. Colette tilted her head and she gave a smile.

"I would."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 1****st**** of September 1997**

**8:10 PM**

Colette Delacour watched from her seat between the walrus-like Professor Slughorn and the wispy and thin Professor Sinistra. The students were pouring into the room. Colette glanced down the table at Tom Riddle. He was sitting with narrowed eyes. He was a handsome man. Colette had to admit. However, she wasn't in the least interested.

He seemed like a bastard.

And he had the wrong parts anyway.

Colette watched as the youngest wizarding prosecutor walked into the room with an entire entourage. Colette looked over at Riddle and saw that he had straightened and relaxed when Bella Potter had entered the room. She walked in with a bright smile on her face.

Her smile was certainly gorgeous.

The young woman had overgrown bangs that she constantly brushed from her face. She was dressed in a comfortable outfit and she had rolled up her sleeves. She kissed Draco Malfoy on the cheek before doing the same to Blaise Zabini. Draco escorted a pretty blonde over to the Ravenclaw table. Colette wondered if Draco was as much of a bastard as people said he was.

Colette wouldn't put it past him.

In her eyes, most men were bastards anyway.

That was only one of the reasons that she didn't want anything to do with them. Women were so much more understanding and emotional. Colette couldn't stand the hardness of a man. It reminded her too much of her past.

Bella suddenly spun and looked over at Tom Riddle and graced him with the sweetest smile that Colette had ever seen. It was insanely kind and Colette would never have expected that smile on the face of someone who was described to be the most cold and ruthless woman in the wizarding world. Bella suddenly looked at Colette and she raised an eyebrow. Colette flashed her a smile and Bella blinked in surprise before going to sit down at the Gryffindor table.

Colette watched as Bella's smile slipped as her eyes fell on an empty spot in front of her. The French woman was absolutely shocked to see the empty look on her face. Suddenly, Bella jolted and she looked over at Riddle. Riddle was giving her the slightest of smiles and Bella relaxed and graced him with another smile.

Dumbledore stood, suddenly and he looked around.

"I welcome all of you to Hogwarts! I welcome all of you young eleven year olds to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore cheered with a benign smile. He looked around once again before clearing his throat.

"Now that I've got you here at Hogwarts, I'd like to go over just a couple of rules! My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and I am Headmaster of Hogwarts. The forbidden forest is off-limits to _all _students. Hounding of other student is strictly off-limits. Curfews are still intact, mind you, unless you have explicit permission from myself or Professor Riddle. And now let us proceed with dinner," Dumbledore said and he clapped his hands. Colette blinked when mounds of food appeared in front of her, including a number of French dishes. Colette looked down the table to Dumbledore and he was smiling at her.

"_Merci, monsieur_," Colette said, softly and Dumbledore nodded. Riddle sneered at her and looked away before looking around. He looked shocked before his eyes narrowed on something. Colette's eyes widened when he stood, abruptly and walked down from the table and towards Bella Potter. Bella was smirking as she poured what looked like a bottle of wine. Riddle scooped the bottle from her hand and glared.

"Mine."

Bella snorted and Riddle stormed right back up to the Head Table and poured the bottle for himself. He took a sip of the red wine and leaned back, absolutely content. Colette rolled her eyes.

"What do you think of Hogwarts, Professor Delacour?" Professor Sinistra asked, curiously and Colette looked over at the slightly older woman with owlish eyes. She quickly processed the question before answering.

"It iz very nice, I zink. However, my partner leaves somezing to be desired," Colette said, giving Riddle a tight glare. Riddle only lifted his glass to her and glared. He seemed to be listening to the conversation and this only annoyed Colette even more. Sinistra looked shocked as did an eavesdropping Slughorn.

"You do not like Tom Riddle? Everyone likes Tom Riddle…unless they're first years. Then, they are just afraid of him," Sinistra commented, lightly. Colette shrugged and she tilted her head.

"Yes. I'm afraid zat 'e doezn't like me very much, 'imself. Waz I too forward wiz my comment about Miss Potter?" Colette asked. Slughorn cleared his throat and he leaned forward, ready to gossip to Colette. Colette was ready to listen.

"Tom has always been defensive of Miss Potter. Your words were rather offensive," Slughorn explained. Colette looked back at Bella Potter. She was laughing with a young Indian woman with a bright smile on her face.

Tomorrow…

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 2****nd**** of September 1997**

**9:00 AM**

Colette watched as Bella Potter walked into the room, a long braid hanging down her back. She had her black over robe tossed over her shoulder. In her hand was an oversized white button down shirt. She had on a pair of oversized glasses unlike yesterday. Colette saw that she was wearing four necklaces. One had a ring on it. Another had the signature locket that Colette had heard so much about. Then, a smaller heart shaped locket. And finally it was the sign of Grindelwald.

"Hi!" Bella said with a bright smile as she walked into the room. Colette began to respond back until she realized that Bella was speaking to Riddle. Riddle held out his hand. Bella took it and she yanked him forward. Colette watched in shock as a black snake slithered from around Bella's neck and onto Riddle's arm.

"Good morning. Sit down."

Bella walked towards the chair in the center of the first row. Colette watched as everyone else in the class sat down in the seats as if automatic. One seat, next to Bella was left empty for some reason. Colette gave Riddle a questioning look but he hadn't even looked at her.

"As Dumbledore announced last night, this is Professor Colette Delacour," Riddle said, softly. Bella's eyes widened.

"Delacour? Are you related to Fleur?" she questioned. Colette smiled at the young woman and nodded. The French woman missed Riddle's sneer.

"Through 'er fazer's side, yes. I am not Veela," Colette said. Bella nodded and she looked over at Riddle. Colette looked around as everyone looked to Bella for instruction. Riddle tilted his head.

"Blaise, take your disciples. Books are in the corner. Test their Occlumency. Actually, all of you go get your Occlumency checked. Except for you, Anya," Riddle said, pointing to Bella. The students looked to Bella and Bella rolled her eyes before gesturing towards the corner.

"What d'you need from me?" Bella asked, curiously and Riddle leaned forward to look Bella in the face. Colette wondered if they really had to be that close to each other to simply say a few words.

"_Professor _Delacour would like to duel you. She questions your…skills in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Riddle said, softly. Bella raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Colette with a smile. She dropped her excess clothing onto the table and she moved slowly towards the platform.

"Is that so? Well then, Professor, I'd be willing to show you how good I am," Bella said, softly. Colette watched as Bella somersaulted onto the dueling platform with incredibly skill. She got into a strange fighting stance and Colette walked onto the dueling platform, slowly.

"We bow," Colette prompted. Bella fell into a low bow while Colette did a mix of a curtsey and a bow. Bella straightened. Colette straightened as well and she gave a twist of her wand. Bella flicked her wrist and a holly wand flew into her hand. She raised it and slashed down.

She countered the spell with a Shield Charm. Bella tilted her head as Colette began to hurl hex after curse at her Shield Charm. Bella gave a little smile and she cleared her throat.

"Professor, are you versed in physical dueling? Hand-to-hand combat?" Bella asked, curiously.

"I waz to be an Auror. I do know," Colette said, sharply. Bella grinned and ran forward, throwing her fist out. Colette caught it in surprise and she cast an ice spell at Bella's feet. Bella's feet froze to the platform.

"_Reducto_," Bella cast. The platform exploded along with the ice around Bella's feet. Colette stumbled back while throwing up a Shield Charm. The splinters of ice and wood crumbled against her Shield Charm and Colette watched as Bella fell to her knees and ripped up a long piece of wood. The younger woman lifted her knee and snapped the piece of wood over it.

The two halves were the length of her arms now. She flung one to the side before she lunged forward for Colette. Colette froze as the young woman's face morphed suddenly and she had a demonic grin on her face. She pushed Colette down to the floor of the platform and kneeled over her, stake pressed to Colette's jugular point.

Colette stared up at the younger woman with a flush upon her cheeks. Bella's wild hair was around her like a halo now and she was grinning, smugly, down at Colette and she bounced up, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Guess I'm better than you thought, huh?" Bella laughed and she walked off the platform as she tucked the stake through her belt loop. Colette leaned up on her elbows and she stared after Bella. Colette swallowed when she caught a crimson glare. Riddle was glaring at her and the words didn't need to spoken because his look conveyed the message quite clearly.

Mine.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 2****nd**** of September 1997**

**3:00 PM**

"All seventh years, I've asked you here today because this is the orientation meeting for what we call Education Counseling," said the woman standing in front of them. Behind her was a row of Ministry sent officials who looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there. The youngest woman, early thirties, looked the most excited out of all of them.

Bella leaned against the wall, bored.

"What is Education Counseling, you ask? As part of the Department of Magical Education, it is our job to make sure that every single one of you has a future. For some, you already know what you wish to do with your life. Others, not so much. However, we shall help you come to terms with what your aspirations are and we will attempt to help you make this possible. Whether this means looking at applications for further education in your individual fields of work or talking about fronting for a business, we will be there to help you while you study hard for your N.E. or Mastery," the woman said before she looked around at all of the seventh years again. She cleared her throat and took out a long scroll as she prepared to read all of the names out.

"As I read out this list of names, it will be followed by your counselor. They will raise their hand and you will follow them out," the woman stated, calmly. Bella looked over at Blaise and he shrugged with a slight smile.

"Steve Cornfoot, Wayne Hopkins, Susan Bones, Lisa Turpin, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Blaise Zabini, and Tracey Davis. Proceed with Skye. Skye, raise your hand," the woman called out. Bella almost snorted when she saw a guy with a flower necklace around his neck and long hair. He wore tan bellbottoms and a paisley shirt. Bella looked over at Blaise who was sneering in horror.

"Sucks for you. You're stuck with the hippie," Bella smirked. Blaise glared at her and walked away towards 'Skye'. Bella gave a little wave and she was tucked another strand of hair behind her ear.

"Daphne Greengrass, Ronald Weasley, Lavender Brown, Su Li, Megan Jones, Zacharias Smith, Padma Patil, and Bella Potter. You're with Zoe," the woman continued. Bella grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder as the most excitable woman of the bunch jumped up and pumped her fist into the air.

"Yes! I've got Potter! You all owe me ten galleons!" Zoe cheered. The other counselors smacked hands to their faces as Bella snorted. She hooked arms with Daphne as they walked towards the door. Zoe ran quickly over to them and she gave an excited wave.

"Hello, hello! Is that all of you? Okay! Come on with me!" Zoe said with the brightest grin Bella had ever seen. The younger woman was surprised that she hadn't gone blind yet from the smile.

Bella followed the zealous woman out of the room and towards the nearest room. She groaned when she realized it was the DADA room that they were headed for. Zoe looked over at Bella and Bella over only a sheepish smile as the woman opened the door. Zoe walked into the room and she stopped when she saw the man sitting on the desk.

He looked younger than her though Zoe knew that he was much older than her. She flushed when she looked over his handsome visage. He was looking at something in his hand. He looked up, sharply and he seemed to be looking at Zoe. Zoe flushed more and she fluttered her eyes, coyly until she realized that he was looking over her shoulder. Zoe looked over her shoulder at the young woman with bright green eyes. Zoe flushed in embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked the man. Professor Riddle stood up, fluidly and he tucked whatever he was looking at into the box that hung from a chain around his neck. He hissed something at it before walked towards Bella.

"None of you business. I need to borrow that," Professor Riddle said, gesturing to the gorgeous ring that Zoe had just noticed around Bella's neck. Bella grabbed it, possessively and she glared at him.

"For what reason?"

"You know why."

"You were _joking _weren't you?" Bella snorted.

Professor Riddle only stared at Bella as if she were the stupidest woman on Earth and Bella paled.

"You were _joking_? Right? _Right_?"

"Honestly, woman…give me the ring."

"But you were _joking_!"

"I don't joke, Anya. I never joke. Give me the ring," Professor Riddle said, flatly. His fingers unhooked the necklace from her neck and he shoved the ring into his pocket before turning on his heel. Bella stared after the man.

"Hey! Give it back! You gave it to me. It's mine," Bella snarled, angrily. Professor Riddle smirked at her.

"Say 'yes'."

"No!"

"Then it's mine. You can hold it after I'm done with it. It _could _be yours if you did me a small little favor," Professor Riddle said, temptingly. Bella's eyes widened and she nodded leaning forward.

"What?"

"Say yes."

Bella stared, her mouth open. She shook her head and groaned in annoyance. She stormed away from him and he looked at her with faint amusement on his face. Professor Riddle shrugged.

"Then the ring is still mine. It's a simple word. It's your fault you can't say it. But, I suppose you _may _get it back after I'm finished with it. Perhaps—"

"Maybe."

Zoe frowned in confusion as Professor Riddle was instantly shut up. He blinked at her and leaned forward.

"Are you serious?" he asked, quietly. Bella smirked and she shrugged.

"Maybe. I said maybe. Now beat it. You're disrupting this weirdo meeting. I gave you an answer. A simple word. I said 'maybe'. Accept it and go off tinkering with the damn ring," Bella laughed. Professor Riddle gave her another incredulous look before drifting off in a snake-like way. Daphne snorted and shook her head as Bella cackled.

"I think you broke him," Daphne laughed. Bella smirked.

"His fault. He wanted an answer. So, I gave him one," Bella laughed. Zoe frowned in confusion but her excitement overshadowed the bemusement and she reassumed her massive grin. She beckoned everyone inside and watched as Bella strode towards Professor Riddle's desk and sat down on it, cross-legged. Daphne pulled a chair next to the desk and sat down.

"Why do _you _get to sit on Riddle's desk?" spat Zacharias. Zoe had chosen to learn _everyone's _name. You could never be too prepared and this _was _her first counseling job.

"I'm entitled. He wants something from me and if he wants it as bad as he does than he can do whatever the _hell _I want," Bella said, almost arrogantly. Zacharias looked like he wanted to retort so Zoe held up her hands in a peace offering.

"Okay, everybody. Lets be calm. Come sit around and introduce yourself. Say an interesting fact about yourself and then tell me your goals and your talents," Zoe said, softly. Bella sighed and rolled her eyes and Zoe hoped she wasn't a diva. Zoe couldn't stand those types of people and it angered her more than anything.

"I'll start," Padma said and she tilted her head as she looked around at everyone.

"My name's Padma Patil. An interesting fact is that…I know Occlumency. Currently, I plan to go into the Ministry and train to be an Obliviater. I'm quite talented with mind magic in general, actually," Padma said with a slightly secret smile and she nodded to all of them. Zoe nodded in understanding. It was a rare talent, mind magic.

"I am Su Li. An interesting fact…despite my name, I cannot speak Chinese. I would like to be a reporter for a trustworthy magazine…like the Quibbler," Su Li stated and Bella couldn't help but grin.

"I'm Zacharias Smith. An interesting fact about me would be the fact that the Hat considered me for Slytherin—" Zacharias said, haughtily, and here Bella snorted and Zacharias glared before continuing "—I am planning to join the Wizengamot after I graduate from Hogwarts. My father is willing to pull strings to get me in."

Bella rolled her eyes and exchanged a look with Daphne. The Greengrass Heiress had a raised eyebrow herself and she glanced over at her friend with a slight twist of her lips.

"I'm Megan Jones. An interesting fact about myself…I'm Wiccan so when my mum found that I was truly a witch she was _ecstatic_," Megan said and she lifted a necklace hanging form her neck of a waxing moon, a full moon, and a waning moon, all attached. Bella wondered what they stood for.

"What's Wiccan?" Zacharias asked, obnoxiously.

"It's a pagan religion. It's drawn from actual religion in the wizarding world. We also practice Samhain and Yule though a bit differently, meaning without actual magic," Megan said, simply and Bella blinked in surprise.

"My mother was sort of Wiccan," Bella said, softly. Megan looked at Bella in shock before she tilted her head.

"I suppose I am too," Bella added and she smiled at Megan. Megan blinked before returning the smile.

"I don't know what I want to be after Hogwarts," Megan finished. Lavender rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms.

"My name is Lavender Brown. An interesting fact would be…my hair is _naturally _this bouncy. I'm planning to start a cosmetics line," Lavender said and she tossed her hair over her shoulder and fluttered her eyes. Zoe stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm Ron Weasley. I was trained by _the _Tom Riddle for a year in Defense Against the Dark Arts and I'm going to be the Keeper for the Chudley Cannons."

Bella snorted and she looked over at Daphne.

"I'm Daphne Greengrass. I'm skilled in the use of a katana, a Japanese sword. After graduating from Hogwarts, I'm planning on going to Japan to study martial arts for a year and then go on to become a Potions Mistress."

Zoe watched as Bella froze and turn to the other woman. Bella shot her a look before she realized everyone was looking at her. Bella sighed.

"I'm Bella Potter. I'm…I…I'm fluent in French, Parseltongue, Druhir, and Latin—"

"Everyone knows that. Ron told me," Lavender snapped and she glared at Bella with a large bit of malice and Zoe wondered where that had come from. Bella glared back.

"You just want to know about my personal life. Fine, then. You could've asked. I'm in a relationship with someone…someone who is probably the most important person in my life," Bella said, softly and Zoe blinked at Bella in surprise. She had heard rumors, of course, but she hadn't expected Bella to just out and say it.

"After Hogwarts, I plan to get my Law Mastery and become an attorney specifically for creatures. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't enjoy being the Ministry attorney in my first case. Granger versus the Ministry, people are calling it," Bella said, softly and she shook her before giving a great sigh.

She shook her head and gave a great smile.

"Well, then. I'm Zoe and this is my first year as a counselor. I look forward to getting to know all of you and I hope that this provides excellent support for you as you make your way forward. I'll go around to talk to each of you individually—"

"Excuse me."

Zoe looked up to see Tom Riddle leaning against the doorway. His hair hung to his shoulder in wave and Zoe's mouth dried at the sight he made. He was really _attractive_. _Damn_. Zoe nodded.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"I have something to give to Anya…Miss Potter," Professor Riddle clarified and Zoe frowned as she wondered where the nickname 'Anya' had come from. Bella didn't seem surprised by it and she held out her hand, as if ready to catch something.

Something whistled through the air and Bella caught it. Zoe stared in shock. Bella cast her a smirk before chaining it around her neck. It was the ring from before except now the band was lined with diamonds. Bella blinked at it and she smiled.

"It's pretty," she murmured.

"_Il pâlit en comparaison de son porteur,"_ Professor Riddle said, softly and Bella flushed before smiling and tilting her head.

"Aren't you slick? Well…we'll see. I'll…consider your…offer," Bella said, softly. Professor Riddle smirked.

"Isn't that a nice way to put it. An offer. I would've thought you'd say yes immediately. Most women would."

"Tom, I'm not most women. And you haven't put most women through as much as you've put me through," Bella snapped and Professor Riddle nodded in agreement. Bella looked at him in complete shock.

"And that's why I will wait for you answer. It's worth it. _Mon ami. Mon partenaire. Mon amour. Tojours_," Professor Riddle said, softly. Zoe watched as everyone but three looked immensely confused at the French words. Padma and Daphne stared in shock.

"_AWWWW!_" the two cooed. Bella was staring at Professor Riddle, shell shocked before blinking and clearing her throat.

"I…that was really…yeah…um…maybe," Bella stammered before looking away. Professor Riddle smirked before nodding and departing from the room. Bella touched the ring and shook her head.

"Oh my God! That was _sooo_ totally awesome!" Daphne snickered. Bella rolled her eyes though the smile didn't leave her face. Lavender frowned.

"What was he talking about?" Lavender asked.

"None of your business," Padma said, flatly. Bella shook her head, eyes wide and her lips spreading into a slight smile. Zoe frowned in confusion as she sighed to herself and hissed something.

"**I love that man.**"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 5****th**** of September 1997**

**4:00 PM**

Colette watched, the Disillusionment Charm on her body. She watched from the trees as the young woman rode around on the black majestic beast. The blind unicorn galloped around the large ring and Bella was leaned up on it, a wooden javelin in hand. Riddle was on a large horse himself while Malfoy sat on a large animal that appeared to be a horse.

"I don't understand why I have to do this!" Bella called as she raced forward with her horse. She was gripping the reins tightly and she looked slightly nervous by the horse.

"You have to learn how to fight on a mount, love. I've perfected your hand-to-hand combat. We're moving on," Riddle called as he expertly rode his horse next to hers and she looked over at him with a delectable pout.

Tom rolled his eyes as he looked at her and he leaned forward until his lips were only a breath away from hers.

"I want a kiss. You haven't kissed me since yesterday," Bella murmured as she looked up at him from under her long lashes. Tom smirked at her and he tilted his head.

"Catch me and I'll give you a kiss."

And then Tom galloped off and jumped the fence of the paddock. Bella grit her teeth with a grin and she leaned down. Colette watched as Riddle pulled his horse to a stop. Bella leaned forward. Colette couldn't quite hear her.

"_Jhaer kai, _Nikita. Nikolai has a Dark Lord to catch," Bella whispered to the unicorn. Nikita snorted at her and he took off on a gallop. Bella tightened her legs on the side of her horse and he braced himself before taking off over the fence. She winced as she landed and Tom stared at her in shock.

Bella grinned before both her and Nikita raced after him. Tom just started off again and he raced through the grounds. They easily passed various students who stared after them in shock.

"Is that Potter on a black _unicorn_?"

"Is that Riddle on a horse?"

"She looks hot."

"Wow! I didn't know they rode horses! So cool!"

"Come back here, you coward! I want to claim what's mine," Bella called, laughing in exhilaration. Tom looked over his shoulder with a roguish grin gracing his face and Bella's smile on became wider. Bella leaned forward and stood in the stirrups of her unicorn.

Nikita turned as if to look over at her with seemingly blind eyes.

"Nikita…_ci'm vol ail thy los iar_. I'm going to try something crazy. Is that okay, baby?" Bella murmured to the mount. He snorted at her and leaned forward, as if ready for whatever she was about to do.

Bella grinned.

"Love you, baby. You'll be getting beef for being such a good boy today. Come up next to this fool," Bella commanded. Nikita did as she commanded and he rode up next to Tom. Tom looked over at Nikita and Bella in shock.

"Haven't caught me yet, _mon amour_," Tom said, mockingly. Bella grinned before she launched herself off her mount and flew over to Tom. Tom stared at her in shock as she threw her leg over the horse's back and one of her arms around his neck.

"Don't doubt me, sweetheart," Bella murmured against Tom's neck and she pressed her lips to the base of it, fleetingly. She was throwing caution to the wind, doing it in the open though most were still shocked by her crazy move.

"I've learned not to. You could've killed yourself," Tom said as he slowed down a canter. Nikita was still racing along side.

"_Tar_, Kita. _Myr_, Kita," Bella commanded, loudly and Nikita slowed down to a stop. Tom looked back at her in surprise for jerking his reins and stopping the horse they rode. Bella slowly slipped from its back. She looked at the students that were slowly edging towards them.

Bella closed the difference between herself and her mount. She hugged the unicorn around the neck.

"_Baesia kyr. _Very good, my darling," Bella said, softly as she pressed soft kisses along the animal. She didn't turn when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder.

"Druhir?"

"I can't have him responding to English. My baby is blind when I'm not riding him."

Tom's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

"We're connected. His eyes are my eyes. My eyes are his when I ride him. Otherwise, he's blind," Bella said. Tom nodded and Bella looked up just as the other students slipped forward. The pack of students stared at the unicorn in interest. Bella frowned when she saw Zacharias Smith was among the mix.

"Whose is this?"

"Mine," Bella snarled and she tugged on Nikita's rein harsher than she needed to. Nikita lunged for her, teeth first and Bella grabbed him and brought him forward.

"Nikita!" she reprimanded.

The vicious unicorn bowed its head in submission and Bella sighed before kissed him once more. It looked around, skittish and made a nervous snorting sound. Bella sighed and held up a hand as Zacharias reached forward.

"_Tar_, you silly thing. _Myr, _Kita. _Tar_, Kita. _Tar_," Bella murmured as she attempted to calm the horse. She shook her head and kissed him softly.

"How do you find a _black _unicorn?" asked one student. Bella smiled.

"He found me. Come on, Kita. Time for your dinner, baby," Bella said as she used her flexibility to put her foot in the stirrupt. She swung her other leg over and she looked over at Tom. He was looking up at her with a tilted head.

"Coming?" Bella asked, curiously. Tom turned towards his horse and mounted easily. Bella grinned before nodding.

"_Vodi_, Nikita. Ride," Bella murmured and then Nikita started forward, fiercely. Bella leaned up, her eyes flashing and Tom stared at her as she rode with a ferocious glint in her eyes that promised pain. Tom couldn't help but smile.

Lady Nikolai.

Horseman of Victory.

She was almost ready to ride.

* * *

**Level X, Azkaban Prison, Isle of Azkaban, Atlantic Ocean**

**Saturday the 12****th**** of September 1997**

**11:00 PM**

Dahlia Cross was one of the most feared murderesses in Azkaban Prison. There was a reason that she was on Level X, the top security floor. She was proud of this reason and she had once thought that she'd always be the most feared and she knew her legacy would be remembered.

They had known her as Venom.

She had been an escort in the red-light district of Pleasure Alley, near the seedy end. A kiss and a romp in the sheets usually ended with a high dose of a special little concoction that Dahlia had created with her partner-in-crime.

Her lover that was dead…her sweet vixen, Melanie.

But she shouldn't dwell on dark thoughts.

She should sleep.

She _would've _been sleeping.

If it wasn't for that _girl_…

Always humming the eeriest tunes.

Her psychotic cackles…

The insane whispers…

"Bella Potter…" Hermione Granger whispered and Dahlia watched from her cell as the shadows melted away from in front of Hermione and a beautiful woman formed. There was a flash of crimson eyes before the shadows twisted again and left the long form of the woman that Dahlia had only heard of.

Long and wild black hair tumbled down her back and she had poisonous green eyes. A straight nose and high aristocratic cheekbones. She looked very much like a girl that Dahlia had once went to Hogwarts with. A girl in her year…in her house…Narcissa had taken the girl underneath her wing.

So long ago…

"Sister," Bella Potter said, softly with a tilt of her head.

She took a step forward and slid her hand through the bars and she touched Hermione Granger's cheek. Granger smiled and she sighed.

"Why are you here?"

"Luna said that Lady War had something to say."

"She does. She whispers things in my ear. Whisper…whisper…whisper…a song, she sings in my sleep," Granger said and Dahlia knew by the way that she was speaking. Dahlia knew.

The dementors were beginning to take their effect on Granger.

Bella Potter seemed to realize the same.

"What song?"

"_Come little children_

_I'll take thee away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

_Come little children_

_The time's come to play_

_Here in my garden of magic…_" Granger sang, eerily and Dahlia knew that Granger's voice wasn't ideal but it made her skin crawl more than the dementors. Potter raised an eyebrow.

"_Come little children_

_The time's drawing near_

_Halloween night is coming_

_Come little children_

_Ride with me tonight_

_It's not a night for abstaining_

_Come little children_

_Now follow me home_

_Not a one of you need worry_

_Come little children_

_The time's come to roam_

_Come follow me_

_Please hurry_

_Come little children_

_There's blood magic to see_

_Here in my garden of mystery_

_Come little children_

_Into my abode_

_Tomorrow you all will be history_."

Granger laughed and she tilted her head as she looked at Potter. Potter frowned.

"What is _that_?"

"Oh…I'm not sure. I just hear the words. They sing for mercy. They sing for mercy. What should I do? What shall I do?" Granger sang and she smiled. Potter grinned.

"Show none. I'm learning how to fight on Nikita now."

"Good. Ride, my sister. Ride fast, ride fierce, ride bold."

"I will."

:::

**A/N: **I'm sorry this took so long. This story really needs to come to an end. I just…I'm _really_, really sorry. Real life and all that rot. Then, I lost my inspiration and contemplated not even finishing the story. Then, I got caught up in my novel. I'm really sorry everybody. I hope you can forgive me.

So…likes about this chapter?

Dislikes?

Things you'd like to see in her seventh year?

**Next Chapter: **Astoria, Black, Counseling, and Dates


	92. Chapter LXXXV

**3Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **I don't really have note and I really have nothing to say. For once.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXV**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 1****st**** of October 1997**

**6:00 PM**

Bella watched from atop Nikita with narrowed eyes as Tom rode the majestic horse around the ring once more. Draco sat down outside the pen with his arm around Luna's shoulders and he was speaking in low tones to Blaise. Bella turned her gaze back to Tom and she flushed when she realized that he was staring at her with those smoldering eyes.

"Thinking about something, love?" Tom spoke softly and Bella shook her head, emphatically. He crept forward on his horse before he swung off and stood next between the horse and Nikita.

"You sure?" he baited, his tone flirtatious. Bella sniffed and she crossed her arms.

"I wasn't thinking about _you_."

"I never said you were."

Bella rolled her eyes and her eyes widened when two hands found her waist and she was lifted right off of Nikita and pulled down. She stumbled into Tom's chest and she laid her against his shoulder. He held her with one arm while his other hand began to unbraid her hair.

"What are you doing?" she murmured against his shoulder and she looked up at him. He smirked down at her and Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes at his bravado.

"You look better with your hair down."

Bella couldn't help but smile at that. She sighed and shook her head because she knew that that wasn't exactly true. Her hair was wild when it was down and it made her look crazier and Darker than she normally would. Of course, Tom would like that but it normally frightened other people, namely younger students.

"Aren't you two _adorable_?" a voice cooed. Bella turned from Tom and looked over at the blonde young woman and the younger brunette girl hanging over the fence. Bella rolled her eyes at Daphne.

"What do _you _want?" Bella smirked. Daphne sighed.

"I just wanted to spend time with my _only _best friend but it seems like she's busy with her _fiancé_," Daphne mocked with a grin. Bella's eyes narrowed and she pulled away from Tom before looking sharply at Astoria.

"Quiet," she hissed.

"Oh, don't mind her. She won't speak a _word_. Tori's just as trustworthy as me and I tell her _everything_. She _knows _everything. It's fine," Daphne said, rolling her eyes. Bella's eyes widened on Astoria and she looked up before flushing and looking away.

"How could you tell her things that you were supposed to keep _secret_?"

"I tell my sister everything, Bella. I'm sure it was the same with you and Hermione," Daphne said, her voice cold. Bella huffed and shook her head as she glared over at Daphne. Bella sighed and turned back to Tom.

He was murmuring something in Druhir to Nikita. Bella rolled her eyes at Daphne and she walked to Nikita before placing her foot in the stirrup. She swung herself up before she leaned forward.

"_Thysas, _Nikita. Forward."

Nikita walked slowly and Bella directed him towards the paddock. She slipped off as she pulled him in and she closed the fence door behind her before turning back to Tom. She smiled at him and he gave her a smirk.

"Your office?" she asked. Daphne raised an eyebrow.

"I thought we were going to hang out."

"That was before you told your little sister confidential information," Bella said, flatly. Daphne snorted and she crossed her arms before rolling her eyes.

"She's my sister. I trust her, Bella. It's not my fault if you can't trust anyone," Daphne said, mockingly. Bella tensed and Tom frowned.

"Miss Greengrass…" Tom started and Daphne glared at him.

"So you're going fight her battles now? She can't fight her battles if you're going to just defend her all the time. I didn't know you were one to let your man fight for you," Daphne said, scathingly.

Bella lunged with her hand extended and a finger curved, pointing downwards and Daphne hissed in pain and she grabbed her right wrist, harshly. She leaned against the fence and gave a sharp cry of pain.

Astoria stared in horror as Bella's hand clamped around Daphne's leather covered wrist.

"Please…" Astoria whispered.

Bella jerked Daphne closer and put her lips close to the taller woman's ear.

"You belong to me."

Daphne hissed in pain and Bella's lips curled into cruel smile. She didn't notice her siblings and friend look up. Bella slowly pulled Daphne's cuff from her wrist and exposed the tattoo. Bella pressed a finger to it and shriek of pain erupted from Daphne's lips and the tattoo turned crimson.

"You listen to me and only me. You do not question my authority. I am you Lady. Do you understand?" Bella hissed in her ear. Daphne gave another cry. Bella felt arms wrap around her waist and an ear near her ear.

"Stop…"

Bella looked up around and saw Luna, Draco, and Blaise standing with severe expressions on her face. Tom was looking down at her with a forlorn expression.

"She needs to learn her place," Bella spat though her tone showed some confusion. Draco shook his head.

"And she has. We said we wouldn't make them slaves. We said we wouldn't be like…the Dark Lord," Draco said and he cast an apologetic look to Tom. Tom didn't even turn to him. He kept his eyes on Bella's face and he tugged her away from Daphne. Bella held fast and Daphne began to twitch and her eyes slowly began to roll back into her head.

"You're not me…stop…you're going to kill your best friend," Tom murmured to her. Bella's eyes widened and she let go, sharply and her lip began to quiver as Daphne collapsed to the ground and took in a great gasp of air. She shuddered, violently and she looked up at Bella with horror-filled eyes.

Astoria was staring, terrified.

"I'm…I'm…I'm sorry," Bella whispered and her voice held a tremor. Daphne shook her head and she slid back towards the fence as she stared at Bella, wordlessly. Bella shook and she took a step backward.

"I'm…I'm not like him. I'm not…I'm sorry…" Bella murmured and she took a step forward. Daphne pressed her back against the paddock fence.

"W-why…why would you…how could you…"

Daphne's stammer was the final nail in the coffin and Bella spun and fled. Luna stared at Tom and he looked after Bella with a particularly grim expression. Luna huffed, loudly and Tom looked at her.

"Go after her!" Luna snarled and Tom growled before the shadows wrapped around him and he was gone. He traveled through the shadows, crimson eyes staring from the shadows of students and objects as he searched for Bella.

He finally found her in the one place he should've looked first.

His office.

He emerged from the shadows and looked over at Bella. She was on the floor, laying her head back against his desk and her eyes were closed. Tears slipped from her tightly shut eyes and she was shaking. Tom gracefully dropped to the floor in front of her and gathered her in his arms. She shook in his arms as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I…I didn't mean to but…I…I got so _angry_ and…and…I-I…I didn't mean to…" Bella sobbed, brokenly and Tom sat there, simply holding her as she cried. He said not a reassuring or comforting word.

He simply held her as he looked down at her with a forlorn expression.

The girl that he had fallen in…love with looked so…broken yet he couldn't bring himself to comfort her as he knew he was supposed to. Tom did not see anything wrong with what she had done. Daphne had been out of line and Bella was her leader…why was it so wrong?

He couldn't understand.

"Anya…" Tom said, softly. Bella wiped the tears from her eyes and she looked up at him with sad eyes.

"I don't understand. Why didn't anyone stop me? Why didn't they stop me when I first went after her?" Bella demanded. She leaned up and fixed Tom with a piercing stare.

"Why didn't _you _stop me?"

"She deserved it. Anya…she was out of line. You didn't do anything wrong. You put her back in her place. However, once it became prolonged, it became cruelty and not punishment."

Bella pulled away from Tom and glared at him and she shook her head.

"No! I shouldn't have done it in the first place! I promised them that I wouldn't be like Grindelwald. Like…like y…the Dark Lord," Bella said, stumbling over her last words. Tom raised an eyebrow and he leaned back against his desk and he tilted his head.

"You mean me."

"No, no…I mean…I…"

"I remember you saying that you don't love…me."

"I didn't say that!"

Bella was glaring at him with heat in her eyes and she was leaning up on her knees. Tom sat up himself and Bella pressed herself against the desk. Tom was trapping her with the intensity of his stare.

"I questioned you during the trial. You said that you held no feelings for the Dark Lord. I _am _the Dark Lord."

Bella shook her head and she raised shaking hands to his face. She pressed a hand to each side of his face and looked up at him with fierce eyes of determination and love and lust.

"No…you're my Tom. Just my Tom. The…Dark Lord…he…no…he isn't _you_. He's a part of you. I don't love you…I don't love Voldemort. I love you. I love my Tom. _My _Tom. Mine…all of you. Not just parts of you," Bella murmured and Tom looked down at her with a sigh. She was so emotional and he despite that…he loved her so.

Bella…his Anya was so…real.

"Okay," Tom whispered to her. Bella shook.

"Do me a favor?"

The whisper came from lips that barely moved.

"Hmm?"

"Love me."

And with that Bella threw her arms around Tom's neck. Tom almost fell back at Bella's strong momentum. Her lips went to his and there was a battle for dominance. Bella yielded and allowed Tom to ravage her lips and he ran his fingers through long silky hair as he kissed her.

Bella pulled back and gasped for air and she gave another broken sob.

"I want you…I want you so bad but I…I can't…I can't. I can't. I can't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry…everything I do…why do I…" Bella murmured and she shook her head. Tom stood and pulled Bella up with him before picking her up. Bella clung to him as Tom carried her to his room. He placed her down on the bed and turned to leave when a smaller hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him down.

"Don't leave me. Not like Mione."

Tom sat down on the bed and Bella clung to him with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**Salem Witches' Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, New England, United States**

**Saturday the 3****rd**** of October 1997**

**10:00 AM**

"What are you _doing_?"

Jessica stared at her roommate with a completely confused look gracing her face as she stared at her very strange roommate. The redheaded girl was looking down at her parchment with a look of utmost concentration, a quill in one hand and a cigarette hanging from the fingers of her other hand. Morgan brought the cigarette to her lips and took a long drag before she began to scribbled down more notes on the assigned reading homework for Charms.

"Homework. What does it look like?" Morgan asked, not looking up from the pages.

"It's _Saturday. _We're allowed to go into Chicago today and you're going to stay _here_?"

"Looks like it. I'll see if I can finish my homework and meet you there," Morgan said, softly and Jessica shook her head just as Morgan took another long drag from the cigarette.

The small stick was nearing the end of its life and an ashtray rested in the top left corner of the desk.

"No. I think I'll stay here. I hate the other girls. They're either superficial heiresses who need to be disciplined because they stayed out all night using Daddy's money or they're juvenile delinquents," Jessica said and she flopped down on her bed.

The two girls had met outside of Salem and so they had decided to room together. To Jessica it looked like the fact that it was only two to a room fascinated Morgan. Perhaps, it was because she had never had much of anyone to speak to, being home-schooled and all.

"Do as you wish," Morgan sighed.

"Hey, Morgan, can I ask you a question?"

"You may," Morgan prompted.

"You say you're an Evans, right? Wasn't that hot-shot the…hmm…Girl-Who-Lived…wasn't her mother an Evans? Learned about that in my third year here, I think…wasn't she?" Jessica questioned and Morgan looked up at the question with a smile and she nodded, slowly.

"That's correct. My grandmother's name was Frances. She was married but kept her maiden name. Our family is sort of matriarchal. My grandfather was dead by the time that Frances was put into a mental institution. She was a little rattled, you see. But, she also had a son. He married my mum and here I am, Morgan Evans. I've got the trademark Evans hair, my dad says," Morgan said with a bright smile and she tilted her head as observed Jessica. Jessica nodded in understanding and she sighed.

"You've ever met her? The Girl-Who-Lived…Bella Potter?"

Jessica watched as Morgan paused and the redhead frowned. She tilted her head and didn't answer immediately.

"No. I've never met her."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 3****rd**** of October 1997**

**12:10 PM**

"I'm sorry."

Daphne looked over at her best friend with cold eyes. She glared at her, unforgivingly as the green-eyed beauty stared at her, imploringly. In all honesty, Bella Potter looked a wreck. There were dark circles underneath her eyes and she was paler than she had been before.

"Are you really?" Daphne asked, coldly and Bella blinked.

"I am. I'm sorry…you…you just got me so _mad_!" Bella exploded and Daphne looked at her in surprise. The blonde looked around to make sure that they weren't overheard. They were outside and it was nippy for early October and even colder near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, which is where they stood.

No one ever wanted to be near the Forest anyway.

"I made you _mad_? In what way?" demanded Daphne. Bella's eyes flashed in anger.

"You told your sister something that was meant to be just us! You pledged, Daphne. You pledged your loyalty and your silence and you told your little _sister_. I know that you tell your sister anything but this…it's not about you, Daphne!"

"Then what _is _it about? I wanted one person outside of our little circle and it's the person I trust most! What's so wrong about that, Bella?" Daphne shouted. Bella glared at her and she took her hand instead of her wrist. Daphne didn't move.

"You have us! You have Neville! You have _me_!"

"But what if I don't only want you, Bella? You're my best friend but sometimes…sometimes…"

"Sometimes what?" Bella asked, mockingly. Daphne's eyes flashed.

"Sometimes I wish I hadn't been so hasty about joining Hydra."

Bella fell silent and she looked at Daphne with unyielding eyes. Daphne did not flinch at the gaze.

"You feel as if you made a hasty choice?"

"Sometimes I do. I plunged into this, not knowing what to do. I trained under a swordswoman who turned out to be crazy. I put all my trust into one man and in the end he betrayed not only you but also us. And then, I stood before you and you demanded of me why I rely on another. And then out of anger because of something petty that I said, you tortured me!" Daphne spat back at her and Bella glared at her.

"Watch your mouth, Daphne!"

"There you go again! Who are you? Who are you to have my respect? Who are _you _to demand me to watch my words? Who are _you_?" Daphne shouted in rage. Bella didn't explode like Daphne thought she would. She only leaned forward to put her lips near Daphne's ear.

"I. Am. Nikolai."

She pulled back with flashing eyes and Daphne fixed her with an undecipherable look. Bella looked at her with wise and old eyes.

"You are. And I shall follow you," Daphne stated, cryptically. And with that, she turned away, leaving a confused Bella in her wake.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 3****rd**** of October 1997**

**4:00 PM**

Astoria Greengrass hummed to herself as she flipped through her magical theology book. The Greengrass girl gave a great sigh as she thought over the mess that her sister's best friend had gotten her into. This Hydra group or whatever was a lifetime commitment and it scared Astoria to think her sister was a part of something so…demanding. And she wasn't even sure _why_. She knew that they now supported the Dark but Astoria had no idea why Daphne had suddenly joined them for she had refused to tell her for her own protection or whatever.

Astoria stood and made sure to leave her bag near her chair. It was the library and she didn't want anyone to go and claim her seat. Astoria crossed to the Transfiguration section as she needed to finish her homework. Despite being only a fifth year, she liked to look ahead to make sure all of her information was right so she was reaching for a sixth year curriculum book. She reached up for the book when suddenly a hand swooped under hers and plucked the book straight off the bookcase.

The brunette girl looked up in shock at the person who had stolen and saw that it was a girl…a girl that she recognized.

The girl had shoulder length dirty blonde hair and slightly thick dark eyebrows. Hazel eyes stared down into pale eyes in surprise and Astoria swallowed and she looked up at her, shyly.

"Oh…I'm sorry. Were you going for this book?"

"Er…yeah. But you can have it," Astoria muttered and the girl smiled and shook her head.

"It's fine. You have it, Astoria. You got to it first. I'm taller so I got it," the older teenager murmured with a slight smile. Astoria blinked.

"You know my name."

Astoria flushed at the blunt statement and Christine smiled.

"Mhmm. I hope you remember me. The name is Christine. Lavender was being mean to you on the train last month. Aren't you a fifth year? What are you doing with _A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_, hmm?" Christine questioned. Astoria swallowed.

"I…I just like to be…thorough. I have a Transfiguration essay…"

"I see. Why so nervous?" Christine questioned, curiously. Astoria raised a hand and she frowned. She was shaking.

Oh dear Triple Goddess…

"I'm not nervous. I…I mean I'm just tired and I…" stammered Astoria and she wish that she had taken her potion this morning to stop the shaking. She knew she needed it and it was important. She had also just celebrated _Mabon _with the few other Wiccans here and it had been tiring, running around the building to make sure that their circle-casting wouldn't be disturbed.

Not that she was any good at casting circles.

"Are you sure about that?" Christine asked, teasingly. Astoria flushed again.

"Um, yeah. Aren't you a Mudblood? I mean a Muggleborn?" Astoria asked when Christine's eyes narrowed at the term. Christine crossed her arms and she glared down at Astoria.

"Hermione Granger may have liked that term but I'm not too big a fan of it," she said, sharply and Astoria flushed even darker and she looked rather like an attractive plum.

"I'm sorry…my parents raised me to believe that that was the…correct term. I must admit, it's rather…racist," Astoria said and Christine's eyes softened though her lips stayed pursed.

"I see. Well, you _are _a pureblood. I wouldn't expect much different," Christine sighed, almost resigned and Astoria frowned and leaned forward, her shyness and strange nervousness disappearing with that accusation.

"And what is _that _supposed to mean? Because I'm a pureblood, you automatically assume that I'm a stuck-up, spoiled, high-on-a-pedestal princess who believes everyone is below me?" Astoria spat and Christine seemed just as surprise at Astoria's sudden forwardness as Astoria was. Christine blinked.

"I—"

"Well, that's not true. I suppose I'm not the only person worried about blood status. My housemates already have reasons to…dislike me. If they knew I was even _looking _at a Mudblood, I'd be an outcast forever," Astoria said, shortly. Christine's eyes widened at Astoria's anger. Christine swallowed.

"I'm sorry. I was at fault. I shouldn't have stereotyped you because of other purebloods," Christine said, kindly and Astoria snorted.

"Too right, you are."

Christine looked properly chagrined and she rubbed the back of her neck before leaning against the bookcase. Astoria was once again reminded how much taller Christine was. She was a few inches, actually. Maybe four…

"Look, Astoria, I'm sorry."

Astoria sighed, "Apology accepted."

Christine's lips broke into a beautiful smile and Astoria tilted her head to observe the girl. She shook off the fact and blocked the little voice that _told _her that Christine's smile was beautiful. Astoria was a pureblood and if anyone caught her with a Mudblood…

She needed to get the book and leave.

"In all honesty, I suppose I don't know much about anything in the wizarding world," Christine said and Astoria nodded, curtly.

"How unfortunate," she said, dryly. Christine smiled. Astoria turned to walk back to her books and Christine fell in step next to her.

"My friends are all Gryffindors and sort of narrow-minded I guess, except perhaps, Bella Potter and I'm not sure if she even considers me a friend. The trial…Hermione Granger's trial was…enlightening. Good and evil. They view traditional purebloods as evil and everyone else as good though they seemed to forget that Hermione was a Muggleborn. Like me. What do you think?" Christine asked and Astoria stopped at the question.

"I'm not a traditional pureblood. I suppose I'm in the middle then. I'm certainly not good or Light, as Dumbledore likes to put it," Astoria said, her distaste for the old wizard showing. Christine's eyes widened as she heard the disdain for the man.

"Aren't you?"

"I'm not. I'm very…strange, I suppose. My beliefs…religious beliefs, that is, differ greatly. Don't forget I still don't particularly feel anything but disdain for those of lower blood status. Exempting those that deserve my respect, of course," Astoria said. Christine coughed, nervously and suddenly. Astoria looked at her in surprise.

"I suppose I could try to earn your respect then, yes?"

Astoria blinked and a corner of her lips curled up.

"You could try. Why would you want to?"

"You intrigue me. I want to know more about purebloods. You could learn about us Muggleborns. I don't think we're so different."

"What makes you think that I _want _to learn about Mudbloods?" the dark haired girl asked with a raised eyebrow. Christine smiled.

"Humor me?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 5****th**** of October 1997**

**6:00 PM**

"Where would I find Bella Potter?"

The group of young Slytherins looked up, sharply and for some reason one intrigued her the most. Zoe stared at the dark-haired, blue-eyed girl. The girl, who couldn't be more than a fifth year flushed and looked down at her lap. The girl cleared her throat.

"Why would we care?" snarled one Slytherin. The pretty blue-eyed girl sighed at the Slytherin's open hostility.

"With my sister. Daphne Greengrass. You'd most likely find them in the DADA room or outside by the giant tree near the lake," she said. Zoe nodded and walked towards the DADA room.

It was closer and as she neared the hallway, sweet music was emerging from the otherwise deserted hallway. It was a piano and the music was sheer, dark beauty. The sound was accompanied by a deeper sound. A cello, Zoe thought.

Zoe was mesmerized by the sound that somehow, she knew she wasn't supposed to hear. The thirty-something-year-old woman made her way towards the door, hypnotized, and she raised her hand to knock. The music stopped, abruptly and the spell broke as the door swung open and the beautiful Bella Potter stood there with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. She tilted her head.

"Hmm, yes?" Bella asked, though she didn't open the door wide enough for Zoe to see who was inside and who had made the beautiful music.

"I wanted to speak to you about your future. It's all a part of the counseling. I'll be meeting with you once a month to speak with how you're doing and we can talk about anything you want to. I know you, especially, have a lot of pressure on you to do well on our N.E. and in the war," Zoe said, sincerely. Bella sighed and nodded and she opened the door just wide enough for Zoe to catch a glimpse of a large white piano, a girl sitting on a chair with a cello between her legs and Tom Riddle who was sitting on the piano bench.

"I'm going to go to this meeting. I'll be back. If I'm not at dinner, assume the worst. You know what to do," Bella said, sharply. The girl with the cello nodded, firmly. Zoe frowned in confusion and watched as Bella slipped from the room and shut the door, firmly.

"What did you mean by that, exactly? If you're not back?" Zoe asked, bemused. Bella sighed.

"When you're me…anything can happen. So, where are we going?"

"Anywhere you want."

"I want to go to the lake," Bella decided immediately and Zoe nodded, happy that she had a jacket. It was cold and the sun was beginning to set. Zoe frowned.

"You don't have a jacket."

Bella sighed and spun back around and threw open the door.

"Tom!"

"What?" demanded the deep chocolate and velvet voice that Zoe associated with Tom Riddle. Zoe flushed at her choice of description words.

"I need a jacket."

"Here."

Bella caught a dark and heavy piece of cloth and she flung it around her shoulders. Bella looked at it in wonder and she smiled as she stroked the soft fabric. The cloak was emerald green and Zoe watched as she put the cloak around her.

"When'd you get this?"

"I was tired of your blood red cloak," Professor Riddle said, shortly and Bella's face grew darker before she smiled, brightly.

"It's pretty. Thank you."

"Your welcome. I believe you have something to do."

"I do. I'll swing by after dinner."

"You do that. I'll be grading papers."

Bella turned from the door and closed it shut once more before the two began to walk. Zoe simply watched as Bella gracefully walked. Zoe was a confident woman but to see Bella's youthful beauty and grace made her self esteem plummet just a little. Bella looked so comfortable with the fact that her lips were red and her skin was pale and her eyes were an unnatural green and her hair looked like raven feathers. Zoe didn't want to think about the marriage proposals she would get after she graduated.

"So, this way," Bella prompted and they turned into a corridor that connected with the courtyard and the grounds. They exited onto the grounds and walked down to the lake in silence before Zoe cleared her throat and tilted her head.

"How are you doing in classes?" Zoe started.

"Fine. It's…it's different, not having Hermione here to insist that I study. But Tom…Professor Riddle," Bella corrected, "has decided to take up on the job. All he does is nag and _nag _and ask and _ask_."

"I see. Can I ask what your most recent grades were?" Zoe asked, curiously. Bella nodded, slowly.

"In Defense Against the Dark Arts…an O. It was on an essay about the pros and cons of official dueling. I don't take Charms anymore. In Transfiguration, an A on my latest written test and an O on my practical. In Ancient Runes, I recently wrote an essay about Neutral Runes and Ancient Magic. Astronomy is going good. There hasn't been much for that except review from the last few years. Herbology is…there are a _lot _of flesh-eating plants. I'm a little wary of them. I kind of…killed one. Even though it tried to kill me first. And then Potions is pretty fun. You see, I need all these classes if I want to be in the sub-department for the DMLE, the Department of Magical Criminal Justice," Bella explained and Zoe looked at her in shock. Bella could sure talk a lot and Zoe hadn't thought that she would be like that.

"From what I heard, you're an excellent attorney."

"That was a one time thing and I _hated _being prosecutor. I want to be a defense attorney. For creatures. Unless a case interests me. But mostly for creatures. Most courts and attorneys are unfair to them and they either don't get representation or their representation sabotages them. It's not fair," Bella said, passionately and Zoe found herself nodding in agreement. Zoe cleared her throat.

"That's good. That's good. Anything going on with your personal life? I'm aware you're dating someone," Zoe said and she hoped her slight disapproval didn't show through her voice. Bella _was _dating someone much older than you.

"You have no right to judge me," Bella said, coldly.

So the disapproval _did _show. Oops, her mistake.

"I'm not. I'm only curious."

"Everyone's curious."

"I'm not asking for his name. I'm just asking how your relationship is going," Zoe said, softly. Bella sighed.

"Fine. I love him very much and he loves me though he loathes to say so," Bella said, flatly. Zoe looked at her in surprise and Bella ran a hand through her wild hair.

"He doesn't like saying that he loves you?" Zoe asked and she couldn't imagine being with a man like that. She liked to be showered with affection and presents and 'I love you's.

"He doesn't like saying it. He shows it. His childhood was less than ideal. Love is a difficult subject for him. I don't care. It doesn't matter. He shows me that he loves me and sometimes actions speak louder than words," Bella said, maturely. Zoe nodded in agreement and she crossed her arms.

"Why only sometimes?"

"Because, sometimes you can make the words louder than actions. It all depends on what you're doing."

"I see. And other things going on?" Zoe asked, curiously. Bella sighed.

"I recently had a fight with my best friend. It has been resolved. I miss Hermione. I haven't been able to visit her yet. Perhaps I will on Samhain. She shouldn't be alone," Bella said, softly. Zoe wondered how she could still love the girl who had killed students and placed her professor out of commission.

"I see. What do you do for fun, Bella?"

"Play the piano. Compose. Sing, sometimes, though I'm not any good. Ride my unicorn, Nikita. Spar. Duel. Dance. Take pictures of Tom when he doesn't want pictures to be taken. Babysit Gianna, Blaise's little sister. Bug my brother, Draco. Having 'creative discussions' with Tom. And hanging out with Uncle Sirius and Maya," Bella said, shortly and she smiled as mentioned the people that she loved.

"That's good. That's good. You'll have the course descriptions next week. Next month, I'll definitely have the applications for you, if you want," Zoe said. Bella's lips curled into a smile that looked genuine, unlike the other smiles that Bella had been giving Zoe. Bella nodded, emphatically.

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 31****st**** of October 1997**

**8:00 PM**

"Governor."

The Auror looked over at them and Bella looked back at him with unyielding eyes. He nodded, respectfully to Draco who nodded back at him, surprisingly. Draco let out a sharp rattled and there were faint but answering rattles. The Auror didn't even flinch and Bella was reluctantly impressed with his resilience. Most would have at least winced at the sound but the Auror had not.

"Mitchell. I've brought guests for me. Have Hermione Granger escorted into my quarters," Draco said, his tone emotionless as his face. Blaise stood with dark gold eyes and he had not said anything since they had left Hogwarts about twenty minutes ago. Blaise had Apparated the two of them to the edge of the British Isles so that they could board a boat to Azkaban.

Apparently, that's how Draco got to the prison when he was required to be there. Bella had not quite processed the fact that essentially, Draco was now head of the prison as he wasn't there every moment of the day. She now knew that he was and even the Aurors acknowledge that.

"Yes, Governor. Shall I alert Augustus, sir?" the Auror asked.

"That will be adequate. Come, Blaise, Bella," Draco said, softly and he drifted through the dark and dank prison. The stone walls were lit with flickering torches that cast shadows everywhere and Bella could've sworn that she was crimson eyes for just as a second before they disappeared. Bella shook it off as her imagination.

They walked up wet stone steps and made a sharp left down another corridor. Soon, they came to a door and walked in to a comfortable looking sitting room. Bella flopped down into a large and overstuffed cream colored chair. She reached into her carry-on bag and pulled out a large covered thermos and a few bowls and spoons. She pulled out a few grilled cheese sandwiches.

"What's that?" asked Blaise, gesturing vaguely to the thermos.

"Dinner. I made it. Tomato soup…from a Muggle can. Oh, don't give me that face," Bella pouted when Blaise looked green, "I swear! It'll taste good. Even Tom said it was decent and that's a _huge _compliment."

Blaise relaxed at the mention of Tom saying that it was fine and he nodded just as the door opened to show Mitchell with Augustus and baffled Hermione Granger. Bella stared at her sister in sorrow. The girl was so much thinner than she had been months ago though she looked very aware instead of dazed. Draco had told stories about some of the inmates and some of them came out…insane.

If they came out at all.

Hermione's hair was greasy and fell limply around her instead of in a big bush as Bella had gotten used to over the years. Her eyes were rimmed with black though Bella knew that the kohl had worn out by now. She looked like she hadn't slept in days and like she hadn't eaten as well. Her eyes fell onto Blaise and she took a few steps forward as Mitchell remained in the doorway.

"Hello, _bella donna_."

Hermione took the remaining steps forward and threw her arms around Blaise. Blaise held her and he felt dismayed at how thin she was. He could wrap his arms around her waist and have plenty of room to spare. Hermione kissed his cheek and Blaise grimaced at the smell of her greasy hair and he pulled back before placing a chaste but sweet kiss on her lips.

"I've missed you," Blaise murmured. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"And I missed you," she whispered. Blaise pulled her down onto the sofa next to him and Mitchell stood, dutifully in the doorway. Draco sighed and beckoned the man in.

"Come, Mitchell. Shut the door. We wouldn't want the little Light Aurors hearing us, now would we?" Draco asked and Bella stared in shock as Mitchell gave a slight smile and a nod before he closed the door behind himself and Augustus. Augustus floated over to Bella and Bella cringed as she pet the locket around her neck.

"He is not Light?" Bella asked, softly as Augustus snuggled up to her. She looked vaguely uncomfortable but she relaxed but only slightly. Augustus made a little rattling noise in her ear and Bella couldn't help but laugh a little.

"He is a Death Eater. The Dark Lord has people everywhere, especially where you're concerned Bella. He can't his little princess be threatened," Draco said, mockingly and Mitchell frowned in confusion. Draco walked over to the little kitchenette and he looked at the teapot with a frown before he looked up.

"Do any of you know hot to make tea?"

Hermione snorted and she stood and walked, slowly, to the kitchenette and she smacked Draco upside the head.

"Move you little pompous idiot. You can't even make tea…I wonder how Luna even tolerates you."

"The Mudblood bitch hasn't lost her bite though she's in her little cage," Draco sneered at her and Hermione offered a sardonic smile. Bella glanced at Mitchell and he looked relatively confused at the dynamics of the quartet.

"How is school? Are you all doing well?"

"Now that you're gone, Blaise has decided to take your spot as first in our year. I'm sure he'll be valedictorian and he'll end up giving one of the speeches at graduation," Draco said, mockingly and Blaise only gave a slight and innocent smile. Hermione smiled proudly at her love.

"Good for you Blaise. Am I to assume that you're failing out without my amazing study guides?" Hermione said, smiling innocently at the blond. Draco scowled while Bella laughed, softly.

"Not quite. He's almost there," Bella said as she continued the teasing. Draco glared. Hermione smiled, angelically.

"I'm sure I could come up with something. What's your schedule?"

"How about you ask that one," Draco said, annoyed. Hermione looked over at Bella who stopped laughing immediately.

"How _are _you doing, Angel?" Hermione asked.

"Fine, fine. We have counselors now. It's called Education Counseling. Blaise is stuck with a hippie who wears bellbottoms and paisley shirts for a counselor. He's already applying to his Healer programs. But _my _counselor hasn't gotten me _any _of my applications," complained Bella, fully distracting Hermione. Hermione leaned forward and tilted her head.

"Have you got the course descriptions?"

"Oh, yeah. Right here. Look," Bella prompted as she pulled sheets of parchment from her large tote bag. She set them on the coffee table. Hermione prepared to look but she jumped up and went to set up the tea.

"Mr. Mitchell, would you like some tea?" Hermione asked as if she weren't a convicted criminal who was offering tea to one of the men who was supposed to guard.

"Yes, please," Mitchell said, softly. Hermione nodded and she looked at Bella.

"You take your tea black as your coffee?"

"You know it," Bella winked and she sighed before looking at the cupboards. Blaise stood, suddenly and everyone looked at him.

"We need plates and bowls and spoons. Where are the utensils and dishes?" Blaise asked. Draco gestured to the kitchenette.

"One of the many cupboards. Mudblood, how you holding up?" asked Draco, curiously. Hermione smiled and nodded once.

"Good. I'm a little thin but I don't have muh of an appetite for gruel and stale bread."

Bella looked at Draco, outraged. He didn't look affected by her glare.

"They're still being treated badly?" Bella demanded, angrily. Draco held up a hand to calm her and Bella leaned back in her chair.

"The Dark Lord is currently assisting me. We are trying to make it better. Calm yourself, Princess," Draco commanded and Bella huffed.

"Don't call me that."

"But you _are _a princess. You're the Dark Lord's pretty princess," Draco grinned. Blaise rolled his eyes as Bella sniffed, haughtily. Mitchell frowned in confusion.

"The Dark Lord's princess?" Mitchell finally questioned and Hermione cast him a warning glance, an insane glint in her eyes. Bella sighed while Draco smirked.

"She is. The Dark Lord's princess. He caters to her every whim," Draco laughed. Bella glared at him.

"He does _not_. Leave him alone. The Dark Lord does not have time to cater to my every whim," Bella sneered and she fingered the ring around her neck. The woman sighed and shook her head.

"So…any new professors?" Hermione asked. Draco smirked.

"Yes. A young professor by the name of Delcaour."

"Delacour?" Hermione asked in shock.

"Yes. Cousin to Fleur Weasley nee Delacour. A _lesbian _cousin," Draco cackled and Bella and Hermione looked at him in shock. Bella shook her head, emphatically.

"No. I don't believe that," Bella said, shortly.

"Believe it, darling. It was going through all the pureblood societies when I mentioned it my mother. She told me that Colette hates all men and has turned to the comfort of women. And apparently, she is intrigued by you," Draco laughed. Bella flushed and she shook her head.

"No, no, _no_. I'm not into women or anyone of the female population beside myself. Maybe that's why Tom hates her," Bella said, softly. Blaise smirked.

"No. She essentially called you a whore. That's why he dislikes her so much," Blaise said as he walked back with the dishes and utensils. He placed one in front of each person and looked to Mitchell, questioningly. The Death Eater shook his head. Blaise began to pour tomato soup into each bowl while Bella placed a sandwich on each plate.

"I see. What else have you been doing?" Hermione asked as she began to bring the tea to the table.

"I'm learning how to ride Nikita. I'm training him to respond to my words alone. He's blind so he can only recognize me by ear. My poor baby…anyway, after that I'm going to learn to fight while riding him," Bella smiled softly. Hermione nodded in agreement while Mitchell frowned as he tried to work out who these four teenagers actually were. A memory tugged at his mind.

"And what about you _Draco_? Have you been practicing on your mount?" Hermione said, sneering out the blonde's name and he sneered right back. Blaise hid his smile behind a hand.

"No. I have not. Hades is temperamental at best and I don't have the time nor do I have the patience to attempt to tame him," Draco said, shortly. Hermione laughed and shook her head as she joined them and they began to eat in silence. Mitchell observed them, silently. Blaise brushed a greasy lock from Hermione's ear and he kissed the lobe of her ear, softly.

"I love you," Blaise whispered to her and Hermione's lips curled into a wide smile.

"I love you too."

Bella couldn't help but smile. The woman sighed as she looked at other three teenagers. They were her siblings. Her family.

Perhaps…just, perhaps…they wouldn't be opposed to a brother-in-law.

:::

**A/N: **My God, people! You actually thought that I was stopping this story? Dammit! I told you I'd never abandon this story. I'm going to see this out to the end and I'm hoping to finish this story by it's one year anniversary. I'm not sure how that one is going to work out but it's an admirable goal, yes? Anyway, NaNoWriMo didn't work out so well. I kind of got halfway through the novel before I became disgusted with my limited character depth to some of the minor characters. Even if they're secondary, I like characters to be three-dimensional (see: Astoria Greengrass and Christine Jackson). So, I went back and began writing character studies.

I liked this chapter...it was...nice to write. I'm sorry it took me so long but I just got my grades. I didn't get anything below a B but I still didn't like my grades very much. At least I got an A in Mandarin. Anyway, Christmas Break is coming up and I will be open and available to write so expect quite a few chapters. I actually wrote the Epilogue already and it'll be Chapter 100 on here.

As you can see, I haven't featured Tom/Bella romance in a while. That's because their angsty period is over...for now. Now, it's just cutesy stuff and more side pairings because honestly I'm more interested in that right now. The epilogue will start a whole new round of angst for Tom and Bella in the sequel but right now they're in their post-angst fluff phase. Let them wallow there for now. Don't expect a lemon until the sequel. Bella's going old school.

Next Chapter: Blood and Society


	93. Chapter LXXXVI

**Title**: Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXVI**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 1st of November 1997**

**8:30 AM**

"Yes!"

Her friends cast raised eyebrows at her and Bella only grinned as she waved the stack of papers in her hand. Blaise leaned over and he gave her a slight smile as he saw what it actually was.

"It's your application papers," Blaise said and Bella nodded in agreement. She shuffled through them and gave a great grin.

"I was reading over the courses that I'd have to take to actually get a job. I have to take a twenty-week seminar in Political Theory. Then, I have to take one optional subject. I'll probably take Contemporary Political Philosophy. Then I have to take Jurisprudence. It's the philosophy of law. Finally, I'll take Criminology and Criminal Justice. After that, I'll take my test and it'll be just that. I'll be an attorney," Bella grinned. Luna gave her a bright smile and she ran a hand through her hair. She leaned forward.

"You will be. You'll be great, Bella," Luna smiled, brightly and Bella grinned back at her, happier than she had been in a while. Though Bella smiled for everyone, she always felt that faint sense of sadness at the turn of events her life had taken since her eleventh birthday. Sometimes, she wondered what would have been different in Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwald the first time they seriously dueled.

Perhaps, she would have been a boy and Tom would have risen to be the twisted soul that Lord Voldemort was thought to be. Perhaps, even worst. And then, she would have had to destroy him instead of Grindelwald. The thought made her chest burn in grief.

Bella looked over at the Weasleys and saw Ginny, Gideon, Christine, and Michael Brown murmuring to each other. Ginny was scowling at Christine over something and Bella couldn't help but smirk. What did Christine do?

Use her brush?

Christine looked up suddenly and she offered a slight and friendly smile to Bella. Bella raised a hand in greeting and Daphne tilted her head as she observed Christine.

"The Mudblood understands the cause better than the blood traitors. How am I not surprise?" Daphne said, softly. Bella looked over at her best friend with a slight smirk on her face. Daphne didn't smirk or smile back. She still looked calculating as ever. It was times like these that reminded Bella that she had broken her friend's trust in her.

"They were raised to believe in certain things. Like Dumbledore. Christine was simply thrust into this world. She doesn't nor does she truly understand. Ah, it's your sister," Bella said as she noticed the small fifth year come through door. She was only five foot three and several Slytherins much taller surrounded her. Bella watched as Christine looked up and looked over at her.

Christine's eyes locked on Astoria and Bella watched as their eyes met. Astoria raised a single dark eyebrow at Christine and Christine only offered a slightly dorky smile that Bella instantly recognized. She had seen it on Gideon many times when he had looked at her. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at Daphne. Daphne seemed to have recognized it as well and she didn't seem happy with it at all.

"No. That's not good," Blaise murmured as he looked into Astoria's eyes, fleetingly. He seemed to have used Legilimency. Daphne's eyes narrowed.

"Aw hell no," Bella muttered. Daphne looked over at her.

"What? I thought you didn't even _like _Astoria," Daphne spat and Bella rolled her eyes as her friend finally did reveal that she was still angry with her. Lalita observed with a raised eyebrow and she slowly sipped her tea. Linda was smirking and whispering in Theodore's ear.

"I didn't like the fact that you revealed secrets. But since she knows, Astoria's one of us," Bella snapped and Daphne raised a disbelieving eyebrow. She stood up and glared at Christine who was still watching Astoria quietly. Ginny snapped her fingers in Christine's face and Christine jumped and looked at her.

"I'm going to give that Mudblood a piece of my Goddamn mind. What is she doing…looking at my baby sister…" Daphne hissed under her breath and Bella grabbed her friend's arm with a warning look on her face.

"What?" Daphne snapped. Draco sighed and shook his head.

"We don't fancy trying to see you murder her. She's receptive to the cause. Did you ever think that it'd be nice to have a Mudblood poster girl?" Draco said under his breath. Daphne glared at him and she yanked her arm away from Bella before crossing her arms.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Lecture your sister on blood status. Bella will handle the Mudblood. She mustn't cross that line," Blaise said, strictly. To Bella's surprise, Lalita nodded in agreement. Lalita had always been the most lax of the group when it came to blood status besides Neville.

"From what Bella has told us, Christine is not poor in wealth. However, she has no status. She has absolutely _no _magical blood. It simply isn't done even if Astoria _isn't _the pureblood Heir to the Grengrasses," Lalita said, simply. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"I'll speak to Christine. If I have…words with her, she'll be discouraged, I'm sure. If she isn't…we can always set Ginny on her. Ginny is a harpy and I have a feeling that it she won't be receptive to her best friend's feelings for a 'slimy Slytherin'," Bella said, sneering out the mundane term that most Gryffindors had set to her lover's House.

Daphne nodded once and she stormed towards the Slytherins, blonde hair flying behind her and her eyes frozen like ice. Neville watched his…friend who was a girl yank her sister up before she exited the Great Hall. Neville sighed, shaking his head as he watched her walk out. Bella cleared her throat and took a more dignified and less angry approach.

She simply walked towards Christine and stopped.

"What the hell Christine? What do you mean by that?" snarled Ginny, softly.

"I just think that Bella may have the right idea…"

"Excuse me. May I borrow Christine for a moment?" Bella asked, softly. Christine stood up almost immediately just as Ginny looked ready to snap at her. Christine nodded and she smiled at Bella.

"What's up?"

"Not something that should be talked about in the Great Hall."

"Oh, so now you're sharing _secrets_," hissed Ginny, her tone accusing and Bella kept her pleasant smile as Christine suddenly looked rather worried.

"No. Actually…she's in a bit of trouble," Bella said and her smile grew sharper. Christine looked surprised and Ginny was shocked into silence. Gideon leaned over, intrigued.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Not the kind of trouble she wants to be in. Come, Christine. We're going to have a little talk about blood status," Bella said, softly and though her tone didn't grow harsher or hostile, she did sound a bit more dangerous despite her pleasant smile. Christine's eyes narrowed in horror and Bella dragged her from the table and through the doorway.

"What did I do?" Christine asked, her voice innocent as soon as they entered an empty classroom. Bella closed the door and she leaned on it with a slightly surprised smile on her face. She tilted her head.

"_Soo_…you're a lesbian?" Bella said, softly. Christine stiffened and she tilted her head. A guarded look entered her eyes and she crossed her arms, defensively. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Bisexual, actually. My brother's pansexual. What would you expect with a role model like that? I've been educated to be inclusive with all people," Christine said, shortly. Bella nodded and Christine seemed surprised that she wasn't overly upset or anything.

"My brother's bisexual too. Draco. He actually prefers men over women but he does love Luna," Bella said, shortly. Christine looked surprised by that admittance and Bella tilted her head as she observed the Muggleborn.

"How'd you know?"

"You see, Gideon…even after I broke up with him, he still had that pining dorky smile. I saw that smile on your face. Directed at Astoria Greengrass," Bella said, softly. Christine glared at the older woman and Bella gave a sad and little smile.

"Is this when you tell me that she's out of my league? Because I definitely know that. I just want to be her friend. I didn't know that it was a crime," Christine spat at the beauty and Bella was shocked by the animosity in her voice and she prepared to respond.

"And it's not _fair_. You get anyone! You look like Snow White for God's sake! But because she's a pureblood and I'm a Muggleborn…no, it's not even that! I'm treated like shit because I'm a Muggleborn! How come Hermione was different? You're a half-blood! Why are you treated differently than I am? Why do you get everything?" Christine snarled.

Bella simply looked at her.

"I don't get everything."

The words were whispered.

"I may look like 'Snow White' as you say but I don't get everything. The love of my life didn't _want _me. He looked me in the eye and when I asked him if he loved me, he said 'no'. He callously and in not so many words told me that I didn't have the right to love him. That he would never…_could _never love me. And you…you act as if you know," Bella said, coldly and Christine looked chagrined.

"I…I was prepared to give my freedom for you. For all of you and I didn't even get a thing. I just want a thank you. That's not everything, is it?" Bella continued.

"Bella—"

"Shut up, Christine. Stay away from Astoria or you'll have to answer to _me_ and it won't be as pleasant next time," Bella hissed, angrily.

Christine watched as the girl spun around and disappeared from the room.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 2nd of November 1997**

**8:30 AM**

The groups of noble eagles swooped around the room and dropped the cream colored envelopes at certain people at certain tables. Bella watched as one dropped an envelope in front of Tom and then one in front of her. Bella blinked when she realized that Daphne, Luna, Neville, Draco, and Blaise had each received one as well. Lalita had one as did Theodore. Bella looked behind her and saw that most had gone to Ravenclaw and Slytherin students. Astoria was gripping one in her hand.

Daphne ripped her open.

"What's this?" Bella asked, curiously and Daphne squealed when she read hers.

"What?" Neville asked.

"It's our first event as part of the pureblood society."

"I'm a half-blood," Bella reminded her and Daphne snorted and shook her head before pointing at Tom.

"Pish, posh. So is he. You both have incredible standing in the Wizarding World. It's a Yule Ball, hosted by…the Blacks?" Daphne said in shock and Bella stared down at the letter in astonishment. She ripped it open and read the thick cream colored parchment.

_The Blacks cordially invite you_

_Miss BELLA POTTER_

_To the first event of the social season_

_THE BLACK & WHITE_

_YULE BALL_

_Thursday, the twenty-fourth of December_

_Nineteen ninety-seven_

_Cocktails and a performance by a surprise musician at half-past seven_

_Followed by dinner and dancing_

_The Orion Ballroom_

_Black Osobnyak_

Bella blinked in shock at it and she recognized the venue.

It was one of the many mansions part of the Black Estate and it was in Russia. It was the place where she had locked away her piano and had vowed never to take out. Of course, she hadn't and Tom did but there was one memory in particular she associated with the Black Osobnyak and it was her mental breakdown and vow to never let anyone hurt her again.

"There's another letter inside."

Bella looked at Luna who was smiling, softly.

Bella took it out and blinked as she read it, quickly.

_Dear Bella,_

_Sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't even know until I got a letter from the Pureblood Society of Britain. Maya is so lucky that Narcissa likes her or she wouldn't even be able to go. Anyway, I'm writing to apologize and ask if you would be willing to be the surprise musician. I know you said you won't ever distribute your music but could you at least play?_

_Just this once?_

_For me?_

_I'll let you marry your…boyfriend._

_Love,_

_Sirius_

Bella snorted as she read the table and she rolled her eyes before handing it over to Daphne. Daphne read and she laughed, loudly at the letter before passing it around the table to the rest of Hydra and Bella's siblings. Luna smiled and she grabbed Bella's hand. Bella looked at her in surprise.

"Bella…go for it."

* * *

**The Orion Ballroom, the Black Osobnyak, Russia, Asia**

**Thursday the 24th of December 1997**

**7:15 PM**

"Astoria, darling, did your sister say when she was arriving?" Astoria's mother, Lady Greengrass asked Astoria shook her head and she touched her necklace that sat right at the hollow of her collarbone.

She wore a knee-length black dress and heels that Daphne had picked out for her. Astoria knew that she should never go against Daphne when it came to clothes and it wasn't like it mattered anyone. She had been elder sister's Barbie doll since she had been born. At least Daphne never put her in anything embarrassing.

"No. I don't know who her date is either, Mother," Astoria said before Lady Greengrass could ask and the woman gave a slight smile.

She patted down a single silver hair and sighed before she looked over in distaste at Sirius Black and his fiancé, a Muggle by the name of Maya Granger. Astoria thought that Maya looked rather beautiful in a navy blue gown that draped over her womanly curves. Maya was whispering to Sirius and he was scowling.

"I don't understand why you didn't bring a date yourself, my dear," Lady Grengrass and Astoria restrained the urge to groan. Astoria knew her mother wouldn't appreciate it in the least, especially not as such a high-society event.

"Mother, you _know _that I am not interested in the male population. Most purebloods are not receptive to that fact. Let us leave it at that," Astoria said, sharply. Lady Greengrass sighed before looking at her daughter, apologetically.

"I just want to be happy, Astoria. You can have your nice pureblood witch."

Astoria looked away at the mention of 'pure' blood.

"Presenting Miss Daphne Greengrass, Heiress to the Greengrasses, and her escort Mister Neville Longbottom, Heir to the Longbottoms."

Astoria straightened as she watched her sweep in with a dashing Neville Longbottom at her side. Daphne's hair was twisted up into an extravagant twist with a white feather headdress that was actually quite stylish. It was a bit quirky and the dress was definitely low cut. The dress was corseted and fit her curvy figure perfectly.

The top of the dress was lined with feathers and she had a slightly red smile on her face. The pair came towards them and Lord Greengrass stood as he received his daughter and her date. A cold look came over his face when he regarded Neville who stood his ground rather well. Astoria always heard that Neville was a spineless Hufflepuff in disguise as a Gryffindor but perhaps that wasn't so.

"Lord Greengrass," Neville said, softly.

"Mister Longbottom," Lord Greengrass said and Daphne smiled.

"Father, be nice to my date. Oh, Astoria, I'm so excited. Wait until you hear who is going to be the mystery musician," Daphne smiled, brightly and Lady Greengrass looked at her in surprise. They seemed to be forgetting whose ball this actually was.

"How do you know?" Lady Greengrass asked.

"Our dear friend _is _Miss Bella Potter. She should be arriving soon, actually. She wanted to make an entrance and she will with her chose of…escort," Neville said and the way he said it, it was as if he was rather disturbed by it. Daphne was grinning now and she snickered under her breath as they sat down.

"So, Mister Longbottom, you are in your seventh year. What do you plan to do afterwards?" Lord Greengrass asked and Astoria shook her head. She tried not to laugh at the beginning of what was going to be an amusing interrogation.

"Well, sir, I'm sure Daphne has told you about her own intentions of traveling to Japan. She has invited me to go with her. I'm applying to take my Mastery in Herbology at the end of the year and I will study further in Japan," Neville explained and Lord Greengrasses' lips curled and he was about to say something when the doors swung open again and the bodiless voice announced the next pair.

"Presenting Miss Luna Lovegood, the Dark Elven Seer, and her escort Lord Azkaban, Mister Draco Malfoy."

Astoria looked up just to see Loony Lovegood being escorted in by the terrifying governor of Azkaban prison. It wasn't official yet but everyone saw him as such. The blue and black veins extending from underneath his eyes gave him a frightening appearance and his cold silver eyes only furthered that. He looked deadly serious but Loony was smiling, brightly as everyone stared at the craziness of her outfit.

It was a one-shouldered dress and was probably, originally a strapless white wedding gown. However, Loony had made random spots of the wide skirt black. Over the bodice was an embroidered lace and that made the one strap that held the dress to her thin and willowy body. Even though she looked insane, she had a strange and scary prettiness about her.

"Draco," Neville said, nodding at Draco Malfoy as he came closer their group.

"Neville, Daphne. Hello, Astoria, Lord and Lady Greengrass."

"Hello, my lovelies. The Angel and Serpent should be arriving in the next few minutes. They both look absolutely wonderful," Luna giggled and both of Astoria's parents looked rather unnerved by her attitude.

"Mother, Father, Luna is the woman who designed my dress and the masterpiece that Bella will be wearing when she walks in right about—"

"Presenting Lady Bella Anastasia Slytherin Black Potter, Head of the Houses of Potter, Gryffindor, and Ambrosius, and her escort Lord Tom Marvolo Slytherin Riddle, Head of the Houses of Slytherin and le Fay."

Astoria's eyes widened as she stared at the empty doorway.

"No. Way," breathed Astoria and just then, as if to prove her wrong, Bella Potter appeared in the doorway with Tom Riddle by her side.

Her dark hair tumbled down her back and almost blended in with her dress if not for the fact that her dress was accented by sequins that shimmered in the light. It was a gorgeous gown and she was staring, disinterested. Her hand was on Tom Riddle's extended arm and her green eyes flashed. The only jewelry she was wearing was the silver and emerald locket and two bracelets. Then, Astoria spotted the ring resting on her _right _ring finger.

Tom Riddle looked even more bored than she did. He was dressed, dashingly in a button down white shirt, a black silk tie, and a suit. It was a Muggle outfit and Astoria knew that the women here didn't care. He made Muggle look _amazing_. He had a silver chain around his neck but Astoria couldn't see what it held.

"What is Tom Riddle doing escorting her?"

"I knew they were together."

"She's a little girl."

The murmurs were everywhere and Bella simply sneered while Tom Riddle continued to stay indifferent. Tom escorted Bella towards the table where Sirius Black and Maya Granger sat and Astoria looked away before looking towards her sister who was grinning. So, she had known.

Of course she had.

Tom looked down at a scowling Sirius Black. Tom couldn't even find pleasure in the fact that he was the only that had caused such obvious discomfort to Sirius. Not until he knew that Sirius was going to keep his word.

"She's mine. You wrote in the letter. She's mine now. Correct?" Tom said, softly and Sirius looked up frantically before shooting a betrayed look at Bella. Bella shrugged and she sat down next to Maya. Tom didn't move.

"We don't keep secrets, Uncle Sirius. Last time we did…bad things happened," Bella said, softly and she looked over at Maya. Maya was grinning at her and she leaned forward, supporting her head on her hand.

"Does this mean you said yes?" Maya questioned.

"I said 'maybe'. It continues to be a 'maybe'," Bella said, sharply and Maya rolled her eyes before nudging Sirius.

"Miss Bella needs to get her butt over there and I don't think that Tom's going to let her move until he has his answer. Now admit defeat and get over it," Maya smirked and Sirius sighed, shaking his head.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…Bella, keep saying no—"

"She said maybe."

"Why do you need his permission anyway, Tom? You've been fine asking me already," Bella said as she looked around at everyone, gossiping about her. She swallowed and looked away from them all and at the white piano that was in the corner of the room. No one had assumed that she was playing yet because they thought this was where she kept her beloved piano.

"I was born in the 1930's," Tom said, flatly as if that should explain everything and to Bella it kind of did. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"Uncle Sirius, just say yes so I can go perform. I'm tired and I'm just not up to stopping a duel between the two of you," Bella said with a slight grin on her face and Sirius snorted and he looked at her, arrogantly.

"I'd win before you could."

Bella grinned.

"I'm sure you would."

"Don't stroke his ego. He'll be sorely disappointed when he loses," Tom sneered, viciously and Sirius glared at him before sighing and shaking his head.

"I promised and I keep my promises. But…prove you love her and you'll have my utmost support and approval," Sirius said. Tom blinked in surprise and Bella looked almost nervous and she shook her head. She ran a hand through her wild hair and exchanged a look with Maya.

"Tom doesn't need to do that…" Bella said, softly. Maya tapped Bella's cheek.

"I think he does. To you, I mean," Maya whispered in her daughter's ear and Bella stiffened before she stood, abruptly. Tom looked over at her and she walked up to him before grabbing him by the wrist and jerking him forward. She hugged him once before pulling away. She sighed and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Wish me luck."

"You have no need of luck, Anya," Tom said, confidently and Bella smiled before she walked up to the front of the room. She made eye contact with Daphne and the girl hopped up and walked towards the front. Everyone was watching and Bella wandered over to her piano and sat down at the bench. Daphne reached underneath and pulled out her leather violin case. She pulled her beautiful violin from the velvet-lined case and she looked to Bella.

"A," Daphne requested. Bella played four As in four different octaves. Daphne ran her bow over the terse strings and a beautiful sound emerged. Daphne nodded her thanks and Sirius walked up as everyone stared in astonishment.

"As you can see, our mystery musicians have appeared. Introducing my goddaughter, Lady Bella Potter and her closest friend, Miss Daphne Greengrass," he said, quite dignified and calmly. Bella couldn't help but smile. He sounded so…fake when he acted like this and she preferred his playful self to this arrogant pureblood façade.

Bella cleared her throat and began to play the piano. It was a soft and sad sound and Bella continued to play the intro. She cleared her throat while she played and she waited patiently for Daphne to join in. The young woman stood there with her eyes closed and she raised her bow before she began to join in, playing the melody now as Bella continued and she deepened the harmony.

Daphne moved with the music as Bella played, calmly in the background. It was a breathtaking sight. Two beautiful women producing a beautiful sound together. Lady Greengrass watched her daughter, proudly and then she looked at the gorgeous and angelic Bella Potter. The young woman was looking over at Tom Riddle with an indescribable look in her eyes and Lady Greengrass looked over at the desirable man. He was looking back at her with the same expression though it was much subtler and almost not there.

"Look at Tom Riddle," Lady Greengrass whispered to her daughter and Astoria nodded in understanding.

"I know. He loves her," Astoria whispered back and Lady Greengrass was glad that her daughter was just as intuitive as she was.

Now…what was she going to do with this information?

Lady Greengrass put the thought to the back of her mind as the song came to an end. There was no clapping as that was reserved to the end. Bella stood, suddenly and she cracked her fingers and knuckles before sitting back down.

Bella began to play once more and her fingers danced across the keys. This sounded so much different from the previous music they had but still the same. It seemed to have a slightly light tune to it but at the same time it didn't. It was all together very strange and then suddenly, Daphne joined in on the violin. It was a sorrowful tune, reminiscing about the past.

It was a dark past indeed.

Filled with strife and anger and heartache and sadness. Narcissa wiped a stray tear from her face as she watched the pain-filled expressions on Daphne and Bella's face. The song spoke of a painful past and Bella's fingers were shaking as she played it.

Slowly, the song transformed into something of defiance and pride and Daphne's frown grew as she played. It was impossible to tell what the pair were thinking about though it was fair to say that it was two different things. Daphne seemed to be in deep thought while Bella seemed to be trying _not _to think but to simply feel.

The song was reaching its climax and Daphne suddenly kneeled and almost looked like she was about to fall when the violin in her hand let out an unbearably high note and Bella ended the song with piano outro. She smiled and she shook.

"Is Gianna here?" Bella asked, softly.

Many frowned in confusion and Blaise looked next to him and saw that his sister was looking up with surprise and confusion. Gianna stood up and skipped towards Bella in her ivory colored dress.

"_Ciao_ Miss Bell," Gianna said and she curtseyed to Bella. Bella looked at her in surprise and she laughed, shaking her head.

"Why are you curtseying, little Gia?"

"You look like a princess, Miss Bell."

"Why do you call me Miss Bell?" questioned Bella and Gianna frowned in confusion at the question and Bella shook her head and laughed.

"Why are you calling me 'miss'?"

"Because it's rude for me not to. That's what Blaise and _Mama_ told me."

"Well, you need to stop listening to your stick in the mud brother. He's only upset because you like me better," Bella said and she winked at the little girl. Gianna laughed, quietly and Bella pulled her up onto the piano bench.

"I have a gift for you little Gianna. Would you like it early?" Bella asked and there was a twinkle in her eyes. Gianna nodded, emphatically and her eyes were wide. Bella had to remember that despite her mature attitude and wisdom, she was still a child.

"Little Gia…you like when I play the piano…I've created a whole world you know," Bella said, softly and Gianna leaned forward.

"You have?"

"Yes I have. It's full of princesses and fairytales. And nightmares," Bella said with glowing dark eyes and she knew people were looking at her as if she were crazy. Gianna only seemed further intrigued.

"What kinda nightmares, Miss Bell?" Gianna asked and Bella gave a sly smile.

"Nightmares of falling angels. And there was one fallen angel…one in particular. Dear Gianna…she was called beautiful but she didn't see it. She was the lightest…the brightest. They looked to her for guidance," Bella said, softly and Blaise's eyes widened in recognition. Gianna leaned forward, anxious to hear the rest of the story.

"Then what?"

"Well…the angel…lets call her Nikolai. Nikolai decided that she could not…would not love those that wished to sacrifice her. She could not and would not fight for something that she didn't believe in. So, she fell. She brought down other angels with her of course and the Light couldn't seem to realize that their Light-bringer was gone. And then…one day, she met him. Lucifer. The King of Hell. She quickly fell in love with him," Bella said and Gianna nodded in understanding.

"Then?"

"He spurned her affections. Turned away. Said that he could not and would not love her," Bella said, ruefully and Gianna's eyes narrowed into a glare and she crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Why not?" Gianna demanded.

"He did not know how."

"_Idiota_."

Bella laughed, loudly. Tom scowled.

"He is. But, slowly and surely, he returned her love. And he rewarded her with three protectors and advisors and made her his second-in-command and named her Lady Nikolai of Victory. The Horsemen of Conquest."

There was silence as they realized exactly what story she was telling.

"Her three advisors were Lord Thanatos of Death, Lord Apollo of Plague, and Lady Mórrígan of War. Together, they were the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

"What's a… Apo-cali…" Gianna said and she huffed in frustration, as she couldn't pronounce the word. Bella laughed and shook her head.

"Apocalypse. And they were a force to be reckoned with."

"How is that a nightmare?" Gianna huffed and Bella laughed, shaking her head and she leaned forward and whispered something into her ear. Gianna's eyes widened in shock and she jumped, violently. Blaise stood, golden eyes blazing.

"What did you tell her?" he hissed, angrily and Bella gave a mischievous smile.

"Nothing that wasn't the utmost truth."

"She's six," Blaise snarled and Bella gave him a cool stare that Blaise did not back down from and Gianna looked at her brother wide eyes.

"Really? _Blaise è davvero..._" Gianna murmured and Bella laughed, softly.

"I tell the truth. Are you frightened?"

"No," Gianna whispered and Bella nodded. She stood and reached underneath the piano before pulling out a small velvet box and handing it to Gianna. Gianna took it gratefully and Bella smiled at her.

"Happy Yule, little one."

Gianna opened it slowly and stared at it in wonder. It was a black locket on a golden chain. The outside was intricate and had an intricate silver flower on the outside with a keyhole in the middle. Bella took a key from the box and pushed it inside before twisting it. The locket fell open to show a multitude of gears and a small clock. It was gorgeous and then a tune slowly crooned from the moving gears.

A haunting tune emerged from it that Tom did not recognize. It was lighter than Tom would have imagined for such a story. Gianna was moving back and forth to it as Bella hummed it softly to her. After five minutes, the song came to an end.

"What's it called?"

"Story of Evil."

* * *

**The Black Osobnyak, Russia, Asia**

**Friday the 25th of December 1997**

**9:00 AM**

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's Yule!"

Tom groaned into his pillow and he grabbed the ankle of the young woman jumping up and down on his bed. She fell with a great shriek and she laughed despite the fact that she sounded breathless. Tom pushed her away.

"Tom…" breathed a voice and Tom groaned.

"Goway," he slurred.

Bella chuckled before she leaned and placed her lips right above Tom's ear. She leaned in and licked the shell of his ear, tantalizingly and Tom hissed at her, annoyed and aroused. Bella laughed again and she sighed.

"Tom," she began, throatily, "Would you like to know what luck feels like?"

Tom gave a huffing sound but didn't quite answer back to her. Bella grinned and rolled her eyes at his child-like behavior and she knew her next words would get him up.

"If you don't want to…I was just wondering if you'd like to get luck tonight but I guess _not_—"

Bella was cut off when she was suddenly flipped over so that she was on her back. The woman let out a giggle. Tom was straddling her and his eyes were a swirl of charcoal and garnet. He leaned forward, his teeth slightly bared into a leer.

"Are you offering?" he hissed at her.

"Uh…too late," Bella said with a malicious grin. Tom snarled at her and Bella only laughed again, shaking her head at her whatever-he-was. He had such a one track mind sometimes. Tom slid off of Bella and shook his head as he ran a hand through it.

"Why did you wake me up at this ungodly hour. It's nine o' clock," Tom moaned in annoyance and Bella rolled her eyes.

"It's Yule," she huffed from his bed.

"I realize this. This doesn't answer my question."

Bella sighed and she grabbed a shirt from his trunk and pulled it on. She now wore flannel pants, a tank top, and one of Tom's shirts. Tom couldn't help but acknowledge that she did in fact look good in his clothes. Tom pulled on an open dressing gown and let her pull him out of the room as they walked towards on of the many sitting rooms.

"_Well_…we didn't get to decorate the tree because last night was the Pureblood Society shit. Gianna and I want to decorate the tree," Bella said with a little grin. Tom rolled his eyes at her behavior.

"You're acting like a child."

"Fuck you, Tom."

"I'd be glad too."

Bella grinned at him and she leaned forward and ran a hand down the side of his face. Tom raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I have you wrapped around my finger, don't I?" she teased. Tom snorted and shook his head at her assumption though deep in his mind, he knew that it was very true. Bella gave him a disbelieving look.

"_You_. You're some little chit that somehow made me have feelings for her. I don't know how but you did. I'm still very much in control of what I do and say, thank you," Tom snapped at her and Bella laughed, softly. She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and backed up into the door of a broom closet. Tom raised an eyebrow at her.

"Some women…were made. But, me, myself, I'd like to think that I was created. For a special purpose," Bella said, her voice throaty once more and Tom glared at her. She knew exactly what she was doing to him and it pissed him off that he was letting it get to him. She was just some girl that he happened to fall in love with.

Why did she affect him so?

"Of course. You're Nikolai," Tom said, blandly.

"Ah, but to me…what's more special than _you_…"

Tom glared at her and stormed towards her. Bella's lips curled into a snake-like smile. Tom pushed her out of the way before throwing the door to the broom closet open and pulling her inside before shutting it behind her.

"Too right you are," Tom hissed at her.

"Just stroking your ego," Bella smirked.

Tom only stared downed at her in disbelief and he shook his head. She knew exactly what buttons to push and she was doing it freely without thought of repercussions. She seemed to be forgetting that he was still the Dark Lord.

Bella frowned.

"Aren't you going to snog me now?"

"Excuse me?" Tom asked, incredulously and Bella huffed.

"We're in a broom closet. You're supposed to snog me within an inch of my life," Bella snapped. Tom raised an eyebrow and he gave her a winning smirk and shook his head.

"I don't like being teased. I'm not going to snog you in a broom closet. It's for hormonal teenagers. Like you."

"Well, I hate you then."

"Don't like to yourself, sweetheart," Tom mocked. Bella glared at him in annoyance.

"You're so fucking annoying. And uptight."

Tom's eyes twitched.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me uptight?" demanded Tom. Bella's eyes narrowed with mischief and calculation. If she played this right…she'd get her snogging. She _was_ a teenager still, with hormones just like Tom said.

She had her damn needs.

"Yes, I think that's what I said. You. Are. Uptight."

Suddenly, Bella was slammed roughly into the broom closet wall and suddenly his lips were on hers. She moaned against his lips as he roughly and thoroughly kissed her. It was unlike any of their others kisses though.

This one was rough and it sparked an interest in her. He was pushing his annoyance at her and she could feel his smugness as she moaned once more against his lips. His tongue tasted everything in her mouth and her eyes narrowed.

She be damned if she let _him_ kiss _her_ after he didn't want to even kiss her in the first place. Bella began to battle him for dominance and was _very_ surprised when he let her kiss him and then suddenly his lips were trailing down to her jaw and he kissed down to the long and slender column of her neck. He bit down harshly on the left side of her neck and she gave a loud groan.

"So, I'm uptight," he murmured against her neck and she laughed, shakily.

"Hmm…there's still room for practice. Savvy?" she gasped, her breasts shuddering with each breath she took.

"Absolutely," he agreed before sucking hard on her neck.

"Merlin, Tom. You are way too good at this. You didn't shave, hmm? Your…stubble…very sexy," she moaned. She felt a quiet laugh vibrate against her neck and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he hoisted her up against the wall.

"I know, love," he murmured before kissing up to her ear lobe. He gave a harsh suck and she gave a shudder and a jolt. It was like an electric current had run from between them and she knew that was what had probably happened.

"Tom…" she whimpered as he gave teasing kisses across her jaw. She could feel the bruises forming on her neck. And she knew she wanted more. She could feel his erection forming just below her and it only made her want him more. She ran her fingers through his hair, effectively messing it up. She wrapped tendrils of hair around every single on of her fingers and pulled harshly when he bit down particularly hard on her neck.

"Hmm?" he asked her though he was rather busy making bruises along her jaw.

"I…ugh…never mind. Just don't stop."

The two were so busy that they failed to notice the approaching footsteps and the loudening voices outside of the room.

"So Professor Riddle's here? Why?"

Tonks.

"Bella made him stay last night," Maya explained and she gave Sirius' a teasing smile. Sirius only scowled at his fiancée's teasing.

"They're that close?" Tonks asked, curiously. She looked over at Remus but he was frowning and listening intently with his head tilted.

"You could say that," Sirius said, flatly. Tonks looked over at her boyfriend in confusion and watched as he stopped in the middle of his walking and glared down the hallway. Tonks touched Remus' shoulder.

"Remus…"

Remus walked forward slowly and Tonks followed him. As she approached what looked like a broom closet, she heard muffled moans and groans that didn't sound like pain but…sexual, in some way. Maya's eyes widened and she darted in front of the broom closet before Remus could open it.

"No one in there. I'm just making weird noises. Num, num, num," Maya said, making a poor imitation of the moans coming from inside the broom closet. Tonks' eyes widened when she heard something crash inside.

"Tom…what the fuck?"

Tonks flushed when she realized one person who was in the broom closet and practicing in less than savory things.

"Who's in there with Professor Riddle?" Tonks asked with wide eyes.

"You made me fall, Anya."

Remus paled and he nudged Maya to the side, who relented with a sigh. Sirius was grinning and Remus threw the door open. Tonks stared in complete shock.

Bella was straddling Tom Riddle's lap and she was licking and biting and kissing his neck with much enthusiasm. Tom had his hand tangled in her hair and one of his shirts was on the ground neck to them. Another one of his shirts was hanging from the handle of a broom and he was bare-chested. Tonks salivated for just a moment before she processed exactly what she was seeing.

Tom Riddle.

Bella Potter.

Tom Riddle _and _Bella Potter.

"What is _this_?" Remus breathed, softly and Bella pulled quickly and turned, her eyes wide with shock and her lips swollen. She had hickeys going down her jaw and down her neck and Tom wasn't unmarred either. Blood was dripping from his collarbone and he looked decidedly disheveled.

"Wotcher, Bella," Tonks said with a grin.

"Uh…h-hi Uncle Moony, Tonks," Bella said, innocently and Tom groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What the hell is this?" Remus snapped, more viciously now. Bella cleared her throat and stood, tilting her head. She brushed her hand over her jaw and winced as she touched the hickeys. She pulled Tom's wand from his pocket and waved it over her face, making them disappear though by a glamour or healing them was unknown.

"Um…_well_, this is Tom Riddle, my…boyfriend."

"When did _that _happen?" Tonks said with a choked laugh.

"When she was 15," Tom said, flatly and he stood, slowly.

Remus gaped like a fish and shook his head. His eyes flashed in anger and they were golden now, showing his inner wolf.

"You've been taking advantage of her since she was _15_?" barked Remus and Tom snorted.

"More like she's been taken advantage of me. She seduced me into the broom closet. Look at her. She's so damn proud of herself," Tom said, pointing at her and Remus looked over at her. Bella was smirking, smugly and she put a hand on her hip.

"I told you. I've got you wrapped around my finger. Now, come on. Gianna is here and we want to decorate a tree," Bella said, shortly and she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the broom closet. She noticed the blood and Remus watched in shock as she leaned forward and licked the blood away.

"Whoa! No one is going anywhere until I know _how _this happened and _how _Sirius let it!" Remus snapped and Sirius crossed his arms, glaring at the wall.

"I found out a couple days before she turned 15. He told me. I got pissed. He got pissed. She got pissed. Maya broke it up. Bella and I talked. We agreed no more lies. They broke up after I went into a coma. I woke up. They got back together. The end."

Bella bit her lips, considering whether she should tell her Uncle Moony the _full _story. She looked over at Tom and saw him giving a look that was part warning and part reassurance. He would back her up no matter what she did but she would have to deal with the consequences. Bella sighed.

"That's not all that's to it but that's…another story. For now, I just want to enjoy Yule. Is that too much to ask?" Bella demanded. Remus opened his mouth to argue when Tonks gave him a little nudge. The bubble gum pink haired woman smiled, brightly and shook her though there was a slightly envious look in her eyes.

"No. I suppose it's not. We'll talk about it later."

Bella grinned and she took off down the hallway, leaving Tom pinching his nose as he watched her skid and almost fall flat on her face. He snorted in amusement and Bella glared back at him.

"Don't be an ass. Come on. I want to give you your Yule gift," Bella snapped and she ran into the sitting room. Remus sent Tom a glare and the Riddle smirked at him before following Bella. Tonks looked over at Maya with a raised eyebrow.

"How did she nail _Riddle_? She's seventeen. How did she nail him when she was _fourteen_?" Tonks whispered. Maya grinned and shrugged.

"Soul bond."

Tonks stared after her in shock and Remus stiffened as he heard the words. They continued into the sitting room and Tonks stared in amazement at the decorations. There was a twelve-foot tall tree sitting in the corner with a multitude of presents underneath. There was garland trimming the ceiling and lights on the tree with many ornaments.

A doll-like little girl with curls and hazel eyes was sitting underneath the tree, playing with an ornate locket. Bella was sitting cross-legged in front of her and Tom was sitting on the floor as well though rather unwillingly.

"Miss Bell said you helped with my gift, Mr. Tom," the little girl said and Tonks couldn't help but coo at the pretty little one. She looked over at the people sitting on the couch and saw Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy and his parents, and Blaise Zabini.

"I did," Tom said, flatly and the little girl beamed before boldly giving him a hug. Tom looked shocked nad decidedly uncomfortable while Bella just laughed.

"Aww," Bella, Maya, Tonks and Luna cooed and Tom scowled at them. Draco and Blaise snickered to themselves and the little girl plopped herself in Tom's lap.

"Get her off of me," Tom hissed through gritted teeth.

"Get over yourself, Tom. Gia's a baby," Bella laughed and Gia pouted.

"I'm not a _bambina_," pouted Gia and Bella laughed.

"Of course you aren't, little Gianna. But you're my _bambina_."

"She's actually my mother's child," Blaise interjected and Bella shot her brother and glare and Draco smirked over at her and Tom.

"Seems that Bella's maternal instinct has kicked in. Is she pregnant?" Draco teased and Remus stilled at the words. Bella glared at her brother in annoyance before casting a glance at Tonks and Remus.

"No. I'm very much a virgin, thank you. And why'd you mention that with them here? They might not have…Luna," Bella stopped, casting the blonde a look and the Elven girl gave a dreamy smile and she tilted her head, watching her.

"Yes?"

"Luna, you're not…where's the star?" Bella questioned as she stood and swung Gianna up into her arms. Gianna laughed and Tom looked slightly grateful though a strange look crossed his face as he watched Bella with Gianna on her hip. Luna pointed towards a box near Draco's foot.

"Draco, could you give that to me? My hands are full. And Tom, push the ladder over please," Bella asked and the two men did as she asked without much complaint though Draco did sneer in disgust.

Tonks watched as Bella grabbed the beautiful Yule star. It was golden and silver and a silver ring surrounded it. It looked almost like a pentagram. Bella climbed the ladder to the very stop and she steadily handed Gianna the star.

"Put it on, sweetheart."

Gianna laughed and did as instructed and as she did, all of the lights on the tree blinked on and Bella smiled, brightly. Bella's eyes flashed.

"Want to do something really fun?" Bella asked Gianna and Gianna nodded, enthusiastically. Blaise's eyes flashed in warning and he leaned forward.

"Bella, last time you did something with my sister you told her something she wasn't supposed to know…"

Blaise trailed off as he watched his two sisters jump from the ladder and Tonks cried out while Sirius and Remus darted forward, to catch them. Suddenly, the shadows flickered and wrapped around Bella and Gianna. Remus looked over at Tom.

The charcoal-eyed man had his hand out and his fingers were twitching and long black shadows were connected to his fingertips. Bella and Gianna appeared in front of him and Gianna was laughing, enthusiastically. Bella was laughing as well and she trailed off at the angry looks that everyone except Luna was giving her.

"That looked like fun," Luna said, wistfully and Draco gave his girlfriend a look that called her crazy.

"_That _was _fun_?" Remus snarled.

"It was," Bella laughed and she paled when Tom jerked her forward by the front of her shirt. He glared down at her before pressing a bruising kiss to her lips.

"You little brat. What the hell was that?" he asked when he pulled away. Bella shrugged.

"Fun. Now, lets open presents," Bella said and plopped to the ground, pulling Tom with her. She put Gianna in Tom's lap and she reached for a present that had her name on it. It was large and flat and she grinned at Luna.

"Thanks, Lu."

"Your welcome."

Bella ripped it open and stared in awe at the gift that rapidly turned to contemplation.

The portrait was of her, staring into a mirror. It wasn't the Mirror of Erised, she could tell. She tilted her head as she realized that her reflection was staring back and was something completely different. Her reflection was of a woman in dark crimson battle robes and black eyes with a mask on her face. The mask was bone white and looked as if it were made of porcelain. The lips were painted red and the top part of the mask was covered in lace except for the eyeholes.

"What is that? Who is that?" Tonks asked and Luna smiled.

"You'll see."

Luna turned away and she laughed before looking at Bella.

"Give Tom his gift."

Bella's eyes widened and she gave a sharp grin before she wandered behind the tree and pulled out a rather large gift. She pushed it towards him and he slowly unwrapped it, careful not to jostle Gianna who had no intention of getting off his lap. He looked at the large unwrapped box and pulled out of the box a guitar case.

He glared at her.

"You didn't…"

"I _did_," Bella laughed and she opened it, revealing a glossy black acoustic guitar.

"I don't play," Tom said, flatly and Bella sneered at him.

"I refuse to be in a relationship with a man who is afraid of a guitar."

Tom sneered at her.

"Snide little bitch."

"_Language_, Tom. There are little girls present," Bella admonished with a slight smile on her face and she shook her head. Tom glared at her and then his eyes softened when he found something. Bella paled. She jumped forward and tried to reach for the papers just as Tom snatched it from the bottom of the case.

"What's this?" Tom asked, softly.

"Well, what is it?" Tonks demanded, enthusiastically and Bella glared.

"That wasn't in there. That was in my folder. Luna…"

"Yes?" the blonde asked, innocently and she laughed quietly as she unwrapped one of her many presents that Draco had showered her with. Blaise was opening a present as well and Draco was ripping open his present like an overeager child.

"It's not like you can play anymore so it doesn't…" Bella started.

"Gianna, hold this. Don't let Bella get it."

Gianna nodded, solemnly.

"Miss Bell won't touch it," Gianna promised and Bella gave her a betrayed look. Tom reached for a pick that rested in the pouch on the inside of the guitar case. Bella sighed, shaking her head.

"Tom…it wasn't supposed to be in there and I bet you don't even remember how to pl—"

The strumming began and it sounded almost expert. The fingers danced across the strings and he strummed, creating a pretty tune. Tom looked Bella in the eye before he stopped and he glanced over his shoulder. He looked back at Bella.

"You wrote this," Tom said, softly. Bella nodded, slowly.

"For you. I…it's about before you…healed your mind. When it was cracking. I'm sorry to tell you this but you were a bit of an ass," Bella said, flatly and Tonks, Maya, Blaise, Draco, and Sirius burst into laughter. Luna and Remus hid their smiles while Tom scowled. Bella sighed.

"You were…I just thought…well, don't you think you should remember that time? So you don't make the same mistakes?" Bella said, reluctantly. Tom looked at her with unfathomable eyes before he began to play from the beginning again and he cleared his throat.

"_I used to rule the world_

_Seas would rise when I gave the word_

_Now in the morning I sleep alone_

_Sweep the streets I used to own_."

He crooned the words and Bella was struck by how beautiful his voice sounded. It was so meaningful and he was glancing from her to the notes and words on the paper. Bella smiled, weakly and encouragingly.

"_I used to roll the dice_

_Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes_

_Listen as the crowd would sing_

'_Now the old king is dead!_

_Long live the king',_" Tom continued to sign, softly and rather sweetly at that. His voice was pure and there was the slightest hint of emotion in his voice. Bella was kind of annoyed that she hadn't known that he had such a beautiful voice.

"_One minute I held the key_

_Next the walls were closed on me_

_And I discovered that my castles stand_

_Among pillars of salt and pillars of sand_."

Bella felt her eyes sting for some strange reason and she knew she was probably going to end up crying like a baby. She took a deep breath and looked over at her siblings and Luna. Luna looked surprised but that was normal. She was always surprised. Draco had a single raised eyebrow and a smile was tugging at the corner of Blaise's lips.

"_I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing_

_Roman Cavalry choirs are singing_

_Be my mirror, my sword and shield_

_My missionaries in a foreign field_

_For some reason I can't explain,_" Tom said, his strumming becoming more intense and his voice went higher there and Bella actually _felt _her heart flutter at that. He gave her a slight smirk so apparently her feelings were open on her face.

"_Once you go there was never_

_Never an honest word_

_And that was when I ruled the world_."

Bella sighed and Tom continued playing. Gianna was smiling, brightly in her lap and she was leaning her against his chest. Bella couldn't help but notice how adorable the two looked together. She'd have to take a picture.

"_It was the wicked and wild wind_

_Blew down the doors to let me in_

_Shattered windows and the sound of drums_

_People couldn't believe what I'd become_

_Revolutionaries wait_

_For my head on a silver plate_

_Just a puppet on a lonely string_

_Oh who would ever want to be king?_" Tom questioned, softly and Bella frowned as she heard that.

She hadn't wrote that.

She…the song had ended after 'People couldn't believe what I'd become'.

Tom was adding lyrics and they sounded…good. So very, very good. Bella felt a pang in her heart as she understood that Tom was singing from his soul now and that only she knew that these were his words and not her own. Well, she did and Gianna but she didn't think Gianna sang very well.

"_I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing_

_Roman Cavalry choirs are singing_

_Be my mirror, my sword and shield_

_My missionaries in a foreign field_

_For some reason I can't explain_

_I know St. Peter won't call my name_

_Never an honest word_

_And that was when I ruled the world_

_Ooh, ooh_," Tom said, his voice crystal clear as he sang the vocalization. It was so beautiful and Bella hummed as he played.

"_I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing_

_Roman Cavalry choirs are singing_

_Be my mirror, my sword and shield_

_My missionaries in a foreign field_

_For some reason I can't explain_

_I know St. Peter won't call my name_

_Never an honest word_

_And that was when I ruled the world_."

He finished the song and there was a deafening silence. Bella's smile stayed in place and Tom was looking at her with a roguish half-smile. Suddenly, Gianna giggled and clapped, enthusiastically. The room joined in except for Tom, Bella, and Sirius. Sirius was staring with a strange expression.

"That was…beautiful. I didn't know you could sing," Bella said, softly. Tom's smile grew.

"You never asked."

"I suppose I didn't."

:::

**A/N: **So...I have this chapter. Yes, I bet you didn't know that my Tom could sing like a beautiful angel. So, I hope you liked this chapter. I didn't like the beginning but I LOVE the last part where Tom sings to Bella. I think it's probably the nicest and sweetest thing that he has ever done for her.

So...line-up for the next chapters:

**Chapter LXXXVII: **Tom's birthday, New Years

**Chapter LXXXVIII: **February

**Chapter LXXXIX: **March

**Chapter XC: **April

**Chapter XCI: **May and the preparations for graduation

**Chapter XCII: **June...the Graduation

And then...the epilogue and it'll all be over. I advise you all to either put me on author alert or check periodically after I finish this. I think I might have the first chapter of Masquerade up right after the epilogue because I kind of want to get started on it. I'm really, really, really, REALLY excited.

For Gianna's music for the locket, check the links on my profile.


	94. Chapter LXXXVII

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXVII**

**The Black Osobnyak, Russia, Asia**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1997**

**7:00 PM**

"Daphne is having a New Year's Eve Party later today. Everyone fifth year and above is invited," Bella said, softly and Tom hummed from his spot on his bed. Bella was sitting cross-legged next to him and she looked around the guest bedroom with a quiet contemplation. She couldn't help the half-smile when she saw Tom's guitar case resting in the corner. She knew that he pretended that he didn't care for it even though she could hear him playing late at night at times.

"Will you be going?"

"I don't know. Tom, it's your birthday and I don't want to…"

"She's your best friend. Anya, I'm not trying to consume your life just as you're not trying to consume my life," Tom said, simply and Bella nodded in agreement. They sat in a comfortable silence for just a few moments before Bella cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair.

"Did you finish your DADA homework?"

"No. You know, I sometimes forget that you're my professor," Bella said with a slight smile on her face and Tom put down his book and fixed her with an unfathomable stare.

"I can see that."

Bella rolled her eyes at his short and curt words. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was short, sweet, but still very intense. She pulled back with a bright smile and she tilted her head as she examined him.

"Happy seventy-first birthday."

"Simply saying 'happy birthday' would have sufficed. Don't make me sound old. It makes me sound like a creep," Tom said, flatly and Bella laughed as she rolled off his bed. She tossed her hair back behind her ear and tilted her head.

"You _are _a creep. I'll be back around one in the morning and we'll celebrate the new year together," Bella smiled. Tom shrugged and went back to reading his book, under the pretense that he was very much involved in it. Bella sighed and she turned to walk away and begin to get ready.

"Where is it?"

Bella looked over her shoulder.

"Club Crystal."

"I'll see you off at ten, then," Tom said, softly and Bella's smile grew more pronounced and she nodded in agreement before exiting the room.

"See you then."

* * *

**Greengrass Manor, Unplottable Location, Wales, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1997**

**7:00 PM**

"Excuse me?" Astoria whispered and Lady Greengrass only beamed at her youngest daughter with blinding happiness. Lord Greengrass looked rather bored by the whole affair, yet still rather interested.

"Colette Delacour is…is…like _you_. And she's absolutely _beautiful_, isn't she?" Lady Greengrass continued on and Astoria coughed, weakly and she shook her head, unable to believe what her mother was trying to do.

"Yes, Mother. She's…satisfactory but _Mother_! She's my _professor_," Astoria said, her displeasure showing greatly and Lady Greengrass shook her head. She didn't even seem to be listening to Astoria in any way.

"Well, she wouldn't court you now and mind you, I haven't spoken a word to her but it is something to consider in the future. She comes from a worthy family and she's a pureblood," Lady Greengrass exclaimed and she sounded quite ecstatic about her findings. Astoria was less than pleased with her mother's meddlesome habits and she was quite ready to show her displeasure.

"Mother, I don't like this idea at all. She's too much older than me. She's my professor and frankly, I don't like her bitter attitude," Astoria said, flatly and Lady Greengrass looked surprised and then hurt by Astoria's words. She sat down in front of Astoria with a sad look.

"I'm sorry, Astoria. I'm just…trying to help. I know you have a difficult time…"

"Mother…" Astoria said, softly and Lord Greengrass cleared his throat. The two Greengrass women looked at the Head of House and he looked both contemplative and decided at the same time.

"Astoria, your mother is doing what's best for you. While I do agree that you are still young, your choices are limited. You may not be the Heir, you still have a duty to this family. If you should have to be courted by someone you do not like, so be it. For now, your mother shall look," Lord Greengrass stated and Lady Greengrass beamed. Astoria held back her groan and stood. The two adults looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry…I believe it's time to get ready. For Daphne's party," Astoria said, further explaining and the two nodded in agreement and understanding. They understood that their eldest daughter was a bit of a…party girl and she needed her sister to look the part.

Astoria walked quickly to her own room and she collapsed onto the seat in front of her vanity. She didn't even notice her older sister going around her room and picking out various clothing for her to wear that night.

"_Sguthan_."

Astoria spat the vile curse and Daphne raised an eyebrow.

Who was she calling a stupid woman?

"Cursing in Welsh again?" Daphne asked and Astoria sighed, shaking her head in anger and annoyance.

"That woman…_Mother _is trying to make me court someone. Namely, Colette Delacour."

"Is that so?" Daphne asked, mildly and she began to brush her sister's hair. Astoria didn't move, knowing that it would be tugged on if she did.

"Yes…"

"Bella's dating Tom Riddle. He's _much _older than her."

"Well, I'm not Bella Potter," Astoria snapped, irritably. Daphne grabbed her sister's ear and gave a sharp tug, causing Astoria to cry out in surprise. She sighed, knowing that her sister was in the right.

"Sorry. I'm just upset because Mother is…meddling again."

"I know, Tori. I know."

* * *

**The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1997**

**8:30 PM**

"Where?"

"Club Crystal. Greengrass is throwing a party and you're invited if you know when and where it's happening. I happened to hear when I was visiting Fred and George. They're working in Zonko's, trying to save enough money for a joke shop," Ginny explained and she grinned. Gideon looked at bit more reluctant and Christine shook her head, completely against the idea.

"But, obviously, if they didn't tell us directly, we can't go," Gideon pointed out and Ginny huffed.

"But, _Gideon_, we know _now_…and Bella's going to be there," Ginny pointed out. Christine considered that a low blow. The boy straightened and nodded in agreement. Ginny smiled, victoriously and she crossed her arms.

"So, what are we going to wear?"

* * *

**The Black Osobnyak, Russia, Asia**

**Thursday the 31st of December 1997**

**10:00 PM**

Sirius watched as Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini waited at the bottom of the stairs. Blaise looked drawn and rather tired but perhaps that was due to the fact that his girlfriend was still in prison. Sirius had to admire the boy…man, for being so persistent and committed. He knew that if he were in the boy's position and at that age, he would've broken up with Hermione a long time ago.

"So, where is this party?" Sirius questioned and Draco tilted his head as he observed the Lord Black.

"Club Crystal."

Sirius blanched.

"Excuse me? Club Crystal? That's down Pleasure Alley," Sirius said, flatly and Draco nodded, slowly as if speaking to a child. Draco sighed and crossed his arms in defiance.

"Yes."

"Bella's not allowed down there."

"Bella is an adult," Draco argued and Sirius wanted to argue back despite the fact that he knew it'd be pointless. Draco was correct. Bella was an adult no matter how much Sirius didn't want that to be true.

She had her own life. A life that included Riddle.

Sirius thought back to Christmas and the song that Riddle had sang to her. It seemed to hold a deep meaning. He knew that Tonks and Remus had just thought it was beautiful song but Sirius couldn't help but think back to the story that Bella had told. He knew that he would never be able to comprehend the pain and anger that she had gone through but that song had given an inkling.

He was beginning to regret ever saying that Riddle could be with Bella.

Because Riddle was proving to Sirius that he _did _love her, and it scared Sirius.

"You two! Are you finished?" Draco barked up the stage and Blaise elbowed his brother in annoyance before turning to Maya.

"I'm sorry for my brother. He's an arrogant prick. Ms. Granger, I hear that you're planning on having tea with Lady Malfoy in a few days," Blaise said, conversationally and Sirius' eyes narrowed. He hadn't known this and he glanced over at Maya to confirm it. She gave him a sheepish smile before nodding.

"Yes. I am. Why?"

"Well, my mother would like to meet you. She's under the impression that all three of the remaining mothers of the Horsemen should bond. I believe she's taking a break from her hunting just for this," Blaise explained and Maya looked almost intrigued at the mention of Francesca Zabini's hobby of 'hunting' men.

"I believe that I'd enjoy that. I've always been curious about her 'hunting'. Do you think she'd tell me about it?" Maya asked and Blaise tilted his head in contemplation before he gave a slight smile.

"Possibly. You just have to phrase the question is write."

"Talking about Francesca?"

Sirius glared at Riddle as he came from a side door. His arms were crossed and he looked rather amused at the idea of Francesca Zabini. Sirius wondered briefly how he knew her and he wanted to ask.

So of course he did.

"How do you know Francesca Zabini?"

"All Slytherins know each other," Riddle said, vaguely and there was pretty giggle coming from up the stairs. Sirius watched as Luna Lovegood bounced down the stairs in the craziest dress that he had seen in his life and that included her dress from the black and white ball that he had hosted.

It was…unique. It had a v-neck bodice that was a blue. It had cut out sides, exposing most of her stomach and it resembled ribs. The back was essentially straps holding the dress to her body. The dress was short in the front and made of blue ruffles while the back trailed behind her like a train. She ran down and suddenly disappeared into a swirl of shadows before she appeared in Riddle's shadow.

"Tom Marvolo," Luna greeted from behind him and Riddle didn't even jump. He nodded at her.

"Meddlesome little girl."

Luna grinned and nodded. She turned to look at Draco and she moved towards him before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Luna leaned forward.

"Morgan sends her love."

"Don't you mean Mórrígan?" Blaise questioned as he detected the subtle difference between the two names. Luna merely laughed and she shook her head.

"Morgan…Morgan Evans is not Mórrígan. They are two separate…entities," Luna said and she giggled out the last word. Blaise frowned in confusion though he didn't question the Seer's words. He heard the click of heels and watched as Bella descended from the stairs.

Her corset bodice sparkled with large silver stones and her skirt was rather short. Sirius wasn't quite sure about that but otherwise she looked very pretty. She grinned at them all and winked at Riddle before turning to her siblings and Luna.

"Ready to go?"

"Can I take us?" Luna asked, excitedly and Bella nodded in agreement.

"I like shadow travel. See you in a bit, love," Bella said with a wink at Tom just as shadows wrapped around her and she disappeared from sight. Bella twisted around and around until she appeared in front of the entrance to Club Crystal.

There was a bouncer at the door and a long line of students, waiting to enter and see if they were on the list. She could see Ginny, Gideon, and Christine in line with Ron. They were eagerly waiting to see if they could get in. Bella groaned.

"Line is so _long_," she moaned. Draco sneered.

"I'm not waiting in a line. You!" Draco barked and he pointed at the bouncer. The bouncer looked over at him and blanched when he recognized exactly who he was. Draco smirked in triumph and tilted his head.

"I want in," Draco said, shortly.

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy. And you companions?"

"Bella Potter, Luna Lovegood, and Blaise Zabini," Bella dictated. She heard the complaints and groans of the others and her eyes fell on the Weasleys and Christine with pity. She sighed and knew she really wouldn't be doing this if she weren't in such a good mood.

Plus she felt she kind of owed Christine for being so…odd to her a couple weeks ago.

"Add the Weasley twins and Ron Weasley along with Christine Jackson," Bella sighed. Luna beamed at her and Blaise made a faint noise in the back of his throat. Draco looked at his sister in arrogant disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, whatever. Luna likes them. Don't you want to make Luna happy?" Bella demanded. Draco looked over at his beaming girlfriend before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. He waved his hand in dismissal and Luna walked over to the four and they gave her a disbelieving look as she relayed the news.

They exited the line and Luna led them to the front. Bella almost sneered at what the Weasleys were wearing though she knew it wouldn't very…proper. They didn't look _bad _but just too casual for a party such as this. Christine was dressed in something a bit more proper for the party. She wore a button down white shirt that fell to her knees and knee high black boots. A loose belt hung to her waist, giving the illusion of hips.

"You're inviting us in with you?" Ginny asked in disbelief. Bella gave a chilly smile.

"The holiday season brings out the best in us. And I just wanted to use this as a way to apologize to Christine," Bella said, flatly. She turned on her heel and walked inside with her head held high and she was met with flashing colored lights, a pounding beat, and a lot of heat. Bodies were packed together and the smell of alcohol was high in the air.

"How did Mommy Weasley let you out to this party anyway? I would've though that wouldn't want her baby bears being corrupted by the nasty Slytherins," Draco taunted and Ron glared at him, his ears turning red. He crossed his arms and glared at Draco.

"I'm an adult. I can do what I want," Ron spat. Draco grinned.

"I'm sure you can. Come Luna. Lets go grab a couch," Draco said. Luna smiled and nodded in agreement. She gave a little wave to Ginny and Gideon before continuing on. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"I'm going to dance. Anyone care to join me…Blaise?" Bella said with a slight smile. Blaise grinned and he pulled her onto the dance floor. Gideon and Ginny watched as they went to find a seat with Christine. Ron had gone out onto the dance floor and was skulking around.

"There my brother goes, preying off innocent girls," Ginny said with a slight smile. Christine laughed, softly and she nodded. Christine glanced at her other Weasley friend and saw that he was watching Bella dance with her 'brother'.

He was twirling her around and she was laughing, her eyes bright despite the fact that she had gone through much. Christine scanned the crowd and saw Daphne Greengrass walking around with a flute of champagne in his fingers and she was grinning. In her other hand, she had a Firewhiskey. Christine stood.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked, hurriedly.

"Just going to dance. I swear I'll stay away from Bella and the Dark people," Christine said and she wondered why she was obeying Ginny of all people. Perhaps it was because Ginny was one of her only friends besides Gideon and Michael. The Brown was at home because he was still nervous about going out and he was still weak from his close call with death despite the fact that it had been months earlier.

Apparently, Hermione's blade had more to it than being a simple sword.

"Okay…" Ginny said, softly and Christine walked onto the floor. She watched as Daphne came straight up to Bella and twirled her away from Blaise. Blaise grinned and the three seventeen-year-olds began to dance with each other.

"Is that for me?" Bella asked, pointing to the Firewhiskey. Daphne snorted.

"I didn't even know you were here."

"Well, it's mine now," Bella said, swiping the bottle and taking a swig of it. Daphne laughed and she placed the champagne flute on a passing waiter's tray. Christine turned away from and danced with the nearest guy who seized her by the waist and grinded into her. Christine turned her head and looked up at him. He was…cute.

Passable.

Barely.

Christine gave him an apologetic smile before moving on. She kept her eyes peeled and finally Christine caught sight of the reason why she had decided to come to this stupid party at _all_.

She was sitting in the far corner near the front of the room with a velvet rope cutting her off from most people. She sat at the table alone and she was cursing a glass of what looked like scotch. Dark hair was spilling over her shoulders from a high ponytail and wide eyes stared around, bored. Christine walked forward and Astoria blinked when she saw her.

And then looked away.

"Hello there," Christine said, not unkindly. Astoria looked over at her and glared.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you," Astoria said, blandly and Christine was surprised to hear the faintest Welsh accent. She leaned forward, intrigued by the mystery that was Astoria Greengrass.

"Yet here we are," Christine said, a slight smile upon her face.

"There you are. I'm here. Where my sister put me. To keep me Mudbloods like _you_," Astoria said and her voice was cold and she seemed almost stand-offish. Despite her language and her obvious disdain, Christine persevered on.

"I thought we were friends," she said as soft as the music allowed her to.

"You thought wrong. You just happen to always be in the library when I am."

"I see…did you get my Yule gift?" Christine asked, curiously and Astoria stiffened and she reached for the messenger bag that was underneath her seat. She pulled out the large book and Christine already knew what the golden words said on the leather cover.

"_The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_. A Muggle playwright and poet," Astoria said and she sounded mocking. Christine raised an eyebrow at her tone of voice and she leaned forward over the velvet rope.

"And?"

"It's beneath me. I'm not one to read a book by a silly Muggle given to me by a _silly _Mudblood," Astoria spat and Christine didn't feel hurt by Astoria's words. She couldn't even bring herself to care about the insults. Well, that wasn't entirely true. It hurt a little but truly, it was merely a word.

"Then why are you a quarter through? I can see the bookmark," Christine said, gesturing to it. Astoria flushed and she didn't answer, merely glaring at the Muggleborn girl. She sighed and shook her head.

"What was your favorite play?" Christine asked.

"I…I only read some of the tragedies so far. I'm…I'm not done yet but…I like Macbeth. I hated Romeo and Juliet. It was…sad," Astoria said and she seemed to be scrambling for words. Christine nodded in agreement and she tilted her head.

"Personally, I like Hamlet."

"I haven't gotten there yet," Astoria said, almost hostilely before she leaned back with a loud sigh. Christine tilted her head as she observed Astoria.

"But, I'm a bit of a romantic so I suppose I like Romeo and Juliet, a little."

Astoria snorted.

"You would, Christine."

"Dance with me?" Christine questioned and Astoria stopped. She raised an eyebrow at Christine and slowly placed her book underneath her chair. She stood and walked towards the velvet rope and put her hand out underneath it.

Christine took it with a slightly predatory smile. Astoria pulled her forward and Christine slipped underneath the rope just as the song changed. It had a 80's pop sound to it and Christine grinned. Astoria looked almost uncomfortable.

"Do you dance?" Christine asked. Astoria nodded, hesitantly.

"I was…taught."

"Mhm…so you don't know how to just dance?" Christine said, knowingly and Astoria glared at her hesitantly. She relaxed and Christine moved to the beat. Astoria frowned in confusion and she observed the girl.

"Dance, Astoria. It's fun," Christine laughed and Astoria glared.

"That doesn't look fun. You look stupid."

"Well, look at your sister. She's dancing the same with Neville Longbottom. I think they're about go horizontal on the dance floor," Christine grinned and Astoria rolled her eyes. The two didn't notice Luna Lovegood observing them as she tried to distract Draco.

"Look at Gideon Weasley…trying to dance with Bella," Draco remarked with a slightly malicious sneer. Luna laughed quietly as she _did _see the Weasley twin trying to get Bella to dance with him. The woman was expertly avoiding him and she winked over at Draco and Luna.

"I know she wants Tom to be here to dance with her. Do you think they'll ever come out about their relationship?" Draco asked, curiously and Luna knew that he wanted to know. He meant for her to tell him part of the future and she really didn't mind doing so. She frowned, trying to bring forth visions and her disposition visibly brightened.

"Tom…is…" Luna said just as the song changed against to an almost western song. Draco watched as the shadows behind Bella warped until it took the shape of a man whose face was distorted just enough for no one to make out who he was.

Bella stiffened when she felt the person behind her and then she relaxed when she familiar hands on her hips. She leaned back with a slight smile and rolled her eyes at his appearance.

"Aren't you a little too old to be here?"

"I can be anywhere I wish."

"Dance with me, love," Bella murmured.

She swayed her hips to the country beat.

_When you came in the air went out._

_And every shadow filled up with doubt._

She could feel Tom moving behind her and she could almost feel the eyes on her. She looked up and saw Gideon staring at her with a hint of betrayal in his eyes. She offered a slightly smug and then apologetic smile. He turned away from her and walked back to Ginny's table, dejected.

_I don't know who you think you are,_

_But before the night is through,_

"I wanna do bad things with you," Tom murmured in her ear according to the lyrics. She stiffened as she heard the lyrics. She looked over at him and saw his eyes clouded with lust and need and Bella bit her lip before looking away.

_I'm the kind to sit up in his room._

_Heartsick and eyes filled up with blue._

_I don't know what you've done to me,_

_But I know this much is true:_

_I wanna do bad things with you._

_Ok…_

"Do you really?" Bella murmured to Tom and he smirked down at her before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips. Bella hummed before pulling away with a grin.

There was a guitar interlude and Tom twirled before pulling her back, her chest against his and she ran her hands up and down his back.

_When you came in the air went out._

_And all those shadows there, filled up with doubt_

_I don't know who you think you are,_

_But before the night is through_

_I wanna do bad things with you._

_I wanna do real bad things with you._

_Ow, ooh_

There was another guitar interlude and Bella ran a hand down his face and he looked down at her with a dark smirk. Bella sighed and brushed her hair back from her face, shaking her head as she did.

_I don't know what you've done to me_

_But I know this much is true_

_I wanna do bad things with you._

_I wanna do real bad things with you._

Bella sighed as the song ended and the shadows warped again, just for Tom to disappear. Bella rolled her eyes and backed away from the spot where he just was. She approached Draco and Luna's couch and fell down in an exhausted heap. She looked at the two in confusion.

"Why aren't you dancing?" asked Bella.

"I don't feel like it."

Draco.

"The Quibbler needs the sales upped again so I told Daddy that I'd cover the party so a teenage demographic can buy it," Luna explained. Bella nodded in understanding and she tilted her head. She knew she really shouldn't ask the question but when Luna had spoken about her father…

"Does your father know that your mother is still alive?"

Luna's expression turned stony.

"Not in particular, no. Why do you ask?" Luna asked, coldly. Bella shook her head and shrugged.

"Just asking."

"I saw you and Tom getting raunchy on the dance floor," Draco smirked, salaciously as he tried to change the subject. Bella glared at him in annoyance and she crossed her arms.

"We weren't getting…raunchy. The song was very sexually charged. I mean, 'I wanna do bad things with you'? Really?" Bella said, annoyed. Luna giggled, softly and it was clear that she was over what had just happened before. Draco continued smirking and he shook his head.

"I saw you and Tom having vertical sex."

Bella groaned as Daphne plopped down next to her and laughed. Bella shook her head as Daphne continued to laugh at her.

"We were _not_. It's called _dancing_."

"Sure, sure. It's called dancing when you don't look like you're about to start doing the horizontal tango right there on the dance floor," Daphne teased and Bella sighed, sounding both amused and annoyed by everyone. Bella huffed and shook her head.

"This party is rather nice, you know…" Bella commented softly. Daphne looked almost offended at the idea and she reached up and seemed to have plucked Neville from the crowd. He collapsed into the seat next to her and she slid onto his lap. He didn't even flush.

"Nice? This party is fucking _amazing_," snarled Daphne. Bella smirked and Draco leaned forward.

"Is your sister here?"

"Why? Interested?" Daphne taunted. Luna's eyes flashed, warningly. Draco snorted.

"She's cute but she's not interested in the opposite gender. I wouldn't bother wasting my time when I have a _Seer_," Draco said, proudly and Luna's lips twisted into a half-smile. Daphne sighed and she jerked her head towards the V.I.P section. The entire area was slightly obscured by the crowd.

"She's over there."

"Ah."

"I wasn't going to come to the party," Bella said, softly and Daphne looked up at her in shock and glared at her.

"And why not?"

"It's Tom's birthday. I don't think he wanted me to come here…but he told me to," Bella said, softly and she gave a slight smile.

Daphne stared at her in silence before she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. Bella looked at her in confusion. The blond woman looked like she was in deep thought before she looked up with blue-grey eyes.

"Go home."

* * *

**The Black Osobnyak, Russia, Asia**

**Friday the 1st of January 1998**

**12:00 AM**

"Happy New Year."

Tom looked over at the woman standing in front of him. She was a slip of a girl, as he had always known but she looked different in the low light and it wasn't in a bad or a good way. Her eyelids were drooping and she looked slightly inebriated.

"Happy New Year," Tom responded as he watched her.

Bella moved towards him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up at him with complete trust that Tom knew he did not deserve. In the past, he had done much to her that he could not repent for.

Not that he repented…or did he?

He was not quite sure despite the occasional 'sorry' that he rewarded the woman. Bella looked up at him.

"_Mon amour_. Kiss me," she murmured.

Tom did as she obeyed and it was a sweeter kiss than he was honestly used to. Bella pulled away and she looked at him with a strange expression on her face. She ran a hand through her hair.

"Tom…something's…wrong," she whispered.

"What?" Tom asked, sharply and Bella's eyes squeezed shut and she put her hands to her temples. Her eyes slide open and she looked at him with _deep, __black _with unnatural swirls of a shocking green and Tom took a step back from the woman that _looked _like his Anya.

"Hello, Tom. Long time…no see…"

The voice sounded so hauntingly familiar. It _was _her voice. His Anya's.

But so much darker…less sweet…hoarse and longing.

He knew a name for the voice.

"Nikolai," Tom said, softly and Nikolai…Bella's lips curled into a smile. She tilted her head and she fell into the armchair and crossed long creamy legs.

The way Nikolai held herself was so…different than Bella. Bella was still a teenager no matter how she acted or what she did. Tom could not ever forget that, no matter how hard he had tried so he simply had _stopped _trying. But, this woman…_truly _a woman, was almost ageless. She had the same wisdom as he did.

She looked more seductive than Bella ever had and Tom couldn't help but feel lust.

"Naughty, naughty thoughts, Tommy-boy. I'm not Bella," Nikolai tutted and she had a teasing smirk on her face. Tom's eyes narrowed as he realized that Nikolai was not limited to Bella's powers. She was something ethereal and different from his lover. She was something completely different.

"Do you suspect me of reading your mind?" Nikolai asked and Tom glanced at her in surprise. She let out a throaty giggle that sounded half-mad and she shook her head as if she couldn't quite believe it.

"No…it's in your eyes. It shows exactly what's on your mind."

"Why are you here? What are you?" Tom snapped and Nikolai leaned forward.

"Tommy-boy, perhaps, I'd answer your questions if you looked a bit more like…the Dark Lord," Nikolai said, softly and Tom raised an eyebrow. He observed and saw that her eyes had dilated in almost…_lust _at the mention of his alter-ego.

How…enlightening.

"As you wish, Nikolai."

He pulled his wand from his sleeve, slowly and slowly twisted it and spun it in the intricate patterns needed to construct the mask of Lord Voldemort. He slowly felt his face morph and shit. It had once hurt to transform himself but he was all but dulled to the pain of his flattening nose and shrinking ears.

Nikolai leaned forward, looking interested and her smirk widened maliciously. She tilted her head as she observed the pale man standing before her. His crimson eyes flashed as he watched her and he pointed his wand at her neck.

"Answer my questions. What are you? Why are you here?" he asked, sibilantly and Nikolai huffed at his hostility. Her lips pushed out into a slight pout.

"Are you upset because I'm using your silly girl's body? Truly, you still love her after she rejected you? Did you not declare war upon her?" Nikolai demanded, callously and Voldemort's eyes flashed at her question. Nikolai's narrowed when he did not answer immediately.

"Nikolai, why do you refer to her as such? Did you not become part of her?" Voldemort questioned and Nikolai's lips quirked into another smirk and she tilted her head as she observed him. She slid up and tilted her head.

"Wrong, lover."

"I am not _your _lover," Voldemort spat and Nikolai snorted.

"You certainly aren't _Bella's_. She wants Tom Marvolo. She doesn't love _Voldemort_. She admitted it. Why don't you accept it?" Nikolai questioned and Voldemort's long bone white fingers wrapped around her neck. Nikolai looked up at him with a hostile smile.

"Hold your tongue," he hissed at her and suddenly, Nikolai had a wand at his throat. He looked at her with slightly widened crimson eyes.

"You forget yourself, Voldemort."

"Do I?"

"I am still Nikolai, no matter _what _body that hosts me," Nikolai snarled and Voldemort suddenly let go of her. She stumbled and righted herself almost immediately. She put a hand on her hip but did not relax her grip on her wand.

"Host?" Voldemort asked and Nikolai almost cursed aloud.

She had slipped.

"Someone hasn't done their research," she said, her tone sing-song as she tried to distract him. Voldemort gave her a lipless smirk that told her that had failed in her attempt. She simply scowled at him.

"I will ask again. What are you?"

"I'm Bella," Nikolai said as a pleasant smile slipped onto her face.

Voldemort gave her a flat disbelieving look. She had such sudden mood changes, but it wasn't hard to keep up when he was like that as well.

"No. You are not. You would not speak in third person if you were," Voldemort said, simply and Nikolai spun around to looked farther into the room they were in. She walked towards the large mirror in the corner of the room. It went from the ceiling to the floor and was partially covered by a sheet. She tore the sheet away from it and looked into the mirror.

"Such a pretty shell. I must admit, Lily had excellent genes for a Mudblood," Nikolai said, softly and she turned, slowly.

"What. Are. You?"

Nikolai spun around, her eyes a black inferno of fury and contempt. She stormed towards Voldemort and pointed her wand at him, threateningly. He looked at her with a tilted head and she glared.

"I. Am. A. _WHO! _I. Am. A. _PERSON!_"

Her words had not been loud or in a scream as Bella's might've been. Her words held all the power of a scream but in a whisper. The intensity of her declaration echoed around the room and Voldemort simply stared at her.

"You are not a person."

Nikolai reared back as if she had been physically slapped.

"What?" she whispered.

"A person is a human being regarded as an individual. You cannot exist outside of this body. Bella is your only way out," Voldemort said, blandly and it was clear that he was simply baiting her and trying to get a rise out of her. Nikolai flinched at the truth. Voldemort gave her a hostile smirk.

"Shut up! Shut your mouth, you insolent little boy."

"Little boy?" asked Voldemort with his mocking, hostile smirk.

"I am older than time itself."

"I doubt that," Voldemort said, flatly. Nikolai looked at him with an arrogant and proud air about her and she turned from him.

"I am still other than you, boy. I was born with the conception of humanity. With the Seed of Humanity came Virtue. And then came Sin," Nikolai whispered and she looked into the mirror once more. She touched 'her' entire hand to the mirror and hairline cracks spread from the mirror and threatened to shatter the reflective glass. Nikolai jerked 'her' hand away and she turned 'her' body back to face Voldemort.

"That is what I am. That is what my siblings and I are. We are Sin…personified. War…plague…death…conquest. I am also known as greed. I…I cannot exist without humanity. I _have _no humanity. I am not alive nor am I dead. I just am. I must rely on another…that is what I am. Bella and I…Bella is my humanity and I…I am…not," Nikolai said, softly. She shook her head and her eyes narrowed.

"We have a duty to the Dark…a duty that we must fulfill," Nikolai whispered and she walked towards him slowly. She raised her hand to touch to his face and Voldemort looked down at her with cold eyes.

"What is your duty to the Dark?"

"We are to aid you. We are to help you win. _Before _Merlin chooses his Champions of Light. He now knows of Morgan's vengeance and he won't go down without a fight."

Voldemort nodded, not quite understanding but he honestly did not think that Nikolai understood either. She seemed just as much in the dark as he did and that wasn't a good thing in the least.

"Then aid us."

"Do not break my trust. Bella may be foolish enough to trust you but _I_…I am not."

Voldemort nodded once.

"I swear that I shall not break your trust."

The tip of his wand glowed and Nikolai tilted her head.

"And I seal that swear with a kiss of sin."

And her lips were upon his for just a moment before she pulled away. Voldemort's eyes were wide and Nikolai couldn't tell if he was affected by the kiss as she was. She tilted 'her' head and touched her lips. She looked almost surprised and she looked down at 'her' hand.

"Did you know?"

"What?" Voldemort asked, softly and Nikolai let out a breath.

"You make me feel…_alive_."

:::

**A/N: **I have introduced another new dynamic, similar to Morgan Evans. But completely different. I am finally really getting to the antagonist. You may have noticed that I mention Sin and Virtue. The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are Sin. Virtue will be introduced in Masquerade but I just needed it to be mentioned in passing now. Also, we get to explore Nikolai more. You all saw her as an idea whereas only Morrigan seemed like an actual character. Out of all of the Horsemen, she's the only one that was actually introduced as a legitimate character.

But, now we have Nikolai. Nikolai is COMPLETELY different from our normal Bella...I like Nikolai. A lot. She's...fun to write. Tell me what you think of her.

**Next Chapter: **February-Chocolates and Coffee


	95. Chapter LXXXVIII

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXVIII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 11th of February 1998**

**12:15 PM**

She was sitting alone for a change.

It was quite surprising to see her alone. He had graduated the year before and even he knew that her entourage almost constantly surrounded her. Or maybe there were her security. They _had _almost always acted as bodyguards.

Even Zoe, his elder sister whom was around somewhere, had spoken about their almost instant obedience, excluding a handful who seemed to be considered her equal.

She didn't look as haughty as many described her. She looked almost innocent at the moment though there was something about her that almost…repulsed him to a degree. Something that screamed that she wasn't quite right at all.

Bella Potter was lounging on a chair, her leather bag resting against a leather covered foot. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and long bangs were in her eyes. She was constantly raising her hand to push them to the side. She was reading something apparently and she suddenly gave an impatient huff.

"I'll do that later. Stupid studying…damn Hermione and her stupid study schedule," Bella muttered under her breath. She shook her head and pushed the bag that he recognized as an Ancient Runes book.

"I have three days to finish this stupid piece and I haven't even written an intro let alone lyrics," Bella murmured to herself. He watched her lean down and slide her hand into her bag. She suddenly froze and her eyes shot up. She darted up and a wand was suddenly in hand. Bella Potter was instantly in a defensive stand, her wand extended forward

On extinct, his own wand was in hand and he stared at her with wide eyes. She was glaring at him, hostilely.

"Show yourself," Bella commanded and he slid from his hiding place. He watched her scan him. He wasn't taller than her, just about her height despite the fact that he was a man and older than her.

But, she wasn't bigger than him. She was a small thing that looked like she could be snapped in half. He didn't doubt her power, however.

"Your name?" Bella demanded.

"Eddie."

"Full name."

"Edward Carmichael."

"What are you doing here? Why were you watching me? Didn't you graduate least year?" demanded Bella and she still looked tense. She didn't relax in the least and Eddie didn't relax either. There was something about this girl…something that he…

"You know my sister. I was looking for you for her. She said about a meeting."

"You're Zoe's brother," Bella said.

It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," Eddie said, softly. Bella glared at him and she shoved her things into her bag before standing. Eddie could've sworn that there was a hint of black at the edge of her irises that was slowly thickening before his eyes.

He felt a surge of pure, unadulterated hatred.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Thursday the 11th of February 1998**

**2:00 PM**

"What is she doing here?"

Colette glanced at the girl that had asked and saw that it was Fay Dunbar. She was watching Colette almost suspiciously. Most of the students were looking to Bella Potter and Riddle. Bella Potter looked just as confused as the students. Riddle scowled.

"She wants to…observe again. Grab your cloaks. We're going outside," Riddle commanded. Colette stared at him in complete shock as the students groaned in annoyance. Parvati and Padma Patil shook their head, obviously upset.

"But, _Professor_…" started Parvati. Riddle rolled his eyes.

"Does that work with Blaise?"

"No, sir," Padma sighed in resignation. Zabini flashed them an amused and rare smile. Colette didn't think she'd ever seen the young man smile though apparently, he didn't have a lot to smile about. If she remembered correctly, his girlfriend was in Azkaban for murder and attempted assault.

"Then, why do you think it would work on me?" Riddle asked, flatly. Parvati and Padma sighed. Colette looked over to Malfoy who was inspecting his nails. She almost cringed when he met her eyes.

Even now, she was not used to the strange veins of black and blue that extended from his eyes. He was very detached at times and Colette had once accidentally touched him. His skin was ice cold and even when he was embarrassed, blood never seemed to rush to his face, as it should for a person as pale as he. It was all very strange and only peaked Colette's curiosity.

"What are we doing outside?" Nott asked, tonelessly. The Indian girl that was always next to him, Lalita, looked at him for one moment before glancing to the voluptuous and rather beautiful redhead, Linda. Colette flushed at her thoughts.

"_Most _of you will be going through an obstacle course. I remind you. There is at least a foot of snow outside. Mister Malfoy, Mister Zabini, and Miss Potter will be doing something separate with me. Perhaps Professor Delacour could supervise you," Riddle said simply.

And there it was again.

What sounded like blatant favoritism but what wasn't. Colette had seen what Riddle did to those three children. They took the brunt of his abuse. He sometimes cut off limbs of the two boys though he was always gentler with Bella. Colette knew she hated it.

"We don't have cloaks," Neville Longbottom said, softly.

Out of all of them, Colette liked him best. He was such a soft spoken and sweet boy despite his overbearing and perpetually annoying girlfriend, Daphne.

"You have five minutes."

The students looked ready to run but Daphne pulled out of her wand. Bella simply reached into her bag and pulled out her emerald green cloak and wrapped it around her. She sighed and tilted her head before pulling up the hood.

"Summon your cloaks. You have wands," she said, simply. The others flushed slightly but they did as she suggested. Soon, the room was filled with flying cloaks that the others caught. Bella sighed and she stood.

"Draco, Blaise, let us walk. Tommy-boy, we'll go ahead," she said, softly. They cast her strange looks and Colette looked over at Riddle. Riddle was frozen and his hand darted out and grabbed Bella by her arm.

"Is that anyway to act towards a lady, Tommy-boy?" Bella whispered, softly. Malfoy and Zabini frowned in confusion as Riddle looked almost panicked for a split second. He growled at Bella and Bella smiled.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Utilizing what Lily made for me. She wanted to be special and here I am."

"Stop it," Riddle snarled. He squeezed harder and Colette was sure that he was going to create bruise marks if she didn't intervene. She stepped forward and rested her hand on Riddle's shoulder, tentatively.

"Riddle…"

"Stay out of this. Tommy-boy's upset. We all know what happens when Tommy is upset," Bella taunted and she let out throaty laugh that was quite unlike her own. She turned on her heel and looked over at her siblings.

"You hide it, Blaise. You aren't as in control as you pretend. So be it. Let him destroy you so that you can upset him. Such a hypocrite," Bella sighed and she shook her head. Riddle was bone white and he looked more angry than Colette had ever seen him. She had _never _seen him angry.

The rest of the students were frozen.

"What's going on?" asked Anthony, quietly.

"Nothing, nothing. Just something…I have to tell Tommy-boy," Bella said, waving off her loyal entourage as if they were nothing. They looked at her strangely and Zabini looked calculating. Malfoy was staring with open curiosity.

"Nikki?" Malfoy asked, softly.

"Ding, ding. Seems we have winner. Brother?" Bella asked. Or perhaps that was this Nikki character. Colette wondered if the girl had a split personality and whether she was on medication for her mental state.

"Yes," Draco said, softly. Bella smiled, sweetly.

"So, it is you. When did…"

"When he…I died. We are one and the same. Are you?"

"No. She doesn't know. Good…so you were the first of us. Did she?"

"I…I believe that it's…impending. She…her psychosis is gone but she is not sane nor whole. We shall see in time," Malfoy whispered. Riddle glared down at Bella and hissed at her. Bella looked over at him with an easy smile.

"I still prefer your…other face. It's exotic," Bella grinned. Daphne paled and she looked disgusted. Colette was just confused. Riddle grimaced.

"Tell me and get out."

"I met him."

Her voice held obvious distaste and just a hint of hatred.

"Met who?" Riddle asked, quietly. Bella leaned and brought her lips to Riddle's ear. Colette could just hear her.

"_Him_. Gods, he stank of righteousness and Light and _goodness_. It was _disgusting_. I met him. Lustitia. A Virtue."

Riddle paled.

To Colette it just sounded like a bunch of hisses.

* * *

**Salem Witches' Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, New England, United States**

**Friday the 12th of February 1998**

**11:00 PM**

"You've got mail," Jessica said, tossing the parcel onto Morgan's bed. Morgan blinked in surprise at the parcel and frowned in confusion.

She didn't get mail…

"Did I? It's late. From whom? Was there a letter?" Morgan fired off and Jessica shrugged. She pulled a cigarette from the pack on Morgan's desk and lit the end with a well place _Incendio_. Morgan pulled a cigarette of her own and she held it out to be lit by Jessica.

The girl scoffed.

"You took one of my fags. Light it up," Morgan said, coldly and Jessica sighed before obeying. Morgan smirked and she walked towards her parcel and leaned down to look at it. It was nicely and tightly wrapped. She slowly unwrapped it and a piece of parchment fluttered out.

"What is it?"

Jessica leaned forward and read over Morgan's shoulder:

_Mirror, mirror_

_On the wall_

_Pick one for you can't have them all_

Morgan frowned in confusion and she unwrapped her present completely. It was a portrait and it was absolutely beautiful. She had no idea whom it was from but it was…there were no words to describe it.

The painting had her in it.

Except she was a reflection in a mirror. There were three joined mirrors in front of a girl. The artist had only painted the back of the person and she seemed to be wearing grimy grey and black robes. Morgan had a sneaky suspicion that the grey used to be white. The girl had long and crazy dark brown hair.

A sword was hanging from her right hand and it was dripping blood into a pool underneath it. In the girl's left hand was a wand. She was looking into the mirror and Morgan could see the person in the center mirror.

It was the girl, it seemed. Except, the woman in the center mirror had long stick straight brown hair. Her eyes were rimmed with so much kohl that she looked like an insomniac. She had blood red lips and her lips were twisted into a slight grin. She was tilting her head as she looked back at the center girl.

On the left of that reflection was Morgan. She looked exactly as she did now, same red hair and cornflower blue eyes. She had a confused look on her face. She wasn't even looking at the girl looking at her reflections.

On the right of the middle reflection was a younger girl that had curly hair, oversized front teeth, and a book in hand. She was smiling, excitedly and she had a haughty air about her despite her childish smile. Morgan felt a pang in her heart though she wasn't quite sure why.

"What is this?" Jessica asked, sounding horrified.

"Pick one…" Morgan murmured to herself.

She didn't understand.

Since September, she had been here at Salem and she was finally getting over the strange and foreign hurt in her heart. She knew that she should probably ignore it and she typically did. Except when she had the strange dreams of screams and fire and golden eyes. It always came down to the golden eyes in the end.

"Morgan, do you know who this is from?" Jessica asked, frantically. Morgan shook her head in complete confusion. She didn't know whom it was from and she could barely remember how she had even gotten to the school.

She remembered her parents telling her that they wouldn't be able to escort her and a strange blonde girl had taken her. She didn't even remember the girl's name.

Not that she remembered much of anything.

Or was that true?

"No…I'm tired…I'm going to go to sleep," Morgan whispered. She took the painting and shoved it underneath her bed and took one more drag of her cigarette before putting it out and throwing it into the ashtray at the corner of her desk. She sighed and gave a hacking cough.

She was smoking a lot and she knew it. She had never smoked before, if she remembered correctly. She remembered very little of her time in Britain but maybe that happened when you were far from home.

Was it her home?

She didn't know.

Morgan sighed and went back to her smoking habits. She was now going at a pack a day unless Jessica stole it from her. Every month she got an allowance from God knows where and she ended up spending half of her money on her damn cigarettes. And she knew that they caused cancers and he wouldn't be happy with her being sick.

Whoever the hell, 'he' was.

Morgan didn't even bother changing into her sweats and just slid into her bed, skirt and button down shirt still on. She pulled the covers over her head and she was too tired to think about her day at all, as she usually did. She instantly slipped into a troubled sleep.

_It all came in flashes._

_Eyes the color of hellfire that she had never dreamed of before flashed by her eyes. She reared back, unsure and confused._

_Where was she?_

_Who __was she?_

_Flashes of green and red were appearing around her and she couldn't understand what was going…what was going on?_

_WHAT. WAS. GOING. ON?_

_Screams of rage and fury echoed._

_A voice echoed through the suffocating blackness that completely surrounded her._

_I swear to God, Lockhart…I have a healthy respect for authority. S__o, I won't tell you all the things I want to tell you in front of Professor Riddle, but I swear on my magic if you raise your wand to Bella ever again, I will destroy you._

_The voice was absolutely frightening and deathly and suddenly she felt a burning and she let out a scream of pain. It spread from shoulder to her wrist and it burned harshly. She screamed and screamed and screamed._

And suddenly, she was awake, sweat pouring down her face and she was shaking. Jessica wasn't awake, telling her that she had only been screaming in her dream and not aloud. Morgan suddenly was aware of the aching burning feeling that she felt on her arm and she stumbled up and out into the hallway.

The lights were on and she leaned against the wall for a second. Her free hand gripped her pained arm and she slid against the wall towards the bathroom. She stumbled inside and slammed the door closed, frantically. She glanced into the mirror and saw that she looked an absolute wreck.

Long red hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead and it was wild from tossing and turning in sleep. The top three buttons of her shirt had popped and she ripped up her sleeve and stared at the mark in wonder and confusion.

It was a blood red tattoo.

A sword was imprinted on her arm.

Morgan took a shuddering breath and shook her head.

"What's happening to me?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 14th of February 1998**

**8:00 AM**

Bella grimaced at the pink consuming the Great Hall. She knew that Blaise and Draco didn't quite appreciate the Valentine's Day decorations either. She groaned as she sat down and looked at the multitude of food on the table. Draco groaned when he spotted that some of the food was colored various pinks.

"Who the hell did this?" Blaise whispered, softly.

"Me."

The bright bubble gum voice.

Bella instantly knew who it was and she turned to look at Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown. She was beaming while her boyfriend looked rather upset. It was probably due to the gaudy and absolutely horrendous golden necklace around his neck that said 'Lav-Lav'.

"Why would you _do _that?" Draco asked as if it was the most horrifying thing that he had ever heard. Lavender fluttered her eyelashes at him and Bella looked at the girl in surprise.

A lot of girls didn't acknowledge Draco as attractive anymore because he strange…facial features. But, perhaps, they were getting used to it again. First years were still frightened of him but they were scared of him before. Bella shook her head and looked at Draco.

He looked repulsed.

"It's Won-Won and my—"

"_Won-Won_?" snorted Draco. Ron flushed a deep red and he looked horrible, like a rotting tomato. He glared at Draco, defensively.

"At least my girlfriend shouldn't permanently be checked into St. Mungo's Janus Thickey Ward or in Azkaban for being a crazy murderer," Ron said, angrily. Blaise's eyes flashed and Draco growled at the boy. They both jumped up, anger in their eyes. Bella watched, coolly and she settled a hand on each boy's forearm.

"Boys, boys. Don't pay any attention to what the blood traitor says. His words are meaningless," Bella said, coldly. Ron snorted and he leaned forward, looking rather mean and betrayed for some strange reason.

"Shut up. _Your _words are meaningless. You ditched me for a bunch of slimy Slytherins _and _you're a scarlet woman," Ron said, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity of the Gryffindor table to hear. Bella reared back.

"Excuse me?"

"Your 'boyfriend' is in his forties according to Witch Weekly. I truly doubt that he's not married. You're nothing but a homewrecker," Lavender smirked, adding on to the attempted damage to Bella's reputation. A long and familiar bony finger tapped both Lavender and Ron on their shoulder. They turned and jumped when they saw a nonchalant Tom Riddle.

"He's not married."

Ron's eyes narrowed.

"How would you know?"

"I know him. She met him through me."

Lavender blinked in surprise. Tom gave Bella a sly look. She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as she knew what was coming next.

"But he _wants _to marry her."

"Shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down."

Tom glared at her before giving a slight smirk to both Blaise and Draco. The two looked properly amused and Blaise couldn't help but give a tiny smile. Draco leaned forward and looked at Bella with annoyance and utter amusement.

"Still with the 'no'?"

"Maybe. I said maybe. I really don't want to talk about it right now. Is that okay with you both?" Bella asked as she put porridge in her bowl and then went to pour coffee into her mug.

"No," Lavender, Ron, Blaise, and Draco said. Bella snorted.

"Lav-Lav and Won-Won have no say. Go sit your asses down before you embarrass yourselves. Drake…Blaise…I'm speaking with him about it later today, actually. Maya sent me a letter yesterday, chewing me out," Bella said as the two overzealous Gryffindors skulked away. Luna plopped down next to Bella and leaned forward.

"Hydra is separating today. Lalita, Linda, Theodore, and Daphne are sitting at the Slytherin table. Theodore is officially proposing to Lalita today. Padma, Parvati, Fay, Michael, and Anthony are sitting at the Ravenclaw tables."

"That's fine. Lu, I have a question."

"I have an answer," Luna said with a dazed smile. Draco gave an adoring smile for a split second before he took on the characteristics of an ice sculpture once again.

"I…I blanked out the other—"

"Time to get up," Luna said, sharply and Bella looked at her in surprise. Luna's eyes were sharper and had lost their typical dreamy nature. Bella tilted her head in confusion and Luna sighed.

"Luna?"

"It is…complicated. Privacy wards would be prudent if you wish to have the conversation here," Luna said, sharply and Bella bit her lip as she contemplated it. She nodded and Blaise frowned at her.

"Why would we have it here?"

"It will look less suspicious. Dumbledore is still watching me even if I haven't spoken to him in a while. I'll have to eventually. Graduation preparations start next month and the yearbook has to be put together and then rehearsals and such. Who do you think is going to be valedictorian?" Bella asked, slightly off topic. Draco and Luna pointed at Blaise as Blaise pointed to himself. Bella snorted.

"Modest."

"I've gotten straight O's all year. Hermione won't accept anything less. She threatened me and said that if I wasn't valedictorian in her steed, she'd castrate me," Blaise said and his tone was adoring as he spoke of his girlfriend.

"Before we move on to more serious manners, when did you two get together?" Draco asked, curiously. Blaise's lips curled into a half smile, slightly bigger than his tiny upturned lips before.

"We never really did."

"That…I'm not surprised by that. _Muffliato_," Bella whispered and the two other Horsemen did the same spell, making the barrier thrice as strong. Luna nodded and she murmured a few choice words in Druhir. She put her Elven-made wand. Apparently, it was made of two trees from the Blessed Realm, whatever that was.

Bella didn't ask about obscure Elven culture because she doubted Luna would tell her anything that would make any type of sense to her.

"Now, I've blacked out twice. Once after Daphne's party at Club Crystal. I thought I passed out because I was drunk. Then I remembered that I only had one drink. Then, in DADA class and after, everyone was looking at me strange. What happened?" Bella demanded and Luna blinked.

"I…I don't believe that I've been entirely…I…the truth is an obscure thing."

"_Luna_!" Bella shouted and Draco grabbed her wrist.

"Stop. She'll explain," Draco said, softly. Bella glared at him, angrily but she remained in her seat. Blaise was frowning.

"Well?" Blaise prompted. Luna sighed.

"The Horsemen aren't the only ones out there. Yes, you were created to aid the Dark. However, it isn't as simple as that. The Horsemen are outside of time but they were born at the conception of humanity. It's all very complicated. Morgan went to each of your mothers in a different form and asked—"

"Would you like to be special?" Bella said, softly and Luna nodded in agreement. Blaise looked shocked and Draco looked…calm.

As if he already knew.

"Draco, you knew," Blaise said, sharply.

"We're getting to that," Luna said, "He didn't know before…anyway, once they agreed, they gave birth to essentially, vessels for the Horsemen. Vessels that were harder, better, stronger, and more durable than anyone else. They were blessed and enforced by Dark magic. And you housed the Horsemen. But, there comes a time when the personification becomes too strong and attempts to become its own person. You must tame it and forcibly bind it to yourself until you become, truly one and the same. One usually does it in a moment of incredible stress."

"Like when I died," Draco said, softly.

Both teenagers looked at their brother in shock.

"So…you're not Draco?" Bella asked. Draco sneered.

"What kind of silly thought is that?"

"No, he's Draco," Blaise said with a smirk. Bella giggled under her breath before she looked serious again and she sighed.

"Explain."

"I am Thanatos. But, I am Draco. We are one being. Once you join, you gain full power of everything. Separate, you are formidable. But together it's…extraordinary. Blaise has been trying to mesh them together, unknowingly but…Apollo is emotional. Blaise is…not. Blaise must let go of his emotions and join them. Hermione is…she's a special case. And you Bella…you went to long without accepting yourself. Nikolai is angry with you. And she has formed an unhealthy attachment to the Dark Lord. She loves him."

Bella's eyes flashed.

"She loves Tom?"

"No. She loves Lord Voldemort. He despises her because she's not you. She hates you for that. One half of you…_hates _you. And that is where your self-hatred has always spawned. Her," Luna said, softly and Bella blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Bella asked.

"The hatred for when you were weak came from her. She hates you because she thinks you're weak-willed. She's going to try to consume you and become more than just a personification of greed and conquest. She's trying to take your body because she wants to be _real_," Luna explained and Bella frowned.

"How do I…stop her…me?" Bella questioned. Luna smiled.

"Speak to her."

"How is that even possible?" Bella demanded, annoyed and Luna grinned.

"She's your other half. You simply have to…reflect."

Bella snorted at that and she tilted her head.

"You said it isn't as simple as aiding the Dark. What else is there?" Blaise asked, calmly. Luna's grin slipped away.

"Just as I have an opposite, so do you. You are Sin. And where there is Sin, there is…Virtue."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 14th of February 1998**

**9:30 PM**

"Why are we in the Room of Requirement?" asked Tom. He looked around the space that Bella had brought him to. There was comfortable couch and large empty space in the middle. In the far corner was something covered with a large sheet and Tom doubted that Bella had even noticed it there. He sat down and Bella continued to stand in the middle of the room.

"I have to give you your gift."

Tom raised an eyebrow. He didn't think Bella one to give something for Valentine's Day. It seemed like a little too…frou-frou to him.

"Don't expect to get one every year. I'm not some girly chick who waits for chocolates."

Tom smirked.

"That's my girl," he muttered under his breath. Bella sighed and she took out a small white thing from her pocket and she put it on the ground. She backed up and waved her wand. It grew into her piano and bench. She sat down at the piano and ran her hand over the ivory keys before looking up at Tom.

"Tom?" Bella asked, softly before she glanced back at the piano. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?"

Tom looked surprised by the answer and he frowned at Bella. She was waiting for his answer and he sighed.

"Yes. I love you."

"Oh…that's good."

"What do you mean 'oh'?" Tom snapped and Bella snorted, softly. She looked up at him with bright green eyes that pierced his tattered and destroyed soul. She ran a finger of the locket he had gifted her with, lovingly and Tom saw that she still had the ring on her right hand.

"I know…you know I'm dependent on you, right?"

Tom didn't answer and so Bella continued.

"And it doesn't seem like you're—"

"Be quiet," Tom snapped and Bella looked up at him in complete shock. He was glaring at her and he crossed his arms.

"I…I see. Why?"

"Play and perhaps I'll tell you why I said 'be quiet'."

Bella nodded in agreement. She sighed and turned to completely face the piano and she had a slight smile on her face as she put sheet music on top. She spread it out so she wouldn't have to flip the pages.

"It's called 'Good Enough'."

Tom nodded in understanding.

She began to play and it was a haunting light sound. Her fingers smoothly went across, creating the sound and Tom was intrigued by something as deep and beautiful sounding as that. Her hair was down, as he liked it and he loved her in this element. Watching her doing something that came so natural to her…

It was different from watching her duel or seeing her argue with people.

Bravado.

That was what that was.

But this…this was simple and beautiful.

Suddenly, she stopped and she smiled. Tom frowned.

"Is that it?"

"Shut up, Tom."

Suddenly, she went into a deeper and equally intriguing playing. It was quite beautiful and dark and defined her perfectly. Tom watched as she prepared to sing and that was another endearing quality about her.

She was just as imperfect as him.

She couldn't sing.

He could sing.

She had morals.

He didn't.

"_Under your spell again._

_I can't say no to you._

_Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand._

_I can't say no to you_," Bella sang and Tom frowned in annoyance and confusion. He didn't understand what she was saying yet he did. She knew.

She was questioning him again and Tom knew somehow, that this was another test of his love for her.

"_Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly._

_Now I can't let go of this dream._

_I can't breathe but I feel..._

_Good enough,_

_I feel good enough for you_," Bella continued, her voice getting stronger and Tom acknowledged that it sounded better than last time. Her voice would never be as good as Luna's but Luna was an Elf and a Seer at that. Of course, she would sound absolutely amazing.

"_Drink up sweet decadence._

_I can't say no to you,_

_And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind._

_I can't say no to you_."

Bella looked up at him with a sad look on her face and she sighed. She was admitting how dependent she was on him and that she would do anything he asked of her. She was giving him complete power and for some reason, it made Tom sick to his stomach to think of her submitting to him.

"_Shouldn't let you conquer me completely._

_Now I can't let go of this dream._

_Can't believe that I feel..._

_Good enough,_

_I feel good enough._

_It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good_."

Tom stood, slowly and walked behind her. She didn't look up at him and she continued. He didn't sit down and simply stood behind her and watched her as she played. She was so open to him and he was so…closed off from her.

"_And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall._

_Pour real life down on me._

_'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough._

_Am I good enough for you to love me too?_"

Tom had known that Bella loved him. But…she hadn't known that he loved her just as much as she loved him.

"_So take care what you ask of me,_

_'cause I can't say no._"

Bella finished the song and the piano ended at the same time. Bella sighed and she slowly stood. Tom wrapped his arms around her and put his chin on top of her head. She gave a slight smile and shook her head.

"Why did you tell me 'be quiet'?" Bella asked, quietly. Tom groaned and pulled away. Bella looked at him in surprise. He walked towards the couch and sat down before putting his face in his hands. Bella looked at him in shock.

She had never seen him this wracked by emotion…he was confused.

"You're too good for me, Anya."

Bella looked at him in shock.

"I just finished a song about being good _enough_. Now, I'm too good," Bella said, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. She didn't quite succeed though Tom gave her a dark smile.

"You're too good. Too good for me. I am the Dark Lord. And you're…young and beautiful and intelligent. You could do many things but you're following me and the Dark because you—"

"Because I believe in what you're doing. I don't believe in the methods and some of your ideas are hazy but the general gist of it, I _do _believe in, Tom. Don't think it's only because of you. It's also my duty to help you against the Light. And I _know _you'd help me against the Virtue—"

"How do you know about them?" Tom snarled and Bella blinked.

"Luna told me."

Tom relaxed.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Bella asked and Tom looked reluctant for a moment. He had just said that she was too good for him and essentially that he wasn't good enough. Would he really prove himself right by withholding information that she should really know as it involved herself?

No, he wouldn't.

"Nikolai revealed herself to me on New Year's Day. She came and spoke to me about…Virtue and we made a deal. She would help me and I would help her."

Bella raised an eyebrow.

"I…see…and in DADA class?"

"She was causing mischief. She told me that she met a Virtue…Justice. She seemed to hold an irrational amount of hatred for this person."

Bella's eyes flashed.

"Edward Carmichael."

"Excuse me?" Tom asked, seriously. Bella sighed and she walked towards the corner of the room and looked at the sheet-covered object. She looked rather curious and she pulled the sheet away to reveal a large mirror.

"I hate him. I don't know why," Bella said and she glanced into the mirror. She glared and looked down at her feet.

"Luna said…she said that Nikolai hates me. I have to force her to meld with me before she tries to steal my body. But, I have to talk to her apparently. I don't know how," Bella said, calmly. Tom walked towards her and frowned down at her reflection. Bella looked over her shoulder and up at him.

"What did Luna say about it?"

"She just said in her usual ominous way, 'She's your other half. You simply have to reflect.'"

And with those words the mirror rippled and changed and Bella watched in shock as someone appeared in the mirror. It was her, of course, but it was different. This woman's eyes were not completely green but more of black with random swirls of green mixed in. This woman donned crimson robes of blood and she was smiling, wickedly.

"It seems you aren't as stupid as you pretend, eh? You figured out the first Virtue. Your opposite. Where there is greed and conquering, there is justice," Nikolai snickered and Bella glared at her reflection.

"I thought we bonded. In the Department of Mysteries."

"There is a difference between binding our magic and binding our selves."

"You _are _your magic. You are barely a sentient being," Tom snarled and Nikolai glared at him in annoyance.

"Easy there, Tommy-boy. Hey, Bella, I think your boyfriend should be kept on a tighter leash. He looks like a biter," Nikolai said with a straight face before breaking into callous giggles. Tom glared at her, his eyes narrowed. Bella was watching her reflection, calculatingly.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Bella finally asked and Nikolai's eyes flashed and leaned down.

"Because you're _weak!_ Did you just hear what you sang? You're _weak!_ Submitting someone lower than you! It's disgusting. Letting people take advantage of you! You. Are. Victory!" Nikolai screamed and Bella didn't flinch. Nikolai seemed surprised for only a split second before she began to glare once more.

"I didn't _let _people take advantage of me for shits and giggles."

"It sure _seemed _like it!" Nikolai shrieked at her and Bella crossed her arms, defiantly.

"I won't let you have my body. It's mine."

Nikolai growled.

"You don't deserve it."

"Neither do you. I'm not weak. Nobody makes me do what I don't want to do. That includes _you_, Nikolai. So listen closely when I tell you…my body is _mine_. Your magic is _mine_. And this war is _mine_."

Nikolai's eyes narrowed before her lips curled into a sharp and shark-like smile.

"So, Bella has grown a backbones. I was once known as the Angel, you know," Nikolai said. Bella looked at her in surprise.

"Why?" she asked, sharply. Nikolai's eyes widened with malice.

"Because I was once…a Virtue. But I fell…fell from Grace. Fell from Light. I was the fifth Virtue. The head Virtue. Charity. Don't confuse it with today's definition. It's wrong. I was will, benevolence, generosity, and sacrifice. We would always win after our birth. It was so glorious. We would conquer War, Plague, and Death. And then…one day…I got too curious, you see. And I met the three Sins. And they corrupted me…and I fell and became the Conqueror. Victory. I became the very thing that I had cringed from before. Pure, unadulterated, Greed."

Bella was enraptured by the tale but Tom looked, vaguely suspicious. Nikolai was getting at something and he knew that it wouldn't be good for Bella but would undoubtedly help her achieve whatever she was trying to achieve. She was up to something and he doubted it was good.

"What does that have to do with me?" Bella asked, quietly.

"Is that what you want? There's no going back. It will consume you if you don't tame it and I don't think you can. You're too…weak. If you try to tame the power and it consumes you, the vessel is mine," Nikolai smirked. Tom's eyes widened in understanding and he watched as she slowly baited Bella into doing what she wanted.

"Anya, don't. She's trying to bait you into doing what she wants," Tom said, sharply. Nikolai cast him a stray glare before giving her slick and sly easy smile again. Bella was watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not stupid like you think I am. I'm not week either. I know what you're trying to do, Nikolai," Bella said, sharply. Nikolai growled.

"See what you did, Tommy-boy! I could've—"

"And it's working."

Nikolai stopped and looked at Bella with wonder on her face. The girl was smirking at her reflection and she tilted her head. There was something about Bella that intrigued and repulsed Nikolai. There was such innocence no matter how 'inanely' Dark she was.

Humans were so silly, Nikolai had always thought.

With their 'inanely' Dark and Light business. There was nothing like true Darkness. Nikolai had seen it and it wasn't Bella in the least. The girl had such a long way to go. To human eyes, she might be Dark and her magic may be black but to Nikolai…it was blindingly light. Tom…the Dark Lord Voldemort, his magic was close to what Nikolai knew as Sin. It was a grey. It was hard to be grey and Nikolai knew that there were things that he shouldn't have done but he did for the sake of power and greed. It was probably why she was so attracted to the soul-torn man.

And Nikolai was tempted by Bella's innocence. There was something in her that called to corrupt such an innocent being.

"I will tame the power."

"And you will lose and your vessel will be mine," Nikolai said. Bella grinned, wickedly and the symbol on her left palm glowed. Nikolai knew that she had the same symbol on the small of her back, a symbol of her corruption. Bella's was simply a scar but Nikolai's…was a part of her very being.

Bella slammed her left hand into the glass of the mirror and it rippled, pulling her in. Tom lunged to grab her but she slipped into the mirror world and into the battlefield.

_Bella looked around at the mirror world and wasn't shocked to see that they were in the Room of Requirement. She was surprised to see that Tom wasn't there. She looked around the room and slowly pulled her holly wand out. She was going to do this with the wand that she had used since she was eleven years old. There would be time to practice more with the Elder Wand once she tamed Nikolai._

_She looked around but didn't see her doppelganger anywhere. She felt a chill run up her spine and she knew that she was there._

_Watching her._

_Observing her._

_Waiting for her to make the first move._

_It was like chess and she was the White piece. She had to make the first attack._

_Bella spun around and pointed to the spot where she __knew __Nikolai was._

"_Sectumsempra!"_

_The spell shot at the area and Nikolai dodged easily, twirling her own holly wand between her fingers. She was smirking at Bella, condescendingly and she rolled her eyes at Bella's serious gaze. Nikolai gave a loud and obnoxious sigh._

"_Bella, Bella, Bella…foolish, foolish, foolish Bella. You would think you'd know what to do and what not to do. How do you defeat someone older, faster, better, and undoubtedly stronger than you?" Nikolai said as she swaggered over to Bella. She threw a few unknown curses at Bella and Bella wouldn't be surprised if they did horrifying things to her, like melt her bones or skin her._

"_Take them by surprise," Bella growled and she spun, suddenly and punched Nikolai across the face. The woman stumbled and bared her teeth at Bella. She lunged, shooting a curse that Bella __was __familiar with. It was a spell that Hermione was particularly good at and Nikolai looked formidable at it. Bella could only assume that once Hermione handled Mórrígan, she'd be excellent at Blood Magic._

"_You little bitch," Nikolai snarled and she sent a mild Cutting Curse. Of course, it was mild by her standards but…_

_Bella decided not to dodge it as Nikolai was probably waiting for that. It sliced at her arm and blood came freely from the wound. Bella lunged forward and tackled Nikolai to the ground. Nikolai glared up at her angrily and drew her fist back and slammed it into Bella's chin. The girl fell back and Nikolai jumped on her and put the wand to her forehead. She leaned down._

"_Avada Ked—"_

_Bella drew her head up and head-butted Nikolai. Nikolai fell backwards and Bella felt vaguely disoriented and her head burned. She shook it off and stumbled upwards and she held her wand up, defensively. She was quickly losing blood and Nikolai didn't even look like she had broken a sweat._

_And how was she to tame her anyway?_

"_Don't try that again," Bella growled and Nikolai spun, casting another spell. Bella dodged it and began to send out a volley of spells._

_Diffindo!_

_Levicorpus!_

_Sectumsempra!_

_Nikolai dodged all three spells and she smirked at Bella._

"_Incendio!" Nikolai shouted and Bella stumbled back as the blaze headed straight towards. She barely had time to lift her wand._

"_AUGAMENTI!"_

_The explosion of water did nothing to help her singed ends and she knew she would have to cut it and heal her burns if she got out of there alive. Bella swallowed and stumbled into the couch. She blinked and jumped over the back of the couch._

"_Duro!" she commanded and the couch turned to stone. She knew Nikolai was confused but she rather liked the evil bitch that way. Bella slid above the couch and aimed at Nikolai just as the woman aimed a spell at her._

"_Confundus!" Bella shouted just as Nikolai screamed out, "Incarcerous."_

_Both women dodged the spells and Bella growled. She looked back at the stone couch and knew that she wouldn't have much of a chance if she didn't do this right. Wood would not help her against Nikolai. Nikolai had always been inside her, watching her. She knew her every move. Nikolai knew everything about Bella from her favorite color to how she would act in certain situations. Bella knew nothing about Nikolai except for the fact that she was conniving, cruel, and apparently powerful._

_So, Bella would have to switch it up._

_She crawled away and pointed to herself._

"_Protego."_

_She pointed towards the couch._

"_CONFRINGO!"_

_The stone couch exploded into a million pieces and Nikolai screamed in pain before letting out a "Protego!"_

_Bella peeked up and saw that Nikolai left arm was covered in red blood and it was covering her eyes. She held onto it and let out another scream of agony. Bella crawled forward and grabbed a long piece of stone. It was heavy but not too heavy. It was balanced and Bella could easily use it for what she needed to._

_Bella took out her knife and began to carve into the staff as fast as she could._

_Nikolai wiped the blood on her robes and didn't look at the little chit of a girl. She wasn't worth her time and she needn't worry that she would take her by surprise. Nikolai had been born power and she knew exactly how to wield the magic._

"_How dare you?" Nikolai shrieked before she looked up and fell silent._

_Bella stood in front of her, long hair that used to fall to her waist. Her fire had burned it off. Now it was at the small of her back and even then, the edges were singed. She had a solemn look in her green eyes and she was in a strange stance. In her hands was a stone staff that resembled a bo staff. She looked deadly serious._

_Nikolai smirked._

"_Come on, little girl. Lets see what you can do."_

_Bella tilted her with a strange smile._

"_White goes first. In the game of chess, it's Black's turn now."_

_Nikolai nodded in agreement._

"_As you wish."_

_Nikolai lunged at the girl and she kicked up. Bella swung the stone staff and slammed Nikolai in the shoulder. The ancient being stumbled backwards and looked at Bella in surprise. The stone shouldn't have fazed her like that._

_She suddenly spotted something carved into staff._

_From top to bottom, there were runes upon runes._

_Ehwaz: Momentum_

_Algiz: Protection_

_Sowilo: Energy_

_Hagalaz: Disruption_

_Fehu: Reward_

_Uruz: Strength_

_Ihwaz: Defense_

_Thurisaz: Chaos…Lightening_

_Nikolai stared in horror at the staff and she knew she had to get it away from Bella before she activated each Rune._

"_Brat, what are you going to do with a stone staff that you can barely use?" Nikolai taunted. Bella smiled, softly and she shook her head._

"_Tame you."_

_Nikolai stared as Bella pulled a knife from her pocket and slashed her palm before smearing the blood over the Runes. They glowed and Nikolai darted forward, intent with stealing the staff from her. Bella used the staff as a bat and swung it at Nikolai, sending the woman flying back and breaking a rib or two. Nikolai groaned and she squeezed her hands into tight fists._

"_Damn you…I'll show you…" Nikolai groaned as she stumbled up and she pointed her wand. She began to spin it like a baton and Bella followed suit._

"_KVEYKVA!" both women screamed at the same time and the cursed lightening of the Elves crashed into each other and Bella almost fell to her knees from the momentum of the curse. She used the staff as a crutch and Nikolai held the wall tightly._

"_You don't have the will or magic to keep it going!" Nikolai screamed and Bella knew that the woman was right. She was tired, disoriented and bleeding. She had just put magic and energy into putting Runes on the staff and she barely had enough magic to keep the cursed lightening going._

"_You're right…" Bella started and Nikolai smirked. Her smirk slid off as Bella poised her staff behind her._

"_But neither do you!"_

_She threw the staff with all her might and it crashed into Nikolai's stomach, breaking the connection and sending Bella's cursed lightening at the woman. Nikolai fell to the ground with a scream of agony and Bella stumbled over to her and she put her foot to the woman's throat, effectively crushing it. She took deep, shuddering breaths._

"_Your power…everything about you…is __mine __now."_

_There was a glow of magic as the words took hold and Bella suddenly felt reenergized._

_But there was a faint chuckling and Bella looked down at the pale mirror image of herself. Her eyes were slowly glazing over and she was becoming a paler image of Bella. Her hair was graying and everything about her was slowly losing color._

"_You shall inherit my power. And you shall inherit my wickedness. I curse you with corruption from the depths of your soul. So mote it be."_

_And with that Bella was thrown from the mirror world._

Bella stumbled into Tom's arms and she was still holding her bo in hand. She swallowed hard and looked around in shock and obvious confusion. She suddenly felt exactly how tired she was and she looked up at Tom. He was staring down at her with a frown upon his face.

"Anya?"

"Hmm?" Bella murmured. Tom's lips curled into a smile.

"You did it."

"Yeah…" Bella whispered and Tom carried her towards the couch that was still in the Room despite it being destroyed in their mirror world. He placed her down on it and Bella gave a great yawn, her eyelids drooping.

"_Auratrus Revelio_."

Blackness erupted around the girl and the shock of magic searching her eyes made her eyes fly open. Tom stared down into her eyes and looked at her.

Her eyes were still a shocking green but they were three different shades. Directly around her iris, it was a shocking neon green. Further out, it changed into a sea green with neon green blending into it. Finally, the rim was a dark green and it was bordering on black. Her eyes were exotic and piercing.

"Nikolai…" Tom said, softly. Bella smiled.

"Correction. Your Anya."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 15th of February 1998**

**8:15 AM**

"Do you know where Bella is?" Daphne asked, curiously as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. Luna nodded as everyone else, including Blaise and Draco shrugged. Daphne frowned in confusion as Blaise and Draco almost always knew where Bella was unless she was in trouble.

"Well, where is she?" Anthony asked, curiously. Luna smiled and gestured towards the door. Daphne stared at the figure in the doorway.

She wore a flattering pair of trousers and her lips were ruby red. Her hair was shorter than the day before and it fell to the middle of her stomachs. Inches of her untamable hair were gone. Her fringe had been trimmed and she had playful smile on her face. Her button down shirt had the first two unbuttoned and she was wearing her gold and red tie. She wore the robe and it was tied around the middle.

Her eyes were a mix of different shades of green that was entirely unfamiliar. Daphne frowned in confusion.

"That's not Bella…" she said under her breath.

She may _look _like Bella but there was something off. The way this woman moved was sensual and beautiful and almost exotic. The way this woman held herself was a confidence that would make most men fall on their knees. This woman held nothing in her but darkness and it was so strange to see her in Bella's body…

"That's _not _Bella," Luna and Draco said and for some reason, they both sounded ecstatic. Draco stood and took the woman's hand and pulled her forward. She smiled, softly and leaned her into his shoulder.

"Good morning, Thanatos…brother."

"Good morning, Nikolai."

:::

A/N: I know Nikolai wasn't there for long. They have melded and though that's still Bella, there are some quirks that she has inherited from Nikolai. Obviously, the seductive and confident was she holds herself is one of those quirks. You'll also see more quirks as we go on into the story. I hoped you liked this chapter. I loved writing it.

Next Chapter: March- Yearbooks and Votes


	96. Chapter LXXXIX

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **So...I'd listen to No Church In The Wild by Jay-Z and Kanye West for the first part of the chapter. Then after the first section, I would listen to Rolling In The Deep by Adele. For the third section, I'd listen to **Someone Like You** by Adele._** YOU HAVE TO FOR THIS PART! It's imperative.**_ Then, for the last section, I'd listen to Turning Tables by Adele.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter LXXXIX**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 5th of March 1998**

**2:00 PM**

"I don't have Ancient Runes for _what _reason?" Bella asked, sounding rather annoyed. She leaned into Draco's side and he smirked down at her. Blaise looked only slightly jealous at their closeness. He didn't have his partner-in-crime with him anymore because she had done something foolish.

"It's something about graduation. That's what Luna said," Draco said, calmly. Bella nodded in understanding and she let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"If you say, Thanatos…I mean, Draco," Bella said, calmly correcting herself. She cracked her neck and sighed as she waited for the teachers to finally assemble in front of the graduating class. She smirked at Tom and he raised an eyebrow at her. He sighed and shook his head. Bella giggled into her palm.

She knew that Tom was slightly disturbed by some of Bella's new quirks. For example, her intense fascination with Voldemort seemed to drive him insane. It was at the oddest times that Bella spoke of Voldemort and his various 'accomplishments'. Bella liked to think that he found it endearing but she knew that he found it vaguely strange. Then, there was the seductive manner that she spoke to him when they were alone. She smirked at that one.

"What are you smirking at?" Blaise asked, curiously and Bella looked over at her brother.

"I don't think you want to know. It has to do with me and Tom."

"Then, I don't want to know," Blaise said, automatically and Bella burst into a fit of crazed bubble-gum pop giggles. There was another quirk that she had picked up. She still sniggered but she now had the weirdest giggle on the fact of the planet. She tried to avoid it as much as possible as she got strange looks because of it.

"Your laugh is weird," Theodore said, bluntly and he didn't flinch when Lalita punched him in the arm. Bella regarded the engagement ring on the woman's left ring finger and she smiled at her. Lalita gave a tentative smile and she looked down at her ring with a strange expression.

"Thanks so much, Theo. At least I don't have to have sex on a bed of flowers," Bella quipped and Theodore grimaced. Lalita snorted into her arm before she took a reprimanding look and she folded her arms.

"It's a tradition. I'm sorry for being Hindi."

"I'm sorry too," Theodore grumbled under his breath and Daphne sniggered. She leaned over Linda whom sneered at the girl.

"Listen, Lalita…he's not that great in a regular bed. Imagine him in a bed of flowers. I bet your sex life will be the worst thing since the Weird Sisters. And he has the oddest noises when he thrusts—"

Neville flushed in anger and Theodore flushed in embarrassment. Lalita looked simply amused though others around them were slightly flustered. Draco was trying to stop himself from snorting like a plebian and Blaise had even cracked a smile.

"I've never had sex with you Daphne. Please stop telling people that I've had sex with you. It's like declaring that I've had sex with my sister. It's weird. Please stop," Theodore said, flatly and Daphne smirked.

"Obviously, he doesn't remember the first time he got drunk."

Theodore paled.

"You're lying. You're lying. I was on the _floor_, face down when I woke up. You're telling me we had _sex_," Theodore hissed under his breath and Daphne tapped him on the top of his head before leaning back.

"Don't worry. I rocked your world."

Bella burst into another round of pink bubble gum giggles. She got the strange look again and Bella slid down into her seat and groaned.

"Just stop laughing and nobody would look at you weird," Anthony pointed out and Bella sneered at him.

"Thank you for that 'oh so wise' advice."

"Your welcome. And your sarcasm was weak," Anthony supplied with a slight smile and Bella turned in her seat with a playful glare on her face and she leaned forward.

"How about we see how weak a punch to the face would be," she said, teasingly. Anthony snorted and leaned back in his seat before he flipped open his book and Michael leaned over to inspect the newest spell that they were creating. Bella knew they wouldn't be able to use it until they got over the trials. Then, they'd have to file it in with the Department of Mysteries for them to test.

Not that they were going to do that.

Hydra was hard core criminal. And she and her siblings, including Hermione, were the masterminds of the whole operation.

She straightened when Dumbledore stood in the front.

"Well, it seems that the entire graduating class is here. Let us get down to business, then, shall we?" Dumbledore asked and Bella smirked. Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked down at everyone through half-moon glasses.

"Now, as your graduation is fast approaching, there are some things that we must discuss as a unit. One of these things though not least important, is the yearbook. Each house will nominate one boy and one girl to work together as a unit with the others to create the yearbook. Furthermore, the actual ceremony will have three student speakers. The valedictorian, whom is currently and by far, our very own Blaise Zabini. The salutatorian. Miss Padma Patil currently holds this role. And finally, our student speaker, whom will be elected by the masses," Dumbledore said and Bella rolled her eyes unimpressed. She wondered if she should nominate Draco just for laughs. It would be the funniest thing. Bella looked over at Padma and saw that she was beaming. Her sister was looking at her proudly and Padma made eye contact with Blaise. He gave her a thumbs up and a nod and she looked proud. Michael kissed her cheek in congratulations and she flushed.

Bella wondered if they were dating yet. She didn't spend enough time with all of them.

That needed to be rectified.

"To create a less than traditional feel, as I feel that each year should be different according to the students, we shall nominate a student from each house and then we shall vote at the end of May. In the meantime, each student shall prepare a speech," Dumbledore said, calmly and Bella looked over at Daphne and Neville. They were conspiring with Padma whom was laughing and nodding. Bella frowned in confusion and glanced at her brothers. Blaise was looking smug about the fact that he was delivering a speech at the ceremony. Draco was inspecting his nails.

So much for paying attention…

"I, Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff, nominate myself."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. That stuck up brat probably wouldn't get a single vote. He was rude and calloused and in every single counseling group meeting she had, she ended up wanting to strangle him. A few days after her transformation, as she was calling her merging with Nikolai, he had pointed out several of her new quirks, including her laugh.

It didn't need to be said that she had nearly beat the shit out of him after that one.

But, it didn't matter if he was elected because Bella didn't give a crap about it. Who would want to go up there and humiliate themselves like that?

"Like anyone would want to give this stupid speech anyway," Bella laughed and just as she finished her statement, Neville stood and pointed at Bella. Bella stared at him in horror and her eyes narrowed. He grinned at her and nodded.

"Don't you dare, Longbottom…" she started.

"I, Neville Longbottom of Gryffindor, nominate Bella Anastasia Black-Potter," Neville said, firmly. Bella groaned as Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. Tom was smirking at her, shaking his head. Bella glared at the boy.

"I'll kill you. Prepare to be slaughtered," she snapped and Neville grinned.

"Look at who has to write a _speech_," Draco sniggered, pointing at his sister with mirth in his eyes and a mocking smirk.

"I, Daphne Greengrass of Slytherin, nominate Draco Malfoy."

"Oh for the love of all that is fucking holy."

"I, Su Li of Ravenclaw, nominate Anthony Goldstein," the Chinese girl said and Anthony paled. Bella sniggered though she was rather upset that Neville had nominated. Dumbledore nodded in agreement before smiling.

Bella couldn't help but lose her smile at the sight of Dumbledore smiling. There was something about him that was cunning and placed him as a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor. He was up to something and Bella knew it had something to do with the Order. Tom said that he hadn't held an Order meeting in months and Bella was wondering why that was. What was the old man up to?

Bella put the thoughts to the side for the next time that she visited Hermione. She'd know what to do.

"Good…we have that settled. Each one of you should begin to write your speeches and have it submitted to me by Election Day. Now, let us choose the yearbook committee and the musical act for the meet-and-greet the graduates after the ceremony."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 5th of March 1998**

**5:00 PM**

"Damn Neville! How dare he!"

Tom watched in amusement as his girlfriend paced back and forth across his office floor as he continued to grade the abysmal essays that his fourth years had dared to hand to him. He sighed and marked another 'T' at the top of an assignment before pushing it away.

There was only so much chicken scratch he could take.

"You need to relax. I was both valedictorian and student speaker at my own graduation ceremony," Tom said, calmly and Bella stopped and gave him a strange look. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Tell me…what did you exactly do in school besides attempt to be an overachiever?"

"I didn't attempt. I _was_. And for your information, I was part of the Dueling League, the Spellweavers Society, the Wizard's Chess club, every single study group at Hogwarts at the time, and unfortunately…the Slug Club. Horace Slughorn's 'collection'," Tom elaborated with a grimace. He frowned in confusion as Bella just stared at him with a look of disbelief on her face. She gave a loud sigh and slinked up to his desk and propped up on his desk, one leg crossed over the other.

She leaned forward on one hand.

"My boyfriend was an egghead," Bella groaned and Tom rolled his eyes at her melodramatic swooning. She sighed and she grinned before sliding around and pushing his papers to the side. She slid forward and put one foot on each arm of his chair. He propped his elbows on her feet and folded his fingers together and leaned his chin on his joined hands. He looked up at her through dark, thick lashes.

"I was not an egghead. Half of those clubs did nothing to further my intelligence. I was simply proactive. I even had time to form my first Inner Circle," Tom smirked and Bella tilted her head.

"Maybe not just an egghead then. Apparently, you had amazing time management. I like an organized man. A smart man too. It's sexy," Bella said, purring the word and Tom couldn't help but continue smirk up at her. He raised an eyebrow and decided to act ignorant. It got her angry and Tom _loved _to see her angry.

"Sexy, hmm?"

"Incredibly so," she murmured and she leaned down to kiss him. Tom leaned back and pulled out his quill and pulled an essay in front of him.

"I have essays to grade," he said, quietly and Bella growled at him and she slid down into his lap and wrapped her legs around his body.

"You'd rather grade essays than spend quality time with little ol' me?" demanded Bella and Tom smirked down at her before pressing a chaste kiss against her lips. Her lips tasted of blood and something incredibly sweet. He couldn't help himself.

He began to devour her and she was eager to reciprocate. Tom lifted her up onto the desk, never breaking the kiss. His tongue explored every corner and crevice of her mouth. She did the same, entrapping his tongue in a sensual dance. Her fingers danced over his collarbone. Tom pressed his fingertips to her face and he held her in place. Bella pulled away and she took a deep shuddering breath.

"I think this would be more fun if we were naked," Bella said, bluntly. Tom pulled away from her and looked at her in shock. Bella grinned at him and Tom frowned.

"Sex, you mean."

"Sex. Sexual intercourse. Lovemaking. Relations. Mating. Copulation. Coitus. Boffing. Whatever the hell you want to call it," Bella said, beaming. Tom shook his head and sighed, loudly before looking down at his lap. Bella looked at him in confusion. She pushed his head up and saw that he had a great amount of lust in his eyes.

"So…bedroom?" Bella asked, smirking.

"…no."

Bella reared back.

"Excuse me?"

"No. Marry me. Then the bedroom," Tom said, sharply and Bella blinked. She didn't think that he'd ever outright said that to her. She frowned.

"_What_?"

"Marry. Me. Will. You. Marry. Me?" Tom asked, through gritted teeth and Bella stood from his lap and shook her head. She stalked over towards the door and stood at an easier distance. It would've been so much harder to think with a clear head if she wasn't at least this far from him.

"You…want me to marry you."

"I've been telling you this for months. Why do you act like this is new?" Tom asked and he sounded incredibly frustrated. Bella bit her lip and cleared her throat. She ran a hand through thick hair before sighing.

"Tom…"

"Don't Tom me. It's a 'yes' or 'no' question, Bella."

Bella knew that he was serious. He hadn't called her 'Anya' and she knew that he was incredibly serious with this question. She swallowed, loudly.

"I…I _can't_."

And then he was in front of her, hands wrapped around her biceps and she jerked back. He was staring down at her with bright red eyes and Bella swallowed. This wasn't one of her times where she was just incredibly attracted to Voldemort. She was actually quite frightened now.

"Why _not_?"

"Tom! Stop it! Let go of me!" Bella shouted and Tom didn't release her. If anything his grip only got tighter.

"I will if you tell my why you won't!"

"I don't…I'm not…"

"Spit it out, Bella! Articulate! Enunciate! Form a Goddamn sentence already!" Tom roared at her and fury and hurt and anxiousness rose in Bella and erupted.

"BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF YOU LOVE ME!"

Bella's eyes widened at her admission and she shook with fright as Tom fell silent. He dropped her arms and Bella could feel the bruises blossoming on her arms. Tom looked paler than usual and he walked, almost shakily towards his seat before he collapsed back into it. He looked up at her, looking drawn and pale.

"What do you want from me, Bella?" he moaned in despair and it was so out of character for Tom that Bella was frightened again.

"Nothing, Tom…"

"Obviously, you want something from me! How can I prove that I love you? That I care for you? I'm trying, Bella! I'm trying! What do you _want _from me?" Tom shouted and Bella felt her eyes sting with tears.

She stared at Tom and she couldn't honestly say what she wanted. She loved Tom so much but she wasn't sure if she wanted to say yes. She didn't think she could. Tom had hurt her so much and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do about that. She could trust him with her life but she wasn't sure if she could trust him with her heart. There was just so much going on and…she wasn't stopping to think about Tom.

He looked absolutely miserable, staring at her and his eyes weren't red in the normal sense. Tom looked like…like he was about to cry. Out of anger or sorrow, Bella wasn't sure. She took a tentative step near Tom despite the throbbing in her arms.

"Tom, love…"

"Go away, Bella."

Bella blinked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Go away."

"Tom…no…don't make me leave. Please, don't make me leave…" Bella pleaded and Tom looked up with cold eyes. They were no longer red but clear and deadly. They resembled pieces of coal and that saddened Bella.

"I'm not making you. I'm asking you to. Please go away," Tom said, sharply and despite the fact that Bella was wounded by his words, she took a deep breath and turned away from him. She looked over his shoulder and could see that his head hung in his hands.

"When I come back?" Bella whispered.

"When you can tell me what you want from me. When you can tell me…you may come back."

Bella nodded and wandered out. She stopped and closed the door behind her.

She stood outside his door and leaned against the door before sliding down it and cradling her knees to her chest. She didn't sob despite the tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks. She was so confused.

Now…she had to figure out what she wanted from Tom.

* * *

**Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 13th of March 1998**

**3:00 PM**

She walked by herself for once.

Bella reveled in the peace and quiet around her. It was still early in March and spring had not started yet so the air was crisp yet clean. She walked along the fence where beyond that, the Shrieking Shack stood. She held onto the fence, tightly and frowned out at it. It looked like a lonely and wretched place and Bella knew that once, every full moon, there had been three young boys who would give into their animalistic urges. They would do it for their friend who was forced, once a month, to become akin to a monster.

The woman sighed and leaned against the fence and bowed her head over it. The Lady of Victory had not spoken to the Dark Lord in days. Even in class, it had never extended beyond a casual hello and an occasional 'Miss Potter' and/or 'Bella'. He had not spoken her nickname and as he alternated so often, no one had quite noticed that something was wrong. Obviously, Luna suspected as she continued to give Bella suspicious looks. But, Bella knew that the younger girl would not interfere anymore.

This…_this _was Bella's choice to make.

And it was such a hard choice…

"Bella?"

Bella looked over her shoulder at the young man and grimaced at Gideon. He frowned at her but continued towards her bravely. Gideon sighed and wiped a red curl from his forehead. He leaned his back against the fence as Bella continued to face forwards.

"Hello, Gideon," Bella said, shortly.

"Hi…what's wrong?" Gideon asked, curiously. Bella looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What gave you the impression that something was wrong?" Bella demanded. Gideon gave a curious little smile and gave a little shrug before he continued to stare at her in silence. Bella frowned at him, annoyed at his weird staring.

"Bella…I _did _date you. I think I'd know when something's wrong."

Ah, so he speaks.

"Oh…I suppose you would. You didn't know much else about me, though. Did you?" Bella asked and Gideon's smile faltered for just a moment before he shook his head. He bit his lip, wondering what to say to that question. The answer was obvious but Gideon didn't want to admit it to himself.

"No. I don't think I did. So, what's wrong? Problems in paradise?"

"You could say that," Bella said, giving a huff. She was surprised at how easy was to talk to Gideon and she looked over at him, calmly as she continued to lean forward over the fence.

"I'm here to listen. I promise I won't make any moves on you during this entire discussion. I swear upon my magic," Gideon said, seriously. There was a faint glow and Bella glanced at him, sharply. She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You're my friend, Bella…even if you don't want to be mine."

"Hmph. My boyfriend…you know he's much older than me. Well, I assume you do. Everyone seems to know," Bella said with a wintry smile. Gideon grinned as he remembered his mother's reaction at the article in Witch Weekly and how she had gone on and on about how disapproving she was.

"I think my mother mentioned it. He's in his forties right?"

"Something like that."

"Why do I get the impression that he's a bit older than forty?" asked Gideon, curiously and Bella shrugged, not giving anything way.

"He doesn't look a day over forty-six."

Bella hid her smirk. He didn't look a day over forty-six. He also didn't look a day over twenty-seven. Bella noticed that he had grown older looking as Bella grew older and she wondered…Bella sighed and shook her head.

"So, what about him? Is he married like Won-Won and Lav-Lav are telling everyone?" Gideon asked, his voice mocking as he mentioned his brother's nickname and his nickname for his girlfriend. Bella laughed, quietly and Gideon's smile brightened at the fact that he could cheer her up, at least just a little.

"He's not married. But…he wants to marry me."

Gideon's smile slipped off.

"And what did you say?" he asked, softly. Bella felt her eyes well with tears and Gideon watched in shock as she bowed her head and drops of water darkened the faded wood. The drops of saltwater were sparing but they were there and he couldn't see her face through her dark sheet of hair.

"I…he hurt me."

"He hit you?" Gideon shouted and Bella looked up so fast that her hair went flying behind her and she gave him a watery glare.

"NO! He'd never hit me…he knows…he knows that I…that I…it's complicated. He lied to me. He kept things from me. And he spent all of my sixth year trying to fix things with me. I loved him. I loved him with everything I had and when I told him…he rejected me. He continued to reject me and I just…I didn't know what to do. It wasn't until the end that I finally spoke with him and he told me that he loved me. We agreed. No more secrets. And then…earlier this summer, he kept something so incredibly big about us a secret," Bella explained and still, she didn't understand what had possessed her to spill her guts out to her younger ex but she kept going. He had such a sincere look on his face and perhaps an insider could give him more insight on what to do.

"And?" Gideon prompted.

"I…I played it off. I acted like I didn't care but the fact that he kept that from me hurt me. But, I still love him more than is good for me. I trust him more than I should and I know that. And he keeps asking me if I'll marry him. But I'm not sure if he even loves me like I love him."

Gideon stared at her for a long while before he took a long sigh.

"There's more to it," he finally said and Bella bit her lip before nodding, slowly. The redheaded underclassman looked over at his ex-girlfriend.

"He…asked the other day. Again. I wanted something from him—"

"Sex. You're not that hard to figure out."

Bella blinked.

"Yes…and he refused to unless I—"

"Married him. Got it. And you said?"

"I just…I bullshitted. I tried to say anything for me to get out of the situation. I didn't care what I was saying. I just had to get out of there without telling him how I truly felt. He demanded an answer and I said I can't. He got angry…he grabbed me by the arms…" Bella trailed off and she laid her hand over her bicep, slowly. Gideon frowned. She was holding it so tenderly and she flinched where she touched her arm. Gideon's eyes widened before he grabbed her hand and yanked up her sleeve.

He didn't even register that Bella had a knife at his throat. He only stared at the yellowing bruise marks that looked like a hand and Gideon was sure that she had matching one on her other arm. He looked up with up with disgust in his eyes and Bella knew it wasn't directed at her but at the person, the man, who had done this to her.

"Oh dear Merlin…he _hurt _you," Gideon whispered, horrified and Bella paled.

"No! He didn't! It was an _accident! _It was an accident! Just _listen_!" Bella snapped and she had her knife poised at Gideon's throat. He submitted and nodded and Bella relaxed somewhat. She didn't put her knife away, however.

"Go on…" Gideon murmured and Bella nodded.

"He wouldn't let me go until I told him why I wouldn't marry him. And so I told him…more like shouted at him that I wasn't sure if he loved me. I doubted him and he knew that and he looked _miserable_. He asked what I wanted from him and I told him nothing. He asked how he could prove that he loved me and cared for me. I didn't have an answer for him. He told me…asked me to go away. I asked him not to send me away. He told me to come back when I knew what I wanted from him. But…I don't _know_. I don't know what I want from him," Bella whispered.

Gideon frowned as he contemplated how to answer this. He knew he was essentially giving the girl that he loved to another man but he would do it for Bella's happiness. Her happiness was all that really mattered to him.

"Love is…nothing compares. There are no worries or cares. Regrets and mistakes, they are memories made. You can't change them. You must forgive but never forget. If you love him…you won't tell him no anymore just because you can't forgive him for past mistakes that he seems to regret," Gideon said, calmly. Bella looked at him in confusion and Gideon gave a bitter smile.

Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

"But?"

"But…if he loves you, he wouldn't force you to make a decision that you're obviously not ready to make. So…we're at an impasse. What to do? What to do? I think…I think that what you need from him…is more time."

"More time?" Bella asked, curiously and Gideon nodded.

"It seems that this is more about him proving that he loves you. How is he supposed to do that? Die for you? That defeats the purpose and only serves to hurt you. The best he can do…is wait. Wait until _you're _ready. But…you shouldn't make him wait forever. It's not fair to him," Gideon said, wisely. Bella blinked before a wide smile spread across her face and a happy sob left her red lips. Gideon stared at her and she was a beauty even now when she was on the verge of crying.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Gideon caught her and blinked in surprise as she brushed her lips across his cheek. He flushed and she pulled away with a bright smile.

"Thank you…thank you so much."

She began to walk away and Gideon lifted a hand in farewell before Bella stopped. She had a sad look on her face.

"Gideon…I'm sorry. I really am."

"Huh?" Gideon questioned in confusion.

"Sometimes…sometimes it lasts in love but…sometimes it hurts instead."

Bella turned around and walked off into the coming spring. Gideon watched her walk away with a frown upon her face before he looked down and felt his eyes stinging and he took a deep breath before sighing. He wasn't going to let her run away and not let him get the last words in. He wasn't going to let her leave him behind again.

He needed this.

He ran after her and grabbed her wrist and spun her around before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Bella looked at him shock. Gideon looked at her with a hard resolve.

"What the—"

"I'm done running after you, Bella. I can't go after something I never had. Never mind I'll find someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you too. Don't forget me though. Please don't. I'll remember you. And I'll remember you saying this one thing 'Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead'."

Tears streamed from Bella's eyes and Gideon felt his own tears coming to the surface. A tear slid from the corner of his eye and he shoved his hands into his threadbare coat and he turned away from her.

Now…he was the one leaving her behind.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 13th of March 1998**

**11:00 PM**

Tom was quite ready to retire. He was exhausted and tomorrow was a great chance for him to sleep in to his heart's content. He had succeeded in grading all of the essays that he had assigned other than the ones that he had given Delacour. He had even been able to draw up a practice N.E.W.T. for his seventh year extensive class and an O.W.L. practice exam for his fifth year extensive class. Delacour was to take care of the practice exams for the other not-good enough classes.

Tom peeled off his shirt just as there was a knock at the door and he didn't have enough patience to button the damn thing back up. Hopefully, it wasn't a student that would pass out over his body. Knowing his luck, it would be.

Tom had been in a horrible mood for the past week and he wondered when his life had suddenly become centered on Bella Potter. He wasn't quite sure when it had happened but it was. He opened the door and he was surprised to see a grim-looking Bella Potter.

"Hmm?"

"I know what I want."

Tom raised an eyebrow.

He opened the door wider and Bella walked inside. Bella sat down in the chair across from his desk and Tom sat in his own chair. Bella looked at her lap before looking up, looking stronger and more confident than Tom had ever seen her. It seemed that Nikolai had not given her anything besides that false bravado that hid her insecurities and Bella already had a bit of that.

It seemed that she was developing that confidence all on her own and that just made Tom love and want her even more.

"What is it?" Tom asked, quietly.

"You…you asked me what I wanted from you. You wanted to know how you could prove that you loved me. You really can't."

Well, wasn't that an Avada Kedavra to the gut.

"I…see…and that means?"

"That you shouldn't have to. The only way you could do that would be to destroy all of your Horcruxes…by yourself and then die for me. And that wouldn't solve anything. It'd just hurt me and everyone who cares for you," Bella said, quietly and Tom tried to hide a smirk.

No one cared for him.

"And don't even think that nobody cares about you. You forget about Lucius, Narcissa, Rodolphus, and…Bellatrix. You're forgetting about Luna, Draco, Hermione, and Blaise. Hydra cares about you. Maya cares about you. Even Sirius to an extent…" Bella said and Tom rolled his eyes.

"You're pushing it."

"Maybe I am," Bella said, calmly and unapologetic. She tilted her head as she regarded the man and Tom leaned forward in his seat.

"What is it that you want from me, Bella Anastasia Potter?"

"Time."

Tom leaned back.

"Explain."

"I can't ask you to prove your love to me. I can't keep making you wait for me. That isn't fair of me. But, it also isn't fair that you're asking me to make a choice that will change _everything _for me. Give me more time. Just…stop asking me and wait for me," Bella said, strongly. Tom tilted his head and Bella looked down, sure that he was going to reject her proposition.

"How much time?"

Bella looked up, sharply.

"After the graduation," Bella said, softly. Tom nodded and he leaned back in his chair and pushed back on it. Bella looked at him.

"Come here, please," Tom requested, quietly and Bella frowned before standing from her seat and going behind the desk. Tom pulled her down into his lap and Bella instinctively curled up into his chest and tucked her head in the curve of his neck.

"Tom…I'm sorry for…"

"Shh, Anya," Tom murmured and he wrapped his arms around her and held her to his body. Bella didn't look up at him in confusion or anything. She simply let him hold her and she didn't feel like there was a place in the world safer than in her Dark Lord's arms.

"I love your eyes," Tom said, quietly and Bella frowned.

"What?"

"They're so incredibly green. I liked them before but now…there is an entirely new depth. It's gorgeous. You're gorgeous. I love your hair," Tom continued and Bella raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior. He began to card his fingers through her long hair and Bella almost purred at how wonderful his fingers made her feel.

"Why?"

His fingers began to massage her scalp and Bella snuggled into his chest even more. Tom pressed a kiss to the top of her head and gave a genuine smile to her though she didn't see it.

"It's wild like you. I love you, Bella Potter. I hope you know that. You're too good for me. I hope you know that too," Tom said as if it weren't the strangest thing that he was being oddly romantic. Bella looked up at him and saw that he was staring straight as his desk, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

"I love you too."

"I'll love you until the end of time. Even if you tell me 'no'."

Bella frowned and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to say no after that one.

"Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you love me?"

Bella didn't know what possessed her ask to that question but she hated herself when she realized that she had voiced the question. Tom had frozen in his ministrations and he didn't resume them. There was a deafening silence for a few moments and Bella looked up, carefully. She was surprised to see that Tom hadn't closed off but that he was in fact in deep thought.

His eyes widened and he blinked.

"I…I believe I did. And I still do."

Bella smiled.

:::

**A/N:** FYI: Now you know why Gideon is my favorite OC. He's actually very complex and isn't just a fanboy. He cared about Bella a lot and he was willing to do what he could for her. It was just that he couldn't do as much for her as Tom could do for her. They were two very different people. Gideon was good for Bella's Light. Tom was good for Bella's Darkness. Now, the Light is corrupted and it's gone. Gideon knows that he can't offer Bella anything anymore and so he's done. He's given up and he didn't even be a brat about it. He's grown up.

**Next Chapter**: April- Friendship And Cramming


	97. Chapter XC

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XC**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 10th of April 1998**

**12:00 PM**

Padma and Parvati Patil looked up from their books and looked at the girl with raised eyebrows. Bella Potter was standing in front of them, looking mildly nervous and she had a bag slung over her shoulder. Scrolls upon tomes were in her hands and a quill was tucked behind her ear. Padma and Parvati looked over at Anthony and Michael in confusion.

"Um…would you guys care to join me outside by the tree?" Bella asked, referring to the giant oak where they had all spent their time before relocating to the library during colder months. Padma looked over at her friend and Michael. They shrugged.

"Sure," Parvati said, cheerfully and Bella smiled, quietly before gesturing for them to stand. The group walked out of the library silently and Padma was sure that their leader was nervous about _something _though she wasn't sure what.

"Do you…do you mind if Fay, Linda, Lalita, and Theodore join us?" Bella asked, quietly and Anythony shook his head.

"No. I've been meaning to talk to Theodore anyway. I believe I've found a way to enhance the properties of his knives," Anthony said, calmly and Bella glanced over her shoulder and frowned. She sighed and fell into step with Anthony.

"Anthony…what is it that you actually do? I'm afraid that I've always been so caught up in myself that I never actually took the time to learn. I'd like to learn what you all do, if it's not too late," Bella said, tentatively and Padma's eyes widened.

Before, the Indian girl had never minded that Bella was not always on them and pushing them. She never taught any of them specifically except for Fay and even now, Bella wasn't helping Fay very much anymore. Most of her students had been shifted to Draco despite the fact that he was so busy with handling the dementors in Azkaban and furthering Hydra.

"It's not," Anthony said, quietly and Bella smiled.

"Will Blaise and Draco be there?" Michael asked and Bella shook her head.

"No. Blaise is having his one-on-one visit with Hermione. Draco is 'supervising'. He's actually there with Luna," Bella explained and Michael nodded in understanding. They were now outside and Padma could see her friends sitting underneath the oak already and it looked like they were studying for NEWTs as well.

"So…the N.E.W.T.s and Masteries are next month and so is Tom's final," Bella said, as they finally approached and Padma nodded. She had been upset when she heard that Professor Riddle was still giving a final exam. She had long since gotten over it.

"Are you ready?" Daphne asked when Bella sat down and Bella snorted.

"Not in the least. Are any of you?" she asked.  
"I'm ready for most of the N.E.W.T.s I could help you, if you need any," Michael supplied and Bella smiled. She nodded in agreement and pulled out a book from her bags. It was a small journal. Bella opened it and Padma was surprised to see that it was full of writing and runes.

"What's that?" Padma asked, curiously and Bella bit her lip.

"A…my runes study guide," Bella said, quietly and Padma didn't doubt that. But, she knew that wasn't only it. She leaned forward, irked that Bella wouldn't tell her.

"We're supposed to trust you and you're supposed to lead us. How are we supposed to trust us when you don't tell us things?" Padma demanded and she could feel the surprised gazes on her. Bella flushed and Padma blinked when she was met with intense green eyes. Bella's eyes were slightly blocked by her large glasses but the intensity was only slightly hindered.

"I'm not trying to hide things from you. Some things shouldn't be told out here in the open," Bella said, shortly and it was Padma's turn to blush. She looked down in embarrassment and muttered her apologies, which Bella simply waved away. Bella leaned back against the tree and she looked up.

Fay could see for the first time how drawn and tired Bella looked.

"Is something wrong Bella?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Fay and Bella's head snapped to the side and she pierced her brigadier. Fay was third in command, behind Theodore. Neville and Daphne were her lieutenant generals, behind her general, Hermione. Theodore was her major general.

"I suppose I could. _Muffliato_."

There was a faint buzzing in the air and Bella looked partially satisfied though she still looked around, slightly suspicious. She sighed and looked over at the curious group.

"I'm upset…because I don't know you all."

Fay looked surprised.

"What do you mean by that?" Linda asked in confusion and Bella smiled, shaking her head sadly. She sighed and cleared her throat.

"I don't know you all and you don't know me. You gave me your undying loyalty but I don't even know your favourite colours. I'm a bad leader and I can't tolerate that. I'm supposed to eventually help lead the Wizarding World if Tom has anything to say about it. I need to know my secret police," Bella said, with a slight smile and they all grinned though there was a hint of confusion. Bella sighed and she cleared her throat before casting her gaze over all of them.

"Hello. My name is Bella Potter. I am Lady Nikolai of the Horsemen and I'm learning how to use a bo staff. My favorite food is treacle tart and I can't cook for my life. I played the piano until I was about ten. I started up again at the age of fifteen. I am a victim of physical and emotional abuse. I don't take Charms because I'm terrible at it," Bella said, shortly and they all looked at her in complete shock. They were struck silent, unsure what to say to Bella's bluntness and matter-of-fact attitude. Daphne cleared her throat.

"Hello, Bella. My name is Daphne Greengrass. I'm Jabberwocky and am an upcoming swordswoman. My favorite food is dango, which I tried in Japan. I've been playing the violin since I was four, the viola since I was ten, and the cello since I was fourteen. I am a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac and I had to work exceptionally hard to use my sword right. I've played string instruments and I had to learn how to use it with a firm hand," Daphne supplied and Bella cast her best friend a thankful smile. Neville frowned before he learned forward.

"Hello, Daphne. My name is Neville Longbottom. I'm the Mad Hatter and I'm pretty skilled with knives. My favorite food is this Muggle food I tried when I went on a date with Daphne…a cheeseburger. I don't play an instrument but I love Herbology. I have a greenhouse at home. It was really hard to get rid of my shyness and even now, sometimes I revert back," Neville said and Bella nodded at him. She looked around and her eyes found Anthony's. He swallowed.

"Hello, Neville. My name is Anthony Goldstein. I'm the Caterpillar and a cryptologist. I study the art of codes and basically am the communication and intelligence center of the group along with Michael. I know both Legilimens and Occlumency. My favorite food is…ravioli. I've been basically addicted to the stuff since I was three and a half according to my mum. I don't play an instrument but I enjoy creating spells and different codes to be used for espionage missions. I'm terrible at any physical activity so I'm kind of glad that I'm not required to be in the field very often," Anthony said, looking rather sheepish about the last part. Bella laughed, not maliciously and Anthony couldn't help but crack a smile as well. Bella leaned forward.

"Um…maybe later you and Michael could show me some of the spells and codes you created. I'm intrigued," Bella said and Anthony nodded, emphatically. Bella had never inquired about their work and he was quite interested in showing her. Only Blaise had really checked up on them and even then he had gone off to help Hermione meditate or the twins with their Occlumency and Legilimency.

"Hello, Anthony. My name is Michael Corner. I'm the White Rabbit and I'm pretty well versed in steganography. It's really similar to Anthony's area of expertise but mine is pretty much for emergency notifications. I can hide codes in plain sight. For example, if one of you gets captured, I can let someone know in seconds just by hiding a code in plain sight. I've even come up with a system. My favorite food is steak-and-kidney pie. I played the flute when I was younger but I hated it. I enjoy rock-climbing with my father whose a bit…out there," Michael finished with a slight grin. Bella wondered if her friends had any siblings and she leaned forward.

"Do you have a sibling?"

"One. She's older though. Nineteen. Her name's Miranda."

"Oh. Okay."

"Hello, Michael Corner. I'm Padma Patil. I'm Tweedledum and I'm in interrogation. You could consider me the good cop. I make the person I'm in interrogating comfortable. I've learned white torture and my favorite food is luchi, a deep fried bread made in India. It's so _good_. I've never played an instrument though I sing a little. I can't cook but I love to bake," Padma said, sweetly and she leaned into Michael's side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Bella couldn't help but smile at their simple relationship. She was a little jealous.

She bet Michael wasn't demanding Padma marry him.

"Hello, my delightful twin sister who can bake better than I can. I'm Parvati Patil. I'm Tweedledee and I'm also in interrogation. You could consider me the bad cop. Of course, I'm the bad cop. I still haven't forgotten when Riddle called me a harpy. Offensive old pig…no offense," Parvati added after the fact and Bella grinned. She shook her head and crossed her arms.

"No offense taken. He _is _offensive, old, and a pig. Badmouth him as much as you wish."

"Good. He's a jackass and he needs a nice kick to his perfect ass…oh…oops. Um, yeah. I can't bake. At all. But, my favorite food is my sister's luchi. It's so _good. _I don't play an instrument but I do sing with my sister. And don't let her fool you. She doesn't sing _a little_. She sings _all the time_. Sometimes, I can't get her to shut up—" Parvati said and Bella looked at her with an amused look upon her face. Padma turned red and she shoved her sister rather roughly. Parvati fell over and glared at her, self-righteously.

"Shut. Up. Parvati."

"What? No reason to be ashamed. She's good. Like really good. _Anyway_, so…yeah," Parvati finished with a slight grin. Bella snorted and shook her head before looking over at Fay whom smiled, softly.

"Hello, Parvati. I'm Fay Dunbar and the March Hare. I work rather closely with Neville because I'm the strategist of the group and he's going to be a double agent who in turn works closely with our own beloved spymaster, Daphne Greengrass…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt but what do you mean by spymaster?" Bella questioned and she felt like a complete idiot for not knowing what was going on in her own ranks. The group didn't seem to share her feelings for the ignored her ignorance.

"I make it my business to know _everything _that is going on here. That's my job. Being a swordswoman is only part of that. All the other spies report to me," Daphne explained and Bella nodded in understanding before looking at Fay.

"My favorite food is filet mignon and I wanted to be an Auror when I was younger. But, now I think that being part of a secret police is _way _cooler. Um…I played a lot of Muggle strategy board games when I was younger and I used to be quite terrible in chess. That's all I play now as it makes me have to think of quick moves and the most direct and sneakiest way to win," Fay explained and her friends laughed at the appropriate parts and nodded in understanding, as if they had already known all this about Fay. Bella looked on to Lalita who smiled.

"Hello, Fay. My name is Lalita Singh and my codename is Alice. I'm in black bag operations, which basically entail things from stealing important artifacts and plans to assassinations. I'm very versatile. My favorite food used to be luchi as well but since I've been in England, I've become quite partial to fish and chips. Since we're sharing deep, dark secrets about each other…I kind of just got why my codename is Alice. It's because I'm the new girl, right?" Lalita said and the entire group, including Bella and Theodore burst into laughter. Lalita flushed and she shoved at Theodore, annoyed.

"Well, I was caught up in the moment at the time and I just kind of thought about. Oh and I knew that Bella and Tom were in a relationship from the first moment I saw them together. I'm pretty observant, I'd like to think. For example, I knew that my brother wanted to have…sex with you, Bella, from the first minute he saw you. And then he saw Linda and that changed," Lalita supplied and Bella was caught between flushing and roaring with laughter. She shook her head and Linda rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Like I'd ever have sex with your brother. No offense but he's a slimeball."

"No offense taken."

"Yeah. Hello, sister of a slimeball. I am Linda Moon and I'm the Dodo Bird. I am also in the art of black bag operations," Linda twanged in a faux American Southern accent before she tossed her hair behind her shoulder and waggled her eyebrows.

"Since Lalita did such a good job explaining to you what we do, I won't. My favorite food is a good slice of pizza straight from Naples. I work out _every _morning in the Room of Requirement. I wake up at five every morning and work out for two hours before showering and going downstairs. I'm rather…voluptuous so I got to work hard to keep this body in shape. Hmm…embarrassing secret since all of you seem to be telling one…oh right! My mother can't bake. She's a pureblood wife, through and through. But, she softened up a bit and she tried to bake me a cake for my birthday when I was nine. It blew up in my face. Frosting and all. To this day, we have _no _idea how it blew up. I just know that it took hours to get all the chocolate pieces out of my hair because I used to keep my hair long," Linda babbled and Bella nodded and smiled before turning to the last person who had not spoken yet and Theodore nodded to her.

"Hello, Lindy…"

"It's _Linda_. Is it so hard to pronounce the 'a'," Linda spat, annoyed and Theodore nodded.

"Yes," he deadpanned before he continued, "My name is Theodore Nott and I have the unfortunate name of the Jubjub Bird. I'm a weaponry specialist. You give me any weapon, I can probably figure out a way to kill you with it, whether it be a quill or a mace. My favorite food is caviar—"

"No! It's not! It's Padma's cookies. Don't lie!" Daphne called and Theodore looked almost embarrassed. Padma snickered.

"When did you bake cookies?" Bella asked Padma. Padma shrugged.

"I cook them every week for Theo. He's kind of addicted. He thinks I put magic in it to make it taste good but I _swear _I don't," Padma said and Theodore gave a suspicious look before nodding and turning to Bella.

"I speak German and Cockney, though it's not useful in polite company. I'm to marry this delightful girl over here and you are all invited though I'm sure you'd all crash even if you _weren't _invited. That ends my ridiculous biography and I hope you all have a good time mocking me because of Padma's evil, magical cookies," Theodore finished and Bella gave another bubble gum giggle. The others all looked at her with raised eyebrows before they burst into laughter themselves.

"But, seriously, when do you have time to bake cookies?" Bella asked. Padma tilted her head.

"We make time. I'm going to make them tomorrow night in the Room of Requirement. You should definitely come. Usually, you're so busy and I know your even more busy with your speech-writing because of Neville and my horrid prank and then there's Riddle and the war and—"

"Padma. I'll come. I want a cookie," Bella said, blandly and Padma's lips spread into a smile and she nodded, excitedly.

"That'd be excellent. Luna comes sometimes and when she does, she demands other baked goods so you can get some of that too…if she doesn't eat it all," Padma added after the fact and Bella's eyes widened.

"You give Luna sugar on Sunday nights? Is that why she always looks high every time she interrupts me and Tom? Cause he's getting ready to kick her ass," Bella said with a slight smirk and Parvati shrugged.

"Guilty as charged," Parvati said and Daphne leered.

"What is it that she's interrupting?" Daphne asked and Bella flushed as the others laughed at her.

"Daphne!"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Sunday the 11th of April 1998**

**9:00 PM**

"Oh! You came!"

Bella nodded and she brushed a stray strand of ebony hair behind her ear in slight embarrassment. Fay had answered the door and she had her red-brown hair pulled into a high ponytail and she had a smile on her thin face. Bella walked in and stared at the Room of Requirement in amazement.

It was a thousand times different than the form it usually took.

It was a state-of-the-art kitchen with Muggle stoves and ovens and a refrigerator. There was a deep fryer on a counter and the rest of her friends sat on the floor, pigging out on a large platter of chocolate-chip cookies. Luna was there, curled up with her own albeit smaller platter and she looked up at Bella.

"Oh. Hi Bella!" Luna shouted, loudly and cheerfully. Bella flinched at the loudness but grinned back at her. She sat down on the floor next to Lalita and Theodore whom were sitting next to each other, a large binder between them.

"What's this?" Bella asked, curiously and Lalita looked up, looking slightly annoyed.

"Wedding planning. We're thinking about have an English-style wedding and a Hindi wedding. We have to keep everybody happy," Lalita explained and Bella nodded. She leaned forward, curiously before she sighed.

"I'm sorry that you guys have to get married," Bella said. Lalita shrugged.

"I'm not. Theodore has become my best friend besides Linda and he's a lot better of a choice than some of the guys my father wanted me to marry. He's the best choice and even if we don't come to love each other as husband and wife, we can still be best friends," Lalita said, diplomatically and Theodore nodded once in agreement. He dipped his quill in ink before he began writing quickly.

"The Hindi wedding will be small but English wedding has to be big. All the purebloods have to come," Theodore said and Lalita nodded in agreement. Bella felt someone sit on her other side and Bella looked over at Daphne whom was avidly munching on a giant cookie. Bella looked over at Padma.

She was rolling dough and there was a glaze in a bowl on another counter. Bella had a feeling that the girl was making donuts. Padma jumped and took something out of the oven. Bella felt the overwhelming smell of her favorite food.

"Is that treacle tart?" Bella salivated and Padma laughed before nodding. She plated the tart and made her way to the other girl. She placed the slide of tart in front of her along with a fork and Bella dug in, greedily.

"What's Riddle going to say when your fit, sexy bod is fat because of Padma's baking?" Daphne teased and Bella smirked, slyly.

"He'll hunt her down. And then insist that I'm perfect the way I am," Bella joked and Fay looked to Luna for confirmation. Luna nodded in agreement and she leaned forward.

"He'd say she was perfect anyway. But, he'd still kill you Padma. So…can I have some of that tart?" Luna asked as she peered, greedily at Bella's plate. Bella gave a warning hiss and Luna recoiled, dejected. Bella grinned and she saw that Parvati was staring at her curiously.

"What?" Bella asked.

"How's Riddle in bed?" Parvati blurted out and she flushed at her brazenness. Bella flushed herself while Daphne leaned forward intrigued. Even some of the guys looked rather intrigued by the question. Everyone stared at Bella.

"I don't know."

Everyone stared.

"What?" Lalita managed.

"He won't have sex with me," Bella said, simply before taking a bite of her tart. She tried to hide her smile the best she could. Daphne looked properly upset for her.

"Why not? Are you not good enough? You're hot, sexy, and willing. Right? Because if you aren't then that'd just be weird," Daphne said. Parvati nodded in agreement. Neville was smiling at his girlfriend's attitude.

"He's totally hot. I wouldn't mind doing him."

"Um…no it's okay. He…he won't have sex with me unless I marry him."

That set of a chain of reactions. Most gasped while Parvati and Padma gave girlish squeals. Daphne stared in complete shock while most of the guys followed her example. Linda and Lalita were making hoarse noises while Fay moved her lips, soundlessly.

"Marry him?" Fay managed to rasp. Bella nodded.

"Yes. Marry him."

"And you said?" Daphne demanded. Luna smiled.

"She said 'no'."

"WHAT? _WHY?_" Parvati shrieked and everyone cringed at the shrillness of her voice. Bella looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm seventeen. Who wants to get married at seventeen?"

"Don't you _want _to marry the love of your life?" demanded Daphne.

"I didn't think you a marriage girl," Bella said with a slight detached smile. Daphne glared at her friend, annoyed.

"It's not about me. What about you? You're totally in love with him and he's in love with you. Though I've never heard him say that he loves you. Has he ever said that he loves you?" Daphne asked and Bella rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Of course he has. I'm pretty sure I told you that. He's told me that he loves me on several occasions. He told me that he loved me before I came here. I _do _want to marry him. But, I have to think about it first. There's so many factors. It's complicated, you guys," Bella sighed and Luna rolled her eyes. Anthony frowned.

"It is complicated. I mean when you take in all of the factors and you add that up to the possible consequences, it could all go wrong in seconds. Plus, when you go public, you have to think about what the press is going to say. You're either going to be considered a harlot or Tom, a pedophile. Though, I'm sure with your combined power, it won't lead to that. But, still people _will _be talking about it," Anthony said. Michael nodded in agreement even though Padma stared at him, outraged.

"Anthony's right. Bella's right too. She's right to think about all of this before making immediate decisions. Very leader-like," Michael said with a smile and Bella nodded her head in thanks with a grin. Padma sighed and shook her head. Lalita sighed too.

"You guys just aren't romantic."

"Well, sorry that we aren't girls," Theodore said, flatly. Lalita glared at him.

"You'll do well to kill that sexist attitude, mister."

"Or you're not getting any," Daphne added with a cackle and Theodore rolled his eyes at his friend's immaturity. Bella snorted. Lalita flushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Someone has made it a long way, it seems. Look at you, Lalita. Not afraid to speak your mind. I remember when you were the too thin, dorky-looking, exchange student," Bella giggled and Lalita flushed, laughing as well. Luna grinned.

"Bella used to look like a dork too. You want to see a picture I painted of her?" Luna asked and Bella paled, shaking her head.

"No, no. No one wants to see that," Bella insisted and Luna giggled as everyone else cheered her on. Luna took out something small from her bag and she pointed her wand at it as the room supplied an easel.

"_Engorgio_."

It grew larger and Bella groaned.

It was a seven-year-old Bella Potter. She had lopsided pigtails that hung in braids. She wore large glasses on her face, secured by tape in the middle and she donned dirty, baggy jeans and a dirty over-sized shirt. Dirt was smudged on her cheek and she had her arms crossed. Her bottom lip stuck out and Bella flushed in embarrassment.

"Whoa! You looked like _that_! You were a total dork," Theodore snorted and Bella flushed, looking away. Lalita glared.

"Are you serious? Do you not have a filter?" Lalita admonished and Theodore shrugged. Bella snorted under her breath.

"It's fine. I _was _a dork," Bella sighed.

"Tom said you were absolutely adorable. But don't tell him that I told you. I showed him this the other day. You were asleep. Why were you wearing nothing but his shirt?" Luna asked. Everyone snapped his or her head around to look at Bella. Bella giggled again and no one flinched this time.

It looked like people were getting used to it.

"I took a shower. God, get your minds out of the gutter."

"Your lips were swollen," Luna pointed out and Bella sighed, annoyed.

"I'm not completely innocent _Luna_. It's called a blowjob."

"Oh…Draco likes those," Luna said with a slight smile and Bella almost turned green. She gagged and sighed.

"Luna…"

"Yes?"

"TMI."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Tuesday the 13th of April 1998**

**7:00 PM**

"**Hi, Nagini. Where's Tom?**"

The great snake looked up at the woman. She looked her up and down, judgingly and Bella frowned at the assessing look that the long python was giving her. She didn't shift because she didn't care about what Nagini thought of her but still.

"**Tom is walking back and forth, speaking in a language that I don't quite understand. Young woman speaker, you must calm your mate. I cannot do so and I do not wish too. He will not slow down to let me,**" Nagini said, almost lazily.

Now that young woman speaker was Tom's mate, she didn't have to do the job as the man's psychologist. She could simply relax and retire, so to speak. He had someone else to take care of him and Nagini was glad. The man was quite a handful when he wished to.

Bella frowned but walked past the snake. She stopped and looked back at her.

"**Thanks, Nagini. I may need your help. Accompany me?**" she requested, extending her arm and Nagini easily slid onto the girl. She was much bigger now and so it was more comfortable for her to curl around her body. Nagini rested her body on the woman's shoulders and then along the woman's wide hip.

Bella walked, easily with Nagini on her and she heard something crash. Bella sped up her pace and made her way into the bedroom. Tom was snapping something angrily at a piece of paper sitting on his bed. His chest was bare and Bella spent only a moment admiring the man's washboard abs and strong arms before she looked up into his angry red eyes.

"Tom?" Bella asked, quietly. Tom looked at her with a flash of annoyance in his eyes.

"What?" he snapped. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"Watch your tone with me. I didn't do anything. Nagini said that there's something wrong," Bella said, sharply and Tom's annoyance drained away before he sat down and pointed at the letter. Bella moved towards it and Nagini slithered off onto the bed and into the nest of blankets. Bella picked up the letter.

_Dear Lord Slytherin,_

_You have been selected by the Board of Legacies to host this year's Legacy Ball. This is a great thing bestowed upon you and we're all quite sure that you will succeed in making this year better than last year's. Have a great and wonderful day._

_Cordially,_

_Augusta Longbottom_

_Head of the Board of Legacies_

"I'm sorry but what the hell is a Legacy?" asked Bella. Tom snorted.

"I'm surprised you don't know. You _are _one, as am I. Black should have told you. Legacies are students of Hogwarts that are apart of a direct line that has been here for four generations or more. As Lord Slytherin, I'm considered the oldest Legacy despite the fact that I'm the first Hogwarts Slytherin to come here in a very long time," Tom said, sharply. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"And why must _you _host this…Legacy Ball?"

"It's a ball hosted every year after the graduation. I've…been able to get away from it for the past few years but now, they are ensuring that I go by making _me _host it. As if it were some great honor," Tom said, bitterly and Bella sighed, sitting down on the bed. She pulled him towards it and pulled him down next to her. She rolled her eyes at his melodramatic attitude.

"I'll help you plan it, love. You know I will."

"They're expecting to be invited to the Slytherin Manor," Tom explained and Bella's eyes widened.

"Ah…so they want to see that Manor. Don't you have any other living space?" Bella asked and Tom nodded.

"But it must be at the family estate. It's some sort of rule, I believe."

"Okay. That's okay. I was going to live there anyway. I think I'd like to see it," Bella said and Tom looked up at her with amused eyes.

"Were you?"

"Well, yes, I believe I was," Bella said, cheekily and Tom fell onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Bella laughed, shaking her head and she leaned forward.

"You were going to stay with me in Barcelona."

"And how was I going to get to the Ministry everyday to my classes?" Bella demanded and Tom's eyes widened. Bella grinned down at him.

"You got accepted to your program?"

"Yup. They just have to receive my N.E.W.T.s after I do them next month and since I'm taking Masteries that I plan to ace, it's basically in the bag. I even got a letter," Bella smirked and Tom smiled up to her. Bella's eyes widened at the genuine smile that she returned whole-heartedly.

"Good. My smart little Anya."

"Watch it, mister. I'm not little."

"Whatever you say."

:::

**A/N: **So, this chapter was mostly about friendship and how Bella's friendship with most of Hydra was esentially nonexistent. They trust her irrevocably but Bella doesn't think she deserves that trust, mostly because she doesn't know them and until now, hasn't taken the time out of her busy schedule. She's learning to balance her life with the time-consuming Tom Riddle. I'm really in love with Hydra. Personally, my favorite is Parvati. She's so insane compared to her level-headed sister.

I've also introduced the Legacy, which will play a huge part in the next story even though it will only take two or three chapters at most. The affects of the Legacy will be long-lasting though.

FYI: I've written the epilogue. EPIC! I'm planning to have that out on the anniversary...if I can get there in time. Two more super long chapters to do...I'll see what I can do.

**Next Chapter: **The Masteries, The N.E.W.T.s, and the Speech


	98. Chapter XCI

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Chapter XCI**

**Boston, Massachusetts, the United States of America**

**Saturday the 1st of May 1998**

**11:00 PM**

"Who am I?" Morgan whispered.

"_What do you mean who are you? It's a logical explanation really. We've always been mentally unbalanced, you know. We had psychosis for a few years. Since we were perhaps, fourteen. I really don't remember. Then, we have Anti-social personality disorder. It's an interesting little disorder you know. The symptoms are—_" said the small, bushy-haired, know-it-all girl that stood in the left mirror. The woman with long straight brown hair that was in the right mirror rolled her eyes.

"_You're annoying. Stop talking. You're making this much too complicated. Morgan, you are us. A fragment of a whole really_," the woman said, knowingly and Morgan frowned in confusion and she tilted her head to the left.

"But…how? How come I can't remember? Just…the blonde woman. She brought me here but the more I try to remember, the more I can't…" Morgan said, sounding rather frustrated. The woman sighed and shook her head, leaning forward against the glass.

"_Of course you don't remember. We suppressed our memories. My name…is Morrigan. I am the future version of yourself_."

"_And I'm Hermione Granger. I was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts and was top of my ye—_"

"_She was your past self. You're under glamour right now. A complicated glamour that was placed upon you by Luna Lovegood, the Light Seer, and your brother, Draco Malfoy_," Morrigan said, interrupting Hermione. Hermione glared but said nothing. Morgan felt a flash of recognition at the name of Malfoy.

"The haughty pureblood…" she whispered. Hermione smiled, brightly and she nodded, agreeing heartily.

"_Yes, the haughty pureblood. He was really your sister's blood brother. She's not your blood brother. Your mother is going to marry her godfather, Sirius Black. Her name is Bella Potter and she's the Girl-Who-Lived,_" explained Hermione. Morgan's eyes widened and she looked at her own reflection, which was in the very middle. It was fluctuating to reveal someone that looked nothing like her with wild, greasy brown hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.

The image returned to her normal red hair and blue eyes. Or perhaps…

"The Girl-Who-Lived…and the Dark Lord. The Angel…and the Riddle…" Morgan whispered, something dawning on her. Hermione nodded, emphatically and Morrigan leaned forward, absolutely intrigued. Morgan swallowed as she knew she was forgetting something.

"_And then…our Italian love…Apollo_."

Golden eyes came to mind with tanned skin and dark hair. A slight smile, ever so slight, surfaced and she couldn't believe that she had forgotten. Memories of her time with the mysterious boy flooded back to her. He had held her when she cried. He had been there to make her laugh. He had been her first…and her last.

"Blaise," Morgan gasped and she fell against the middle mirror. The second her hands touched the mirror, it rippled underneath her fingers and she felt a burning emerge from her fingertips. It spread through her body and she stared in shock as it looked like her image was burned away from her to reveal someone different.

Mórrígan and Hermione both shuddered and slammed into her main reflection and Morgan gasped as if she had been physically hurt herself. She slowly looked up at her reflection and she saw a mix of all her forms and then it disappeared, slowly.

Memories flashed across the looking glass and she recounted the moment from when she was diagnosed with ASPD to her trial where her sister had convicted her to Azkaban.

Her reflection reappeared.

"I…am…War."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 5th of May 1998**

**8:00 AM**

"Bella's up early," Christine commented, off-handedly. Ginny grunted in annoyance and looked away from her. Christine rolled her eyes and she sighed. She didn't quite understand why Ginny didn't like Bella and she preferred not to think about it.

Gideon looked up and blinked when he saw the woman sitting at the far end of the table, alone. None of her friends were up and even her two brothers weren't sitting with her, opting to sit at the Slytherin table. Bella had a thick book in front of her and large glasses were sliding down her nose. Her hair was hanging in two braids on either side of her head and she looked a bit of a geek.

"What is she doing?" Gideon asked, curiously.

"She's studying for her Masteries today. She's taking her Runes Mastery and DADA Mastery this year."

Gideon, Ginny, Christine, and Michael Brown looked around. They saw a woman that they had seen around before. Gideon and Ginny knew that it was Zoe Carmichael, Ron's advisor of sorts. The woman continued on towards the younger woman before stopping behind her. She reached forward to tap her but Bella spun around.

"Oh. Zoe. Hi," Bella said before she turned to grab her apple and take a large bite of it. As she swallowed it, she began to shove porridge down her throat. She looked almost nervous and she turned back to her large book. Zoe leaned over her shoulder to look and her eyes widened as she caught sight of the numerous Runes listed on the page.

"What is all of this?"

"Every single Rune I've learned since I was…six."

Zoe's eyes bugged out and she stared in wonder just as Bella slammed that book closed and shoved it in her bag. She drew out another book, a small black book. She opened it and it was covered in sloping, swirling cursive that wasn't Bella's handwriting. It was cramped and it went on and on and on.

"And that?" Zoe asked.

"Something that Professor Riddle wrote for me. More like dictated while a quill wrote it all down. It's every single lesson that he's ever taught my class from the first year until now. In fifth year, when I was put into the extensive class, we started to make a transcript of every class. It seems that even before then, he had something dictating it all. This is it. I'm trying to finish a lesson that I took in sixth year. He was lecturing about white torture and assassinations," Bella muttered under her breath as she began to read. Zoe's eyes widened further in horror. She couldn't understand why that man would teach sixteen-year-olds such…violent things.

"Why would he teach you that?"

"To prepare us for what is out there. That war is going to be messy. Miss Zoe, with all due respect, none of us want to die," Bella said, coolly and she looked back down at her things. Zoe nodded, eyes wide at the dismissive way that Bella had just addressed and she cleared her throat.

"Your Masteries are in a couple hours. Do you want to come out and talk for a bit?" Zoe asked. Bella shrugged and she shoved the book into her bag before standing, grabbing the half of her apple that she had not finished. She took a final sip of her coffee before she slung her bag over her shoulder.

The two began to walk out of the Great Hall when a hand roped around Bella's waist. Zoe watched as Tom Riddle jerked the young woman into him, his entire length pressed against hers. Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and he ran a quick hand over one of her long braids.

"Pass it," Riddle said, warningly and Bella nodded stiffly into his chest.

"I'll try," she whispered hoarsely and Zoe watched, intrigued by their unorthodox student-teacher relationship.

"You're nervous," Riddle said, softly and Bella looked up, her eyes slightly annoyed. Her lips screwed into a slight grimace.

"Of course I'm nervous…it's the Masteries. _You _passed with flying colors. You can't say it's easy because _you _have an eidetic memory."

"Your last exam was harder than the DADA Mastery. You've been studying Ancient Runes for more than a decade. You _summoned _the Son of Death when you were twelve. You crafted a weapon out of nothing more than a piece of stone, a knife, and your knowledge of Ancient Runes. You fought Grindelwald when you were fourteen. You fought the Dark Lord when you were fifteen. You've fought _me _and won before. You'll pass both your theoretical and physical tests. And if you do, I have a gift for you," Riddle said, adding incentive. Bella looked up, her eyes flashing and she gave him a curious look.

"What?"

"Keys to a flat in London. At One Hyde Park."

Zoe's eyes widened and Bella paled. Zoe was a half-blood and she _knew _what One Hyde Park meant. Her father raved about it all the time. It was the most expensive residential housing in all of the United Kingdom.

"One Hyde Park?" Bella stammered.

"A flat at One Hyde Park. Three bedroom. Pass all your N.E., my exam, and Masteries. Claim the speech at the graduation. And the penthouse is yours. If you don't…I'll just give it to…Beatrix and Ralph," Riddle smirked. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't give it to that bitch."

"I would. I have the keys now. Pass your exams. Claim the student speech. And you get to live at the best of the best. If you don't…you'll live somewhere nice, I'm sure. But it won't be the best," Riddle taunted before he released his student and sauntered away, looking rather smug. Bella's eyes flashed.

"That was some big incentive," Zoe commented and Bella's eyes narrowed.

"That flat…is _mine_."

Bella turned around with a winning smile as she felt the prescence of her brothers and Luna at her back. Luna had a grim expression on her face and Blaise and Draco looked vaguely uncomfortable. Bella's smile slipped away.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, softly.

And then she felt it.

White-hot hatred and fury flashed through her and burned. She could feel the ouroboros of her necklace burn against her skin. Darkness consumed her, slithering among her and forcing the blinding light to recoil sharply even before its bearer stopped.

"Hey, Zoe! There you…are…"

"Eddie. Bella, this is my br—" Zoe said, hoping that she could get the two together. Eddie had always spoken about how beautiful he found the Girl-Who-Lived. Bella swallowed, her eyes narrowed.

"We've met," she interrupted.

"Unfortunately," Eddie said through clenched teeth. There was a warning hiss from Bella that Eddie countered with a growl. At the threat, Draco and Blaise darted forward, glaring with burning fury. They stood on either side of Bella and there was the faintest echo of a cat-like hiss.

"Watch yourself, Carmichael," Draco warned, coldly. Blaise's gold eyes flashed and he looked Eddie up and down. Eddie glared at him, defiantly before he turned his gaze back onto Bella. She sneered at him.

"Um…what's going on?" Zoe whispered, quietly. Bella seemed to snap out of it and she stood taller, looking rather stiff. She looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Riddle. He was giving her a stern look and Bella turned around, sharply.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Brothers…relax. He doesn't know anything. He isn't a threat…he doesn't have any control. And Tommy-boy would be quite upset if we started something here. Keep moving, Carmichael," Bella said, coldly. She looked back to Zoe and her eyes softened. She tilted her head and gestured towards the way towards the hallway where there was surely to be an empty classroom.

"Um…Eddie, maybe…you should get to work now or something," Zoe said, hesitantly and Eddie nodded, his neck still tensed. Bella walked swiftly as Eddie turned and walked away, quickly. Zoe had to walk twice as fast as usual to keep up with Bella. They walked down the corridor and Bella suddenly cut into a room. Zoe had to turn around to get inside of the room.

Bella spun around and sat down on a desk.

"So…how has your studying been going?" Zoe asked, quietly. She got the feeling that asking about her brother was not a good thing to start with. She'd be better off asking him as she knew Eddie. She couldn't claim to know Bella.

"Fine…good. I'm ready for the DADA written and the practical. Ancient Runes has me a little frightened," Bella said, softly and she sighed to herself. Zoe frowned at her and tilted her head.

"How is your social life?"

"It's non-existent. I've spent the last two weeks of last month studying. I'm just really tired, Zoe. Next week are my N.E.W.T.s. The week after, they're electing the student speaker. I have to pass or I'm not going to get a place in the program," Bella said and Zoe could see just how stressed she was. She tilted her head.

"If it makes it any better…I'll be there for every step of the way," Zoe said and Bella gave a sad smile.

"It…it would only be better if I had my sister with me."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Wednesday the 5th of May 1998**

**9:30 AM**

"Professor Marchbanks, how has she been doing?" Zoe Carmichael asked the old witch. Griselda looked over at the girl who was stretching and cracking her neck as she sized up the obstacle course and the Auror waiting at the end of the course. The girl was wearing nothing but tight leather pants and a tank top.

"I merely had a minute to glance over her practical but the girl…the girl is a genius. The scenarios she was given were no-win scenarios. She came up with solutions anyway She's ruthless but a genius. She reminds me of a young Tom Riddle in many ways," Griselda rasped, her shaky voice clear despite her ancient age. She looked over at the girl whom looked a little shaken. Zoe frowned.

"She's frightened. She told me. She said she was only frightened about the Ancient Runes test but I don't think so," Zoe said, quietly and conspiratorially. Griselda nodded, as she knew the tell-tale signs of nervousness. Griselda's eyes widened when she saw Tom Riddle marching across the grass.

He didn't look any different than he had more than fifty years previously. Maybe slightly older but on a whole, he still greatly resembled that seventeen year old boy whom had effortlessly passed his Masteries. She watched him as he gave her a respectful nod before he came behind Bella whom was standing on one leg, stretching her leg up until it was almost parallel with the rest of her body.

Zoe's eyes widened when Riddle jerked her leg back until it was completely parallel. Bella gave a short gasp but relaxed when she looked over her shoulder.

"Move with me, Anya," Riddle said, quietly and Bella nodded and suddenly Riddle was stepping to the side. Bella brought her leg down and moved along with him.

She reached behind him and used his body as an anchor before she flipped herself over his shoulder and behind him. He looked over his shoulder with a smirk and she returned it. He spun and threw out an open palm. Zoe expected Bella to punch it.

Instead, the younger woman pressed her own palm against his before closing her fingers through his own and she bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself and Riddle nodded agreement.

"Yes…you can."

Bella's eyes flashed open and she nodded, once, looking more confident than she had before. She turned away from Riddle.

"Professor Marchbanks, are weapons allowed?"

"Indeed, you are. What weapon are you versed in? I need to write it down," Professor Marchbanks said. Zoe looked frantic for just a moment because she wasn't sure if Bella knew how to use one. It wasn't as if she had ever thought to ask.

"I have a knife and…I can sort of use a sword, a little," Bella whispered and she reached into her boot and held out the knife that had been given to her for her birthday, so many years ago. Zoe's eyes widened and Professor Marchbanks raised her eyebrow.

"I see. Will you be using a sword?" Professor Marchbanks asked and Bella closed her eyes, slowly and she tilted her head forward. She stayed silent for just a few moments before she looked up and shook her head.

"No."

"Starting position. I will call start when you reach there," Professor Marchbanks said and Zoe glanced at Riddle. He watched her as she walked away, looking down at the ground and Riddle frowned.

"LOOK UP! Don't forget who the hell you are and get it together! You're allowed to use _any _advantages you have. Do you understand?" Riddle shouted and Bella frowned before nodding once and looking up. She walked a little quicker towards the starting line where the first obstacle stood tall.

It was a large wooden board that seemed to be enchanted to move wherever she did. She had to get through it and Zoe wondered what spell she would.

"Begin."

Zoe stared in shock as Bella didn't move except to slip into a steady stance. The woman pulled two ribbons from her hair that Zoe saw were not ribbons but wraps. Her hair tumbled slightly from the braids, the ends loose. She wrapped them around her hands and gritted her teeth.

She pressed her fingertips to the wood and brought her left hand back only slightly. Then, she let it fly forward and there was a satisfying crack as her hand went through the wood. It was stuck now and Bella growled as she tried to jerk it back. Her eyes widened and suddenly she looked up. She took her knife from her boot and cut around her hand. There was a larger hole and Bella backed up five feet.

She ran forward and gave a flying kick to a solid block of wood. The entire piece shattered and Bella landed in a crouch on the other side. Zoe glanced to Riddle and he was smirking, nodding.

"Go, Bella!"

Bella turned and her eyes widened when she saw her blond brother standing to the side. Bella nodded once and took off at a fierce run. Zoe's eyes widened. She had never thought that Bella could run so fast. She looked like she was flying and she suddenly came to her second obstacle.

It was a large wall with holes in them. Bella's eyes narrowed in thought when suddenly a flaming arrow was shot at her. She was so surprised that she clapped her hands over the arrow right before it pierced in the forehead.

"I have to climb…" Bella whispered and another flaming arrow shot at her and she raised her wand.

"_Augamenti_."

The fire went out and the arrow landed at her feet. Bella picked it up and ran at the wall, sticking an arrow in the wall. She began to climb that way, using the arrows to bring her upwards and Zoe stared in shock. The slight girl had some upper body strength.

Bella jerked to the side as another flaming arrow flew just beneath her and she tried to scramble up faster. The girl was in the middle now and suddenly stopped.

She ripped her arrow from its hold, stabbed it to the other side of her, and swung so that her back was against the wall just as a flaming arrow flew from where she had been before.

Bella went even faster and soon…

Bella was at the top and Zoe wondered how she was going to jump down and get to the next obstacle which was at least half a mile away.

Suddenly, Bella let out a loud whistle that had Zoe cringing because of the frequency of the sharp sound. She looked over at Riddle whom looked surprise.

"She's calling Nikita…"

"_Tysti! Mi!_" Bella shouted and Riddle's eyes widened.

"Fuck…"

"What?" Zoe demanded.

"She just gave her _blind _horse her sight."

Suddenly, Zoe heard the beating of hooves against the ground and she turned to see a great black beast with a horn flying to its master. It stopped at the wall and Bella suddenly jumped from the wall and flew towards the ground. She landed on her hands on the back of the unicorn and she flipped into a comfortable position. Her eyes looked clear again as the beast's shocking blue eyes turned milky once more.

"_Vodi_."

Suddenly, Bella was flying and she was kneeling on the back of the unicorn, her hands tangled in the unicorn's mane. Zoe shook her head as the girl rode with passion but not finesse. Obviously, she hadn't been riding for a long time. She suddenly came to next obstacle and Bella jumped off.

It was a large magic made lake with posts leading across it. Bella sighed, shaking her head.

"_Erecto Pontemque_."

Riddle frowned.

"That's not a spell."

And as if just to make fun of him, the posts shifted, flattened and widened. They elongated and connected to form a bridge.

"What?" Professor Marchbanks whispered.

"My creation."

The three adults turned to look at the dark-skinned boy watching with Bella's brothers. An Indian girl stood by his side with a smile. Zoe's eyes widened. It was Padma Patil.

"You created that spell?" Zoe demanded.

"Yup. I got the inspiration from The Tale of the Three Brothers. I'm planning to submit it to the Department of Mysteries soon enough," the boy asked and Draco nodded, not taking his eyes off the younger woman.

"How is Bella going to get up _that_?" Draco asked, confused.

Zoe turned her attention back to Bella who was frowning at the post in front of her. Two flat, circular weights rested on the ground with ribbons looped through the middle of each. An arrow was at the very top and it was obvious that Bella had to retrieve it.

Bella turned around.

"I can't do it! It's not possible!" Bella shouted and she sighed, beginning to make her way towards them.

"Don't you dare!" Draco shouted and Bella ignored him, continuing to walk towards them, ready to give up. Marchbanks picked up her clipboard, ready to mark that Bella was giving up.

"Nikolai…don't you dare give up. You're able to do it."

The quiet yet distinct hissing came from Riddle and everyone jumped. Marchbanks dropped her clipboard and Bella stopped.

"What?" Bella asked, sounding almost confused.

"I remember a time when you punch a piece of wood until your knuckles were raw. You were so dedicated to learning that you let me break _bones_. Are you so easily going to give up to a _post_? I'm asking…no…_demanding _that you get up that pole, one way or another. Because I _refuse _to let you lose to piece of wood just like I _refused _to let you lose to ivory," Riddle said, sharply and Bella's eyes widened. She gave a slight smile before she turned with a determined look upon her face.

She observed the post and suddenly looped her hands through the ribbons. Her eyes widened in understanding and she stumbled under the weights before she swung her wrists, wrapping the post with the ribbons and weights. She jerked back before she began to climb up the post as if she were walking up a wall. She pulled her arms up before beginning to walk again and she steadily moved that way.

Bella didn't notice in her concentration the crowd she was gathering as she pulled herself up the pole. She was slowly pulling herself up the wall and she didn't show any signs of giving up as she pulled. Suddenly, her foot slipped and she hung, loosely as she heard a scream. They thought she was going to fall.

Well…they didn't know her very well then.

Her eyes narrowed and put her footing back where it belonged before she began to climb once more, steadier this time. She was almost to the top and the arrow was just in her reach. Bella reached her hand up and she grabbed the metal arrow before using swinging herself up onto the top of the tall post. She crouched there and wrenched the arrow from the post before throwing it down to the ground. She stayed crouched up there and knew that she needed to get this done. She loosed her hands from the ribbons, causing the weights to fall to the ground.

The quickest way would be…to jump.

Bella jumped off the post to everyone's shock. There were a few shouts of panic. Bella flicked her wrist, freeing the Elder Wand and she pointed it at herself.

"_Arresto Momentum!_" Bella cried out and she felt herself slow until she right above the grass and she hit it. She spit out blades of grass before jumping up and bursting into full speed.

The finish line was near the Auror.

Bella put on an extra burst of speed and she blinked when hurdles appeared in front of her, by magic. She didn't even bother to fall back to jump it. She jumped over it, and grabbed the next one, flipping herself over it. She fell into a crouch and slid underneath the next one, moving fluidly.

Bella went to the last one, which was up to her neck and there wasn't any space underneath for her to slide. She sped up and grabbed the top, flipping over it and falling into numerous tumbles on the other side before she popped up and raced to the platform. She jumped on it, landing with a thump and the Auror stared at her, surprised at the fearsome sight she made.

She was crouched and her body was twisted. Her lips was curled and her teeth were bared.

"Five minutes thirty-five seconds. Second best time ever…" Marchbanks whispered, quietly and Tom knew for a fact that that was true. He had beaten her by merely twenty seconds when he had been seventeen.

"I know."

The three adults walked towards the platform and Bella straightened when she saw Tom coming towards her. She flashed him a smile and he returned it with a genuine smile. He tilted his head forward as she move towards the edge of the platform and kneeled.

"Thanks for that," Bella murmured as she touched her forehead to his. He smirked at her with a secret look in his eyes. Tom noticed Zoe watching in interest and cast her a smirk before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Bella's cheek. Bella turned a bright red and jerked back as if he had burned her.

She glanced at Zoe but the woman was shell-shocked.

"That was good luck. Not that you need it," Tom added and Bella nodded, still flushed. She turned around and walked towards the middle of the platform.

"Bella, this is Auror McCoy. He's third in command at the Auror department to Auror Bones and Auror Shacklebolt. I believe that he fractionally outmatches you, due to weight and size but you should be able to even it out by spell repertoire and/or physical attacks," Marchbanks said, simply and Bella smiled brightly at Auror McCoy whom returned it with a cordial smile.

"We bow," Bella dictated, using the old ways and McCoy looked at her in surprise before bowing to her.

"Begin…" Marchbanks instructed and McCoy shot a wordless purple spell. Bella moved her head, fractionally and it sailed past her. Bella tilted her head, sizing him up before her eyes glowed, brightly.

"Let's…ride…"

Bella moved forward, slowly, almost like a snake in nature and she stood only three feet away from McCoy and Bella smiled at him and lifted her left hand in a wave. McCoy growled at her and threw another hex. Bella dodged and she jumped up, delivering a kick to his stomach. He fell backwards. McCoy stood up, quickly and attempted to backhand her. Bella ducked and swept his legs from underneath him. He fell again and Bella giggled at him.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall…"

"You little brat," snarled McCoy and Bella winked. He shot a multitude of curses and Bella finally took out her wand and began blocking it with the tiniest of slashes, not even bothering to mutter spells. She flicked her wand and sent an icy blue curse that was _barely _legal.

McCoy's eyes widened and jumped to side, avoiding what could have been a bloody death. Bella giggled again, her bubble gum pink giggle starting to freak the man out. She sent a neon purple curse that was just legal if used in the proper way. McCoy dodged and threw a punch. Bella grabbed it and he threw his other fist with his wand in it. Bella smiled and grabbed it. McCoy pushed at her and she almost buckled underneath the older man's strength.

She used his momentum and bent backwards, using all of her strength to throw him over her shoulders. He tumbled and Bella took a deep breath to center herself. He stumbled up and Bella was quick to spin and deliver a butterfly kick to his shoulder. She heard the satisfying crack and its matching scream. Bella sighed.

"I would've thought that an Auror would perform a _little _better…"

"I'm done playing around. You may be cute but I'll wipe that smug smile off your face," McCoy snarled. Bella raised an eyebrow.

She ripped off her glove, exposing her branded and weaker left hand.

She lifted her pointer finger.

"This finger…is all I'll need to take you down."

McCoy growled and charged at her with one hand clenched in a fist and the other around his wand. Bella bent and snatched out her knife from her pocket and slashed furiously on her pointer finger and she smiled at the bloody Rune she had carved into her skin.

One more scar wouldn't matter much.

She turned to face him and saw that he was going to tackle him. She growled and grabbed the front of his shirt and held him there. She wouldn't have much time for this.

"_Kveykva_," she murmured as quietly as possible.

The bloody rune glowed.

"Thurisaz…it's a rune you know," Bella said, conversationally as she lifted her finger and McCoy growled at her in anger.

"For what?" he spat, willing to humor her. Bella smiled, wickedly.

"Chaos…_lightening_," she spat and then she touched her finger to his forehead, lightly. McCoy screamed, shaking as he essentially was electrocuted by the electrical current in Bella's body combined with her natural affinity for the element.

McCoy's eyes rolled into the back of his forehead and he gave one more great shudder before falling limp and Bella dropped him. Zoe, Marchbanks, and most of the spectators stared in shock as she looked down at him disdain.

"Someone should get him to St. Mungo's."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 31st of May 1998**

**12:15 PM**

"Who did you vote for?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Oh, yeah! Totally!"

"I voted for Malfoy. I mean his speech would be hilarious!"

"Not only that! He's a pureblood. I bet all the Slytherins voted for him."

"Um…did anyone vote for Smith?"

"Haha! Not even his own house."

Bella rolled her eyes and she reclined in her seat. She had submitted her speech in and it was appropriate for what people wanted from the Girl-Who-Lived. A proper uplifting speech about the war that she was sure Dumbledore would favor above the others. She had not interacted with him so much this year but that was because she was avoiding.

Her schooling was coming to an end and she knew that meant that he'd be expecting her to join the war fulltime, which she had no plans to do. She didn't care if that meant that the Light would lose. That was what Tom and by extension she wanted.

"Ah, so eager to know who will be your student speaker. I am surprised to see that none of you look too exhausted by the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests that you took only last week. Before I begin, I'd like to congratulate you and a handful of students that took the initiative to take their Masteries," Dumbledore said and Bella flushed as she looked down at her lap. Dumbledore looked straight at her and she could feel eyes on her.

"I congratulate Miss Bella Potter for taking her Ancient Runes and Defense against the Dark Arts Mastery. I also congratulate Mister Draco Malfoy for taking his Defense against the Dark Arts Mastery. And finally, I congratulate Mister Neville Longbottom for taking his Mastery in Herbology."

There was the polite amount of applause along with the gossip and whispers to why they had done so. Bella sighed as she looked at Blaise. He had decided _against _taking his Masteries as he did not want to do so without Hermione there. That didn't stop him from completely dominating in the N.E.W.T.s. Bella knew she had excelled in DADA but Transfiguration had been _terrible_.

"Now, without further ado…I am afraid to say that Mister Goldstein and Mister Smith had the least number of votes with ten and zero respectively."

There were snorts of amusement and Bella's bubble gum cackle rang out loudest of all. This spurred on more laughs and even Dumbledore had to crack a smile. Dumbledore nodded and turned to look at Bella and Draco who sat side by side. Bella was sitting with her legs in Draco's lap and he was running his hand over her boot.

"In second place, with a third of the remaining votes would be Mister Malfoy."

Draco jumped up, outraged.

"WHAT? I _LOST!_"

"Draco…you didn't _want _to speak. And your speech was utter shit. No offense."

"That means nothing. How could I _lose_? I'm a Malfoy! We don't lose."

"Get over it. I won."

"Ah, yes, Miss Potter is correct. With the majority of the votes, she was elected as student speaker. Most of the teachers greatly approve of her speech and we are all excited to hear it delivered in one month's time," Dumbledore said and it was clear that that was a dismissal. Bella stood and she was flying towards the door when she felt an arm on her shoulder. She looked over at Professor McGonagall.

"Professor?"

"Miss Potter, I'd like to speak to you for a moment about your N.E.W.T.s and Masteries. I understand that you just took them but…oh just come here, Potter."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Monday the 31st of May 1998**

**1:00 PM**

Ginny looked up, quickly as the door was thrown open with a loud crash. Riddle stopped in the middle of his lecture and Bella stood in the doorway with wide eyes and a bright smile on her face. There were sheets of parchment clutched tightly in her gloved hand and she was breathing hard, as if she had been running.

"Yes, Anya?" Riddle asked, tiredly. Bella took a step forward, ignoring the confused looks of the other kids.

"Give me _my_ keys to _my _flat."

Riddle raised an eyebrow.

"I'm the student speaker. I passed my N.E.W.T.s with only one A in Herbology. _I _have the second highest DADA Mastery score in all of wizarding Britain. And _I _beat _your _Ancient Runes Mastery grade by three points, Mister 97. I passed with flying colors. I'm a Rune Master and I'm a Defense Master. I believe this means I get the keys to my flat."

Ginny was surprised when Riddle gave a genuine and rather hot half-smile and beckoned Bella forward. He glanced at the rest of the class and stepped behind his desk and opened his drawer. Bella darted forward, happily and sat down on his desk. Riddle pulled out a small blue box and Ginny's eyes widened in anticipation.

He slid it to Bella and she opened it.

She let out a gasp and dropped it as if it had burned her. Riddle gave a slight smirk.

"Oops…wrong box. That's not yours as you don't want it."

Bella flushed and glared at him and Riddle put the box back into his drawer before he pulled out a black box and gave it to Bella. Bella opened it and pulled out a skeleton key. It was simple but it was elegantly made. There were two. Bella pulled one off and handed it to Riddle and gave a smile.

"Thank you."

"I wouldn't have given it to unless you deserved it," Riddle said, solemnly and Bella nodded with a smile.

"And…thank you. For teaching me all of these years," Bella clarified. Riddle raised an eyebrow but gave her a smirk.

"It was my pleasure."

:::

**A/N: **This is the second to last chapter. I'm getting a little sentimental...I should have the next chapter out in a few days. Maybe Sunday because I KNOW when I'm updating the epilogue. I'm trying to write the prologue for Masquerade but I'm not quite sure what it should be. I know it's going to be something in the future and then we re-wind. It's going to be kind of crazy. I have an idea. CLUE: Fairy Circle (There aren't any fairies involved).

**Next Chapter: **The Final Chapter: The Beginning of An Era, The Beginning of An End, and The Beginning of A Start


	99. Chapter XCII

**Title:** Inside My Mind

**Pairing:** TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC, AG/OC

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that _dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note:** The last chapter…it was a fun ride…

Inside My Mind

**By: Sistersgrimmlover**

**Chapter XCII**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Friday the 25th of June 1998**

**9:00 PM**

"This is going to be the last night I spend here with you."

Tom looked over at the young woman and he couldn't help but admire how she looked in the dim moonlight. She had dragged him out to the lake and if he wanted to ogle her, he definitely had the right to. He tapped his guitar case, slowly and Bella smiled at him, softly.

"We didn't spend much time here in the first place. The first time we did, I tried to tell you that I was the Dark Lord. You told me to stop thinking," Tom said, flatly. Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. She leaned forward with a teasing look in her eyes.

"You're such a mood killer, Tommy-boy."

"Don't call me that. It's annoying," Tom snapped and Bella smiled before leaning back.

"I meant at Hogwarts, love."

"Ah…still quite untrue. You're welcome to come any time when I'm _not _teaching. Or, I will be frequently returning to London for sex," Tom said, flatly. Bella gave him an amused look and she tilted her head.

"You want me to marry you before we have sex."

"Very true. But, if we're engaged, that's fine too."

"You're such a moron, Tom," Bella laughed and she trailed off when she noticed that Tom didn't even look faintly amused. Bella swallowed, knowing that she was in for a serious conversation.

"What are you so afraid of?" Tom asked, quietly. Bella looked away towards the moonlit lake and she didn't say anything. The top of the lake did not ripple so that it looked like a thick sheet of black ice.

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"Yes, you are."

"_No_, I'm not. Why did you bring out the guitar?" Bella asked, sharply and Tom gave her a cool look that properly chastised her. She looked down and cleared her throat.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I brought my guitar because I wished to. I found sheet music in my rooms. You constantly leave things there. It was written for a guitar…I simply…tweaked a few things," Tom said, quietly and Bella looked at him in surprise. He had never played for her after that past Yule but she was definitely surprised that he was now. She nodded, patiently and she leaned forward, curiously.

He pulled his guitar out from the case and positioned it, slowly. He pulled out a pick and began to strum, quietly.

"_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry_

_You don't know how lovely you are_

_I had to find you, tell you I need you_

_Tell you I set you apart_," Tom sang, quietly and Bella's eyes widened at the lyrics that he had attached to the song. He had never called her 'lovely' or called her out on her previous self-esteem issues. But, it wasn't in a bad way, however.

"_Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions_

_Oh let's go back to the start_

_Running in circles, coming up tails_

_Heads on a science apart_," Tom continued and Bella frowned in confusion. She was well aware of what science was as her adopted mother was a dentist, which Maya insisted involved this thing called science. In interest, Bella had looked it up and found it only slightly interesting. Hermione was very much involved in it.

Bella was surprised that Tom would mention something so Muggle yet so simplistic that it could possibly be something convoluted that Muggle would come up with.

"_Nobody said it was easy_

_Oh, it's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh, take me back to the start_."

Bella found his voice as heartbreakingly beautiful as she always had. Despite the sincerity he sang to her with, she couldn't help but be a little jealous of how easily the skill of singing came to him. Bella was no fool. She knew she wasn't very good but she at least didn't sound _horrible_.

"_I was just guessing at runes and figures_

_Pulling the puzzles apart_

_Questions of science, magic and progress_

_Do not speak as loud as my heart_."

Bella felt tears prick her eyes and she couldn't even give the man she loved a smile. It was too hard because it wasn't that she wasn't happy. She was incredibly happy but it was also incredibly overwhelming. She had never expected something like this from Tom because she knew he was not a romantic at heart.

At all.

"_So tell me you love me, come back and haunt me_

_Oh and I rush to the start_

_Running in circles, chasing our tails_

_Coming back as we are,_" Tom continued and his strumming got softer and sweeter. Bella's eyes slid closed as she simply listened to his gorgeous voice. She could hear a small voice in her, asking why she was frightened.

She couldn't answer with a 'no' anymore because now…now she _knew _he loved her.

"_Nobody said it was easy_

_Oh it's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be so hard_

_Oh, take me back to the start_."

It was so blindingly obvious that he loved her when she really looked at him and it hurt her that she had hurt him. She couldn't understand why her head kept screaming 'NO' when she just wanted to scream 'YES'.

"_Ooooh_…"

His vocalization was so pure and Bella's eyes flashed open. He was staring at her with penetrating eyes and Bella's lower lip trembled.

"_Oooohh_

_Ooooh…_" he said, trailing off and he strummed until he ended the song. Bella swallowed and leaned forward to press her lips to his. She didn't close her eyes and nor did he. It was a sweet, chaste, and short kiss that spoke volumes.

"What's it called?" Bella whispered and Tom gave a half-smile.

"The Magician."

"I love you."

"And I you. But that doesn't answer my question. What are you afraid of?" Tom asked, softly.

"I don't know."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**7:10 AM**

"Wake up…wake up."

Bella blinked away the tiredness she felt and stared up at Parvati and Fay whom were standing over her. Their hair was falling over their shoulders, wet and Bella cleared her throat. She reached over to her side table and shoved her glasses on her face. Her eyes adjusted and she stared at Parvati and Fay's beds where they had their graduation robes laid across. Lavender was busy going through her make-up. She heard a squeak on her bed.

She saw Luna sitting at the edge of her bed, sewing at something black.

"What's that?" Bella croaked.

"Your graduation robe. I refitted Draco's too. Blaise's fit perfectly. I'm sure he pulled some strings with the house elves. He's always unusually kind to them. I think it's because Hermione was always so kind to them," Luna answered, cheerfully. She was already in a nice grey summer dress, ready for the graduation that was to occur at noon.

"Oh…okay. What time is it?"

"It's seven ten. We have to get ready and aren't you the musical entertainment after the graduation?" Fay asked as she reached to the side and began to comb through Bella's thick, messy hair. Bella yelped and she looked up at Fay in shock.

"I…I have to get to Azkaban. Pronto. I'm going to be late," Bella said, stumbling out of the bed, the comb still attached. Parvati looked at her in shock and Lavender sneered at the girl in disgust.

"You're still going to that crazy bitch?"

"Shut up, Lavender. I hope Professor Riddle…oh what the fuck, _Tom_, lets me use his Floo," Bella said as she grabbed a pair of leather pants and stripped of her flannel pants and struggled to pull the leather up. She pulled her hair back in a messy ponytail and threw one of Tom's shirts over her tank top. She shoved her boots on.

"Um…shower?" Parvati asked, her nose wrinkled.

"I took one last night. I knew I had to get to Azkaban. And Hermione'll do my hair. Lu, will that be done by…nine? I'm planning on having breakfast in Draco's office there," Bella asked as she grabbed her satchel and threw it over her shoulder. Luna nodded, absently and she smiled.

"Yes. Have fun with your sister, Bella," Luna said, cheerfully. Fay and Parvati nodded in agreement and smiled at her.

"Tell her we said hello," they cheered together and Bella grinned before nodding. She darted into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, furiously. She needed to get downstairs and to the Floo before she was late. Even in Azkaban, Hermione was big on punctuality.

"Okay," Bella said, loudly before she stopped and took off her boots and looked for those one pair of heels that she had worn for the first part of her birthday months ago. She peeled off her socks and slid into the simple black heels.

Parvati and Fay exchanged looks and Luna smiled, softly. Bella peeled off the man's shirt and grabbed a plain black blazer and began to putting on a number of her necklaces. She left the bracelets that went with her earrings in the case and she left only her first charm bracelet on her left wrist. She pulled on a glove on that hand and put the Resurrection Stone on her right hand. She quickly put in silver hoops before looking into the mirror.

"Not too shabby. See I _can _look like a grown woman. I'm one after the graduation anyway," Bella said and she flashed Parvati and Fay a smile. They gave her reassuring smiles back. Bella had to get comfortable in the shoes but she felt a hot flash got through the soles of her feet.

She looked up at Luna who was pointing her wand at her. She smiled.

"It's more comfortable."

"Thanks."

Bella slung her bag over her shoulder and tapped her glasses with her wand. The lenses darkened to become sunglasses and she walked down the stairs, quickly.

She couldn't be late.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**7:35 AM**

Ginny leaned into her boyfriend as she sat with Gideon and Christine. They were all laughing at something inconsequential and Ginny couldn't believe that next year she'd be a seventh year. She couldn't help but feel almost like an adult even though her birthday wasn't until August. She swallowed and saw that Christine was staring, her jaw dropped.

"Christine?" asked Ginny, confused and she looked at her boyfriend whom was practically drooling as he stared at the staircase to the girl's dormitory. Gideon's mouth looked dry and Ginny directed her gaze to the staircase and her eyes widened.

Bella Potter stood there with ruby red looks and wide green eyes behind a large pair of sunglasses. She was dressed impeccably and Ginny sneered at the wealthy looking clothes she was wearing. The only flaw was the fact that her hair looked slightly tangled. She pulled a comb from her hair and slid it into her tote bag.

"Morning," Bella called as she gave a little wave to the four. Michael stammered and Bella's lips curled into a slight smirk.

"Morning…" Christine choked out and Ginny wondered why _she _was so affected by the beautiful woman. Ginny would've thought that Christine would feel utter contempt because it was undeniable that Bella was more beautiful than Christine.

All eyes were on the tall, curvaceous woman wearing tight leather pants and tall heels that only elongated her legs. She pushed open the door and Ginny's eyes widened when she saw Tom Riddle standing there in jeans, boots, and a button down white shirt with the first two buttons unbuttoned. He had sunglasses on the top of his head.

"Hey, there," Bella smirked.

"We've got places to be. Azkaban, Diagon Alley, and then we have to stop by the Manor," Riddle said, quickly and Bella's eyes widened and she nodded in understanding. She tilted her head, curiously.

"You won't believe how people responded to the invitations. Daphne is so confused but so excited. Luna's Draco's plus one. He gets one, right?"

"Yes. His family has been there for quite a long time. Blaise is your plus one, correct?" Riddle asked and Ginny couldn't help but notice how frigid his voice sounded when he mentioned. Bella's lips curled into a half-smile and Ginny's eyes widened when she saw Bella wrap her arms around Riddle's waist and tilt her head back as she looked up at him. Riddle put his hands on her waist and Bella moved her arms around his neck.

"Is someone…"

"Say the word and I'll…"

"What? You'll what?"

"Sell your staff to the black market. You'll never see it again," Riddle said, coolly and Bella rolled her eyes at his threat. She sighed and tilted her head.

"You're a jerk."

"And you know it. You have an answer for me, Anya?" Riddle asked. Bella gave him a look before she shook her head.

"Lets just go," Bella sighed and she pulled away from Riddle. Ginny was surprised when Riddle threw his arm around the woman's shoulders and they walked off like that, looking like a perfect couple.

Ginny felt like cold water was poured down her shirt.

"What…was _that_?" Ginny whispered.

And suddenly, Christine couldn't help but think about her brother _insisting _that Tom Riddle and Bella Potter were together.

But, Christine _certainly _wasn't going to enlighten one bitter Ginny Weasley.

* * *

**Level X, Azkaban Prison, Isle of Azkaban, Atlantic Ocean**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**8:07 AM**

Hermione's lips curled into a slight smile as Bella walked in with Tom at her heels, both looking rather winded. Blaise and Draco looked up from their seats and smirked as well. Blaise was sitting close together with Hermione, the woman practically on his lap. Draco was sitting across from them, his feet propped on the table where a spread of breakfast food waited.

Auror Mitchell was patrolling by the door and he looked surprised to see Tom there. Hermione stood up and flitted to Tom's side. She leaned into it and Tom put a hand on her hair for just a moment before he stepped back. Hermione smiled, brightly.

It was the closest she'd ever get to hug with him.

"Hi! I've been practicing my katas," Hermione smiled, brightly and Tom smirked at her, nodding in approval. He walked towards the couch and Hermione looked at her sister, eagerly. Bella brushed her lips across Hermione's cheek and Hermione returned the favor. Bella smiled and Hermione bounced over to Blaise. Bella walked towards the arm chair that Tom had reclined in.

"Either scoot over or I'm sitting on you."

"I'm not moving," Tom said, stubbornly and Bella plopped herself on his lap, her head on his shoulder and her legs going over the armrest.

If Auror Mitchell was surprised, he was doing well in hiding it.

"So…Blaise wouldn't tell me a thing when he got here earlier. I know you're graduating today. What's happening?" Hermione asked, curiously and Bella smiled. She looked over at Blaise whom was playing with Hermione's fingers.

"Blaise is valedictorian. Padma is salutatorian. I'm the elected student speaker and the musical entertainment," Bella said with a grin and Hermione squealed, throwing her arms around Blaise and giving him a proud smile. Blaise returned it with a slight smile himself. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Are you really? What's your speech like, Angel?" Hermione asked in surprise. She stopped and she peered up, curiously. Bella frowned and followed the line of her sight. She looked up into Tom's hard expression and raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm?"

"Your speech is generic and untruthful. I didn't have time to bring it up but now, I am. I don't like it," Tom said, flatly and Bella shrugged and gave a great sigh. Tom raised an eyebrow at her resignation as he had expected her to defend her speech.

Even Tom acknowledged that it was exceptionally written.

"It's what they want to hear and that's why they picked me. Because it's something to lift their spirits and I give the people what they want. I have to let them believe that I'm on their side and not _yours_," Bella said, sharply and she gasped suddenly, looking to Auror Mitchell. Auror Mitchell didn't even twitch and Tom cast him a look.

"Calm down, Bella. Mitchell won't say anything. Will you, Auror Mitchell?" asked Tom, evenly and with those words, his eyes flashed a bright red. Auror Mitchell's eyes widened minutely before he relaxed and looked as professional as before.

"Correct, my Lord."

"Good…now, I don't quite understand why you're doing what they want and not what _you _want," Tom said, carefully. Bella gave him a pleading look. Draco sighed, taking pity on his sister and he leaned forward.

"She's trying to protect you, just a little longer. She wants you to be safe and that's almost guaranteed if they indeed believe that she is on their side," Draco explained and Tom gave her a haughty and cold look. Bella could see the worry in his eyes even when others could not.

"I am able to take care of myself."

"I know but…I can't do much on the Light side. I refuse to fight for them. Fight against you," Bella said, resolutely and Tom gave a hard look before he shook his head, gazing at the wall. Bella blinked, surprised at his sudden cold disposition.

"We'll speak about this later."

"Fine," Bella said, flatly and she glared down at the floor. Draco cleared his throat.

"Awkward…I want some tea. Could one of you make some tea?" Draco asked and Hermione rolled her eyes and pointed to the cups set out next to the teapot. Draco made a face at the idea of manual labor but proceeded to pour himself some tea.

"Um…so, any…other…news?" Hermione finally asked and Bella looked up with bright eyes.

"I passed my N.E.W.T.s and Masteries. Second highest DADA Mastery score, right behind Tom and a perfect score on my Ancient Runes Mastery, incidentally three points about Tom's measy 97," Bella said, teasingly as she reached for a bowl of porridge and slid down onto the floor and on her knees. She passed Tom a plate of bacon without even looking at him. His face curled into a slight sneer.

"I don't eat meat."

Bella spun and stared at him.

"I'm sorry?"

"Correction. Most of the time, I do not eat meat. I do not eat pork. I do not eat beef. I rarely eat chicken. Only on special occassions," Tom said, flatly. Bella placed the plate back on the table and continued to stare at him, incredleously. She cleared her throat.

"So…you're telling me that I've known you for seven years and I didn't know that you're essentially…a vegetarian," Bella said, softly and surprised. She looked at Tom and he was still staring at the bacon as if it had personally offended him but his gaze turned to her and the corner of his lips twitched.

"Essentially. I find meat repulsive most of the time."

"And I didn't know this why?"

"Perhaps because you never asked," Tom said, blandly and Bella snorted. Draco gave them a doubtful look.

"So, you didn't even know that he was a vegetarian yet, he wants to marry you. Am I the only one confused?" Draco asked, sarcastically. Bella looked down and Tom glared at Draco. Blaise fixed him with a sharp look.

"Draco…this is visiting time. That is none of your business and you'd do well not to bring it up at this moment," Blaise chastised. Draco flushed in embarrassment and looked away at Hermione. Hermione was smirking, victoriously.

"Yeah…bitch."

"Mudblood."

"Snob."

"That's new," Draco said, sounding faintly shocked. Hermione giggled and tilted her head.

"I'm full of surprises, Thanatos. For example, I'm a full awakened Lady War…ta-da!" Hermione said, laughing at everyone's bewildered expressions. Bella leaned forward and glanced at Auror Mitchell. He was pretending as if he wasn't listening and Bella looked over at Tom.

"He's to be trusted. I _am _assigning him as a personal guard to you," Tom said, off-handedly and Bella's eyes widened.

"_Excuse _me? I don't need a guard!"

"I'm sure. Continue, Hermione," Tom said, dismissively and Bella gave him one more look that told him that the conversation wasn't over before turning to look at her sister. Hermione was staring in mild amusement.

"Well…I simply came to an…_awareness_. Here in prison, I mean. I would prefer not to go into…details. It'd ruin all of my fun, fun, _fun_," Hermione giggled and she shook her head before looking almost serious for a moment. She leaned forward and gave Bella a look. Bella leaned forward.

"Yes?"

"Do not do what they want. Do what _you _want. Do not listen to your head. Listen to your heart," Hermione said and Bella raised an eyebrow.

Hermione was dangerously close to hypocrisy with her words. Despite her faults and…quirks, Hermione was probably one of the most logical people she knew. Bella couldn't help but imagine Hermione's mind. Blaise had described it once. Sure, when she was in distress, it was mess and jumbled but he had also described it when it was orderly.

Her mind was simply formulas and facts. She was commonsensical.

"That's a bit hypocritical. When have you ever not listened to your head?" asked Bella, carefully and Hermione smiled. She tilted her head as she looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"When I saved the Dark Lord and you by going after Snape. I did that because in my _heart_, I knew it was the right thing even when my head and everyone _else _said it wasn't," Hermione said, softly and Bella's gaze softened and she smiled. Auror Mitchell suddenly cleared his throat and everyone stopped in their eating and or drinking of tea.

"Governor?" Auror Mitchell said, softly and Draco looked over.

"Yes, Auror Mitchell?"

"The new X-level prisoner is to be arriving soon. She's…young and has been shipped over from America with the Minister and an ambassador accompanying her in addition to the normal security team. I believe that it would be better if you were all…in the proper meeting space, if you are to receive her," Auror Mitchell explained and Draco looked up, sharply. He cleared his throat and nodded once.

"Too right. Would you like to accompany me?" Draco asked and Blaise looked over at Hermione. She smiled at him, shaking her head.

"I…believe I'll go back to my little cage. I see Blaise almost everyday. It's quite fine and he needs to get back to Hogwarts anyway. My little valedictorian has to practice giving his speech. Send them all my love," Hermione said, softly and Blaise nodded in agreement. He pressed a kiss to Hermione's lips. He walked over towards the Floo and murmured his destination before leaving.

"We have to get to Gringotts," Tom reminded her. Bella nodded and she stood with him.

"I wish you could come to my graduation," Bella whispered to her sister. Bella was surprised to see Hermione smile, slightly. She leaned forward, a hint of something in her eyes as she grinned.

"I'm never far. I'll always be there for you and I'll _always _be watching."

Bella frowned but nodded.

Tom pulled her close and suddenly, they were disappearing into the shadows. They swirled through the shadows and Bella didn't know which one she hated more.

Apparition or shadow-travel?

It was a rather tough choice.

* * *

**Diagon Alley, London, England, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**9:10 AM**

"I haven't been to Diagon Alley in such a long _time_. I usually stick to Pleasure Alley now," Bella said, sounding surprised. Tom smirked down at her as they walked through the crowded shopping area. They hadn't attracted many stares yet but there _were _people watching. Tom cursed the fact that he now felt an unexplainable urge to kiss the woman.

"Well, that simply shows how high maintenance you are."

"Screw you, Tom," Bella said, lightly and Tom knew she didn't mean that. They walked at a quick pace and Tom was well aware that they had to return soon. If they were late, most likely, Luna would show up.

"You have your key?" Tom asked and Bella nodded and she looked almost confused.

"Yes…why are we here again?" Bella asked as they walked up the white steps to the great bank, possibly the safest place to store your belongings except if it was hanging off of Bella Potter. Well, that was _Tom's _opinion at least.

"I…I must finish my will," Tom said, carefully and Bella stopped short, just before they would walk into the bank. Bella was staring at him with an inscrutable expression upon her face. But, her eyes showed turmoil and shock. Tom stared at her, evenly and they stood like that for a few moments more.

"I see…anything else?"

"Yes. You must write your own," Tom said, sharply and Bella gave a sharp and quiet gasp before she hardened herself and nodded, slowly. They walked into the bank, side by side and Tom pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. Bella kept her sunglasses on and she pulled her wand out. She tapped the sunglasses and the dark lenses lightened and became transparent again. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Anthony…I asked for a spell that could do that. It's not necessarily for just glasses…they enjoy creating new magical formulas. I'm supposed to sit down with Anthony and Michael in a few weeks and go into depth about it all. I'm going to look at their list and then choose the ones they could submit to the Department of Mysteries," Bella explained and Tom nodded in understanding. He jerked her closer to him and she raised an eyebrow at him. He gave her a look and pulled her behind him.

"Professor Riddle!" clucked a motherly voice. Bella's eyes narrowed.

She could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Mrs. Weasley," Tom greeted and he nodded to Mrs. Weasley. The woman tilted her head as she looked at him. She decided not to immediately mention the other woman hiding behind him.

"What on Earth you doing here, Professor? Isn't the graduation going to begin soon?" Mrs. Weasley asked and Tom nodded, slowly. His grip grew tighter on Bella's wrist and she knew that he must have had a very good reason for pulling her behind him.

"Yes, at noon. I have a meeting to get to, so I must be going," Tom said and then he began to walk, quickly, Bella trailing after him. Bella sighed when she heard Mrs. Weasley hand wrap around her wrist. She turned to look at the woman. The older redhead woman was staring at her with disapproval on her face.

"Bella?"

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley."

"Were you going to leave without saying hello?" demanded the woman. Tom's eyes narrowed at the demands of the woman. Bella shrugged and she looked down, annoyed but too polite to show it.

"That was the plan," Tom said, coldly. Mrs. Weasley nodded and she looked at Bella.

"I…heard about the man you're dating."

Both Tom and Bella stiffened. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Gideon said that you broke up with him for this man. A man that could be your father. I don't understand how Maya and Sirius could have let this happen. He has been taking advantage of you, hasn't he?" Mrs. Weasley asked, imploringly and Bella glared at her in fury.

"No! He _hasn't_! And if Gideon told you everything, he would've said the same _thing_. Gideon is a great friend but I didn't break up with him for that. I broke up with him because I was older, wiser, and had more stuff going on then petty little teenage drama like who was dating who. _Your _Order saw to that," Bella spat in obvious rage. Mrs. Weasley jerked back as if Bella had slapped her.

"But the Order is trying to _help _rid the world of Voldemort and Grindelwald," Mrs. Weasley said softly and Bella's eyes flashed a particularly unusual color. Mrs. Weasley saw as red bled into Bella's eyes and she grabbed the older woman's shoulder. She moved forward, slowly.

"Would you like to know how much your _Order _has helped me?" Bella whispered.

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"I'm here to write my _will_," Bella spat, quietly before she pulled away from Mrs. Weasley and stormed up to the lines, cutting in front to people's annoyance. Tom followed after her and Bella dropped into a curtsey as Tom gave a short bow.

"Merry meet," Tom and Bella chorused, quietly.

"Merry meet, Lord and Lady Slytherin. You have an appointment, I see. Not a minute late, not a minute early. Quite punctual," the goblin said, quietly before he stepped aside and pulled a small door. Bella stepped up and inside and Tom was close after. They were escorted to a backroom that looked particularly familiar.

Griphook sat behind a desk, two empty inkwells sitting on the desk.

"Merry meet," Bella said, quietly and Griphook nodded in understanding.

"Merry meet. I do believe that you are running short on time. Begin writing."

Bella looked down as two pieces of parchment appeared and two more inkwells, filled with ink also appeared. One of the parchments was already written on. Bella sat down at the empty one and picked up a long brown quill. She already knew what the black quill was for.

She began to write before she stopped.

"What's my legal name, Tom?" Bella asked, quietly. He didn't even look up as he continued to revise his own will.

"Bella Anastasia le Fay Ambrosius Gryffindor Slytherin Black-Potter. It goes from most important to least important. However, if I have my way, your name will simply be Bella Anastasia Riddle."

Bella pursed her lips,

"Bella Anastasia le Fay Ambrosius Gryffindor Slytherin Black-Potter it is."

_I, Bella Anastasia le Fay Ambrosius Gryffindor Slytherin Black-Potter, being of sound mind and not acting under duress or undue influence, do hereby make and declare this document to be my Last Will and Testament._

_I do hereby revoke any and all wills made by me in a future setting unless explicitly stated in a subsection why a change must be made._

_If I am ever to be legally married, I shall state the name of my spouse._

_I am soul bonded with one Tom Marvolo Riddle and all references in this Will to my partner refer to Tom M. Riddle._

_If I am ever to have children, I shall state the name of said offspring._

Bella looked over the preliminary declarations before nodding in obvious approval. She cleared her throat as she looked over the entire thing. She continued on to the next part.

_I give and bequest all of my interest in the following property, subject to any encumbrances, to the person or entities as follows:_

_ My charm bracelets and many scrolls and tomes to my sister, Hermione Jean Granger, in hopes that she sees her worth in her mind, body, and soul and that she knows that she helped me see with my heart and not my eyes._

_ My silver heart-shaped locket and knife to my godfather, Lord Sirius Black, with which I hope that he acknowledges that my heart was always close to his and I protected it to the best of my ability. I did not let anyone take advantage of e._

_ My glove and mirror to my brother, Blaise Antonio Zabini, in hopes that he sees that I no longer fear myself or others._

_ My Firebolt to my brother, Draco Lucius Malfoy, in hopes that he can see that he may fly as high as he wishes even when his goals and ambitions seem to high_

_ My bo staff to one of my closest friends, Luna Lovegood, with which I hope that she uses it to defend herself and wield the lightening that I called to myself in my greatest times of need._

_ My first and most treasured piano to Gianna Zabini, in hopes that she forever sees and hears the fairy world that I created for her that fateful night, so many years ago._

_ And finally, I bequeath the Slytherin locket and my instruments, the Deathly Hallows: the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and Invisibility Cloak to my partner and love, Tom M. Riddle in hopes that he uses it to further our combined goal of a Dark world and that he may always know that he was and is mon ami, mon partenaire, mon amour. Tojours._

Bella stopped and looked it over. She gave a great sigh, nodding in understanding. She brushed her fingers along the ink and she was surprised to see that it was not smeared. She leaned forward, biting her lip. Tom was still revising but he glanced at her with a nod.

Bella turned back and continued with her will.

_I give, devise and bequeath all of the residue and remainder of my Estate, after payment of all my debts, expenses, taxes, administration costs and individual devises and bequest, if any to my partner Tom M. Riddle. If I am to have any children, I explicitly state that I shall revise accordingly._

_I nominate my partner, Tom M. Riddle to serve as Executor of my Estate. If my partner, Tom M. Riddle fails or is unable for any reason to serve as Executor of my Estate, I nominate my brother, Blaise Antonio Zabini as the alternate or successor Executor of Estate._

Bella stopped and she reached into her pocket, pulling out her knife. She slid her palm and dripped the blood into the empty inkwell. Tom looked at her in surprise and Bella had a firm look on her face as she steadily made more blood pour out.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

"You're the Executor of my Estate. But…it just occurred to me…I don't have an heir. So I'm naming an heir," Bella said, softly. Tom raised an eyebrow and he leaned forward, looking rather curious.

"Who?"

Bella didn't answer and she dipped the black quill into the inkwell filled with her blood. And then she began to write once more.

_In addition to this, I declare at 9:35 AM on Saturday the 26__th__ of June 1998, Gianna Zabini as my sole heir __unless __I birth an heir. As declaring Gianna Zabini my heir and, she is now Blood Heir to the following families:_

_The House of Ambrosius_

_The House of Gryffindor_

_The House of Potter_

Bella stopped and she noticed Tom reading over her shoulder. Tom glanced at her with no surprise upon his face.

"_You _were previously my sole heir. Then, I made you Executor of my Estate and you have control of my assets and such. I made Gianna my Heir as well, in case of your death," Tom admitted, grudgingly and Bella laughed, quietly. She shook her head and tilted her head, looking at Tom.

"You care about her. I _knew _it. I said…if I don't birth an heir, she's my heir. But only to the three lines that are actually _mine_," Bella explained. Tom nodded in understanding and he leaned back in a chair with a loud sigh. He shook his head.

"Did you do liquid assets?" Tom asked.

"No…I was about to do that too. You don't mind if I don't give all my money to you, right?" Bella asked, conversationally. Tom shrugged and he leaned forward, picking up his quill again.

"I didn't give you all of mine. I gave you the Slytherin and le Fay vault but I'm not giving you anything from my personal vault," Tom said, quietly and Bella nodded before she turned back to her Will.

_To my Heir, Gianna Zabini, I intend to set up a trust vault for you in addition to the one I'm sure you have. This is assessable the moment I die. When you reach your age of majority, I gift you with 45% of the Potter vault. Use it well._

_Next, to my brother, Draco Lucius Malfoy, I bequeath upon you 33% of my personal vault. To my sister, Hermione Jean Granger, I give you 33% and finally to Blaise Antonio Zabini, I give to you the last 34%, as I believe you will use it for something worthy._

_To my godfather, Sirius Black and adopted mother, Maya Granger, I gift to you control over the rest of the Potter vault until you believe Gianna Zabini is mature enough to have it. If this never occurs, you may keep it, as the blood of the Potters will end with me and me alone if I never give birth to an heir._

_And finally, to my partner and love, Tom M. Riddle, I reward you to the Ambrosius Vault and the Gryffindor vault. Use it well, darling._

Bella cleared her throat and began the final part of her will.

_In conclusion, I direct that all my debts and obligations, including funeral expense, and expenses related to my last illness be paid with the gold in the Ambrosius Vault. I direct my Executor to pay for this as soon after my death as practical._

_If any beneficiary or beneficiaries of this Will shall contest the Will or in any manner attempt to have it or any trust or beneficial interest created by it declared invalid, such person or persons shall receive no benefits from or interests under this Will, and my Will shall be carried out as if such person or persons had pre-deceased me._

_I have entered neither into a contract to make wills nor into a contract not to revoke wills. Any similarity of the provisions of my Will to the provisions of the will of my partner or any other person, if any, executed on the same or on different dates than my Will, shall not be construed of as evidence of such a contract._

_Unless specifically set forth in writing and acknowledged by the donee thereof, any gift I have made or will make during my lifetime shall not be treated as a satisfaction, in whole or in part, of any devise or bequest in my Will._

_If any beneficiary or recipient of any bequest named in my Will disclaims all or part of a gift, the portion of the gift disclaimed shall be distributed as if the disclaimant had not survived me as provided in my Will._

_When my Heir, Gianna Zabini reaches the age of sixteen, and I am deceased without a born heir to my line, she is to assume every single one of my titles and seats in the Wizengamot and is to be declared the new Lady Gryffindor._

_If any provisions of this Will are deemed unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect._

_On this 26__th__ day of June, 1998, in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, City of London, Great Britain, I hereby sign this document and declare it to be my last Will._

_Bella Anastasia le Fay Ambrosius Gryffindor Slytherin Black-Potter_

Bella sighed as she looked at her last will and testament. She looked over at Tom and he looked finished as well. They traded papers and signed as each other's witness in their blood. Griphook held his hand out and he took Bella's first, rolling it into a scroll. Bella sighed and she pressed her head against Tom's head.

Griphook exited with a nod as he took Tom's. They sat in silence for just a moment.

"I can't believe I just wrote my last Will and Testament."

"_I _can't believe that I just made you the Dark Lord if I were to die."

"_What_?"

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**10:20 AM**

"Bella!" Daphne cried out in relief when Tom and Bella finally appeared in the Entrance Hall. The other students looked surprised to see her suddenly appeared with Tom Riddle but they just walked past. Bella blinked as all of her girlfriends stood in front of her with products that had to do with hair or make-up in their hands.

Luna had two hangers with garments hanging in one hand and pair of really tall and scary looking heels in the other. Daphne was armed with a brush. Parvati and Fay looked put off and almost annoyed.

"You didn't ask Hermione to brush your hair!" Fay complained. Bella shrugged and Tom backed away from them. He pulled out a pocketwatch and checked the time before sighing. He shook his head.

"It's ten to ten-thirty. You have an hour and forty minutes. Go."

Bella nodded and Daphne grabbed her and dragged up the stairs, quickly. Bella had to jump stairs to keep up with Daphne. She knew instantly where they were heading and she sighed when they finally reached the stretch of wall that would reveal the Room of Requirement. Linda strutted past it three times before it revealed itself and Daphne pushed open the door to reveal what resembled a hair salon of sorts.

"Okay…you wash her hair," commanded Luna, pointing at the ready Lalita. Bella admired Lalita for just a minute and she sighed, looking away.

Lalita looked gorgeous with straightened hair and no glasses. She was already dressed in a traditional sari and she had her black robe and red sash in her hand. She had a red cap with a gold tassel on a counter. The rest of the girls set down the hair products and Lalita dragged her to the sink.

"I have to finish getting ready. Is your speech, ready?" Linda asked as she began to apply foundation to her already perfect and creamy complexion. Bella felt her hair tugged out of its ponytail. Lalita was running the water and she pulled the girl back and squeezed shampoo into her hand. She began lathering, quickly and Bella's eyes fell closed.

She contemplated what her life would be like after she finally graduated. She couldn't help but feel excited for it. It'd be a new life for her, she was sure and then she'd be able to achieve all the things she's ever wanted. She'd not only be able to achieve greater things but then she wouldn't have to hide anymore.

She wouldn't have to sneak around with Tom as if she were ashamed of him or the other way around.

She wouldn't have to suffer the fickle behavior of the students around her as they judged her for things that they didn't or couldn't understand. The thought unlocked something within Bella and her eyes flew open as she thought that.

There was something that had just occurred to her.

Bella would finally be free.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26th of June 1998**

**11:50 AM**

Bella swallowed as she tugged on her graduation gown. It was tailored to fit her every curve unlike the boxy uniforms that most students received from Madam Malkin's. Well they didn't have their own Elven fashion designer. She looked away and bit her lip.

There was red sash around her waist that was overlapped by a gold sash. It was the only thing holding her gown closed over her short black dress. She walked in tall four-inch black heels.

The shell of her hood was black and the interior lining was red and gold. The width of the hood was five inches as she was a Master of two disciplines. It was 4 feet long, falling down her back. The trim was a striped golden color for her Mastery in DADA and silver for her excelling in Ancient Runes as a Master. The colors should have clashed but it was actually quite nice, altogether.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Bella turned and looked at Blaise and Draco whom stood in front of her. Blaise was wearing an academic stole in purple, signifying him as the valedictorian. Draco was wearing a robe similar to Bella's except the trim of his 3.5 foot hood was simply golden and the sashes around his waist were silver and green. Even with the horrible colors, he looked well put together.

Bella blinked as she pressed her hand against the tree trunk of the great oak. She looked out over the Black Lake and knew that she'd have to get to the Great Hall soon, which was where the graduation was being held.

"And you did," Bella said, softly and felt a lump in her throat. She looked over at her brothers and they were smiling at her. Even Blaise…

"I was told to give you this. It's an honor cord for getting the highest score on your Ancient runes Mastery," Draco said, softly as he handed her the silver cord. She hung it around her neck and flexed her arm in the tight sleeves.

"I can't believe we're graduating in ten minutes," Bella said, softly and Draco leaned forward with a sentimental smile upon his face. Blaise sighed, looking rather drawn in all honesty.

"I can't believe it either. I can't believe _Hermione's _not giving the valedictory speech," Blaise said, softly and Bella smiled, quietly. She looked to Draco and he looked almost thoughtful though he said nothing.

"I can't believe it either," Bella said, softly. Draco sighed nodding.

"I'm sorry to admit that I'll miss Hogwarts. When Hermione breaks out…she'll take over this place," Draco said and Bella nodded in agreement. She looked at her brothers in earnesty.

"This is my home. This is _our _home. And it always will be," Bella said, softly. The two men nodded in agreement and they each offered an arm to Bella. Bella looked surprised and Blaise smirked at her.

"It's time to go, Bella. The salutatorian, meaning Padma, gives the salutation, she introduces you, and you go up. You give your speech about the war. Then, we all get our names called, we receive diplomas, greet our teachers as we pass by with a handshake and the like. Then, I go up and give the valedictory speech. Then we're done and we can get ready for the Legacy," Blaise said, quietly and Bella nodded in understanding as she took their arms and they began to walk. They walked quickly through the halls and to the Entrance Hall where the rest of the graduates waited.

Bella stood with her brothers, everyone giving them berth. Even her friends were staying away. Bella supposed that they knew how sentimental she would feel. She wouldn't be in the mood to laugh or talk just before something like this.

Suddenly, Bella felt familiar arms wrap around her waist and she could feel eyes on her. She turned in Tom's arms.

"This will _always _be your home," Tom whispered in her ear and Bella's eyes slid closed. She simply hugged him, not saying anything and he held her, not saying anything else. Soon enough, they had to let each other go and Bella stared up at him with an honest expression upon her face.

"And it will always be yours," Bella responded in kind. Tom cracked a smile.

"Be the woman you were raised to be. The woman I fell in love with."

Bella looked away and Tom's smile didn't slip away. He merely drifted into the Great Hall. As soon as he exited the Entrance Hall, the whispers grew louder and then suddenly, there was the sound of a trumpet and everyone lined up, alphabetically and by their House.

Bella walked in, head held high and she was met with the flashes of cameras. There were so many _people _there that weren't only families. There were photographers from newspapers and Witch Weekly and Bella knew that they were there for her. She ignored them and the gasps at the fact that her graduation robe was starkly different from everyone else's.

The table on the platform at the front of the Great Hall was gone and now, the Headmaster stood at a podium, his ornate chair to the side and next to Tom's own ornate chair. The Head of Houses sat up there as well. The rest of the faculty seemed to be sitting elsewhere.

Bella walked towards the front of the Great Hall and sat in the chair that she knew belonged to her. She was squished next to Parvati and Lalita and that wasn't bad at all. At least, she was with friends.

Dumbledore looked around as everyone sat themselves.

"I would like to thank everyone for arriving in a timely order to the graduation ceremony of our seventh years. These young men and women are probably the bravest people I know as they fought through horrifying terrors that most would never face at their age. They have warmed my heart with their constant show of humanity and kindness. Though they may be separated, they still displayed a united front and for that, I am proud. But enough of me. I introduce to you the young woman with the second-highest score in graduating class of Hogwarts, Miss Padma Patil, our salutatorian," Dumbledore said.

Bella cheered loudly for her friend though Parvati essentially drowned her out. Bella laughed as both Parvati and Lalita screamed words of encouragement in Hindi. Padma smiled at them and Bella returned it with a thumbs up.

"Fellow graduates, faculty, friends, & family…I stand before you today faced with the difficult task of trying to say something that will keep your interest and, hopefully, even be meaningful to you. I decided to give you all a little advice from my heart-advice that I've been raised with all my life-and I hope you can find something in my words to help you along your way in your life," Padma said, kindly and everyone looked at her intrigued. Parvati seemed to know exactly what she was going to say.

"Do what makes you happy. Don't let yourself be miserable in any aspect of your life. Only you know what makes you happy, so don't rely on other people to make the major decisions in your life. Live in the place _you_ want to live, marry the person whom you truly love, work at the job which _you_ enjoy. Give yourself plenty of reasons to wake up in the morning. I know…I know sometimes it'll be hard. It's hard even now when we have the complete support of everyone around us. But, now we're adults and some of us won't have that anymore. Give yourself a reason to live," Padma continued strongly and she looked around at everyone. The words struck Bella at her core and Padma turned her gaze onto the young woman that was her leader.

"Don't let anyone bring you down and make you feel worthless. People are always looking for someone to make fun of. And, sooner or later, everyone gets their turn at being talked about and teased. Not everyone is going to like you-that's just the way life goes. That doesn't mean you're inferior to anyone else. Don't let anyone ever tell you differently. Just always remember-_you_ are a _wonderful_ person," Padma said, quietly, looking at Bella. Bella felt her eyes sting with unshed tears.

"I know that times can get hard, and sometimes you just feel like completely giving up. Sometimes you sit and cry and hate the way things in your life are going. You feel completely alone and abandoned and think, "These things could only happen to me." But they don't only happen to you. They happen to us all. And that's why we have to reach out to each other and comfort each other. That's why we have to remember that we're all just human beings trying to survive. Don't shut people out, let them in. And don't turn you back on someone in need. You never know when _you'll_ be the person needing a shoulder to cry on.

"So smile a lot, laugh a lot, and be nice to everyone you meet. Build yourself up when people try to break you down. Don't take anyone or anything for granted, because you never know when they or you might be gone forever. Above all, love your life-it's the only one you've got. Thank you, members of the audience, for being here tonight and for so kindly listening to me. As for my fellow graduates, I wish you all the best of luck in your lives. I love every one of you. Thank you again," Padma finished and there was a roar of approval. Bella felt her heart twinge at the words. She cleared her throat and knew she had to wait to be called up. Padma shook hands with Dumbledore, Tom, Slughorn, McGonagall, Sprout, and she finally hugged Flitwick.

"Now, I introduce your elected student speaker of this year…my very good friend, Bella Potter."

This roar of applause and approval was even louder than the one Padma received. Bella stood up, slowly and she walked towards the podium as Padma walked to sit down in front with Blaise. They sat separately from everyone else. Bella walked up and stared at Tom. He was giving her a meaningful look and Bella turned away and swallowed.

"I want to be free," Bella finally stammered and everyone looked at her in surprise. Bella blinked, surprised herself.

"This…this wasn't my speech. I was going to talk about the war and depressing shit. But, I can't. I can't do that. Not when I have something so much more _important _to say. Not when I have something worthwhile that has to be put out there. I…this is my happy ending," Bella blurted out and everyone looked shocked at her use of profanity. Bella could feel Tom smirking at her in approval.

"Now…I can stop pretending. The show is done now. And it's time for me to leave the stage. The good guy won now. So, I'll say…goodbye. Goodbye to all the make believe. Because, in all honesty, that's what all of this is. We came to Hogwarts at eleven years old, thinking of magic and wonder. Because it wasn't all real yet. And last year, we came out of a Battle where we lost friends…and family. I lost my sister. We came out of that battle as adults but…there is something that even adults forget and something that you _must _learn," Bella said, strongly and she looked over at everyone. They were staring at her in confusion and surprise but some of them were nodding as if they understood what she was going on about.

"There's nothing left for me to do. I'll take my bow and disappear into the world. I'll do my own thing and be what _I _want to be. You all want a Savior and I can't give you that. I'm sorry…I'm sorry that I can't but when am I going to get what I want? Is it too much to ask for? I don't think so, I leave you with this, 'goodbye'. Off stage…not in the spotlight, I think I stand a better chance. The show is through. My part has been played. No more violence…no more phony tears…that's what I want," Bella said, imploringly and now more students understood what she was saying though there were several adults that didn't seem to understand. Bella could feel Dumbledore's annoyance as if it were palpable.

But she could also feel Tom's approval.

"I'm not afraid of stopping. This end…could be my _start_. I want to live a life and not just play the part of a Savior! If you can't accept that…then this will be the last you hear of me! So, goodbye! Goodbye to every night alone while everyone sits there judging me for actions they don't understand!" Bella shouted in pain and she slammed her hand on the podium. She could see some of the students looking uncomfortable. Bella swallowed and she looked at all of them.

"Goodbye to a life that I don't own but you want me to! I'm _tired _of living on the page! Why do you have to know everything? Why? That's my question! Why? Why is it always me? I was slandered and spat at because I kissed a man that I was trying to save from damnation. I was trying to save _you _from damnation. I'm done. I'm finished with being taken advantage of. I was taking advantage of by my _classmates_, people who I thought were _friends_, _reporters_. Well…I'm sorry to let you know but I was already scarred enough!" Bella continued and she ripped off her glove, showing off the scars on her hand and she swallowed, harshly. She was flushed with fury.

"I must not tell lies. So…I'm done. You want to know why too. Why I'm so cold. Why I'm so defensive. Well…I was delivered the head of a man before. His name was Seth Jones. I knew his mother for many years. She taught me how to play the piano. And then…one day his mother died. He became my teacher. And he _beat _me. Every. Single. Day. He beat me if I got something wrong! He _hurt _me! Took _advantage _of me! And he made me _hate _myself for not being perfect. And now you understand…you understand what I'm trying to tell you. This isn't just about me," Bella continued and she could see some of her friends crying, softly. Ron looked stricken into silence and Gideon was frozen.

"I'll be damned if I let you take advantage of me. And I'll be damned thrice more if I let you leave here without telling you this…I was a coward. I was frightened of myself and the things in my past. Don't let that happen to yourself. I hated myself and refused to cry for myself…and that _changed _me. For the worst. It made me something different. All I want…all I want in life is to be human. What you all are doing…is making me feel _less _than. You treat me as a weapon and something to be abused just because of _who _I am. Did you ever think about me as not the Girl-Who-Lived but just Bella? A _teenager_? I didn't think so.

"In conclusion, don't leave here without learning this lesson. You feel hatred and love just like _me_. Mistakes. Satisfaction. Regrets. Happiness. Fear. Joy. Pain. Love. Hatred. All parts of being human. So, how could you even _think _about treating me like something less than? Listen here and listen good…we _all _deserve respect, I think. I may not have shown you any but think back…did you ever show me any? I didn't think so. Go on from here a little wiser. We are _all _equal and you are _all _human. So don't let anyone treat you otherwise," Bella finished and there was complete silence as she stared out.

The clap began from the front where her brother, Blaise Zabini stood with absolute pride on his face. He stared at her and nodded. She smiled down at him. Padma joined in and she heard Tom clapping behind her. Soon, Draco stood, leading all of her friends and Bella's lips curled into a smile as she heard her godfather and adopted mother whooping in pleasure. Bella bit her lip and held the ring that was held around her neck by a chain. She could almost feel her birth parents' warm presences at her back.

Soon, the entire Great Hall was filled with a roar of approval that went on longer than five minutes. Bella nodded and she turned around to face Dumbledore. He was staring at her with grave blue eyes but he kept the grandfatherly smile on his face. She stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Speak nothing to me," Bella whispered and she held out her hand. He took it and he gave it a firm shake. Bella sighed and moved on to Tom. He was staring at her with pride upon his face and a wild look in his eyes. She offered her hand and Tom grabbed it before pulling her in into a forceful hug.

Bella hugged him back just a fiercely and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head though it looked like he had just put his face to her hair.

"That's my girl," he murmured and Bella grinned. She pulled away and turned to Minerva McGonagall. She gave the woman a slight hug before continuing down the line and giving handshakes to everyone.

She stepped off the stage and proceeded to her seat as Dumbledore stood and walked towards the podium. He cleared his throat and looked to the group surrounding them.

"We will now call the names of the graduates, their House, and acknowledgments where necessary," Dumbledore declared and he took out a scroll and began reading from it. Bella couldn't help but think it was reminiscent to the Sorting Hat in her first year. She cleared her throat as he called the first person.

"Hannah Abbott, Hufflepuff, Head of the Yearbook Committee."

Hannah went up and collected her diploma, shaking everyone's hand.

"Susan Bones, Hufflepuff."

"Terry Boot, Ravenclaw."

"Mandy Brocklehurst, Ravenclaw."

"Lavender Brown, Gryffindor, Yearbook Commitee."

Bella sneered here as the Weasleys, mostly Ron, cheered loudly for the girl. She gave a sweet grin and turned to look at Parvati, excitedly before her grin slipped away when she saw that the girl was only clapping, politely. Bella felt her heart pang when she saw the heartbroken look on Lavender's face.

Lavender looked at Bella and glared at her before storming up onto the platform and retrieving her diploma. She didn't even try to rub up against Tom, which was a surprise. Bella felt only slightly guilty.

"Millicent Bulstrode, Slytherin."

"Michael Corner, Ravenclaw, co-creator of the untested spell, _Erecto Pontemque_."

Bella cheered loudly for the man whom had helped her pass her DADA Mastery. He walked up, quickly and when he got to the front, he swooped down and pressed a kiss to Padma's cheek. He continued up and stopped in front of Dumbledore, shaking his hand. He gave Tom a firm handshake and murmured something to him. Tom shrugged and Michael seemed to say something reassuring to him before continuing on.

"Stephen Cornfoot, Ravenclaw."

"Vincent Crabbe, Slytherin."

Draco looked surprised that the moron had actually graduated. He clapped a bit louder for him, as in all honesty he was kind of proud of him.

"Tracey Davis, Slytherin."

Bella still held a grudge against the girl for tripping her when she was trying to escape from Umbridge. She refused to clap and Bella was happy to see that none of her friends nor her brothers clapped above a very light polite applause.

"Fay Dunbar, Gryffindor, and the first Hogwarts student of this class to be accepted into the Auror Academy," Dumbledore called out and Bella cheered as her friend stood. Ron glared at the young woman. All of Hydra clapped for her and Theodore, her partner in Hydra stood with a few others for her. Fay flounced to the front and she saluted Theodore as he saluted her back with a slight smirk. She collected her diploma before coming off and getting back into line.

"Kevin Entswhile, Ravenclaw, Yearbook Commitee."

"Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hufflepuff."

Bella watched the boy go up and he shot her a look, as if apologizing for something. Bella remembered her second year when everyone had shunned her. He had been one of the Hufflepuffs petrified if she remembered correctly. He had also called her a fraud, something she despised to this very day.

It was almost the same as being called a coward.

"Seamus Finnigan, Gryffindor."

"Gregory Goyle, Slytherin."

"Anthony Goldstein, Ravenclaw, co-creator of the untested spell, _Erecto Pontemque_."

Bella cheered once more for the intelligent boy that had helped her pass her Masteries. Both him and Michael had developed that spell and she knew she had gotten extra points for it. She had attacked them both with flying hugs after that one had been over. Michael along, just as loud.

"Daphne Greengrass, Slytherin, Apprentice of Horace Slughorn, and highest N.E.W.T score in Potions of all time."

Bella cheered though inside her heart ached. They had skipped over Hermione's name and it was killing her inside. Bella was happy that Daphne had finally gotten her apprenticeship and the girl seemed happy too. She stopped before turning around and grabbing Neville whom was in the row behind her. She pressed a sloppy kiss to his lips and he flushed pink before she skipped towards the front.

She curtseyed to Dumbledore and then grabbed Tom by the shoulder. She looked up at him and said something quietly to him. Everyone stared in confusion. Tom was looking down at her, very seriously. Daphne whispered something again and Tom nodded once. She continued whispering for a few more moments before Tom's lips curled into a smirk and he nodded.

Daphne took something out of her pocket and Bella frowned when she saw it looked like that blue box Tom had shown her. Bella flushed when she remembered the box. It had had a ring in it.

Though, she hadn't particularly _liked _the ring.

Daphne placed the box in his hand and Tom slid it into his pocket with one more nod. Daphne curtseyed before she moved on to the other professors.

Then, the Greengrass Heir had pointed to Tom.

"Best teacher on the fucking face of the planet!"

There was a roar of approval from Hydra, Draco, Blaise, and Bella. Tom smirked, rolling his eyes as Daphne ran off the stage, giving high fives to the Hydra members that she passed. Bella rolled her eyes but smiled at her best friend. Daphne looked at her for just a moment before she winked and turned around.

"Wayne Hopkins, Hufflepuff."

"Megan Jones, Hufflepuff."

"Sue Li, Ravenclaw."

"Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor, Master of Herbology."

Daphne cheered for her boyfriend and Bella stared in pride as Neville walked up as the first Master of the graduating class. Bella looked to the back and saw Neville's Gran tearing up at his long hood lined in green, signifying that he was a Master of Herbology.

As he went down the line, he said something sharply to Tom but quietly. Tom smirked and nodded.

"Morag MacDougal, Ravenclaw."

"Ernie Macmillian, Hufflepuff."

Bella's eyes hardened as she watched Ernie walk up. He gathered his diploma and shook hands with Dumbledore. When he clasped hands with Tom, Ernie's knees buckled and he almost fell to the ground. Tom seemed to be squeezing the life out of his fingers and Bella's lips curled into a bitter smile.

"Enough, Tom," Bella hissed, quietly though she knew he would hear her. Tom let go and Ernie's fingers were red and purple. He glared before moving on.

"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin, Master of Defense against the Dark Arts," Dumbledore said and he sounded confused, as if what he had just said was an oxymoron.

Bella cheered for her brother, her eyes big and her grin wide. Draco walked up with decorum and Bella suddenly heard screams of praise in Druhir. She looked back and saw Luna whom looked so damn proud. Bella's lips curled into a wider smile. Draco was staring at Luna with obvious love in his eyes. She smiled, proudly up at him.

"Linda Moon, Slytherin, highest N.E.W.T. score in Arithmancy of her year."

Bella's eyes widened at the fact that her friend took Arithmancy but she had never known. Hermione had never told her _that_…

Bella knew that if Hermione was here, she would have beat out Linda. But she wouldn't begrudge her friend. Lalita cheered for her very best friend and Linda grinned, proudly as she walked up.

"Theodore Nott, Slytherin, second highest N.E.W.T. score in Magical Theory."

"_Vaha m__ē__r__ī__ ma__ṅ__g__ē__tara hai!_" Lalita screamed, proudly. Theodore grinned at her and Fay. They both stared at him proudly before turning. Bella knew that he thought of Fay as a little sister and Lalita as one of his closest friends.

She couldn't help but hope that they became more so that Lalita _could _marry for love.

"Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin, Yearbook Committee."

"Padma Patil, Ravenclaw, Salutatorian."

Lalita and Parvati began babbling and screaming in Hindi again and Padma smiled as she stood from her nice silver throne-type chair. Instead of immediately going up, she stopped in front of Blaise. He raised an eyebrow at her. Padma dropped into a low bow and Blaise smiled at her.

"Thank you. You taught me more than anyone _ever _could. You made me who I am and I…I _like _her. I like me."

Blaise stood and pulled his student into a hug. Everyone frowned in confusion but Bella simply smiled.

"Your welcome, Padma."

Padma went up to collect everything and she dropped into a respectful bow when she stood in front of Tom. She whispered something in Hindi and he nodded in understanding. Padma looked back at Bella before staring at Tom, sternly and saying something. Tom snorted and nodded and Padma walked away, looking satisfied.

"Parvati Patil, Gryffindor, highest N.E.W.T in Charms."

Parvati went up and did a repeat performance of what Padma had done. Tom sighed and nodded once more. Bella wondered what they were saying but when Parvati returned, she only smiled at Bella before facing the front. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"Bella Potter, Gryffindor, Master of Defense against the Dark Arts, Master of Ancient Runes, highest Mastery score in Ancient Runes of all time, Triwizard Champion, and a Special Services Award for defending the school on three accounts."

Bella's eyes flashed wide open at the last announcement and there was a roar of applause around her as almost everyone stood. Bella slowly walked forward, her gown trailing on the ground. The photographers were taking pictures of her robe that signified that she was a Master in two subjects. As she reached the front, Tom presented the Special Services Award with a slight smirk on his face.

Bella shook hands with Dumbledore. She moved on to Tom and stared at him for just a moment.

"Goddamn it, Tom…" Bella whispered before she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. She gave him a tight hug, clinging to him that he returned. She slowly pulled away and took the award that he had presented to her. She hugged McGonagall and shook hands with Slughorn, Sprout, and Flitwick before going down.

She stopped in front of Blaise and stared down at him, her heart growing bitter as she continued to stare. Blaise was staring at her with a raised eyebrow, his legs crossed, one ankle resting on his knee.

"I am not a coward. I am not weak. I am _not _broken," Bella spat at him, the anger that had simmered in her for years from the one encounter breaking free in those few words. The contempt those words held were heard everywhere and everyone stared at her in surprise.

"No…you are not. You have not only proven it to me. You have proven it to _yourself_. Hermione would have been proud. She _is _proud," Blaise said, quietly. Bella stared at him and she took a deep breath.

"I _hate _you."

"I know."

"You made me think that I wasn't _worth _it. But now I know…I _am_. I _hate _you but…I still love you. You're my brother," Bella said, quietly. Blaise nodded and he leaned forward with one raised of an eyebrow.

"I challenge you then…grow stronger with that hatred. Are you really prepared to go where we will go? Can you truly turn your back on Virtues that you can't afford?" Blaise challenged and Bella knew now that this wasn't her Blaise.

It was Apollo.

"Because of you…because of everyone…I'm unbreakable. Take me there. I want to go there. This time, I'm not scared. Now I am unbreakable. It's unmistakable. No one can touch me. Nothing can stop me," Bella whispered, quietly. She turned around and continued towards her seat. She sat down and Dumbledore resumed the entire graduation process.

"Lalita Singh, Gryffindor, highest N.E.W.T. score in History of Magic."

Bella stood and cheered for the gorgeous young woman that floated up to the front of the room. Though Bella knew she was considered to be the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts, she knew that Lalita definitely gave her a run for her money. She actually considered Lalita so much more beautiful than her, both in face and in heart.

Lalita murmured something to Tom and he looked almost exasperated but he nodded. Lalita snickered and gave a saucy wink before continuing on. When she left the stage, she gave Theodore a quick hug and then she hugged Linda.

"Zacharias Smith, Hufflepuff."

"Dean Thomas, Gryffindor."

"Lisa Turpin, Gryffindor."

"Ronald Weasley, Gryffindor."

Bella winced when she heard deafening screams from the Weasleys that stood in the back. Ronald gave an unattractive flush as he went up. He shook hands with Dumbledore but flinched when he came to Tom. Tom shook his hand, lightly, as if he were afraid to get something disgusting on his hand. Ron looked insulted but he moved on.

Finally…

"Now, presenting our final graduate, Blaise Zabini, Valedictorian and Apprentice of the Head Healer at St Mungo's."

Bella clapped, softly though she didn't feel anything else but pride as Blaise walked up towards the podium. He took his diploma but didn't shake hands with anyone. He leaned against the podium.

"I believe I will take a lead out of the book of my _sorella_."

Bella's eyes widened at the title.

"I had a very nice speech prepared, I assure you. It was full of very sentimental things that I'm sure you will all remember but I do believe that this needs to be heard more. Sometimes…there are things that are so much more important than the need to cry. I first…would like to apologize," Blaise said, firmly. He made eye contact with everyone before his eyes settled on Bella. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"If my sister, Bella Potter, would please stand."

Bella slowly stood and looked up at him with hard eyes.

"I would like to apologize for something I said. On January 12th, 1996, I called you a coward. I called you a coward for hiding behind unpleasant memories instead of facing them. I said that you were not my sister. I accused you of being afraid of yourself. Of your past. And of your future. I said that I was _ashamed _of you. And I am sorry. I am sorry for saying something of that nature. _I _am ashamed of my words and I am ashamed of the fact that I took advantage of your fears and pushed you too hard. I beg your forgiveness," Blaise said, solemnly and Bella's eyes widened and she stared up at him. She cleared her throat and felt her fury drain away until there was nothing left but love for her brother.

"You already had my forgiveness before you asked. You made me stronger."

"Thank you," Blaise said and Bella sat down. Blaise cleared his throat and he tilted his head as looked over the entire graduating class.

"Now that that is finished, I believe I can begin with my valedictory speech, which I feel will be vastly different than the sugary piece that I prepared and the faculty, all except one, found satisfactory. Yes, I mean you, Tom," Blaise said, glancing back at the smirking man. Tom shrugged and leaned forward.

"I try."

Blaise turned back to look at the faces of everyone whom was staring, eagerly at him. Blaise cleared his throat and sighed.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Riddle, members of the faculty, honored guests, fellow graduates, friends, and family, good afternoon. It is hard to acknowledge this as my very last day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This place has become my home. I could think of every brick, every tree, and every step in this school and have a memory associated with it," Blaise said, softly and Bella smiled at that. Blaise sighed, shaking his head.

"When I first came to this school, I did not speak often. As I'm sure you can tell, I am a native Italian speaker and previous to my acceptance to Hogwarts, I rarely spoke in English. I found it a trivial language. I began clearly speaking in English in the middle of my first year when I became good friends with a man I consider my brother. Draco Malfoy. He introduced me to this world that I did not consider my own. My world was one of travel but I _always _was able to feel comfortable in it with my mother, my little sister, and…numerous fathers," Blaise continued and he offered a secret smile. There was nervous laughter from various places though most of Hydra snickered. There was a distinct giggle that came from the back and Blaise's half-smile grew wider for just a moment.

"And that would be my little sister, Gianna. As I was saying…this place was not my home at first. I always felt out of place and even now…standing before you all, I know that I do not deserve this role as valedictorian. Because, many years ago…on September 1st of 1992, I met the smartest, sweetest, and kindest woman that I've ever had the pleasure to meet. She _is _the smartest witch of our time and I know that none of you, no matter how much you want to, can deny this simple fact…Hermione Granger, the love of my life, should be standing here in my place," Blaise said, his smile slipping away and he stated this so matter-of-factly and solemnly that not even Ron Weasley could disagree. Most students nodded, as if in a daze. Bella found herself to be one of those students.

"If you think back…to those years when she was young and untainted, you can remember the girl with two big front teeth, bushy hair, and a know-it-all air about her. She was snappish and cold to those whom she thought was going to make fun of her. Meaning the Slytherins. But, she excelled in everything else. I…am saddened, I think. I am saddened that she is not here, giving her own meaningful speech, when she so deserves it. But, as I think on her, for some strange reason, I can't help but think…of all of _you_. My fellow graduates…" Blaise said, softly. Everyone looked at each other in surprise. Blaise leaned forward and he cleared his throat.

"I can't help but think that she lost herself in Black Magic because she was a Mudblood. She was viewed as…less than. And so she made herself…_more _than. It was a selfish and childish way to do so. And as a child, she feared the power she held, yet she used it and manipulated it without quite understanding what she was sentencing herself with. She was so damn smart and strong. I doubt any of you could have done what she had done for years. For years…she lived with ASPD, anti-social personality disorder. She developed psychosis. Her brother died. _I _nearly died. Every single year, her sister went off to face certain death and returned more than a little harmed, whether mentally, emotionally, or physically. And she was a child. Can you say you've done the same?" Blaise asked and no one could. Bella had never quite thought of it like that. She wondered exactly what Blaise was trying to get at.

"I suppose in a way, this relates to what my sister was advising you earlier. Hermione made mistakes and this made her human, of course. Though I doubt your mistakes will be as great as hers, it's okay to make them. It's okay to love. It's okay to _hate. _But do not let those things _consume _you. We are all adults now. And as adults, we have a responsibility to complete before we go out into the world," Blaise said, carefully. Suddenly, there was a deadly serious expression upon his face.

"Grow. Up."

"We are privileged to be here, I hope you know. There are children out there that will _never_ go here. Whether it's because they don't have enough magic or they cannot _afford _to go here…they will not be in this same privileged state you are in now. Hermione committed crimes as a child and now…is serving in _prison _as an adult. She had to _grow. Up_. I advise you to do the same _before_ you turn out just like my _poor_, _damned_, love," Blaise said, spitting out certain words and everyone stared at him. Blaise cleared his throat.

"Grow up. Those are my words of wisdom for you. Thank you and I congratulate you all. Good night," Blaise said, quietly before he stood and walked away from the stage. There was a clap of applause that was just as big as the one Bella received though it came mostly from the adults whereas when Bella finished her speech, the graduates were the ones that had clapped the loudest.

Dumbledore walked towards the podium, looking unnerved by two of the three speakers.

"I would like to congratulate every single student that is graduating today. May your fulfill you deepest wishes and I wish you luck on your journey onwards into adulthood. Congratulations, Hogwarts Class of 1998."

Bella screamed as she realized that she was finally graduating. She stood up and grabbed onto Lalita. The girl was screaming with her and they jumped up and down in excitement. Bella broke away from her and she spun around to see Sirius and Maya standing there. Bella tackled them and she felt herself grabbed into a hug.

"You graduated! Now you can stay out late and party like a normal teen!" Sirius cheered, excited and Maya elbowed him. Bella grinned, nodding in agreement with her insane godfather.

"Oh, congratulations, baby," Maya said and Bella noticed how hoarse she sounded. Bella suddenly felt sharp guilt and she looked up at Maya.

"I'm sorry about Mione…"

"Don't…don't worry about that. Hermione knew the coursework anyway," Maya said, adding with a slight grin at the mention of her biological daughter. Bella felt a tap on her shoulder and she spun to see Luna standing with a strange and unfamiliar girl yet so familiar it hurt.

The woman was tall with long, curly red hair and cornflower blue eyes. She had milky skin and it was strange but she was wearing a long sleeved dress and a turtleneck. The woman was smiling at her, strangely. Bella looked back and saw that Maya was frozen. The woman smiled at Maya and winked.

"Hello. Congratulations," the woman said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

"Hello…who are you?" Bella blurted out, unabashed. The woman's smile curled into a wicked grin that looked so familiar that Bella was getting pissed that she didn't recognize the girl. Bella looked over her shoulder and saw Draco and Blaise. They looked confused as they moved forward. Draco suddenly looked shocked and then he grinned.

"Bella…this is _Morgan _Evans. I believe she promised to be here at your graduation.'_I'm never far. I'll always be there for you and I'll always be watching_'," Luna mimicked, speaking in Bella's sister's voice perfectly. Morgan smiled at Bella with wide eyes. Her smile was innocent enough but it spoke volumes.

"I must not tell lies, sister. You taught me that."

And with that, Blaise Zabini, the emotionless Slytherin, and Bella Potter, the coldest beauty around, burst into tears.

Blaise walked up until he was next to Bella and they stared at Morgan whom was smiling at them, sadly. She stared at them with a slight smile. She took a step forward and enveloped them both into a hug and Blaise hugged her back, momentarily forgetting that this wasn't the woman that he had fallen in love with.

He pulled back and looked at her. Morgan's eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

"I'm sorry," Morgan whispered to Draco, Blaise, and Bella. Bella bit her lip and looked at Morgan.

"It's okay."

And in that one moment, it was and everything…_everything _was right in Bella's world.

She was almost free…

Now…she had one more thing to do.

:::

**A/N: **This is it. The home stretch. We're so close to the end, I can smell it. No...that's probably my dinner. The thing is, I already have the epilogue written. But, I promised myself that I wouldn't put it out until the anniversary of this story, which is this Tuesday. I'm sorry if you have to wait for Bella's final task. I think I was pretty damn nice to Blaise at the end, if you think about it.

In all honesty, I was going to make everyone but him know about Hermione being Morgan. Then, he would've had lots of angst time. But, now I have different plans for him to have angst-time as he is now the only one who hasn't melded with his Horseman. That means, he has a lot of emotions to deal with as he is, emotionally repressed. I have a reason for why that is and it was only touched upon in this chapter.

You'll have to wait for the sequel...speaking of that...I'm going to work on the prologue. I will not give you any hints about what hte prologue is about. Do not ask.

Or do ask. I'll just have to reject any questions you have about it.

**The Epilogue: **Freedom


	100. Epilogue

**Title: **Inside My Mind

**Pairing: **TMR/FemHP, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT, NL/DG, dubious TN/OC

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not _that_ dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that _rhymed_.

**Note: **It's really the end…sniffle.

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

**Epilogue**

**Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain**

**Saturday the 26****th**** of June 1998**

**1:30 PM**

Bella sat at the piano, her face in her hands and she sighed as she looked at the ring sitting on top of the piano. She felt a small hand on her wrist and Bella looked up at the little girl who was staring at her with unnaturally serious eyes. Bella gave a slight smile at Gianna Zabini.

"Miss Bell…why you here? Mr. Tom is inside. Blaise says you have a party that I can't go to," Gianna said and she looked around at all the people milling around, saying hello and waiting for Bella to play just as she promised. Bella sighed and shook her head.

"I promised that I'd play my piano, Gia," Bella murmured, softly. Gianna nodded in understanding and she tilted her head before frowning.

"Blaise says you love Mr. Tom. More than Mama loves her husbands cause you won't kill him," she whispered. Bella laughed and Gianna looked at her confused. Bella nodded in agreement and she picked up Gianna and placed her on the seat next to her.

"That's very true."

"Then why won't you marry him?" Gianna asked, quietly. Bella blinked, surprised at the question and she tilted her head as she looked over at Gianna.

"Where did that question come from? Did Tom put you up to this?" Bella asked, sharper than she had intended.

She blinked at the silly question and she couldn't quite understand why she had reacted so like that. Gianna was staring at her unblinkingly and unperturbed by Bella's harsh tone. She actually looked like she expected it but that was strange as the little girl was only six years old. She shouldn't expect much of anything despite the fact that she was a murderer.

"Mr. Tom only said hi. Miss Bell…don't you love Mr. Tom?"

"I do. Gianna…it's complicated. Tom has done a lot of bad things, Gia and I…"

"You have done bad things. Blaise tells me bedtime stories when he is home. Miss Bell, are you scared? I would be scared too," Gianna said, softly.

Bella fell silent and she continued to stare at the keys of the piano. She froze when she began to hear something beautiful emerging from the piano that she was not playing. She was not playing yet sound came out and it was so pure and innocent that it made Bella's heart ache…

Bella looked over at the little girl sitting next to her. Many others were watching as well and Gianna tilted her head as she played something that Bella was definitely not familiar with.

Was it something that Gianna had made up?

"I want to be just like you when I'm grown up, Miss Bell. But…I don't want to be sad. Why do you make yourself sad?" Gianna asked, softly as she played and Bella cleared her throat and she felt something sting her eyes. She quickly wiped it away.

The sad tune continued to vibrate from the piano and she could feel the eyes on her. Suddenly, Bella copied part of Gianna's playing at a higher octave. Despite Gianna's small hand size, she was still playing with one hand. Bella added another hand as she responded back to Gianna's playing. Gianna lifted another hand and added chords to her small tune.

There was silence as Bella thought of what to respond with. And then suddenly, her fingers were gliding across the keys in a dark yet high tune. It was a bit of an oxymoron but the dark beauty of it drew everyone's attention. The two pianists didn't notice the group of graduated students come from the back or the dark haired charcoal-eyed wizard with them.

Bella waited for Gianna to respond but Gianna only looked at her with owlish eyes. Bella played once more and it was still the same dark tune. Bella sighed when she realized that Gianna was not going to play anymore. She continued with her own made up tune when suddenly a deeper undertone joined in and Bella grinned when she realized that Gianna was playing with her.

Bella tossed her hair back from her shoulder as she played with Gianna. Gianna was giving her own small secret smile that looked so out of place of her young face. Her curls were bouncing as she played with excitement. The complication and intricacy of the song was gorgeous.

Suddenly, Gianna's hand was going up the keyboard and when she could no longer reach, Bella finished by taking over and making her fingers glide before she did a trill at a close to last key.

Slowly, the playing came to an end and Gianna burst into a round of happy laughter that enchanted Bella.

"Thank you, Miss Bell. I learn because of you."

Bella's lips curled into a grin and she tilted her head.

"I liked that."

"Blaise tells me this…when I scared," Gianna started, "Forget your fear. It's just a crutch that tries to hold you back and turn your dreams to dust. All you need to do is just…trust."

Bella stared for a moment at the wisdom in the little girl's eyes. Gianna's eyes has always been so very strange and she continued to stare at her with a knowing look and a strangely _older _look in her eyes.

"Who _are _you?" Bella whispered, quietly. Gianna smiled.

"Gianna Zabini. I is Blaise's little sister. I am six," Gianna said, proud that she could say that in almost perfect English.

Bella frowned before she swallowed and turned around to face everyone.

"Excuse me!" Bella said as she stood up. Everyone looked at her in surprise and Bella looked at the reporters and faculty and students and family. Bella cleared her throat.

"I'd like to ask everyone a question!"

Everyone waited.

"Who defeated Grindelwald on October 31, 1981?"

Silence.

"My mother did. I'm tired…I'm tired of hearing about what _I _did. My mother…my _brave _mother…Lily Potter…ensured that I'm still alive. She ensured that _you're _still alive. You should worship her and not me. So, that's why I…I composed this song that I'm going to play for you for her. Because I love her so…" Bella said, softly.

Bella frowned and she looked down at the piano as if it were otherworldly.

As if it did not belong to her.

As if she weren't sure what to do with it.

"Mama…I composed this for you," Bella whispered and then her fingers were slowly moving across the keys. The song sounded beautiful and soulful and Bella played it with confidence. The love she felt for her mother permeated the very notes and Bella smiled.

Despite the subtle notes, it overwhelmed most of the audience and Bella trailed off as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder at the man staring down at her and he cast a look at the ring.

"I've given you the time you asked for. But, I don't want to push you anymore. You're young and I understand that. But, trust me, I will never stop ask—" Tom said, firmly. Bella put a finger to his lips and he fell silent. Bella brushed her fingertip along his bottom lip and the crowd was hushed as the watched.

Bella moved one arm around his neck and she hooked the other one around. She laced her fingers and Tom placed a hand on each side of her waist. She tossed her head back and stared up at him, firmly.

"**I know hurt. And I know pain. I've caused you that. I know, I know, I know. I know confusion. But…all of this is new to me. Please be the man I think you are. Please be the one…my bright and morning star, my Lucifer,**" Bella begged and Tom looked at her in confusion and Bella buried her face in his neck. She stayed there for a minute or two before she pulled away and looked at him with a sad smile.

"Please be the man I hope you are. _Please _be the one…the one I've waited for this far. I know pain. I know scars. Mental, physical, and emotional. Look at me. Look at yourself in the mirror. I know about not trusting someone like you did for so long. But, you have me now. I know broken hearts. You're the one who broke it. And I've broken yours. But…please be the man I think you are…I'm sorry…I've caused you so much pain. I've been so selfish, making you wait for me," Bella apologized and she swallowed hard despite the fact that people were watching. She was about to reveal something that had been hidden for so long and she was nervous yet excited that she didn't have to hide it any longer.

She could finally confess to something that had been inside her for so long. She no longer had to hide something so important to her from these people. From her _amour_.

"What?" Tom murmured. Bella hushed him. She pulled away from him.

"I am afraid…I've been confused. I feel so used! I've been ABUSED! Come save my life. Please rescue me. And set me free…please be the man I know you are," Bella announced. She pointed to herself, emphasizing the adjectives.

She ripped the chain from her neck and held the ring in front of her with determined look on her face.

"Does your offer still stand? Will you let me be your wife?" Bella asked, strongly. The watching crowd gasped in shock and there were whispers all around them. Tom stared at her wide-eyed before his lips curled into a genuine smile. It wasn't a half-smile but a full one.

"I'd be honored to have you as my wife."

And with that, Tom fell to his knee and took Bella's left hand and grabbed the ring from her right hand. He swiftly slid the ring on her left ring finger. He stood and pulled her towards him. Bella stared at him in shock and he grabbed her by the chin and tilted her head up. She stared up at him.

"Listen up, you. Lets get something straight."

"Okay…" Bella said, breathlessly.

Tom brought her forward until their lips were only a breath apart and the spectators held their breath.

"You're mine."

And he sealed the words with a kiss.

:::

**A/N: **I'd like to thank you all for supporting me with your numerous reviews over a course of a year. Sometimes, I was really close to giving up on this and you all supported me when I wrote how tired I was. I got through it and I'm immensely proud of the progress I've made with my writing. I would like to think that my writing has vastly improved since I first began. This story began with the idea of a femHarry/Sirius and then it morphed into this monster when I thought of how things would be different with a femHarry and if Tom had been chosen to be a teacher. I think I'd like to write a short interlude one-shot about how Tom came to be Hogwarts as a teacher, but right now I'm focusing on Masquerade.

I have begun on my prologue and I hope to have it out by Friday if not sooner. I think I'll post a short notice and take it down once I know everyone knows about the new story. I thank you once again and if you could drop a review telling me about how you thought the story was on a whole, that'd be great.

I hope to reach 2000 reviews as my longest story is something I am greatly proud of.

Thank you!

Signing out,

Sistersgrimmlover


	101. Author's Note

**The Promised Author Note**: So…it's Friday and I have posted Masquerade. It was such an easy chapter to write and I love the prologue so much. It sets up the feel for the entire thing. For example, the prologue of this story was supposed to give off a slight coming of age feel along with the feeling of courage, which is an important part of the story.

The new prologue is darker and I hope that you will come to like the sequel that is Masquerade.

Signing off,

Sistersgrimmlover


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